Patent ID: 11944866
Assignee: LIFE FITNESS, LLC
Field: Furniture, games (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 12:
13. An exercise machine for performing a striding exercise motion, the exercise machine comprising:
a frame;
first and second pedal members;
first and second foot pads on the first and second pedal members, respectively, wherein the first and second footpads are configured to move in respective elliptical paths during the striding exercise motion;
first and, second rocker arms pivotably coupled to the frame, wherein the first and second pedal members depend from and pivot along with the first and second rocker arms relative to the frame;
an actuator configured to actively adjust and set a position of at least one of the first and second foot pads relative to the frame to thereby vary a shape of the respective elliptical path of said at least one of the first and second thot pads;
a controller configured to electrically control the actuator to actively adjust and set said shape of the respective elliptical path of said at least one of the first and second footpads,
wherein the frame has a front portion and a rear portion, and the first and second pedal members have a front pedal portion and a rear pedal portion, and farther comprising first and second crank arms being rotatably coupled to the rear portion of the frame along a common crank axis, wherein the first and second crank arms are fixed relative to each other along the common crank axis such that the first and second crank arms rotate together and remain at a fixed angles relative to each other during operation of the exercise machine; and
first and second rear link arms that pivotably couple the rear pedal portions to the first and second crank arms, respectively, and thereby facilitate adjustment of the first and second pedal members relative to the first and second crank arms and more particularly to facilitate movement of the rear pedal portions relative to the first and second crank antis during the striding exercise motion,
wherein the first and second rear link arms have a first portion that is pivotably coupled to the first and second pedal members, respectively, at a pedal-link arm pivot axis, and wherein the first and second rear link arms have an opposite, second portion that is pivotably coupled to the first and second crank arms, respectively, at a pedal-crank arm pivot axis which is offset from the pedal-link arm pivot axis.