Abstract:
An oval-tracked exercise apparatus is provided which includes a main frame having a pair of connecting arms in a hinge joint with a traverse support. The traverse support is coupled with a mechanical system in a pivotal connection with a pair of planks. A resisting rotating mechanism is attached to an opposing end of the respective plank. Besides, an adjusting assembly is provided for adjusting the height of the traverse support. The resisting rotating mechanism formed by a flywheel, a belt wheel or a resistance mechanism includes a continually bent crank and is rotatably mounted on side walls of a base of the resisting rotating mechanism. Accordingly, both handles are synchronically movable with respective planks for simulating a climbing action and an oval exercise track. Moreover, a simulation of a movement on uphill, downhill and flat surfaces can be achieved. Furthermore, a reduction of the distance between both planks is also attainable.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an oval-tracked exercise apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus in which both handles is synchronically movable with respective planks for simulating a climbing action and an oval exercise track. Moreover, a simulation of a movement on uphill, downhill and flat surfaces can be achieved as well. Furthermore, a reduction of the distance between both planks is attainable. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     People work for what they need. Meanwhile, they realize how important their health is. Therefore, they do exercise for keeping their bodies in good condition. The simplest way to exercise is the use of the exercise apparatuses. Among the exercise apparatuses, the oval-tracked exercise apparatus can best simulate the actual walking exercise. U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,898 (“Rehabilitation &amp; Exercise Apparatus”) teaches that a motor imparts motion to two treadle bars through a belt-driven toothed plate such that the treadle bars move in an offset position. However, it lacks means for keeping the body in balance. Therefore, the operator easily falls from the exercise apparatus due to the instability of his center of gravity. 
     Another prior art—U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,343 (“Stationary Exercise Device”)—teaches that two rocker arms are pivotably connected to the base. The bottom of each rocker arm and the front end of the treadle bars are joined to each other in a movable state. The other end of the treadle bars is attached to the side of the flywheel. Both of the treadles are alternatingly treaded to simulate the movement of hands and feet in an oval track. Meanwhile, both rocker arms move in alternating way to aid the operator in keeping their bodies in balance. 
     Since the hands of the operators are synchronically movable with the rocker arms to perform the arched, reciprocating motion, this doesn&#39;t correspond to the actual coordinating movement of hands and feet during walking session. Due to the non-ergonomic design, the muscle function could be deteriorated, thereby causing the abnormality of the balance sense. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the invention is to provide an oval-tracked exercise apparatus in which both handles is synchronically movable with respective planks for simulating a climbing action and an oval exercise track. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an oval-tracked exercise apparatus that allows a simulation of a movement on uphill, downhill and flat surfaces 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an oval-tracked exercise apparatus that ensures a reduction of the distance between both planks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accomplishment of this and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and its accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a first embodiment of an oval-tracked exercise apparatus of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a second embodiment of the oval-tracked exercise apparatus of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of  FIG. 2  with a driving end situated at the lowest end of a resisting rotating mechanism; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of  FIG. 2  with a driving end situated at the rightmost end of the resisting rotating mechanism; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of  FIG. 2  with a driving end situated at the topmost end of the resisting rotating mechanism; 
         FIG. 6  is a cutaway view of the resisting rotating mechanism; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cutaway view of another embodiment of the resisting rotating mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a main frame  10  of the present invention has a connecting arm  12  that creates a hinge joint with a transverse support  13 . Two auxiliary rods  21  and two pivoting rods  22  are pivotally supported on the transverse support  13 . Further, a bottom end of the auxiliary rods  21  is pivoted on a rear end of a connecting member  14  of a plank  11  while a coupled arm  23  is pivoted on a front end of the connecting member  14 . Thereafter, a distal end of two swing rods  24  is coupled to another end of the coupled arm  23 . A middle part of the swing rod  24  is rotatably supported on a free end of the pivoting rod  22 . In this way, the auxiliary rods  21  and the swing rods  24  can be assembled to be a complete mechanical system  20 . 
     A treadle  15  is fixed on each of the planks  11 . Besides, the plank  11  includes a driving end  16  formed opposite to the connecting member  14 . The driving ends  16  of both planks  11  are located on opposing sides of a phantom diameter of a resisting rotating mechanism  40 . While an operator treads with his feet on both planks  11  in an alternating up-and-down motion, the resisting rotating mechanism  40  will be driven in rotation. Meanwhile, the connecting members  14  of both planks impart motion to the coupled arms  23  that then drives the swing rods  24  to move in an alternating succession. Accordingly, the mechanical system  20  is brought into a synchronic alternating swing motion within an area enclosed by a radius of the length of the pivoting rods  22  around a center of the transverse support  13 . Thus, the operator can hold both handles  25  on the top of the swing rods  24  to simulate climbing action. Since the treadles  15  on the planks  11  restricted by the resisting rotating mechanism  40  moves in an oval track, the exercise apparatus is called “oval-tracked exercise apparatus”. 
     The exercise apparatus includes a hinge joint of the transverse support  13  of the main frame  10  with the mechanical system  20  and a hinge joint of the planks  11  with the resisting rotating mechanism  40 . As the connecting arms  12  between the transverse support  13  and the main frame  10  are rigidly affixed, the exercise apparatus is therefore named a stationary type exercise apparatus. The exercise apparatus shown in  FIGS. 2 through 5  is an adjustable type exercise apparatus. 
     Therefore, the advantages of the aforementioned stationary type exercise apparatus can be concluded as follows:
         1. The use of the aforementioned stationary type exercise apparatus can simulate the climbing action of the hands, unlike that the conventional rocker arms can only perform single arched swing action. Therefore, it fulfills the demand on ergonomic effects.   2. The simulation of the movement of both hands of the operator during exercise session enables the respective feet to synchronically move in an oval track for keeping the operator&#39;s health in good condition.       

     Another oval-tracked exercise apparatus, as shown in  FIGS. 2 through 5 , is a adjustable type exercise apparatus. Similarly, a connecting arm  12  is provided for connecting with a transverse support  13 . The transverse support  13  creates a hinge joint with auxiliary rods  21  and pivoting rods  22  of a mechanical system  20 . A bottom end of either auxiliary rod  21  is pivoted on one end of a connecting member  14  of a plank  11  while a coupled arm  23  is pivotally connected to the opposing end of the connecting member  14 . The other end of the coupled arm  23  created a hinge joint with a distal end of each of two swing rods  24 . The swing rods  24  move in an alternating succession by a hinge joint with a free end of the pivoting rods  22 . Each of the planks  11  has a driving end  16  opposite to the connecting member  14  which is rotatably supported on a crank  41 . 
     The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 through 5  has the substantially same configuration as the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; however, the difference lies in that a supporting seat  31  is provided on the main frame  10  for creating a hinge joint with the connecting arm  12 . Accordingly, the mechanical system  20  is produced by the hinge joint of the transverse support  13  with the connecting arm  12  and by the hinge joint of the transverse support  13  with the auxiliary rods  21  and the swing rods  24 . In this way, the mechanical system  20  can be brought into a synchronic alternating swing motion within an area enclosed by a radius of the length of the connecting arm  12  around a center of the supporting seat  31 . 
     The movable feature of the transverse support  13  is created by a push rod  32  with one of its ends pivotally connected to the transverse support  13  and with its opposing end connected to a motor  33 , thereby forming an adjusting assembly  30  for adjusting the height of the transverse support  13 . 
     Meanwhile, the invention has the same components that are correspondingly disposed at opposing sides. In order to facilitate the illustration of the mechanical relationship among the mechanical system, the planks  11 , and the resisting rotating mechanism  40  and to prevent unnecessary confusion, they are shown and described with only one side thereof. 
     First of all, the driving end  16  of the plank  11 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is located at a starting point on a left side of the crank  41  of the resisting rotating mechanism  40 . Then, the transverse support  13  is adjusted by the adjusting assembly  30  to a certain height. The plank  11  is in an unmoved and hanged state due to the connection of the connecting member  14  with the mechanical system  20 . At that time, the auxiliary rod  21  is movably coupled to the connecting member  14  of the plank  11  such that a distal end of the swing rods  24  is moved to the leftmost point in place under restriction of the pivoting rod  22 . Meanwhile, the handle  25  on the top of the swing rods  24  is moved to the right side. Thus, we know that the handle  25  moves in an direction opposite to the direction in which the distal end of the swing rod  24  or the driving end  16  moves. 
     When the driving end  16  of the plank  11  is brought by the treading force of the operator or by an electric motor to a bottom end of the resisting rotating mechanism  40  shown in  FIG. 3 , the movement of the mechanical system  20  causes the movement of the handle  25  to a topmost point of the whole oval track. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the driving end  16  of the plank  11  is driven to the rightmost side of the resisting rotating mechanism  40 , and the handle  25  is brought by the mechanical system  20  to the leftmost side of the whole oval track. While the driving end  16  of the plank  11 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , is driven to the topmost end of the resisting rotating mechanism  40 , the handle  25  is brought by the mechanical system  20  to the lowest position of the whole oval track. Due to the above-mentioned reciprocating motion, both hands and feet of the operator can simulated the climbing and treading motion, respectively, thereby achieving an ergonomic effect during the exercise sessions. 
     In addition to achieving the effects of the stationary type exercise apparatus, the adjustable type exercise apparatus can employ the motor  33  of the adjusting assembly  30  to extend or retract the push rod  32  for changing the movement position of the treadle  15 . 
     When the push rod  32  is extended by the motor  33 , the transverse support  13  is upwardly moved counterclockwise under restriction of the connecting arm  12 . Meanwhile, the plank  11  can be raised since the auxiliary rod  21  is coupled with the connecting member  14  on the plank  11 . When the push rod  32  is retracted by the motor  33 , the transverse support  13  is downwardly moved clockwise. Accordingly, the connecting member  14  on the plank  11  is lowered. In this way, movement on a uphill, a downhill, or a flat surface can be simulated. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the resisting rotating mechanism  40  adapted for the stationary and adjusting type exercise apparatus in accordance with the invention and rotatably connected with the driving end  16  of the plank  11  is a flywheel, a belt wheel, a resistance mechanism, etc. The resisting rotating mechanism  40  includes a base  42  from both sides of which a side wall  43  is upwardly extended, respectively. Two opposing holes  44  are provided for insertion of a respective bearing. The crank  41  has a central part  45  for dividing the crank  41  into two corresponding crank subsections. Each crank subsection includes a yoke  46  having a pivoting part  47  on which the driving end  16  of the plank  11  is rotatably mounted. Both distal ends of the crank  41  is respectively formed with a connecting member  48  that is inserted through the respective bearing and rotatably received therein. 
     Based upon the above-mentioned structure, both planks  11  are spaced apart by the length of the central part  45  so that it&#39;s not necessary for the operator to extend his feet as widely as the shoulder. Accordingly, the walking position can be considerably improved. 
     In order to make the use of the crank  41  more stable, the base  42 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , further includes a middle wall  50  similarly having a hole  44  for insertion of a bearing on which the central part  45  of the crank  41  is rotatably supported. 
     Furthermore, a flywheel, a belt wheel or a resisting apparatus can be fitted to both sides of the base  42 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Alternatively, it can be fitted to only one side thereof, as shown in  FIG. 7  while a motor adapted to control rotational speed by an electrical gauge is connected to the other side of the base  42 . 
     Many changes and modifications in the above-described embodiments of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.