Machine for the power exercise of a user

Abstract

A machine for the power exercise of a user, comprising a rocker ( 20 ) movable by a user to make a work and a load ( 30 ) connected thereto to oppose the user's work. Control means are provided ( 50, 51 ) for the monitoring of the user's work (V b ; F b ) and the comparison thereof with at least one reference value (V r ; F r ) manually or automatically settable. The machine further includes regulating means ( 60 ) operatively connected to the control means ( 50, 51 ) and acting on the load ( 30 ) to automatically increase it in case the detected work is greater than the reference work, and to automatically decrease the load ( 30 ) in case the detected work is lower than the reference work.

1 .- 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A machine for power exercise of a user comprising:
 a rocker movable by a user in order to perform muscular work;   a load connected to the rocker to oppose the muscular work of the user;   a detector which detects at predetermined time intervals at least one first value of at least one parameter corresponding to the muscular work made by the user against the load;   at least one logical control unit operatively connected with the detector to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector with at least one second value of at least one parameter corresponding to a reference work which is training for the user; and   a regulator operatively connected with the at least one logical control unit and acting on the load for an automatic increase thereof in case the work detected by the detector is greater than the reference work,   wherein the regulator is further designed for automatically reducing the load in case the work detected by the detector is lower than the reference work.   
     
     
         39 . The machine according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one logical control unit is configured to activate the regulator in case the work detected by the detector is different from the reference work. 
     
     
         40 . The machine according to  claim 39 , wherein the at least one logical control unit is configured to calculate a first deviation between the work detected by the detector and the reference work, the regulator being configured to calculate based on the first deviation a second deviation to be added or to be subtracted to the load for the increasing or a reduction thereof, the second deviation being positive in case the first deviation is positive and being negative in case the first deviation is negative. 
     
     
         41 . The machine according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one logical control unit is configured to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector with a couple of second values of the at least one parameter corresponding to a maximum and minimum reference training work for the user, the regulator being designed to automatically increase the load in case the work detected by the detector is equal to or higher than the maximum reference work and to automatically decrease the load in case the work detected by the detector is equal to or lower than the minimum reference work. 
     
     
         42 . The machine according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one logical control unit is further designed to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector with at least one third value of at least one parameter corresponding to a work which is dangerous for the user, a blocker being operatively connected with the at least one logical control unit and acting on the rocker or on the load for the automatic blocking thereof in case the detected work is equal to the dangerous work, so as to allow the user to continuously work in a safe manner. 
     
     
         43 . The machine according to  claim 42 , wherein the at least one logical control unit is designed to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector with a couple of third values of the at least one parameter corresponding to the maximum and minimum safely practicable work, the blocker being configured to automatically block the rocker or the load in case the work detected by the detector is equal to or greater than the maximum safety work, the blocker being further designed to automatically block the rocker or the load in case the work detected by the detector is equal to or lower than the minimum safety work. 
     
     
         44 . The machine according to  claim 38 , wherein the load comprises a motor configured to generate a torque opposed to the work of the user to define the load, the rocker and the motor being mutually connected, the detector being operatively connected to the rocker to detect a movement thereof imparted by the user as a result of the work against the load. 
     
     
         45 . The machine according to  claim 38 , wherein the detector is designed to detect a force by which the user moves the rocker. 
     
     
         46 . The machine according to  claim 38 , further comprising a unit that electromagnetically stimulates human muscles, the unit comprising at least one inductor positionable in proximity of at least one muscle of the user, at least one power supply being connected to the inductor to generate at least one electromagnetic field and a generator of pulse current emitting current impulses having a predetermined frequency and duration to the inductor to cause an involuntary contraction and decontraction of the human muscle in proximity of which the inductor is placed. 
     
     
         47 . The machine according to  claim 46 , wherein the at least one logical control unit is operatively connected with the electromagnetic stimulation unit to automatically disconnect the at least one power supply if the work detected by the detector coincides with the dangerous work. 
     
     
         48 . The machine according to  claim 46 , wherein the machine does not include the regulator, the at least one logical control unit being designed to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector exclusively with the third value corresponding to the dangerous work and not with the at least one second value corresponding to the training work. 
     
     
         49 . The machine according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one second value of at least one parameter corresponding to a reference training work for the user is manually settable by the user, respectively automatically set by a computer program interacting with the at least one logical control unit. 
     
     
         50 . A method for adjusting a load in a machine for power exercise of a user comprising:
 providing a rocker movable by a user in order to perform a muscular work;   providing a load connected to the rocker to oppose the muscular work of the user;   providing a detector which detects at predetermined time intervals at least one first value of at least one parameter corresponding to the muscular work made by the user against the load;   providing at least one logical control unit operatively connected with the detector to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector with at least one second value of at least one parameter corresponding to a reference work which is training for the user; and   providing a regulator operatively connected with the at least one logical control unit and acting on the load for an automatic increase thereof in case the work detected by the detector is greater than the reference work,   wherein the regulator is further designed to automatically reduce the load in case the work detected by the detector is lower than the reference work;   further comprising the following steps:   detecting at predetermined time intervals the at least one first value of the at least one parameter corresponding to the muscular work exerted by the user against the load;   comparing the at least one first detected value with the at least one second value of at least one parameter corresponding to the reference training work for the user;   calculating a first deviation between the first value and the at least one second value if the at least one first value is different from the at least one second value;   calculating based on the first deviation of a second deviation to be added to or to be subtracted from the load of the machine for the increase or a decrease thereof, the second deviation being positive if the first deviation is positive and being negative if the first deviation is negative; and   regulating of the load based the second deviation,   wherein the regulating step of the load comprises the increase thereof if the second deviation is positive and the decrease thereof if the second deviation is negative.   
     
     
         51 . The method according to the  claim 50 , further comprising the steps of:
 comparing the at least one first detected value with at least one third value of at least one parameter corresponding to a dangerous work for the user; and   blocking the load or of the rocker of the machine if the at least one first detected value is substantially equal to the at least one third value.   
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein the step of comparing the at least one first value with the at least one third value is carried out before comparing the at least one first value with the at least one second value. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein the step of detecting comprises a step of interacting with the detector of the machine, the step of adjusting the load including a step of interacting with the regulator of the machine. 
     
     
         54 . A software product controllable in a memory of at least one logical control unit of a machine for power exercise of a user, the machine comprising:
 a rocker movable by a user in order to perform muscular work;   a load connected to the rocker to oppose the muscular work of the user;   a detector which detects at predetermined time intervals at least one first value of at least one parameter corresponding to the muscular work made by the user against the load;   at least one logical control unit operatively connected with the detector to compare the at least one first value detected by the detector with at least one second value of at least one parameter corresponding to a reference work which is training for the user; and   a regulator operatively connected with the at least one logical control unit and acting on the load for an automatic increase thereof in case the work detected by the detector is greater than the reference work,   wherein the regulator is further designed for automatically reducing the load in case the work detected by the detector is lower than the reference work,   the software product comprising portions of software code stored in a computer medium of instruction and written to carry out the following method:   detecting at predetermined time intervals the at least one first value of the at least one parameter corresponding to the muscular work exerted by the user against the load;   comparing the at least one first detected value with the at least one second value of at least one parameter corresponding to the reference training work for the user;   calculating a first deviation between the first value and the at least one second value if the at least one first value is different from the at least one second value;   calculating based on the first deviation of a second deviation to be added to or to be subtracted from the load of the machine for the increase or a decrease thereof, the second deviation being positive if the first deviation is positive and being negative if the first deviation is negative; and   regulating of the load based the second deviation,   wherein the regulating step of the load comprises the increase thereof if the second deviation is positive and the decrease thereof if the second deviation is negative, and   wherein the software product is run by the at least one logical control unit of the machine.   
     
     
         55 . The software product according to  claim 54 , further comprising one or more fixed or removable memory supports interacting with the logical control unit. 
     
     
         56 . The software product according to  claim 54 , further comprising one or more integrated circuits belonging to the logical control unit.