Multi-axis Resistance Exercise Devices and Systems

Abstract

This is an exercise apparatus and system characterized generally by the presence of a user interface member having a point of attachment to the apparatus that is positionable at different locations along an arcuate path determined, dictated and/or supported/braced by an arcuate guide. The central axis of the arcuate path may intersect the ball joint of a user. The arcuate path and the arcuate guide may lie in spaced substantially parallel planes and the user interface member be one of a rigid arm with a handle or forearm interface, or a flexible member with a free handle at its end forming the user interface. A flexible linkage forms part of the operative connection between the user interface and a weight stack or other apparatus providing adjustable resistance, with the flexible linkage being reeved through a centering pulley proximate the central axis of the arcuate member.

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         16 . An apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body, comprising:
 an arcuate guide having a central axis;   an other arcuate guide having an other central axis, which other arcuate guide depends from said arcuate guide, and which other arcuate guide is positionable at a plurality of points along an arcuate path sharing said central axis;   a user interface member depending from said other arcuate guide, which user interface member has a first end which is positionable at a plurality of points along an other arcuate path sharing said other central axis, and a second end with a user interface; and   apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of said user interface by a user.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of:
 the central axis of said arcuate path intersects said ball joint,   the other central axis of said other arcuate path intersects said ball joint,   said other arcuate guide depends from a revolving arc mounted to said arcuate guide,   said user interface member depends from a revolving arc mounted to said other arcuate guide, and   the apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of said user interface by a user includes an electromechanical resistance mechanism.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body, comprising:
 a peripherally pivotably mounted arcuate guide;   a user interface member depending from said arcuate guide;   apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of said user interface by a user.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of
 the arcuate guide pivots around an axis intersecting said ball joint,   said interface member is a rigid arm, which rigid arm is pivotably mounted to said apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint via its first end so as to define an axis of rotation for said interface member, which axis of rotation for said interface member intersects said ball joint,   the apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint of the human body further comprises a lateral stabilizer connected to said arcuate guide,   the arcuate guide pivots around an axis that is collinear with a radius of the arcuate guide, and   the apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of said user interface by a user includes an electromechanical resistance mechanism.   
     
     
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         21 . An apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of a human body, comprising:
 a user interface member for exercising a ball joint of a human body, which user interface member has a first end which is positionable at a plurality of points along an arcuate path, and a second end with a user interface;   apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of said user interface by a user;   wherein said arcuate path has and defines a central axis transverse to said arcuate path such that said arcuate path is substantially radially symmetrically arranged around said central axis; and   wherein the central axis of said arcuate path intersects said ball joint.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or bail joints of the human body of  claim 21 , further comprising a guide member with said user interface member depending from said guide member wherein said guide member is an arcuate guide, said arcuate path and said guide member are substantially coplanar, and said user interface member comprises a rigid arm. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , further comprising a guide member with said user interface member depending from said guide member wherein said guide member is an arcuate guide, said arcuate path and said guide member lie in spaced substantially parallel planes, and said user interface member comprises one of a rigid arm, and a flexible member with a free handle at its second end forming the user interface. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , further comprising a guide member with said user interface member depending from said guide member wherein said user interface member depends from a revolving arc mounted to said guide member. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein a linkage is intermediate and forms part of an operative connection between said user interface and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance, said linkage being routed through a centering member proximate said central axis. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein a linkage is intermediate and forms part of an operative connection between said user interface and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance, and said linkage is arranged and routed so as to maintain the same length when said user interface is repositioned along said arcuate path. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , further comprising a guide member with said user interface member depending from said guide member, and an other guide member with an other user interface member for exercising an other ball joint of the human body depending from said other guide member, said other user interface member having an other first end which is positionable at a plurality of other points along an other arcuate path having an other central axis, and an other second end with an other user interface. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , further comprising a guide member with said user interface member depending from said guide member wherein said guide member is an arcuate guide and one of: said arcuate guide comprises a complete circle, said arcuate guide comprises an arc segment of a circle, said arcuate guide comprises a plurality of rotating support members adapted to rotatably support a revolving arc, and said arcuate guide comprises an arcuate tubular member adapted to slidingly support the revolving arc. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint of the human body further comprises a drive shaft intermediate and forming part of the linkage between said user interface and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint of the human body further comprises concentric drive shafts with each of said drive shafts linked to a separate user interface member intermediate and forming part of the linkage between the said user interfaces and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint of the human body further comprises a differential drive intermediate and forming part of the linkage between said user interface and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of said user interface by a user includes one of a weight stack and an electromechanical resistance mechanism. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 28 , further comprising a drive assembly intermediate said apparatus providing adjustable resistance and said user interface member, said drive assembly including a boom member, with at least one of:
 a portion of said boom member extending transversely of said arcuate path, and   portions of said boom member extend transversely of said arcuate path and each other.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 33 , further comprising a lateral stabilizer connected to one of said boom, and said arcuate guide. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 34 , wherein said lateral stabilizer is connected to said boom and at least one of:
 said lateral stabilizer includes a parallel arcuate stabilizer guide centered on said central axis, which parallel arcuate stabilizer guide can be one of rotatable about said central axis and fixed,   said lateral stabilizer includes a radial stabilizer member having an end connected to said boom and another end pivotably supported at and rotatable around said central axis, and   said lateral stabilizer is formed as a radial extension of said boom.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 34 , wherein said lateral stabilizer is connected to said revolving arc and includes one of:
 a parallel arcuate stabilizer guide centered on said central axis, which parallel arcuate stabilizer guide can be one of rotatable about said central axis and fixed, and   a radial stabilizer member having an end connected to said revolving arc and another end pivotably supported at and rotatable around said central axis.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 25 , wherein said linkage is a flexible linkage, said centering member is a pulley through which said flexible linkage is reeved, and said pulley at least one of:
 lies in a plane that contains said central axis and has an axis of rotation perpendicular to said plane,   has an axis of rotation parallel to the central axis,   is a tangent pivot tension pulley, and   is a fixed plane tension pulley.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 26 , wherein said linkage is a flexible linkage, said centering member is a pulley through which said flexible linkage is reeved, and said pulley at least one of:
 lies in a plane that contains said central axis and has an axis of rotation perpendicular to said plane,   has an axis of rotation parallel to the central axis,   is a tangent pivot tension pulley, and   is a fixed plane tension pulley.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 37 , further comprising at least one other pulley through which said flexible linkage is reeved intermediate said pulley and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance, where said other pulley is one of a redirectioning pulley and a reserve pulley. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 38 , further comprising at least one other pulley through which said flexible linkage is reeved intermediate said pulley and said apparatus providing adjustable resistance, where said other pulley is one of a redirectioning pulley and a reserve pulley. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of:
 adjustable resistance to movement of said other user interface by a user is provided by the same apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of the user interface by a user,   adjustable resistance to movement of said other user interface by a user is provided by an other apparatus providing adjustable resistance to movement of the other user interface by a user,   said other guide member is an other arcuate guide, said other arcuate path and said other guide member are substantially coplanar, and said other user interface member comprises an other rigid arm,   an other central axis of said other arcuate path intersects said other ball joint,   said other guide member is an other arcuate guide, said other arcuate path and said other guide member lie in spaced substantially parallel planes, and said other user interface member comprises one of an other rigid arm, and an other flexible member with an other free handle at its second end forming the other user interface,   said other user interface member depends from an other revolving arc mounted to said other guide member,   an other linkage is intermediate and forms part of an other operative connection between said other user interface and apparatus providing adjustable resistance, said other linkage being routed through an other centering member proximate said other central axis, and   an other linkage is intermediate and forms part of an operative connection between said other user interface and apparatus providing adjustable resistance, and said other linkage is arranged and routed so as to maintain the same length when said other user interface is repositioned along said other arcuate path.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein the user interface is one of a handle, and a forearm interface member. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 42 , wherein the user interface is a handle, and at least one of:
 the handle is adapted for rotation around at least one of a first pivot axis, a second pivot axis transverse to the first pivot axis, and a third pivot axis transverse to the first and second pivot axes, and   the handle is offset and arranged to avoid user contact with structural elements of the user interface and rotating handle.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein said interface member is a rigid arm, which rigid arm is pivotably mounted to said apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint via its first end so as to define an axis of rotation for said interface member, which axis of rotation for said interface member one of: intersects the ball joint, and is transverse to an axis intersecting the ball joint, and is parallel to the central axis. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 28 , wherein said revolving arc is formed as part of a continuous loop, and wherein at least one of:
 a portion of said continuous loop extends from said revolving arc to form a portion of said boom, and   a portion of said continuous loop extends from said revolving arc to form a portion of said boom, with a central region of said boom being defined by the two sides of said loop forming said boom, and said linkage is routed through said central region.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus for exercising muscles associated with a ball joint or ball joints of the human body of  claim 21 , wherein the central axis of said arcuate path intersects said ball joint and is coaxial with one of: the x-axis of the shoulder joint, the y-axis of the shoulder joint, or the z-axis of the shoulder joint.