Patent US2164599A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0203804A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0203804A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Energy absorbers for exercisers
Assignee: Repco Ltd
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Filing: 1986-05-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-05-27
Abstract
Abstract An energy absorber for use in ergometric and/or exercise apparatus. The absorber includes a centrifugal-type fan (9) which is mounted within a housing (8) so as to be rotatable relative to the housing (8) and thereby displace air, or other fluid, contained in the housing (8). The energy absorbance function is directly related to the capacity of the fan - (9) to displace air and that is optimised by providing baffle means (24,29) within the housing (8) which influences air displaced by the fan (9) to return to the fan inlet (13) for recirculation through the fan (9). The baffle means (24,29) may take the form of stator blades (24) or ducting (29) within the housing (8). According to another aspect, the housing (108) is rotatably mounted on a support (133) so as to tend to turn in response to torque applied by air displaced by the relatively rotating fan (109). An arm - (137) extends between the housing (108) and the support (133) to prevent such turning movement of the housing (108) and the turning force is reacted into a load cell (139) which is connected to that arm (137) and which responds to the reacted force in a manner representative of the magnitude of that force.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter M. Chapman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:05
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B21/00; A63B21/008; A63B21/0085; A63B21/0088; A63B21/00058; A63B21/00065; A63B21/40; A63B21/4041; A63B21/4049
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
An energy absorber for exercisers including, a fluid displacement fan (9) having an inlet side through which fluid displaced by said fan (9) passes, means rotatably mounting said fan (9), and a housing (8) enclosing said fan (9) and containing a fluid; characterised in that baffle means (24,29) is provided within said housing (8) and is arranged so that fluid displaced by said fan (9) is directed back to said inlet side for recirculation through said fan - (9).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
An energy absorber for exercisers including, a fluid displacement fan (9) having an inlet side through which fluid displaced by said fan (9) passes, means rotatably mounting said fan (9), and a housing (8) enclosing said fan (9) and containing a fluid; characterised in that baffle means (24,29) is provided within said housing (8) and is arranged so that fluid displaced by said fan (9) is directed back to said inlet side for recirculation through said fan - (9).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
An energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said fluid is air.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
An energy absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said fan (9) is of the centrifugal type having a series of blades (10) which are arranged in circumferentially shaped relationship around the rotational axis of the fan (9), said inlet side is at one axial end of said fan (9), and an opening (13) at that end communicates with a space (21) within said fan (9) which is surrounded by said blades - (10).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
An energy absorber according to claim 3, wherein said baffle means (24,29) includes a plurality of stator blades (24) on a side wall (22) of said housing (8) which is located adjacent said one axial end of the fan (9), and at least part of each said stator blade-(24) is in opposed relationship to said fan opening (13).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
An energy absorber according to claim 4, wherein said stator blades (24) are arranged in circumferentially spaced ralationship about the rotational axis of said fan (9), and each said blade - (24) projects inwardly of said side wall (22) and extends generally radially relative to said fan axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
An energy absorber according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each said stator blade (24) is at least partially located within an annular depression (27) formed in said side wall (22).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An energy absorber according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein said stator blades (24) are formed integral with said side wall (22).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
An energy absorber according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said baffle means (24,29) includes a duct - (29) which is arranged to receive fluid displaced by said fan (9) and redirect that displaced fluid to said inlet side of the fan (9).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
An energy absorber according to claim 8 when appended to claim 3, wherein said duct (29) is formed between a side wall (22) and an internal wall (28) of the housing (8).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
An energy absorber according to any preceding claim, including drive mechanism which is operable to cause rotation of said fan (9).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
An energy absorber according to claim 10, wherein said drive mechanism includes a spindle - (15) rotatably mounted on said housing (8) and a drive connection between that spindle (15) and the fan (9) and which is contained within said housing - (8).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
An energy absorber according to claim 11, wherein said housing (8) is of rectangular cross-sectional shape and is elongate, said fan (9) is located at one. end of said housing (8) and is closely confined at least by opposed side walls - (22,23) of the housing (8), and said spindle (15) is located towards the other end of the housing (8).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
89 words
An energy absorber according to any preceding claim, further including a rigid support (133), means (132,134,135) mounting said housing (108) on said support (133) for movement relative thereto, whereby fluid displaced by rotation of said fan - (109) imposes a turning force on said housing (108) such as to tend to cause said relative movement thereof, and reaction means (136) interconnecting said housing (108) and said support (133) so as to resist said relative movement and being arranged to provide an indication of the magnitude of said turning force.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
115 words
An energy absorber for exercisers including, a rigid support (133), a housing (108) containing a fluid, and a fan (109) rotatably mounted in said housing (108); characterised in that means - (132,134,135) mounts said housing (108) on said support (133) for movement relative thereto, where-. by rotation of said fan (109) relative to said housing (108) is operable to displace said fluid and thereby impose a turning force on said housing (108) such as to tend to cause said relative movement thereof, and reaction means (136) interconnects said housing (108) and said support (133) so as to resist said relative movement and is arranged to provide an indication of the magnitude of said turning force.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
115 words
An energy absorber for exercisers including, a rigid support (133), a housing (108) containing a fluid, and a fan (109) rotatably mounted in said housing (108); characterised in that means - (132,134,135) mounts said housing (108) on said support (133) for movement relative thereto, where-. by rotation of said fan (109) relative to said housing (108) is operable to displace said fluid and thereby impose a turning force on said housing (108) such as to tend to cause said relative movement thereof, and reaction means (136) interconnects said housing (108) and said support (133) so as to resist said relative movement and is arranged to provide an indication of the magnitude of said turning force.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
An energy absorber according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said mounting means (132,134,135) rotatably mounts said housing (108) on said support (133) and the respective axes of rotation of the housing (108) and the fan (109) are substantially coincident.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
An energy absorber according to claim 15 when appended to claim 14, wherein said mounting means (132,134,135) includes a drive spindle - (132) which is rotatably mounted on said support - (133) and which passes through said housing - (108), said fan (109) is secured to the spindle - (132) against relative rotation, and said housing - (108) is rotatably mounted on said spindle (132).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
92 words
An energy absorber according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein said reaction means (136) includes a torque arm (137) which is connected at its opposite ends to the housing (108) and the support (133) respectively and is arranged to have substantial resistance to bending in the direction of said turning force, and force measurement means (139) connected to said torque arm - (137) and being responsive to application of said turning force to said torque arm (137) in a manner which is representative of the magnitude of that force.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
An energy absorber according to claim 17, wherein said torque arm (137) has minimal resistance to bending in a direction transverse to the direction of said turning force.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
74 words
An energy absorber according to claim 17 or18, wherein means (140) is connected to said force measurement means (139) and is operative to produce a signal representative of the magnitude of the turning force, and further means (141) is provided for relating that signal to a signal which is representative of the rotational speed of said fan - (109) and thereby provide an output which indicates the work done in rotating the fan (109).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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