Gymnastic Machine for Weightlifting

Abstract

A gymnastic machine for weightlifting includes: a load-bearing frame, two opposite first lateral guides, upward-downward, developed according to a first direction, two first slides each slidingly constrained on a corresponding first lateral guide, two opposite second lateral guides, developed according to a second direction transversal to the first direction, and each defined on board of one of the first slides, two second slides each slidingly constrained on a corresponding second lateral guide, a lifting bar, each of the ends of the lifting bar being constrained to a corresponding second slide, a motorised transmission configured for applying to the first slides either an opposing force to an upward thrust force, or a downward traction force.

1 . A gymnastic machine for weightlifting, comprising:
 a load-bearing frame,   two opposite first lateral guides, upward-downward, developed according to a first direction (X 1 ),   two first slides each slidingly constrained on a corresponding first lateral guide,   two opposite second lateral guides, developed according to a second direction (X 2 ) transversal to said first direction (X 1 ), and each defined on board of one of said first slides,   two second slides each slidingly constrained on a corresponding second lateral guide,   a lifting bar, each of the ends of said lifting bar being constrained to a corresponding second slide,   motorised transmission means configured to apply on said first slides either an opposing force to an upward thrust force, or a downward traction force,   wherein said motorised transmission means comprise two electric motors each of which is configured to actuate a corresponding longitudinally developed flexible element, each longitudinally developed flexible element being connected at a first end to the lower part of a first slide and at a second opposite end to the upper part of the same first slide, said motorized transmission means comprising, for each longitudinally developed flexible element:
 at least one lower pulley configured and positioned to deflect a longitudinally developed flexible element coming from a said electric motor towards a said lower part of a said first slide, 
 at least one upper pulley configured and positioned to deflect a said longitudinally developed flexible element towards an upper part of a said first slide. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising an additional speed transducer, for each of the first slides. 
     
     
         5 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control unit for controlling the operation of said motorised transmission means. 
     
     
         6 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said electric motors are of the brushless type. 
     
     
         7 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said electric motors comprises an encoder and an integrated brake. 
     
     
         8 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said longitudinally developed flexible elements comprise a belt, a chain, a rope or other similar and equivalent elements. 
     
     
         9 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 5 , further comprising a device for signalling the grasping and release of said lifting bar by a user, said signalling device being connected to said electronic control unit. 
     
     
         10 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each longitudinally developed flexible element has a safety counterweight. 
     
     
         11 . The gymnastic machine according to  claim 5 , wherein said electronic control unit is configured to check at all times:
 the signal of said signalling device,   the position of said lifting bar,   the speed of said lifting bar,   and the downward acceleration of said lifting bar.   
     
     
         12 . A method of operation of a gymnastic machine according to  claim 5 , comprising the following operating steps:
 starting the machine;   a preparation step, comprising the following sequence of actions:   positioning of the barbell, wherein the barbell, that is said lifting bar, is brought to a height set by the athlete;   actuating the hands-on signalling device, which signals the presence of a hand on the lifting bar, enabling the user athlete to perform the exercise;   performing at least two unloaded repetitions of the movements of the exercise by the user athlete, in order to teach, or have the electronic control unit memorize, the position of the top dead centre (TDC) and of the bottom dead centre (BDC) of the stroke of the lifting bar, that is, the maximum and minimum ground clearance points that the lifting bar is expected to reach during the exercise;   reading of the values by the electronic control unit, which detects the activation (h) of the hands-on signalling device, the position (x), the speed (x′) and the acceleration (x″) of said lifting bar;   analysis of the repetitions and check that the repetitions performed are regular, that is that the repetitions have similar bottom dead centres (BDC) and similar top dead centres (TDC);   if the previous analysis step detects regularity of the repetitions, then the user athlete releases the lifting bar, allowing the signal to pass in the signalling device;   if the previous analysis step does not detect the regularity of the repetitions, then the user athlete performs the repetitions again;   after release of the lifting bar, there is positioning of the lifting bar at the top dead centre (TDC) or bottom dead centre (BDC).   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said preparation step is followed by a training step, said training step comprising the following operating steps:
 actuating the hands-on signalling device;   load application, that is, the electric motors deliver torque and reach the training load;   reading of the parameters of position (x), speed (x′), acceleration (x″) and time (t), following the activation of the gymnastic machine by means of the hands-on signalling device, said electronic control unit detecting the interruption of the signal between emitter and receiver of the signalling device, and detects the position (x), speed (x′) and acceleration (x″) of said lifting bar and the time (t) of execution of the exercise;   data saving, that is, the electronic control unit performs information storage.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said training step comprises a cycle of safety operations always iterated until a stop step of conclusion of the exercise. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said cycle of safety operations comprises the following operating steps:
 check of the presence of at least one of the athlete's hands on the lifting bar by means of said signalling device;   if the signalling device signals that there are no hands on the lifting bar, then data saving is carried out and the machine is stopped;   if the signalling device signals the presence of hands on the lifting bar, then it is checked whether the height (x) of the lifting bar is above or below a threshold value (Xs) of crushing the athlete's body;   if the height (x) of the lifting bar is below a threshold value (Xs) of crushing the athlete's body, then data saving and exercise stop are performed;   if the height (x) of the lifting bar is above the threshold value (Xs), and therefore the exercise is proceeding within the predefined safety limits, then it is checked if the downward speed (x′) of the lifting bar is greater than a threshold value (Xs′);   if the downward speed (x′) is greater than said threshold value (Xs′), then data saving and exercise stop are performed;   if the downward speed (x′) is less than said threshold value (Xs′), and therefore the exercise is proceeding within the predefined safety limits, then it is checked if the downward acceleration (x″) of the lifting bar is greater than a threshold value (Xs″) of fall of the lifting bar;   if the downward acceleration (x″) is greater than said threshold value (Xs″), then data saving and exercise stop are performed;   if the downward acceleration (x″) is less than said threshold value (Xs″), then the exercise continues with a load application step, or an auxiliary step of possible reduction of the exercise load intervenes.