US 11,938,366 B2
Free weight training protection device
Zih Min Yang, New Taipei (TW); and Yu Shan Kao, New Taipei (TW)
Filed by Zih Min Yang, New Taipei (TW); and Yu Shan Kao, New Taipei (TW)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/380,030.
Claims priority of application No. 110100202 (TW), filed on Jan. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212054 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. A63B 21/078 (2006.01); A63B 21/00 (2006.01); A63B 21/072 (2006.01); A63B 24/00 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 21/0783 (2015.10) [A63B 21/0724 (2013.01); A63B 21/154 (2013.01); A63B 24/0087 (2013.01); A63B 2220/13 (2013.01); A63B 2220/17 (2013.01); A63B 2220/50 (2013.01); A63B 2225/02 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A free weight training protection device, applicable for carrying a barbell, comprising:
a rack, two transmission modules, and a control module;
the rack, comprising:
two pedestals, configured to be laterally symmetrical to each other;
two center posts, configured to be laterally symmetrical to each other, and disposed on the two pedestals, respectively;
two barbell brackets, configured to be laterally symmetrical to each other, and mounted onto the two center posts, respectively;
two upper arms, configured to be laterally symmetrical to each other, and disposed on the two center posts respectively; and
at least one link bar, disposed between the two pedestals or between the two upper arms;
the two transmission modules, disposed on the two pedestals at both left and right sides of the rack, respectively, and each of the two transmission modules comprising:
a motor, installed on the corresponding pedestal;
a first sprocket, installed on the corresponding pedestal;
a transmission mechanism, linked to the corresponding motor and the corresponding first sprocket;
a second sprocket, hung from a bottom of the corresponding upper arm;
a first chain, mounted on the first sprocket and the second sprocket;
a linker with opposing ends thereof coupled to the first chain, the linker comprising a tension sensor;
a first pulley, installed at a front end of the corresponding upper arm;
a second pulley, installed at a rear end of the corresponding upper arm;
a rope, mounted on the first pulley and the second pulley, and coupled to the linker; and
a plate-collar, coupled to the rope, and applicable for carrying the barbell; and the control module, comprising:
two first proximity sensors, installed onto the two barbell brackets, respectively, for providing a first trigger signal;
two second proximity sensors, installed onto front sides of the two upper arms, respectively, for providing a second trigger signal; and
a controller, installed on the rack, and electrically coupled to the two first proximity sensors, the two second proximity sensors, the two tension sensors, and the two motors;
wherein, the controller comprises two basic tension control programs for the two ropes, respectively, for controlling the two motors to enter into a torque mode, respectively;
wherein, the controller further comprises two barbell position calculation program for calculating position data of the two plate-collars respectively;
and
wherein, the controller further comprises a protection program, such that when the controller executes the protection program, each motor of the two motors is set to a speed mode, and then each of the motors is set to a zero speed operation mode, and then one of the two plate-collars located at a lower horizontal position relative to the other of the two plate-collars is pulled up until the position data of the two plate-collars is the same, and then the two plate-collars are pulled up synchronously until the position data of the two plate-collars reaches a ready position.