U.S. patent application number 11/854126 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-30 for elliptical excise apparatus capable of increase exercise distance.
This patent application is currently assigned to Joong Chenin Industry Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Chien-Yu LIN.
Application Number | 20080269024 11/854126 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39887680 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080269024 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LIN; Chien-Yu |
October 30, 2008 |
ELLIPTICAL EXCISE APPARATUS CAPABLE OF INCREASE EXERCISE
DISTANCE
Abstract
An elliptical exercise apparatus includes a base with two handle
bars at a front thereof and two pedal bars pivotally connected to
the handle bars. An extending mechanism is provided between a wheel
on a rear frame of the base and the pedal bars. The extending
mechanism includes an inner link and an outer link pivoted on a
rear of a pedal on the pedal bar, a connection bar pivotally
connected to the outer link, and a small crank received in a rear
pivoting portion of the pedal bar. With the multi-link extending
mechanism, the elliptical exercise apparatus of the present
invention may provides a greater exercise distance.
Inventors: |
LIN; Chien-Yu; (Taichung
County, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.;624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Assignee: |
Joong Chenin Industry Co.,
Ltd.
Taichung Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
39887680 |
Appl. No.: |
11/854126 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/52 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2022/0623 20130101;
A63B 22/0015 20130101; A63B 22/0046 20130101; A63B 22/001 20130101;
A63B 22/0664 20130101; A63B 2022/067 20130101; A63B 2022/0676
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/52 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/04 20060101
A63B022/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 26, 2007 |
TW |
96114713 |
Claims
1. An elliptical exercise apparatus, comprising: a base constructed
by a plurality of base bars and frames; a handle unit pivotally
connected to the base; a stepping unit, which is provided on two
sides of the base and connected to a bottom of the handle unit,
having a pedal; a rotation unit, which is pivoted on the base for
free rotation, having a crank connected to the stepping unit; and
an extending mechanism, through which the crank of the rotation
unit is connected to the stepping unit, including a link, which is
pivotally connected to the stepping unit directly or indirectly,
having an end pivoted on the pedal to move the pedal, a connection
bar having an end pivotally connected to the link opposite the
pedal, and a small crank connecting the connection bar and the
crank to increase an exercise distance of the stepping unit.
2. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
the rotation unit is provided at a rear of the base to form a
rear-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus.
3. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
the rotation unit is provided at a front of the base to form a
front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus.
4. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein
the base includes a front base bar, a rear base bar, a middle base
bar connecting the front base bar and the rear base bar, a front
frame connected to the front base bar, a rear frame connected to
the rear base bar, an auxiliary bar connected to the rear frame,
and a handle link vertically connected to the auxiliary bar for
pivotal connection with the handle unit.
5. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein
the handle unit includes two handle bars connected to opposite ends
of the handle link and having bottom ends thereof pivotally
connected to the stepping unit, and a handle on a top end of the
auxiliary bar.
6. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
the stepping unit includes a pedal bar pivotally connected to the
handle unit, on which the pedal is slidably provided.
7. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein
the rotation unit includes a transmission axle, a core axle, and a
wheel, and the rear frame is provided with a U-shaped connection
piece to pivot the wheel thereon, and the core axle is received in
the transmission axle with opposite end thereof connected to the
crank and the wheel respectively.
8. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein
the link includes an inner link and an outer link.
9. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, further
comprising an adjusting device between the link and the connection
bar.
10. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 9,
wherein the adjusting device includes a motor for elevation.
11. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 9,
wherein the adjusting device includes a triangular plate with an
arched slot, and the link has a plurality of adjustable holes to be
fitted with the connected bar respectively.
12. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 9,
wherein the adjusting device includes a fan plate, which has an
arched slot and adjustable holes, and a pivoting plate connecting
the fan plate and the connection bar.
13. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 10,
wherein the adjusting device includes a moon-shaped plate with a
plurality of adjustable holes to be fitted with the connection bar
respectively.
14. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 10,
wherein the adjusting device includes a retractable tube, which
includes an inner tube and an outer tube fitted to each other and
having a plurality of adjustable holes thereon, connecting the link
and the connection bar.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to an exercise
machine, and more particularly, to an elliptical exercise apparatus
capable of increasing the exercise distance.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] An elliptical exercise apparatus is one of the exercise
machines, which provides user an elliptical path of exercise. It
usually is provided with handles to provide user a whole-body
exercise. Such elliptical exercise apparatus is very popular to
people now because it provides a low loading exercise and a well
exercise effect.
[0005] A technical problem, however, of the elliptical exercise
apparatus is that the pedal bar is pivoted on the driving wheel
directly so that the exercise path it provides is restricted by the
size of the elliptical exercise apparatus. Therefore, some
inventions are introduced to provide an elliptical exercise
apparatus with a greater exercise, such as Taiwan patent
application no. 095205419.
[0006] Aforesaid application provides an elliptical exercise
apparatus with a pedal bar pivoted on a crank, and the crank
pivoted on a restricting bar on a rear frame of a transmission
assembly. The crank, the restricting bar, and a transmitting wheel
of the transmission assembly may increase a moving distance of the
pedal bar.
[0007] However, there are some problems to be fixed in aforesaid
application, which are:
[0008] 1. Referring to FIG. 5 of the application, beside the crank
and the restricting bar, the elliptical exercise apparatus further
is provided with the rear frame, on which the restricting bar is
pivoted, and other relative elements that make the elliptical
exercise apparatus having a complex structure.
[0009] 2. The pedal is fixed with a pedal board thereon so that it
can not provide a further increase of distance except for the crank
and the restricting bar. It provides a regular mode of cycling as
same as the conventional design.
[0010] In conclusion, there still are some parts to be improved in
the conventional elliptical exercise apparatuses, and the present
inventor, with an experience of manufacture for several years, will
provide an elliptical exercise apparatus, which may increase an
exercise distance and provides a fun cycling mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
an elliptical exercise apparatus, which may increase an exercise
distance by a multi-section's pivoting mechanism.
[0012] To achieve the foregoing objective of the present invention,
an elliptical exercise apparatus includes a base, a handle unit, a
stepping unit, a rotation unit, and an extending mechanism. The
base is constructed by a plurality of base bars and frames. The
handle unit is pivotally connected to the base. The stepping unit,
which is provided on two sides of the base and connected to a
bottom of the handle unit, has a pedal. The rotation unit, which is
pivoted on the base for free rotation, has a crank connected to the
stepping unit. The extending mechanism connects the crank of the
rotation unit and the stepping unit. The extending mechanism
includes a link, a connection bar, and a small crank. The link,
which is pivotally connected to the stepping unit directly or
indirectly, has an end pivoted on the pedal to move the pedal. The
connection bar has an end pivotally connected to the link opposite
the pedal. The small crank connects the connection bar and the
crank to increase an exercise distance of the stepping unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the transmitting wheel and
the extending assembly of the preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing
the adjusting device of a first preferred embodiment;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing
the adjusting device of a second preferred embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing
the adjusting device of a third preferred embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing
the adjusting device of a fourth preferred embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing
the adjusting device of a fifth preferred embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a front-driving type
elliptical exercise apparatus with the adjusting device of the
second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front-driving type
elliptical exercise apparatus with the adjusting device of the
third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a lateral view of the pedal and the pedal bar of
the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a lateral view of another pedal and pedal bar of
the present invention; and
[0025] FIG. 13 is a lateral view of the third pedal and the pedal
bar of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, an elliptical exercise apparatus
1 constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the present
invention includes:
[0027] A base 10 includes a front base bar 101, a rear base bar 102
and a middle base bar 103 connecting the front base bar 101 and the
rear base bar 102 to construct a "I" shaped structure. The base 10
farther includes a front frame 11 on the front base bar 102, a rear
frame 12 on the rear base bar 102 and connected to the front frame
11, an auxiliary bar 13 on the rear frame 12 and a U-shaped
connection piece 14 on the rear frame 12 to pivot a rotation unit
thereon.
[0028] A handle unit includes two handles 131 and two handle bars
15. The handles 131 are fixed on the auxiliary bar 13 as a "V"
shape. The auxiliary bar 13 is pivoted with two handle links 132 at
a middle section thereof to be fixed with the handle bars 15
thereon.
[0029] The rotation unit includes a transmission axle 141, a core
axle 142 and a wheel 144. The transmission axle 141 is transversely
fixed in the U-shaped connection piece 14, and the core axle 142
passes a through hole of the transmission axle 141 for two cranks
143 fixed at opposite ends thereof. The wheel 144 is outside of the
U-shaped connection piece 14 and fixed on core axle 142.
[0030] A stepping unit includes two pedal bars 16 and two pedals
161 on the pedal bars 16. The pedal bars 16 are on two sides of the
base 10. The pedals 161 are movably provided on the pedal bars 16
for reciprocation. Each of the pedal bars 16, between the front
frame and the rear frame and parallel to the connection bar, has a
front pivoting portion 162 at a front end thereof to be pivoted on
a bottom of the handle bar 15 and a rear pivoting portion 163 at a
rear end thereof to be pivoted on a free end of the crank 143.
[0031] An extending mechanism, which connects the pedal bars 16 and
the cranks 143, includes two pairs of inner links 21 and outer
links 22, each pair of which are parallel and pivoted on a rear of
the pedal 161 by a pin A respectively, that the pedals 161 may
reciprocate along the pedal bars 16 as shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 13.
FIG. 11 shows the pedal 161 having wheels 1611 sliding in a rail 17
on the pedal bar 16. FIG. 12 shows the pedal 161 having a wheel
1611. The pedal bar 16 is a round bar to restrict the wheel 1611 of
the pedal 161 sliding thereon. FIG. 13 shows the parallel outer
link 22 and the transmission bar 1612 been provided between the
pedal 161 and the pedal bar 16 to form a four linkage mechanism
that may cause the pedal 161 sliding.
[0032] A connection bar 23 has a first pivoting portion 231 to be
pivoted on a lower pivoting hole of the outer link 22 on the right
of the pedal bar 16.
[0033] A small crank 24, which is received in an outer side of the
rear pivoting 163 of the pedal bar 16, is pivotally connected to a
second pivoting portion 232 of the connection bar 23.
[0034] The elliptical exercise apparatus provides the extending
mechanism, which includes the links 21, 22, the connection bar 23,
the small crank 23 and the crank 143 to form a four-linkage
mechanism, between the pedal bar 16 and the wheel 144 that swing
angles of the connection bar 23, and the links 21, 22 is increased
to get a greater elliptical exercise distance. Beside that the
extending mechanism doesn't provide extra element to the elliptical
exercise apparatus 1 of the present invention. The pedal 161 only
has the rear end pivoted on the link 22 that the pedal 161 of the
pedal bar 16 keeps in a relative reciprocation motion to have the
pedal 161 reciprocating along the pedal bar 16 when the pedal bar
16 reciprocates. This character will create a swing function when
user takes exercise on the elliptical exercise apparatus 1 of the
present invention.
[0035] The elliptical exercise apparatus 1 of the present invention
may be further provided with an adjusting device between the outer
link 22 and the connection bar 23. Such adjusting device has
several embodiments hereunder:
[0036] The first embodiment of the adjusting device is shown in
FIG. 4, which is a motor 30 for elevation.
[0037] FIG. 5 shows the second embodiment of the adjusting device,
which includes a triangular plate 40 with an arched slot 41 in
association with adjustable holes 42 arranged in a slopping pattern
on the outer link 22.
[0038] FIG. 6 shows the third embodiment of the adjusting device,
which includes a fan plate 50 with an arched slot 51 and adjustable
holes 52 in a curved pattern and a pivoting plate 53 connecting the
fan plate 50 and the connection bar 23.
[0039] The fourth embodiment of the adjusting device is shown in
FIG. 7, which includes a moon-shaped plate 60, which connects the
outer link 22 and the connection bar 23, with a plurality of
adjustable holes 61 to be fitted with the connection bar 23 at
different heights. This adjusting device provides a selection in
height to provide different exercise distance and maximum exercise
distance.
[0040] The fifth embodiment of the adjusting device is shown in
FIG. 8, which includes a retractable tube 70 connecting the outer
link 22 and the connection bar 23. The retractable tube 70, which
has two tubes fitted to each other, has a plurality of adjustable
holes 71 to be fitted with the connection bar 23 respectively to
get different exercise distance and maximum exercise distance.
[0041] At last, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show two front-driving type
elliptical exercise apparatuses 2 equipped with the extending
mechanisms of the second and third embodiments respectively.
Compare with the rear-driving type elliptical exercise apparatuses
1, shown in FIG. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the different part of the
front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus 2 is that the
rotation unit is provided at a front of the base, and the other
structure and function are the same. The front-driving type
elliptical exercise apparatus 2, as same as the rear-driving type
elliptical exercise apparatus 1, may be provided with the adjusting
mechanism on the extending mechanism to provide maximum exercise
distance and adjustable exercise distance.
[0042] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been
described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *