Portable sports device

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable sports device and particularly a training device for muscle building, with at least one handle and a centrifugal mass operatively connected thereto and mounted on a shaft, which is rotatable by pulling a pull rope fixed to and wound up on the shaft, and with at least one removable additional mass element arrangeable on the centrifugal mass, the at least one additional mass element being configured in the form of a circular ring piece or a circular segment piece.

Claims

1. A portable sports device comprising: a shaft, at least one handle, and a centrifugal mass operatively connected to the at least one handle and mounted on the shaft, wherein the centrifugal mass is rotatable by pulling a pull rope fixed to and wound up on the shaft; at least one removable additional mass element arrangeable on the centrifugal mass, wherein the at least one removable additional mass element is configured in the form of a circular ring piece or a circular segment piece; wherein the shaft has a winding region to wind or unwind the pull rope by rotation of the shaft; and wherein the winding region has opposing sides and is limited by at least one reversal shoe on each of the opposing sides of the winding region, each of the reversal shoes having a concave surface toward the winding region.

2. The portable sports device according to claim 1, further comprising a stop on which the at least one removable additional mass element is stopped.

3. The portable sport device according to claim 2, wherein the stop is formed by an inner edge of a circular depression in an outer periphery of the centrifugal mass.

4. The portable sports device according to claim 2, wherein the stop is orientated in a radial direction.

5. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one removable additional mass element comprises a plurality of additional mass elements, and wherein the plurality of additional mass elements are configured as semicircular rings, which are mountable adjacent to one another to form a continuous circular ring on the centrifugal mass.

6. The portable sports device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of additional mass elements are two additional mass elements.

7. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein a second end of the pull rope opposite a first end of the pull rope is fixed to the shaft and is mounted on the portable sports device via a spring in a damped manner.

8. The portable sports device according to claim 7, wherein the spring is a steel spring.

9. The portable sports device according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing brake having a pin which is spring-loaded by a spring and which engages a latch recess on the centrifugal mass.

10. The portable sports device according to claim 9, wherein the latch recess is a groove in an outer face-sided edge of the centrifugal mass.

11. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one removable additional mass element is arrangeable flush with an outer circumference of the centrifugal mass in an outer region of the centrifugal mass.

12. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one removable additional mass element comprises two additional mass elements configured as circular segment pieces.

13. The portable sports device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing which at least partially surrounds the centrifugal mass and which has at least one opening through which the at least one removable additional mass element is arrangeable on the centrifugal mass or removable therefrom.

14. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein the centrifugal mass is configured as a spoked wheel.

15. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is mounted on a frame element formed of a solid material having at least one recess for weight reduction.

16. The portable sports device according to claim 1, wherein the portable sports device is a training device for muscle building.

17. A portable sports device comprising: a shaft, at least one handle, and a centrifugal mass operatively connected to the at least one handle and mounted on the shaft, wherein the centrifugal mass is rotatable by pulling a pull rope fixed to and wound up on the shaft; at least one removable additional mass element arrangeable on the centrifugal mass, wherein the at least one removable additional mass element is configured in the form of a circular ring piece or a circular segment piece; wherein the at least one removable additional mass element comprises a plurality of additional mass elements; and wherein the plurality of additional mass elements are configured as semicircular rings, which are mountable adjacent to one another to form a continuous circular ring on the centrifugal mass.

18. The portable sports device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of additional mass elements are two additional mass elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be further described below by exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. In the schematic figures:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of an embodiment of a sports device according to the invention with a wound-up pull rope;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through a centrifugal mass with additional mass elements;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two additional mass elements put together to form a circular ring;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of two additional mass elements in the form of circular segments;

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of a centrifugal mass in the form of a spoked wheel;

(7) FIG. 6 is a detail view of a shaft with reversal shoes;

(8) FIG. 7 is a detail view of a fixing brake, and

(9) FIG. 8 shows the sports device of FIG. 1 with the housing closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) The sports device 1 of FIGS. 1 and 8 comprises a first device part 2 and a second device part 4, on which in each case a handle 6, 9 is provided. A centrifugal mass 10, 10 mounted on a shaft 8 is operatively connected to the handle 6 of the first sports device part 2, said centrifugal mass in the present case consisting of two flywheel discs 11, 11 which are centrically positioned on the shaft 8 and are spaced from one another.

(11) The shaft 8 is mounted in a frame element 5 which is made of solid material such as an aluminum-magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy. The handle 6 is formed integrally with the frame element 5. The shaft 8 is rotatably positioned in the frame element 5 such that its rotation axis A.sub.R runs parallel to the main extension axis A.sub.H of the handle 6. Recesses 102 are provided in the frame element 5, which are to reduce the overall weight of the sports device. By way of example, possible positions of the recesses 102 are illustrated by a dashed line. An important factor for the positions of the recesses 102 is that they will not reduce the stability of the frame element 5 too much, and that they are covered by the housing 13 and the shell type handles 114, 114.

(12) One part 3 of the frame element 5 is introduced into the free space 21 formed between the two flywheel discs 11, 11 of the centrifugal mass 10, 10 such that a free handle space 23 is formed which allows both gripping around the handle 6 with a hand or introducing a foot and particularly an instep of a foot for certain training methods.

(13) A winding region 104 is formed in the region of the free space 21 along the shaft 8, in which the pull rope 12 running between the two device parts 2 and 4 can be wound up. To that end, the pull rope 12 is attached with a free end to the shaft 8 (hidden beneath the winding) and is positioned such that it is wound up in the winding region 104 upon rotation of the shaft 8 about its rotation axis A.sub.R.

(14) As illustrated, the pull rope runs from the shaft 8 to the second sports device part 4, or the handle 9 thereof, where it is deflected at a deflection element 46 and guided back to the first sports device part 2. There, it is fixed on the frame element 5 with its second free end 27. In order to dampen particularly rebound forces in the case of peak stresses within the pull rope 12, the second free end 27 is fixed to the frame element 5 by interconnection of a dampening element 29. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the dampening element 29 is a spring, for example a steel spring. The latter is arranged for guiding inside a tube or cylinder 30 (indicated in FIG. 1). The tube or the cylinder 30 is closed with a cap 30, for example a plastic cap. Arranging the spring in this manner allows balancing abrupt high tensile forces on the pull rope 12, and jamming or entangling of the pull rope or the spring is prevented by the cylinder 30 and the cap 30.

(15) In order to ensure a safe guiding of the pull rope 12 between the two device parts 2, 4 particularly in a decreasing pull, guide elements 31, 31 are provided on the frame element 5, by means of which the pull rope 12 can be guided through the frame element 5.

(16) The pull rope is in operative connection to the shaft 8 and the flywheel discs 11, 11 coupled thereto in such a way that it is unwound from the shaft 8 when a pull force is applied, for example by a pull oriented in opposite directions on both handles 4, 6. Simultaneously with said unwinding movement an acceleration of the shaft 8 and the centrifugal mass 10, 10, respectively the flywheel discs 11, 11, occurs. Once the pull rope 12 is completely unwound from the shaft 8, the rotation movement of the shaft 8, respectively the centrifugal mass 10, 10, is continued due to inertia, so that the pull rope 12 is wound up on the shaft 8 again in reverse order. Just before the pull rope 12 is completely wound up on the shaft, rotation of the shaft 8 can be stopped by actively pulling both handles 4, 6. Peak stresses occurring at this point are partially dissipated by the dampening element 29. The remaining dissipation is partially effected by overcoming a friction between the centrifugal mass 10, 10, the shaft 8 and the interconnected coupling elements 14, 14, which are configured as a friction clutch.

(17) An optional additional mass 101 on the flywheel disc 11 is indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1. Such additional masses 101 are attached to both flywheel discs 11, 11, although the example herein refers only to the flywheel disc 11. FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through a centrifugal mass 10, respectively a flywheel disc 11, having an additional mass 101 attached thereon, which is composed of two additional mass elements 110, 110, 115, 115 configured as semicircular rings or circle segment pieces, as is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

(18) The semicircular rings 110, 110 of FIG. 3 are put together to form a circular ring in such a way that they touch one another on their abutment surfaces 113, 113. A recess 112 is provided in the interior of the circular ring, through which the shaft 8 is guided and which is also big enough to receive the coupling elements 14, 14. Preferably, the additional mass 101 is also spaced from the coupling elements 14, 14 by the recess 112, so that the mass of the additional mass 101 is located farther away from the rotation axis A.sub.R. Attachment of the semicircular rings 110, 110 to the flywheel disc 11, 11 is effected by screw connections 111 which run parallel to the shaft 8.

(19) The circular segment pieces 115, 115 of FIG. 4 are arranged with their straight sides spaced apart from one another on the flywheel discs 11, 11, the straight sides running parallel to one another. They are thus located on the flywheel discs 11, 11 directly opposite to one another and are spaced apart from one another and from the shaft 8. Distance D is selected such that sufficient space remains for the coupling elements 14, 14. Their respective outer circumference runs flush with the outer circumference of the flywheel discs 11, 11. The mass of the circular segment pieces 115, 115 is thus also spaced from the rotation axis A.sub.R. Attachment is effected as in the semicircular rings 110, 110.

(20) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the semicircular rings 110, 110 and the circular segment pieces 115, 115 have an essentially rectangular cross-section. The flywheel disc 11 has an inner region Q and a mass addition region P, the mass addition region P being located at a greater distance with reference to the rotation radius R from the rotation axis A.sub.R, respectively the shaft through hole 103, than the inner region Q. The mass addition region P is less thick than the inner region Q and configured such that it may receive the additional mass 101. Thus, the holes for the screw connections 111 are located in this region of the flywheel discs 11, 11. When the additional mass 101 is arranged on the mass addition region P, the thickness of the additional mass 101 and the thickness of the flywheel disc 11, 11 in the mass addition region P taken together are greater than the thickness of the flywheel disc 11, 11 in the inner region Q. This provides the advantages of the above described effects of the displacement of the mass away from the rotation axis A.sub.R outward. Further, the flywheel disc 11, 11 has a stop 105 at the transition from the mass addition region P to the inner region Q. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the stop 105 is a step which is created by the different thicknesses of the mass addition region P and the inner region Q.

(21) FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of the centrifugal mass 10 as a spoked wheel 50. Appropriately, both centrifugal masses 10, 10, respectively flywheel discs 11, 11, are configured as a spoked wheel 50. The spoked wheel 50 comprises a mass addition region P, which is provided as described above. The inner region Q of the spoked wheel 50 extends from the shaft though hole 103 in the hub 53 to the stop 105 for the additional mass 101 and comprises a number of recesses 52 which are arranged between spokes 51. The spokes 51 connect the hub 53 to the mass addition region P of the spoked wheel 50, which has a stop 105 in the form of a ring-shaped or annular step. Mass is saved by means of the recesses 52 in the region of the spokes 51, i.e., in the inner region Q of the spoked wheel 50. In this region, the centrifugal forces acting on the mass of the spoked wheel during a workout are less than the centrifugal forces acting radially more distant from the rotation axis A.sub.R on a similar mass, which is why mass can be saved for the reduction of the overall weight of the sports device 1 without deteriorating the training effect too much. This achieves an advantageous displacement of the center of mass of the spoked wheel radially away from the rotation axis A.sub.R.

(22) In order to achieve a continuous distribution of the pull rope 12 on the winding region 104 of the shaft 8, reversal shoes 60, 60 are provided, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Reversal shoes 60, 60 limit the winding region 104 of the shaft 8 in both directions. They have in each case a concave surface 61 in the direction toward the winding region 104. When the pull rope 12 is wound up on the shaft 8 due to rotation of the latter a winding is created along the longitudinal extension of the shaft 8. When the pull rope 12 then hits one of the reversal shoes 60, 60, respectively one of the concave surfaces 61, the direction of the winding is reversed and the pull rope is further wound up on the shaft 8 in the direction away from the reversal shoe 60, 60. The reversal shoes 60, 60 thus prevent the formation of ravels of the pull rope 12 on the ends of the winding region 104 of the shaft 8, which would lead to a non-uniform winding or unwinding of the pull rope 12. The pull rope 12 is instead wound up on the shaft 8 in a uniform winding that comprises as few layers as possible arranged over one another.

(23) During the transport of the sports device 1, unintentional unwinding of the pull rope 12 is to be prevented. To achieve this, a fixing brake 70 is provided, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The fixing brake 70 comprises a pin 72 which is guided through the frame element 5 of the sports device 1 and connected to a handle head 73. The handle head 73 and the pin 72 are spring-loaded in the direction of the centrifugal mass 10, 10 by a spring 74. By means of said spring-load, the pin 72 latches into one of the latch recesses 71 in latch direction 75, which recesses are formed as grooves over the face-sided outer edge of the flywheel discs 11, 11. The latch recesses 71 are, for example, milled into the centrifugal mass 10, 10, respectively the flywheel disc 11, 11. Preferably, multiple, for example, four latch recesses 71 are arranged on the circumference of the centrifugal mass 10, 10, respectively the flywheel disc 11, 11, in a distributed fashion. By the latching of the fixing brake 70, rotation of the centrifugal mass 10, 10, respectively the flywheel disc 11, 11, is hindered. Rotation is still possible when a user strongly pulls the pull rope 12 but comes with a loud sound indicating the activated fixing brake 70. The sound is caused by a sliding of the pin 72 on the outer edge of the flywheel discs 11, 11 and a repeated latching into the respective latch recesses 71. The fixing brake 70 can be released by pulling the handle head 73 counter to the latch direction 75 and counter to the spring load of the spring 74. The fixing brake can be arrested in relation to the frame element 5 which causes the fixing brake 70 to remain in the released position until the user twists the handle head 73 relative to the frame element 5 in such a way that the spring 74 can move the pin 72 through the frame element 5, so that the pin 72 either rests against the circumference of the centrifugal mass 10, 10 or latches into a latch recess 71.

(24) FIG. 8 shows the sports device with a mounted housing 13 which particularly surrounds the shaft 8 and the centrifugal mass 10, 10 at least partially. Here, the housing 13 is secured to the frame element 5 via fastening devices 33, 33. The handles 6, 9 are covered with shell-type handles 114, 114. The recesses 102 are hidden beneath the housing 13 and the shell-type handles 114, 114. In the region of the centrifugal mass 10, 10, the housing 13 has an opening 15 on its upper side 41 and/or its bottom side 43, which allow free access to the centrifugal mass 10, 10 and particularly to the flywheel discs 11, 11. The centrifugal mass 10, 10 and thus the shaft 8 arranged inside the housing 13 can be induced to rotate via said opening region in order to re-wind the pull rope 12, particularly when the latter is in the rolled-out state. The housing may have another opening on the non-visible rear-sided upper region covered by the frame element 5, which opening corresponds to the opening 15, or only one opening 15 may be provided. The same applies to the non-visible lower-sided region of the sports device.

(25) As can in particular be taken from FIG. 8, the openings 15 allow for installation or removal of the additional mass elements on the flywheel discs 11, 11. To that end, the openings 15 are sized such that they enable a user to arrange the additional mass elements on or remove them from the flywheel discs 11, 11 through the openings 15 without having to open the housing 13. The screw connections 111 can as well be reached via the openings 15, so that said screws can be loosened or tightened. Therefore, adjustment of the training effort by means of the additional mass elements is possible in a simple and fast manner, whereby motivation of the person working out can be increased.