US Patent 10080919 Epicyclic gear system for use in exercise equipment

An epicyclic gear system features a cylindrical flywheel with a flywheel cavity, a plurality of mounting pillars, an annular ring gear mounted on the mounting pillars, and an annular sun gear mounted to and extending from the flywheel cavity. The epicyclic gear system has a planet carrier mounted to an axle shaft and a planet gear mounted to the planet carrier. The axle shaft passes through an axle aperture, a ring gear aperture, and a sun gear aperture. The planet gear engages the ring gear and the sun gear to provide a desired gear ratio for rotating the flywheel via rotation of the axle shaft, the planet carrier, the planet gear, and the sun gear.