Innovative Multi Exercise Self Weight Machine Using Gear Changing Mechanism

Abstract

Background: The increased rate of global obesity is presenting a major public health spate to people of every age group belonging to any region. Obesity increases health risks, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and chronic kidney diseases. Nowadays, we have all seen the damage that has been done to humanity through COVID-19. All past researches and traditional weight machines were found to be either plate loaded or weight-stack loaded. The plate-loaded machine requires the location of various load plates and manual adjustment of the load. Machines based on such techniques always have chances for user injury Objective: The objective of developing a new and innovative gym machine provides a load lifting apparatus which does not require weight stacks or weight plates for the user to exercise and can be adapted to adjust user of various height, and weight, requiring lower maintenance cost, being safe to use, and it also has an easy handling nature that offers cost-effective alternative to existing devices. Methods: The present paper provide an innovative approach in developing multi exercise self-weight gym machine. The machine includes a unique design with new features for holding the handle during load lifting exercise, an input shaft having one or more first pulleys coupled to the handle for rotating the input shaft. An intermediate shaft having the first set of gears are configured for selective engagement with the input shaft. The output shaft includes a second set of gears which are configured for selective engagement with the intermediate shaft and one or more second pulleys coupled for lifting one or more loads. A weight-based exercise machine depending on user weight will add to its independence of adding or withdrawing weights; this will make the machine cost-effective . Addition of parallelogram linkages in its design benefitted in providing a non-swing motion. The concept of maintaining proper resistance has also been an important factor during the design of the machine. Patents: The paper presents the idea of designing multi self-weight exercise machine as an innovation, involving gear change mechanism for the users, having different weights and heights. Results: The results concerning the gear ratio for the first and second lever are computed for the respective machine. Effective gear ratio and standardized load values had been obtained towards weight lifted for 78 Kilogram to achieve load less or more than weight of the user. Conclusion: The designed machine has been proved to be efficient by involving innovative ideas and design consisting of engagement configuration of the input shaft and intermediate shaft that further provide different gear ratios between the input, output & intermediate shaft. The concept of movable chairs in the change of weight through gear mechanism and the use of this machine in different exercises has proved it to be effective and beneficial for users and the manufacturer because of its easy handling nature.