US-12616864-B2 - Force assistance system for an exercise machine

US12616864B2US 12616864 B2US12616864 B2US 12616864B2US-12616864-B2

Abstract

A force assistance system for an exercise machine assists a user during a first portion of a lift. The force assistance system provides an assistance force at the beginning of a lift to help the user perform the lift. The assistance force reduces the amount of force the user must provide to start the lift. The assistance force helps the user exercise using higher weights for better muscle development. The force assistance system for the exercise machine generally includes an upper member, a lower member and at least one resilient member positioned between the upper member and the lower member. The upper member, the lower member and the at least one resilient member are adapted to be positioned between a frame and a movable arm of the exercise machine. The at least one resilient member applies the assistance force in an upward direction to the movable arm to help the user move the movable arm during a first portion of a lift.

Inventors

Sebastien Anthony Louis Lagree
Michael Hernandez
Darvin E. Morales
Jose L. Uribina
Max E. Wunderlich

Assignees

LAGREE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240626

Claims (20)

1 . A force assistance system for an exercise machine, the force assistance system comprising: a lower member adapted to rest on a frame of the exercise machine; an upper member adapted to contact a movable arm of the exercise machine; at least one resilient member positioned between the upper member and the lower member; and at least one connecting member that connects the upper member to the lower member, wherein the at least one connecting member is comprised of at least one shaft, wherein the upper member moves along a length of the at least one shaft as the upper member moves relative to the lower member, wherein the lower member, the upper member and the at least one resilient member are adapted to be positioned between the frame and the movable arm, such that when the movable arm pushes the upper member in a downward direction, the upper member moves relative to the lower member and the at least one resilient member applies an assistance force to the movable arm in an upward direction, wherein the assistance force in combination with a user force moves the movable arm in the upward direction, whereby the assistance force reduces the user force required to move the movable arm in the upward direction, wherein as the movable arm moves in the upward direction past a contact position with the upper member, the movable arm ceases to contact the upper member and the at least one resilient member ceases to apply the assistance force on the movable arm.
2 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting member maintains the upper member connected to the lower member when the movable arm does not contact the upper member.
3 . The force assistance system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one connecting member is comprised of a plurality of bolts.
4 . The force assistance system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one connecting member is further comprised of a plurality of nuts, wherein one nut of the plurality of nuts is coupled to a respective bolt to connect the upper member to the lower member, wherein the upper member moves along a length of the plurality of bolts as the upper member moves relative to the lower member, and wherein when the movable arm does not contact the upper member, the plurality of nuts maintain the upper member connected to the lower member.
5 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein while the movable arm contacts the upper member and moves in the upward direction, the upper member moves in the upward direction with respect to the lower member to decompress the at least one resilient member.
6 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein as the movable arm moves in the downward direction, the movable arm pushes the upper member in the downward direction with respect to the lower member to compress the at least one resilient member.
7 . The force assistance system of claim 6 , wherein as the movable arm pushes the upper member in the downward direction, the assistance force applied by the at least one resilient member on the movable arm is increased.
8 . The force assistance system of claim 7 , wherein as the movable arm pushes the upper member in the downward direction, the movable arm reaches a compressed position in which the assistance force is a maximum.
9 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the assistance force applied by the at least one resilient member on the movable arm is proportional to a distance traveled by the upper member between a contact position, in which the movable arm begins to contact the upper member, and a compressed position, in which the upper member is positioned at a position closest to the lower member.
10 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient member comprises a spring.
11 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient member comprises an actuator.
12 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient member comprises an upper magnet having a first side with a first polarity and a lower magnet having a second side with a second polarity, wherein the upper magnet is coupled to the upper member with the first side oriented toward the lower member and the lower magnet is coupled to the lower member with the second side oriented toward the upper member, wherein the first polarity is a same as the second polarity whereby a repulsion force between the upper magnet and the lower magnet provides the assistance force.
13 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the assistance force is a linear force.
14 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the assistance force is a non-linear force.
15 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , further comprising a cushion member positioned between the upper member and the movable arm, wherein the cushion member is adapted to cushion contact between the movable arm and the upper member.
16 . The force assistance system of claim 15 , wherein the cushion member comprises a rubber mat.
17 . The force assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient member is comprised of a plurality of actuators, wherein an actuator rod of each actuator respectively couples to one of the upper member and the lower member.
18 . An exercise machine system, comprising: an exercise machine having a movable arm and a frame; and a force assistance system, the force assistance system comprising: a lower member adapted to rest on the frame of the exercise machine; an upper member adapted to contact the movable arm of the exercise machine; at least one resilient member positioned between the upper member and the lower member; and at least one connecting member that connects the upper member to the lower member, wherein the at least one connecting member is comprised of at least one shaft, wherein the upper member moves along a length of the at least one shaft as the upper member moves relative to the lower member, wherein the lower member, the upper member and the at least one resilient member are adapted to be positioned between the frame and the movable arm, such that when the movable arm pushes the upper member in a downward direction, the upper member moves relative to the lower member and the at least one resilient member applies an assistance force to the movable arm in an upward direction, wherein the assistance force in combination with a user force moves the movable arm in the upward direction, whereby the assistance force reduces the user force required to move the movable arm in the upward direction, wherein as the movable arm moves in the upward direction past a contact position with the upper member, the movable arm ceases to contact the upper member and the at least one resilient member ceases to apply the assistance force on the movable arm.
19 . A force assistance system for an exercise machine, the force assistance system comprising: a lower member adapted to rest on a frame of the exercise machine; an upper member adapted to contact a movable arm of the exercise machine; a cushion member positioned between the upper member and the movable arm, wherein the cushion member is adapted to cushion contact between the movable arm and the upper member; at least one resilient member positioned between the upper member and the lower member; and at least one connecting member that connects the upper member to the lower member, wherein the at least one connecting member is comprised of at least one shaft, wherein the upper member moves along a length of the at least one shaft as the upper member moves relative to the lower member, wherein the lower member, the upper member and the at least one resilient member are adapted to be positioned between the frame and the movable arm, such that when the movable arm pushes the upper member in a downward direction, the upper member moves relative to the lower member and the at least one resilient member applies an assistance force to the movable arm in an upward direction, wherein the assistance force in combination with a user force moves the movable arm in the upward direction, whereby the assistance force reduces the user force required to move the movable arm in the upward direction, wherein as the movable arm moves in the upward direction past a contact position with the upper member, the movable arm ceases to contact the upper member and the at least one resilient member ceases to apply the assistance force on the movable arm; wherein the at least one connecting member maintains the upper member connected to the lower member when the movable arm does not contact the upper member; wherein while the movable arm contacts the upper member and moves in the upward direction, the upper member moves in the upward direction with respect to the lower member to decompress the at least one resilient member; wherein as the movable arm moves in the downward direction, the movable arm pushes the upper member in the downward direction with respect to the lower member to compress the at least one resilient member; wherein as the movable arm pushes the upper member in the downward direction, the assistance force applied by the at least one resilient member on the movable arm is increased.
20 . The force assistance system of claim 19 , wherein the cushion member comprises a rubber mat.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/333,332 filed on May 28, 2021. Each of the aforementioned patent applications is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable to this application. BACKGROUND Example embodiments in general relate to a force assistance system for an exercise machine for providing a force at the beginning of a lift to assist the user perform the lift. Exercise machines provide a source of resistance for a user to work against to exercise their muscles. In particular, an exercise machine uses the mass of a weight to provide resistance. The user exercises their muscles by lifting the weight. The mass of the weight is constant during the time it is lifted by the user, so the user must exert a constant amount of force from the beginning to the end of the lift to move the weight. However, strengthening fast twitch muscles requires a user to work with higher amounts of (e.g., heavier) weight. When the amount of weight is increased, many users struggle or fail during the first part of a lift, but once started can complete the lift. Users seeking to develop fast twitch muscle could benefit from a system that assists the user during the first portion of a lift by reducing the amount of force required from the user to lift the weight. SUMMARY An example embodiment of the present disclosure is related to a force assistance system for an exercise machine. An example embodiment of the present disclosure generally includes a force assistance system that provides an assistance force to assist a user while performing lifts on the exercise machine. The force assistance system provides the assistance force during a first portion of a lift. The assistance force reduces the amount of force the user must exert at the beginning of a lift to perform the lift. So, at the beginning of a lift, the weight as built by the user seems lighter because the force assistance system the assistance force to help lift the weight. Providing assistance at the beginning of the left, helps a user to exercise using heavier weights. The assistance force reduces the amount of weight the user must lift at the beginning of the lift, so the weight felt by the user is within the range of the lifter's physical capabilities. By the time the force assistance system no longer assists, the user has enough momentum to finish the lift on their own (e.g., without assistance) even though the weight is heavier than they normally lift. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the embodiments of the force assistance system for an exercise machine in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional embodiments of the force assistance system for an exercise machine that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the force assistance system for an exercise machine in detail, it is to be understood that the force assistance system for an exercise machine is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The force assistance system for an exercise machine is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Example embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference characters, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the example embodiments herein. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a force assistance system for an exercise machine in accordance with an example embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the example embodiment in the compressed position. FIG. 3 is a side view of the example embodiment in the intermediate position. FIG. 4 is a side view of the example embodiment in the contact position. FIG. 5 is a is a side view of the example embodiment in the beyond position. FIG. 6 is a is a side view of the example embodiment in the contact position while the movable arm of the exercise machine is in the lifted position. FIGS. 7-9 are diagrams of the assistance force, the user force and the weight force with respect to the compressed position, intermediate position, the contact position, the beyond position and the lifted position. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a perspective view of the example embodiment. FIG. 11 is a left side view o