US20060240959A1

US20060240959A1 - Dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music

Info

Publication number: US20060240959A1
Application number: US11/111,815
Authority: US
Inventors: Hsien-Ting Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-04-22
Filing date: 2005-04-22
Publication date: 2006-10-26

Abstract

A dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music by which a user can clearly understand the exercise status with the dumbbell when using the dumbbell, includes a sensor unit for sensing a movement of the dumbbell, and a control circuit containing a micro processor, a display unit, a trumpet, and a plurality of press buttons. The micro processor receives a signal of exercising, performs calculation or summation to time duration, number of times, and energy consumption of a continuous exercise, and outputs the outcomes through the display unit, based on settings of the press buttons. Voice and music generation circuits, installed inside the micro processor, can also receive a signal of exercising including number of times and time duration of a continuous exercise, output a related voice or music in a rhythm through the trumpet based on the settings of the press buttons.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music, and more particularly to a dumbbell that can output a voice, music, and message associated with an action of exercise.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it shows a perspective view and an assembly view of a conventional dumbbell 4 comprising primarily threaded sleeves 41 located at a front and a rear end. Caps 1 are locked onto the threaded sleeves 41, respectively, thereby constituting the dumbbell 4. As using this kind of conventional dumbbell is quite dull and boring, a user needs to rely on a strong will power and perseverance in order to continue exercising. Therefore, there has never been an exercising appliance that can allow a user to willingly keep on using due to a fun and sense of achievability. With a weight of a dumbbell itself, a user must resist the gravitational force and inertia of movement upon moving the dumbbell, so as to create an exercise effect, such as pulling, tightening, relaxing, and releasing, to muscles of arms, breasts, and back of a human body. However, the conventional dumbbell is a very awkward object and therefore manifests certain monotone and baldness in keeping a mechanical exercise. Unless being accompanied by someone else or having a great perseverance and determination, a user would give up by not having an immediate and significant outcome after using it for a period of time. This means that after using the dumbbell, the user cannot have or feel a sense of achievability from exercising, such as that how many times of exercising have been done, is time duration of a current exercise longer than that of a previous exercise, how much energy is consumed for the current exercise, or whether he or she wants to take a break after taking the exercise for a while. Accordingly, although the conventional dumbbell can achieve an effect of exercising, a user is easy to give up due to being bored and lack of sense of achievability. Therefore, it is apparently that a further improvement is necessary.
Accordingly, the inventor has found that there are two major reasons for giving up exercise with a dumbbell, including a lack of sense of achievability and a lack of fun. The sense of achievability lies in a number of times of exercising, whether time duration of exercising exceeding a personal limit, and an energy consumption in a current exercise. On the other hand, the fun of exercise lies in whether an easy and funny environment is available during exercising. A willingness of using a dumbbell by a user will be increased if the dumbbell can be improved on these two respects, thereby achieving purposes of exercising and working out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music, wherein a control circuit is emplaced in the dumbbell for receiving a signal of exercising, performing calculation and summation based on a condition of exercising with the dumbbell, and displaying outcomes or playing voice or music associated with exercising. The control circuit includes a display unit for displaying messages of a number of times of exercising, time duration of exercising, and an energy consumption; a micro processor for receiving a signal of exercising, calculating time duration, number of times and an energy consumption for a continuous exercise based on settings of press buttons, and controlling an output of voice, music, and the display unit; a voice generation circuit, which is contained in the micro processor, for outputting a voice signal to a trumpet when the number of times or the time duration of exercising calculated by the micro processor reach a setting; a music generation circuit, which is contained in the micro processor, for continuously outputting music signal to a trumpet based on a signal of exercising which is continuously received by the micro processor; a sensor unit, which is a rolling ball switch for the present invention, for sensing every exercise taken by a user, and transmitting this signal to the control circuit in the dumbbell; and a press button of mode setup for switching between a normal mode and a record mode of maximum number of times, longest time duration, for encouraging a user to make a new record and thereby increasing a willingness of using due to an acquirement of sense of achievability.
Accordingly, based on a number of times of exercising, the micro processor of the present invention will timely output a voice signal to encourage and cheer up a user through the voice generation circuit. In addition, music can be played by a switching of a press button, so as to enable a user to listen to the music at the same time of doing an exercise, and to keep on exercising by a companion of music in a strong rhythm.
To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a conventional dumbbell.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view upon assembling a conventional dumbbell.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view upon assembling the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a structure of sensor unit of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 4, it shows a perspective view and an assembly view of the present invention. The present invention comprises primarily a dumbbell 2 containing electronic casings 3. Two threaded sleeves 21 are respectively emplaced at a front and a rear end of the dumbbell 2, and an electronic casing 3 is locked onto the sleeve 21 by a cap 1. The electronic casing 3 contains a control circuit 34 which is connected to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display unit 31, press buttons 32, and a trumpet 33. The LCD display unit 31 is emplaced inside an LCD hole 311, whereas the press buttons 32 are emplaced at button holes 321. The control circuit 34, the LCD display unit 31, and the press buttons 32 are fixed inside the electronic casing 3, and the trumpet 33 is emplaced inside a trumpet hole 331. On the other hand, the threaded sleeve 21 at the other end is locked on by a cap 1.
Referring to FIG. 5, it shows a perspective view of a sensor structure of the present invention, wherein rolling ball switches 341 and 342 are fixed onto the control circuit 34.
By an assembly of the aforementioned structure, balls in the rolling ball switches 341 and 342, which serve as a sensor unit, on the control circuit 34 begin to roll toward an end, and induce an on/off effect of close- or open-circuit when a user is exercising with the dumbbell 2 which contains the electronic casings. This on/off effect can trigger a signal, enabling a micro processor 5 in the control circuit 34 to display a number of times of exercising, an energy consumption, and time duration of exercising on the LCD display unit 31, or enabling a voice generation circuit/music generation circuit to transmit an audio signal for sending out an interactive voice of music of encouraging, cheering up, number of times, energy consumption and time duration, through the trumpet 33, thereby increasing a fun of exercising with a dumbbell.
Referring to FIG. 6, it shows a circuit diagram of the present invention. A control circuit 34 has a single chip micro processor 5 with a built-in program. The micro processor 5 is separately connected to press buttons 32, an LCD display unit 31, and a trumpet 33, so as to drive the LCD display unit 31 and the trumpet 33, thereby displaying all kinds of different data, voice and music of exercising.
Accordingly, the present invention of dumbbell has at least following functions which are different than those of a conventional dumbbell:

- 1. A number of times, energy consumption and time duration of exercising can all be displayed with the LCD display unit 31.
- 2. Longest time duration and a maximum number of times of a continuous exercise can be displayed with the LCD display unit 31.
- 3. Accumulated time duration, number of times and energy consumption can be displayed with the LCD display unit 31.
- 4. Interactive funny voice of encouraging, and cheering up can be sent out through the trumpet 33, based on a number of times of exercising.
- 5. A number of times, time duration, or energy consumption can be sent out in voice, or music can be played to accompany a user through the trumpet 33.

Before using the present invention, a user can make a choice with a mode setup press button 32. If a normal mode is chosen, a startup button 32 can be pressed once to inform the micro processor to start counting. In the mean time, the voice generation circuit 51 sends out a voice of “Please hold for 2 seconds.” After 2 seconds, a voice of “Please start.” is sent out. When the user is doing exercise with the dumbbell, every single movement will trigger the sensor unit to transmit a signal to the micro processor for recording a number of times, which will be accumulated with an increase of the number of times of exercising.
At the same time of doing a first exercise, a counting of time duration starts, until a user stops exercising. The micro processor 5 will synchronously change a number of times of exercising into energy consumption, drive the display unit to display a number of times, time duration and energy consumption, and record values for comparing with next coming data. The user can again make a choice with the mode setup button. A record (maximum number of times, longest time duration, or greatest energy consumption) or accumulation (number of times, time duration, or energy consumption) mode can be chosen, enabling the user to know whether a progress is being made and how much amount of exercise has been accumulated after doing exercise for a period of time.
The user can once again make a choice with the mode setup button 32. He or she can choose to control the voice generation circuit 51 to output a voice signal corresponding to a number of times of exercising and to send it out from the trumpet 33 after being amplified with an amplification circuit when the number of times of exercising reaches a preset value (like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, . . . ) of the micro processor 5 during exercising, so as to know a current number of times of exercising.
During exercise, if the number of times of exercising reaches a preset value of the micro processor 5, the voice generation circuit will output a voice signal of “good job,” “all right,” “excellent,” “go for it,” and “don′t stop,” in that order, and then send it out from the trumpet 33 after being amplified with the amplification circuit, so as to let the user to feel being encouraged at all time.
If the number of times of exercising, which is counted from a start of use to stop, is a maximum value, this number will be recorded by the micro processor 5 as a record of maximum number of times, and every number of times of exercising afterward will be compared with this record of maximum number of times. When there are 50 times more to break the record, the voice generation circuit 51 will output a voice of “50 more to break the record, way to go!” and when there are 40 times more to break the record, the voice generation circuit 51 will output a voice of “40 more to break the record, way to go!” and so on until the number breaks the record. At this time, the voice generation circuit 51 will output a voice of “You make a new record, congratulations!”
The user can still once again make a choice with the mode setup button 32. He or she can choose to control the voice generation circuit 51 to output a voice signal corresponding to time duration of exercising and to send it out from the trumpet 33 after being amplified with an amplification circuit when the time duration of exercising reaches a preset value (like 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute and 15 seconds, 1 minute and 30 seconds, 1 minute and 45 seconds, 2 minutes, . . . ) of the micro processor 5 during exercising, so as to know for how long he or she has been exercising.
If the time duration of exercising, which is counted from a start of use to stop, is a maximum value, this value will be recorded by the micro processor 5 as a record of maximum value of time duration, and every time duration of exercising afterward will be compared with this record of maximum value of time duration. When there are 5 minutes more to break the record, the voice generation circuit 51 will output a voice of “5 minutes more to break the record, way to go!” and when there are 4 minutes more to break the record, the voice generation circuit 51 will output a voice of “4 minutes more to break the record, way to go!” and so on until 5 seconds before breaking the record. At this time, the voice generation circuit 51 will output a voice of count-down of “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, you make a new record, congratulations!” Therefore, the user can control the time duration of exercise to prevent from exercising insufficiently or exceedingly.
With a fine and delicate design described above, the user can feel intimate, like being taken care of and accompanied by someone else at all time.
The user can still once again make a choice with the mode setup button 32. He or she can choose to control the music generation circuit 52 to output a music signal and to send it out from the trumpet 33 after being amplified with an amplification circuit during exercising, so as to be able to listen to music at the same time of taking exercise. Under a companion with music in a strong rhythm, a mechanical exercise with the dumbbell turns into an exercise with rhythm, which enables the more fun with more exercises, and further facilitates keeping on exercising to achieve a purpose of working out.
Accordingly, the present invention operates easily, requires no special settings, and is a practical design, which is indeed a brand new creation.
It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music, wherein a rolling ball switch is installed in the dumbbell for sensing a movement of the dumbbell; a control circuit installed in the dumbbell for receiving a signal of exercising, performing calculation and summation based on exercise status of the dumbbell, and displaying outcomes or outputting a voice or music associated with exercising.

2. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a micro processor for receiving a signal of exercising, calculating time duration, number of times and energy consumption for a continuous exercise based on settings of switches, and for controlling an output of voice, music, and a display unit; a plurality of switches for setting up a mode and starting up, and for transmitting messages to the micro processor after setting up; a sensor unit made of rolling ball switches for sensing exercise status and transmitting a signal to the micro processor; a display unit for displaying the related data described above or the best record; voice and music generation circuits contained in the micro processor for outputting a voice signal to a trumpet when the number of times of exercising calculated by the micro processor reaches a setting, and for continuously outputting music signal to a trumpet based on a signal of exercising which is continuously received by the micro processor; the trumpet for playing music and reporting data such as the number of times of exercising.

3. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 2, wherein the sensor unit is made of one or more than one rolling ball switch.

4. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the output display is driven by the micro processor which receives a signal of exercising, performs calculating, comparing, and summation to the signal of exercising, and outputs the outcomes based on the settings of switches to a display unit made of an LCD.

5. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is a number of times of exercising reported by the micro processor which continuously receives the signal of exercising and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet based on the settings of switches.

6. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is a voice of a number of times of exercising more to break a record reported by the micro processor which continuously receives the signal of exercising, records the maximum number of times for comparing with a number of times in a next exercise with the dumbbell based on the settings of switches, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet when the number of times in the next exercise is close to the record.

7. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is an encouraging voice for breaking a record reported by the micro processor which continuously receives a signal of exercising, records the maximum number of times for comparing with a number of times in a next exercise with the dumbbell based on the settings of switches, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet when the number of times in the next exercise exceeds the record.

8. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is time duration of exercising reported by the micro processor which continuously receives the signal of exercising, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet based on the settings of switches.

9. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is a voice of time duration of exercising more to break a record reported by the micro processor which continuously receives a signal of exercising, records the longest time duration for comparing with time duration in a next exercise with the dumbbell based on the settings of switches, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet when the time duration in the next exercise is close to the record.

10. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is an encouraging voice for breaking a record reported by the micro processor which continuously receives a signal of exercising, records the longest time duration for comparing with time duration in a next exercise with the dumbbell based on the settings of switches, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet when the time duration in the next exercise exceeds the record.

11. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is a voice or sound effect of encouraging, mocking, warning, alerting, or astonishing according to the number of times or time duration reported by the micro processor which continuously receives a signal of exercising, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet based on the settings of switches and number of times or time duration.

12. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the voice associated with exercising is an energy consumption reported by the micro processor which continuously receives a signal of exercising, computes an entire energy consumption in real time based on the settings of switches, and outputs the voice signal to the trumpet.

13. The dumbbell that can respond to exercise status and play music according to claim 1, wherein the music associated with exercising is music output to the trumpet by the micro processor which continuously receives a signal of exercising based on the settings of switches.