DE9007392U1 - Paddle ergometer - Google Patents

Description

P addel ergometer

The present invention relates to an ergometer for training the musculature used in paddling.

Ergometers are known in which levers are attached to joints that act on a braking unit, see e.g. DE-OS 37 049 18.6, where the training is carried out against the resistance of the braking unit. The levers replace the straps or oars of a corresponding boat.

However, paddling training is not possible with these devices.

The present invention therefore has the task of creating a device with the help of which the paddling process is also possible in an ergometer.

Based on an ergometer consisting of a frame and one or two arms arranged on the side with levers hinged to them and automatically resetting brake units acting via the joint or a base suitable for a kneeling person, a seat and a footrest, the solution to the above problem is proposed in that the seat is connected to the frame in a force-locking manner and that ropes are attached to the end points of the levers, at least one of which can be connected to a free paddle shaft.

The paddle shaft is kept free by the person using the ergometer. The cable or its connection point with the paddle shaft is located on: _ the hand pointing towards the water when operating the boat, with the connection point roughly corresponding to the water surface. This hand moves the lever via the cable from an imaginary immersion point past the body to the rear.

When the cable tension is released, the lever is returned to its original position by a motor. In this way, i.e. with the cable attached on one side, it is possible to simulate a movement process that is carried out with a paddle, e.g. on a Canadian canoe.

The person kneels or sits on a seat, in the latter case the feet rest on a footrest. With a device that has two levers attached to outriggers, a paddling process can also be trained that corresponds to the movement sequence with a double paddle, for which the levers are each connected to the two ends of the paddle shaft, and the levers are moved backwards and forwards one after the other by the cables.

The seat with the footrest or the support for the knees (and lower legs) can rest freely on the floor, to which they must be anchored in a non-slip manner in order to ensure a force-fit distance from the frame, which is also non-slip connected to the floor, or has friction-increasing supports.

Preferably, however, a console is arranged on the frame, which extends in the direction of pull from the frame, on which the seat and footboard or the knee pad can be adjusted to the body size of the person exercising, for which purpose they are arranged so that they can be moved on the console or, with regard to the footboard, can also be adjusted in inclination.

In order to get as close as possible to the power distribution used in water sports, the levers are bent inwards and downwards so that the pull is as horizontal as possible.

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A further object of the present invention is to be able to use the ergometer in a variety of ways, ie to be able to carry out rowing training with it. This is possible with a device described above, all that is needed is a conventional rowing seat mounted (removably) on the frame L \i we r cle �eegr; =

When using cranked levers, it is suggested that they be detachably connected to the joints and replaced with ones suitable for rowing.

The lever end points in the device described describe a circular movement, i.e. the rope angle to the longitudinal axis is constantly changing.

This does not fully correspond to the movement sequence in the boat, where the paddle is essentially guided parallel to the root wall and the boat's longitudinal axis. This error can be reduced by using the appropriate rope length, but this leads to undesirable dimensions.

To solve this problem, the present invention further proposes arranging circular segments at the joints, onto which the rope is wound or unwound when pulled, whereby the rope extends from the circular segment tangentially to the paddle shaft. In this way, the pull always runs close to the rahiran, which represents the imaginary side of the boat.

Instead of a pitch circle disk, a structurally simple arrangement can be used that consists of levers attached to the joint at an (obtuse) angle to each other, between which a circular-arc groove is attached. In principle, curves other than pitch circles can also be considered, e.g. to vary the torque depending on the position.

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The present invention enables effective paddling training, but also targeted rehabilitation of individual parts of the body for therapeutic purposes.

It has been proven that, particularly in clinical rectitude, isckkinetic training ^rf sncie^ep

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run is superior.

The speed of movement remains constant regardless of the force applied.

Such training is made possible by the fact that the self-resetting brake unit is a piston that moves in a cylinder and to which a flow control valve is connected, whereby the cylinder and flow control valve are hydraulically connected to one another via a line, and whereby the cylinder is connected to a pump that causes the resetting. More detailed information about the brake unit in question can be found, for example, in DE-OS 37 049 18.5.

The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures.
Showing:

Figure 1 shows a paddle ergometer according to the invention in plan view and

Figure 2 shows such a rear view, as well as

Figure 3 shows an ergometer according to the invention with circular segment guide in plan view and

Figure 4 this in side view.

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Figure 1 shows a frame 6 with lateral arms 13. Brake units 14 are arranged at the free ends of these arms. These consist of cylinders 15 in which pistons run, which are driven by shafts 16 or racks. Levers 9 are non-positively attached to the shafts 16, which actuate the pistons, which displace hydraulic fluid out of the cylinder chamber against predeterminable resistances, preferably via a flow control valve. With such an arrangement, isokinetic movement sequences can be carried out. However, any other brake unit can in principle be used.

At the inward-facing ends of the levers 9, ropes are attached that run to a paddle shaft 4. Supported by a console 2 against the frame 6, there is a footrest 3 and a seat 5 under the paddle shaft 4. The footrest 3 and seat 5 can be adjusted along the console to the body geometry of the person using the device. Behind the seat 5 there is a support 18 on which the console 2 rests. The shafts 16 are connected to a mechanism that moves the levers back to a desired and, if necessary, adjustable starting position.

The depiction of the figure refers to the use of the paddle shaft for training or rehabilitation of a movement sequence with imaginary paddles arranged at both ends.

To do this, the shaft 4 is grasped with both hands near the fastening points 17 of the ropes 8 on the shaft and the paddling movement is carried out against the pull of one of the ropes 8.

The rope is located close to the longitudinal edge of the frame, which represents the side of an imaginary boat, so that the rope pull corresponds to the vector of a paddle.

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The cable pull causes the levers 9 to be deflected backwards towards the seat 5 and, after reaching the rear position or when the cable pull is released to a value of zero or close to zero, they are returned by motor to the specified starting position.

This process causes the rope to move freely ^, whereby the rope is ^slack in order to release the lever 9 which is not actuated.

In order to simulate the movement sequence with the device shown, which corresponds to that when operating a paddle that is constantly dipped into the water on one side of the boat, all that is needed is to unhook the unnecessary rope from the attachment point 17 of the paddle shaft 4. If only a one-sided paddle movement is to be trained, an outrigger with its kinematics can also be dispensed with.

The device shown can also be used advantageously for ergometric rowing training; all that is required is to arrange the seat 5 and footrest 3 in the working area of the levers 9.

Figure 2 shows the device described above from the rear. The seat 5 is located on the console 2, which rests on a support 18, and the outriggers 13 are arranged on the side of the frame 6.

The booms can extend horizontally from the frame 6, but they can be angled upwards, as shown, as is known from conventional rowing ergometers, in order to use the device as such, since for this purpose the oarlocks must be positioned at a corresponding height, which correspond to the fastenings of the levers 9 to the shafts 16.

In order to get as close as possible to the pulling direction of the paddle movement, the levers 1 are bent downwards here. The bent levers are detachably attached to the shafts 16

and can be replaced with straight levers (belts) to use the device as a rowing ergometer, for example.

Furthermore, the ropes 8 and the paddle shaft 4 are shown, whereby it can be seen that the ropes 8 are attached to the levers 1 approximately at the height of the seat 5, which also corresponds approximately to an imaginary waterline.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which circular segments 11 are arranged between each pair of levers 1, ^11. These have open grooves 19 onto which the cables 8 are placed. With the help of these segments 11 it is achieved that the cable vector remains at a constant distance from the shaft 16 or from the brake units 12.

Console 2, footrest 3, seat 5 and support 18 as well as frame 6, paddle shaft 4 and boom 13 correspond to those in Figure 1.

In Figure 4 it can be seen that the levers I ¹ (and 1) are bent downwards in order to move the circular segment 11 with its groove 19 downwards to the height of the seat S. It can also be seen that the brake unit 12 has two opposing piston-cylinder units, one of which is connected via a pressure line to a reset mechanism, e.g. a pump, as a motor in order to reset the levers 1, I ¹ after the cable has been pulled.

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List of reference symbols

1 lever 2 console 3 Stretcher board 4 Paddle shaft 5 Seat 6 Frame 7 Lever end point 8th Ropes 9 lever 10 joint 11 Circle segment 12 Brake unit 13 boom 14 Brake unit 15 cylinder 16 waves 17 Attachment points 18 support 19 gutter

Claims (6)

Protection at sp r ü eh 1. Paddle ergometer, consisting of a frame and a support frame with hinged levers and ^{automatically} retracting brake units, a seat and a footrest or a support suitable for a kneeling person, characterized by the following features: a) the seat (5) is connected to the frame (6) at a distance from one another in a force-locking manner; b) ropes (8) are attached to the end points of the levers (1, 9), c) at least one of which can be connected to a free paddle shaft (4). 2. Paddle ergometer according to claim 1, characterized in that the seat (5) or the knee pad is connected to the frame (6) via a bracket (2). 3. Paddle ergometer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the levers (1) are bent downwards. 4. Paddle ergometer according to at least one of claims 1 to 3 - characterized in that the levers (1, 9) are detachably arranged on a shaft (16). 5. Paddle ergometer according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that instead of the levers, circular segments (11) are attached to the shafts (16), to which the rope is attached in an unwindable manner. 6. Paddle ergometer according to claim 5, characterized in that the circular segments (11) are designed as a rounded groove between the ends of levers (9, 9 ¹ ). Paddle ergometer according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the automatically resetting brake unit (12) is a piston movable in a cylinder to which a flow control valve is connected, the cylinder and flow control valve being hydraulically connected to one another via a line, and the cylinder being connected to a mechanism which effects the resetting.