Patent ID: 6689019
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
An exercise apparatus for use by a user performing a striding exercise with the user moving the user's feet with striding steps, comprising:a right foot engagement member having a first portion and a second portion, and a foot engagement portion to support the right foot of the user thereon during the striding exercise with the user moving the user's right foot with striding steps; a left foot engagement member having a first portion and a second portion, and a foot engagement portion to support the left foot of the user thereon during the striding exercise with the user moving the user's left foot with striding steps; right and left rotatable crank arms supporting and reciprocally lifting and lowering the first portion of the right and left foot engagement members, respectively, with an upward-downward reciprocating motion in response to the user moving the user's feet with striding steps during the striding exercise to rotate the right and left crank arms, the first portions of the right and left foot engagement members being decoupled from the respective ones of the right and left crank arms to allow movement thereof in forward and rearward directions relative to the right and left crank arms in response to the user moving the user's feet with striding steps during the striding exercise sufficient to permit the first portions of the right and left foot engagement members to move with a user variable length of forward-rearward travel determined by the length of the striding steps used by the user during the striding exercise within a maximum range of forward-rearward travel and variable in response to changes in the length of the striding steps used by the user during the striding exercise within the range; and a second portion support guiding the second portions of the right and left foot engagement members to follow a forward-rearward reciprocating motion in response to the user moving the user's feet with striding steps during the striding exercise as the right and left crank arms reciprocally lift and lower the first portions of the right and left foot engagement members.