EXERCISING APPARATUS WITH A LIMB SUPPORT, AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE FORCE ACTING ON A LIMB SUPPORT OF AN EXERCISING APPARATUS

Abstract

An exercising apparatus for exercising at least one limb, having a supporting frame and at least one crank which is arranged on a rotation shaft assigned to the supporting frame, and having at least one limb support which can be fastened to the at least one crank at different radial distances from the rotation shaft. A detector is provided for detecting the radial distance of the at least one limb support from the rotation shaft. The invention further relates to a limb support and to a method for determining the force acting on a limb support of an exercising apparatus.

Claims

1. An exercising apparatus for exercising at least one limb, the exercising apparatus comprising: a supporting frame; at least one crank arranged on a rotation shaft assigned to the supporting frame; at least one limb support adapted to be fastened to the at least one crank at different radial distances from the rotation shaft; and a detector to detect a radial distance of the at least one limb support from the rotation shaft.

2. The exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is designed for the automated detection of the radial distance of the limb support from the rotation shaft, and wherein the radial distance detected by the detector is fed as a measured value to an evaluation unit to calculate a force exerted on the limb support.

3. The exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is formed by at least one sensor selected from a group comprising Hall sensors, ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, or photoelectric cells as part of light barriers.

4. The exercising apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a sensor formed by the Hall sensor, wherein the Hall sensor is positioned on a circuit board disposed stationary to the rotation shaft, and wherein receptacles and/or an elongated hole, in which the limb support with a pin having a magnet is adapted to be inserted, are formed in the crank moving past the circuit board.

5. The exercising apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pin has a bar magnet with a north-south pole alignment coaxial with the pin axis.

6. The exercising apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of Hall sensors are arranged on the circuit board.

7. The exercising apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the Hall sensors arranged on the circuit board are arranged on a straight line that does not pass through the rotation shaft.

8. A limb support for an exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pin is present which has a bar magnet with a north-south pole alignment coaxial with the pin axis.

9. The limb support according to claim 8, wherein the orientation of the pole alignment is used to identify the affiliation with an accessory group.

10. A method for determining a force acting on a limb support of an exercising apparatus, the method comprising: positioning the limb support on a crank at a radial distance from its rotation shaft; detecting the radial distance via at least one sensor; and evaluating in an evaluation unit a measured value detected by the sensor in conjunction with a torque acting on the rotation shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an exercising apparatus in a side view;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of the part of the exercising apparatus, necessary to explain the invention, in a perspective illustration;

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a perspective illustration from a different viewing angle compared to FIG. 2; and

[0020] FIG. 4 is a side view of the object from FIG. 2, shown without the limb support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] An exercising apparatus 1 is shown in FIG. 1, which is suitable for exercising a pair of limbs, namely two legs, this exemplary embodiment only serving to explain the invention which can also be used for exercising the other pair of limbs, namely the arms. Exercising apparatus 1 has a supporting frame 2 which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, is arranged on preferably breakable rollers 3. The exemplary embodiment has two cranks 4 which are arranged on a rotation shaft 5 assigned to supporting frame 2. Furthermore, exercising apparatus 1 has a motor 6 for driving rotation shaft 5; it also has two limb supports 7, namely two footrests 8, which can be fastened at different radial distances 9 from rotation shaft 5 of the respectively assigned crank 4, namely in that in the exemplary embodiment shown two receptacles 10 are formed in each crank 4, said receptacles into which a pin 11 assigned to footrest 8 can be inserted.

[0022] A detector, designed for the automated detection, is provided for detecting the radial distance 9 of the limb support from the rotation shaft, wherein radial distance 9 detected by the detector can be fed as a measured value to an evaluation unit 12 to calculate the force exerted on limb support 7 using the formula force=torque divided by the lever arm, wherein the lever arm is given by radial distance 9 of limb support 7 from rotation shaft 5. The torque in this case is generated by motor 6 and is known or it is applied by the patient, so that on the basis of the detected torque and knowledge of radial distance 9 the force derived therefrom can be controlled as to whether the exercising of the patient is effective and thereby avoids an overload.

[0023] Ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, and photoelectric cells as part of light barriers are suitable for detecting the radial distance. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the use of Hall sensors 13 is shown, namely two Hall sensors which are positioned on a circuit board 14 disposed stationary to rotation shaft 5, wherein in crank 4 moving past circuit board 14, receptacles 10 are formed in which limb supports 7 with pin 11 having a magnet 15 can be inserted. Receptacles 10 can also be combined to form an elongated hole; there can also be more than two receptacles 10 in crank 4. Pin 11 has a bar magnet with a north-south pole alignment coaxial with the pin axis, so that it is possible to differentiate between two groups of accessories, for example, for leg exercising and for arm exercising, which are characterized by the alignment of the bar magnet.

[0024] It can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2 and 4 that a plurality Hall sensors 13 are arranged on circuit board 14, by which a straight line is defined that does not run through rotation shaft 5, therefore, encloses an angle with a radial orientation so that the crank position is always the same relative to the usable sensor when magnet 15 moves past.

[0025] The use of exercising apparatus 1 and the method required therefor for determining the force acting on a limb support 7 are explained below. To this end, limb support 7, therefore, footrest 8 shown in FIG. 2, is first positioned at a radial distance 9 from rotation shaft 5 by inserting pin 11 with magnet 15 into one of the two receptacles 10 shown. By aligning the bar magnet with the magnetic north pole, for example, facing receptacle 10 of the crank, limb support 7 can be identified as a footrest 8 to distinguish it, for example, from a support for arm exercising in which the magnetic south pole faces receptacle 10.

[0026] With the two Hall sensors 13 arranged on circuit board 14, radial distance 9 of footrest 8 from rotation shaft 5 can be determined in order to determine in an evaluation unit 12, in conjunction with the torque acting on rotation shaft 5, the force which is output optionally as a numerical value in a display unit 16.

[0027] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.