HANDLE FOR A GYMNASTIC MACHINE AND A GYMNASTIC MACHINE COMPRISING THE IMPROVED HANDLE

Description

FIELD

The present invention relates to an improved handle for a gymnastic machine, particularly for a gymnastic machine of the type comprising at least one cable.

The present invention also relates to a gymnastic machine comprising the improved handle.

More in detail, the invention relates to a handle of the above type, designed and created in particular to allow a user to grip a cable of a gymnastic machine while performing a pulling exercise, but which can also be used for any type of exercise which involves pulling a cable connected to a resistant load unit and routed by one or more pulleys.

Hereinafter the description will relate to an improved handle employed in a gymnastic machine which simulates the movements performed during skiing, but it is clear that it should not be considered limited to this specific use.

BACKGROUND

Currently it is known that the gymnastic machines comprise cables connected to a resistant load unit, routed by means of one or more pulleys, or other transmission means, which are grippable by a user by means of a grip or handle, to facilitate the grip and thus performing the gymnastic exercise.

The known handles usually comprise a rigid outer shell inside which the cable is inserted.

The drawback of these handles is that, when the user performs the gymnastic exercise, in particular exercises which involve tilting the cable with respect to the direction identified by the orientation of the handle, the cable tends to bend and slide on the edge of the rigid outer shell.

Repeated sliding over time causes wear, even leading to cable breakage which can also occur during the execution of the exercises, resulting in danger for the user who suddenly risks losing grip of the cable by means of the handle.

A further drawback of the known handles is that, when the user releases the handle at the end of an exercise and the cable is restored by an elastic force to reach the start/end-stroke position, the outer shell of the handle comes into contact with the frame of the machine where the cable is anchored.

The repeated impact between the handle and the frame of the gymnastic machine over time may cause the outer shell of the handle to break.

In light of the drawbacks and the unsolved problems by the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved handle for gymnastic machines comprising at least one cable which allows the protection of the cable from the wearing contact with the outer shell of the handle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved handle for gymnastic machines comprising at least one cable which allows cushioning the impact between the outer shell of the handle and the frame of the machine, during the cable restoring phase.

Therefore, the technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide a handle which allows prolonging the life cycle of both the cable of the gymnastic machine on which it is mounted and the handle itself.

SUMMARY

The idea underlying the present invention is to provide an improved handle couplable to at least one cable of a gymnastic machine of the type comprising a resistance unit operable by a user by means of said cable for performing a gymnastic exercise, comprising at least one hollow outer casing, in turn comprising an upper end and a lower end, grippable by a user to perform a gymnastic exercise, further comprising at least one hollow inner sheath, insertable into the cavity of said at least one casing and couplable with said at least one casing, said at least one sheath being able to house said at least one cable into the cavity thereof, said at least one sheath may exit by a pre-established portion with respect to said upper end of said at least one casing.

Further according to the invention, said at least one sheath is couplable with said at least one casing by means of a shape-coupling.

Preferably according to the invention, the stiffness of said at least one sheath is less than the stiffness of said at least one casing, so that said pre-established portion is able to fold over said upper end of said at least one casing, when the cable is operated by the user.

Yet according to the invention, said casing comprises a relief therein.

Still according to the invention, said sheath comprises an abutment.

Further according to the invention, the coupling between said casing and said sheath occurs by a shape-coupling between said abutment and said relief.

Preferably according to the invention, said handle may comprise a closure member which is fixable to said lower end of said casing.

Yet according to the invention, said closure member comprises a groove for housing said cable.

Still according to the invention, said closure member comprises a fixing portion for locking said cable.

A further object of the present invention is a gymnastic machine comprising a resistance unit operable by a user by means of a cable for performing a gymnastic exercise, comprising a handle according to the previous features.

Further according to the invention, said machine may comprise a hooking member which said handle may be hooked to, when the machine is not in use.

Preferably according to the invention, said hooking member is hook shaped.

Yet according to the invention, said machine may comprise at least one output element for the passage of said cable.

Still according to the invention, inside said at least one output element a first pulley that guides said cable inside the machine is coupled in a freely rotatable manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the improved handle for a gymnastic machine, object of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an axonometric view of the gymnastic machine comprising the handle, object of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the handle of FIG. 1, when the cable is subjected to traction;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view of the handle connected to an output element;

FIG. 5 shows an axonometric view of the handle of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an axonometric view of the gymnastic machine comprising the handle, comprising a hooking member;

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the hooking member;

FIG. 8 shows a frontal view of the gymnastic machine with a detail of the output element shown sectionally; and

FIG. 9 shows a sectional side view of the detail of the output element shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an improved handle 1 for a gymnastic machine M, object of the present invention, is noted.

The gymnastic machine M is of the type comprising a resistance unit R operable by a user by means of a rope or cable C for performing a gymnastic exercise. Said cable C is connected to the gymnastic machine M by means of an output element E which may be rotating, such as for instance a junction, or fixed. Said output element E has a housing A which has an abutment A₁ that is the end-stroke of the handle 1 when the restoring elastic force causes the cable C to rewind.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, inside said output element E a first pulley P₁ that guides the cable C inside the machine M is coupled in a freely rotatable manner, toward the resistance unit R, by means of a second pulley P₂, coupled in a freely rotatable manner to the frame.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, said machine M further comprises a hooking member O which said handle 1 may be hooked to, when the machine is not in use.

Particularly, said hooking member O is hook shaped, into which it is possible to insert said handle 1.

Particularly, said gymnastic machine M is a machine that allows a user to simulate a skiing and comprises a first output element E1 for a first cable C1 and a second output element E2 for a second cable C2, which are grippable by means of a first handle 1 and of a second handle 1′, respectively.

Said first C1 and second C2 cables are connected to said resistance unit R by means of transmission members, such as pulleys, not shown in the figure.

However, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention, said gymnastic machine M may also be of a different type.

Said handle 1 mainly comprises a hollow outer casing 11, grippable by a user to perform a gymnastic exercise and an inner sheath 2.

Said handle 1 may also comprise a cap or closure member 3.

Said cap 3 prevents the sheath 2 from exiting out of the lower end 112 of the handle 1, when the sheath 2 impacts against the abutment A₁ when the user releases the handle 1 at the end of the exercise.

Said outer casing 11 comprises an upper end 111 and a lower end 112.

Said outer casing 11 extends from said upper end 111 toward said lower end 112.

At said lower end 112 there is an enlarged portion 112a to facilitate ergonomic grip by the user while performing the gymnastic exercise.

Inside said casing 11 a relief 113 to allow the coupling with said sheath 2 is arranged.

Particularly, the relief 113 shape-couples with the abutment 23 of the sheath 2, to prevent it from exiting out of the upper end 111, while the user performs the traction exercise of the cable C by means of the handle 1.

Said casing 11 is made of rigid plastic material.

Said casing 11 has a shape similar to a hollow cylinder.

Said hollow inner sheath 2 comprises an upper end 21 and a lower end 22 and extends from said upper end 21 toward said lower end 22.

The cable C passes into said sheath 2, from said upper end 21 toward said lower end 22.

Said sheath 2 has an abutment 23 on its surface, which is able to abut onto said relief 113 of said casing 11, so that said sheath 2 couples with said casing 11.

Particularly, said sheath 2 is inserted into said casing 11 through its lower end 112, until said abutment 23 encounters said relief 113.

When said sheath 2 is inserted into said casing 11, its upper end 21 exits by a pre-established portion P with respect to the upper end 111 of said casing 11.

Said sheath 2 is made of elastically deformable plastic material having a stiffness that is less than that of the plastic material of said casing 11, so that, when the handle 1 is pulled by the user causing the tilting with respect to the cable C, the pre-established portion P may bend until it comes into contact with the upper end 111 of said casing 11, thus protecting the cable C from the direct contact with the casing 11 and thus from wear.

Particularly, when the machine M is not in use, it is possible to insert said pre-established portion P into said hooking member O, so as to protect the cable from the contact with the hooking member O.

Said closure member 3 is coupled to said lower end 112 of said casing 11, at said enlarged portion 112a.

Particularly, the coupling occurs by means of a pair of screws 31, or a snap fit may be provided, so that the closure member 3 does not exit out of the casing during the use of the handle 1.

On said closure member 3 a groove 32 for housing said cable C is obtained.

Moreover, said closure member 3 comprises an output portion 33 for the end of said cable C.

Said closure member 3 is thus able to house and lock the cable C.

The operation of the handle 1 object of the present invention is the following, for the sake of simplicity of description the function of just one handle 1 is herein described.

When a user wants to perform a gymnastic exercise using the gymnastic machine M, he/she grips the handle 1, causing the traction of the cable C.

During the traction, as shown in FIG. 3, an angle α between the cable C and the direction D identified by the orientation of the handle 1 is created.

Said pre-established portion P of the sheath 2, under the tension of the cable C, tilts and bends on the upper end 111 of the casing 11, thus protecting the cable C from wear.

When the user ends the gymnastic exercise, he/she releases the handle 1. The cable C is restored by the elastic force generated by the transmission members and the handle abuts against the output element E.

Particularly, said pre-established portion P of the sheath 2 inserts into the housing A of the output element E of the machine, thus cushioning the impact between the casing 11 and the frame of the gymnastic machine M.

As clear from the above reported description, the advantage of the handle 1 lies in the double function of protection of the cable from wear, since it never comes into contact with the casing of the handle, and of protection of the casing itself from the impact against the frame of the machine, when the elastic force restores the cable at the end of the gymnastic exercise.

Obviously, a person skilled in the art, in order to meet contingent and specific needs, may make several changes and variants to the above described support, by the way all contained in the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.