US Patent 12017107 Exercise machine brake system

An exercise machine includes a shaft configured to rotate about an axis; a spool configured to receive a strap and drive rotation of the shaft about the axis in response to movement of the strap; a flywheel configured to rotate about the axis; one or more conductive coils arranged to generate magnetic fields that induce eddy currents in the flywheel; a clutch configured to engage and disengage transmission of torque between the spool and the flywheel; and a spring arranged around the axis, the spring configured to exert a return torque on the spool about the axis in response to rotation of the shaft.