Endless belt arm exercise device with braking mechanism

Abstract

An exercise device for exercising a user's arms and upper body includes an endless belt of hingedly connected articulating panels guided in channels of a supporting frame. A pair of hand grip assemblies are slidably attached to the endless belt through a ratcheting mechanism that allows relative movement of the hand grip assemblies in a first direction while preventing said relative movement in a second direction. Movement of the endless belt may be retarded by a tensioning mechanism and completely ceased by a braking mechanism actuated by signals provided from first and second sensors provided on the supporting frame.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An exercise device comprising:
 a. a frame forming at least one guiding channel;   b. a plurality of panels hingedly connected together to form an endless loop, each of said plurality of panels including a front face and two ends;   c. a plurality of hand grip assemblies;   d. a sprocket having sprocket teeth and mounted to a shaft such that rotation of the sprocket about its central axis transmits the rotation to the shaft;   e. a tensioning mechanism mounted on said frame and capable of applying a retarding force to said shaft to slow rotation of said shaft and said sprocket;   f. a braking mechanism mounted on said frame and capable of applying an arresting force to said shaft to selectively prevent rotation of said shaft and said sprocket;   g. first and second sensors in communication with said braking mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise machine of  claim 1  wherein by said communication, the first and second sensors selectively send signals to the braking mechanism to apply the arresting force and prevent said rotation of said shaft and said sprocket. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise machine of  claim 2  wherein while no signals are being sent from the sensors to the braking mechanism, the braking mechanism does not apply said arresting force and rotation of said shaft and said sprocket is permitted. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise device of  claim 1  wherein said sensors include a beam generating mechanism capable of sending a beam to a reflector and a beam receiving mechanism capable of receiving a beam reflected at said reflector. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise device of  claim 4  wherein when said exercise device in use, beam emitting mechanisms of said first and second sensors continuously emit beams. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise device of  claim 5  wherein prevention of said emitted beam from reflecting at said reflector and being received by said beam receiving mechanism causes interruption of a signal to said braking mechanism to apply said arresting force allowing said shaft and sprocket to rotate. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise device of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of panels consecutively engage said sprocket teeth and when a force is applied to any one of said plurality of panels in a direction parallel to said front face, articulation of said endless loop is initiated in a direction consistent with said parallel direction and said engagement of said sprocket teeth causes a rotation of said sprocket and said shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise device of  claim 1  wherein said hand grip assemblies are ratcheting hand grip assemblies. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise device of  claim 8  wherein each of said hand grip assemblies include an upper handle portion and a lower rectangular portion. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise device of  claim 9  wherein said lower rectangular portion includes a bottom surface and a pivot lever. 
     
     
         11 . The exercise device of  claim 8  wherein said hand grip assemblies are capable of movement along the front faces of said plurality of hingedly connected panels in a first direction and prohibited from moving in a second, opposite direction. 
     
     
         12 . The exercise device of  claim 11  wherein a lock plate and a retainer plate are provided at each end of each of said plurality of panels on said front face. 
     
     
         13 . The exercise device of  claim 12  wherein the lock plate includes at least one ratchet tooth projecting towards the distant end of said panel. 
     
     
         14 . The exercise device of  claim 13  wherein a pivot lever is provided on each of said hand grip assemblies to engage with said ratchet tooth to prohibit movement in said second direction. 
     
     
         15 . The exercise device of  claim 1  wherein said tensioning mechanism is adjustable to provide varying degrees of retardation to the shaft to offset a force applied to any one of said plurality of panels in a direction parallel to said front face. 
     
     
         16 . The exercise device of  claim 1  wherein said frame has two sides each with at least one guiding channel. 
     
     
         17 . The exercise device of  claim 16  wherein one of said two ends of each of said plurality of panels is received in the at least one guiding channel of one of said two sides and the other of said two ends is received in the guiding channel of the other of said two sides such that upon articulation of said endless loop, said plurality of panels slide in said guiding channels. 
     
     
         18 . The exercise device of  claim 16  wherein said two sides are assembled together, in part, by insertion of said shaft into through holes in said two sides. 
     
     
         19 . The exercise device of  claim 1  wherein one additional sprocket and one additional shaft are provided. 
     
     
         20 . An exercise device comprising:
 a. a frame having two opposing sides each with at least one guiding channel;   b. a plurality of panels hingedly connected together to form an endless loop, each of said plurality of panels including a front face and two ends; wherein one of said two ends of each of said plurality of panels is received in the guiding channel of one of said two opposing sides and the other of said two ends is received in the guiding channel of the other of said two opposing sides such that upon articulation of said endless loop, said plurality of panels slide in said guiding channels;   c. a plurality of lock plates, having upper and lower surfaces, connected to said front faces of said plurality of panels at said lower surfaces;   d. a plurality of retaining plates mated to said upper surfaces of said lock plates;   e. a plurality of hand grip assemblies including upper handle portions and lower rectangular portions; wherein each of said lower rectangular portions include a bottom surface and a pivot lever; and wherein said bottom surface slides on said front faces of said plurality of panels and said pivot lever engages said lock plate at a lock plate tooth;   f. a sprocket having sprocket teeth, said sprocket being mounted to a shaft such that rotation of the sprocket about its central axis transmits the rotation to the shaft and wherein said sprocket teeth engage consecutive panels of said plurality of panels as said endless loop articulates and thus said sprocket and said shaft rotate in response to articulation of said endless loop;   g. an adjustable tensioning mechanism mounted on said frame and capable of applying a retarding force to said shaft to slow rotation of said shaft and said sprocket;   h. a braking mechanism mounted on said frame and capable of applying an arresting force to said shaft to selectively prevent rotation of said shaft and said sprocket;   i. first and second beam reflectors;   j. first and second sensors in communication with said braking mechanism;   wherein said sensors further comprise beam emitting mechanisms and beam receiving mechanisms capable of receiving beams reflected at said beam reflectors such that when beam receiving mechanisms are prevented from receiving reflected beams, for example by obstruction by a portion of a user's body, a signal to said braking mechanism to apply said arresting force is not sent to said braking mechanism;   k. a plurality of feet mounted to said frame to allow for mounting of said exercise device to a vertical surface such as a wall.