Abstract:
An exercise apparatus includes left and right arm driven members pivotally mounted on a frame. In a first mode of operation, the arm driven members are free to move in opposite directions relative to one another. In a second mode of operation, the arm driven members are constrained to move in a common direction relative to the frame. Leg driven members may be movably mounted on the frame and linked to the arm driven members.

Description:
CROSS-REFERRENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATION 
     Disclosed herein is subject matter that is entitled to the filing date of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 60/140,943, which was filed Jun. 28, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to exercise methods and apparatus and more particularly, to unique arm exercise assemblies which are suitable for use on various types of exercise equipment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Despite many advances in the field of exercise equipment, room for improvement remains with respect to arm exercise arrangements and/or total body exercise machines. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides unique methods and apparatus for operating left and right arm driven members or handles on an exercise machine. In a first mode of operation, the handles are movable in opposite directions relative to one another, and in a second mode of operation, the handles are constrained to move in a common direction. 
     On a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handles are pivotally mounted on a frame, and left and right leg driven members are movably mounted on the frame. The handles are linked to the leg driven members on the preferred embodiment, but may be operated independently on some of the alternative embodiments. Additional features and/or advantages will become more apparent from the detailed description that follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     With reference to the Figures of the Drawing, wherein like numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views, 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is yet another perspective view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a perspective view of a third exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention, with the arm members set to move back and forth together; 
     FIG. 5 b  is another perspective view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 5 a , with the arm members set to move back and forth in alternating fashion; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fifth exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 a  is a side view of a sixth exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention, with the arm members set to move back and forth in alternating fashion; 
     FIG. 8 b  is a side view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 8 a , with the arm members set to move back and forth together; 
     FIG. 9 a  is a side view of a first crank-mounted switching arrangement suitable for switching between the arm member motion associated with FIG. 8 a  and the arm member motion associated with FIG. 8 b , with the arm members set to move back and forth in alternating fashion; 
     FIG. 9 b  is a side view of the switching arrangement shown in FIG. 9 a , with the arm members set to move back and forth together; 
     FIG. 10 a  is a side view of a second crank-mounted switching arrangement suitable for switching between the arm member motion associated with FIG. 8 a  and the arm member motion associated with FIG. 8 b , with the arm members set to move back and forth in alternating fashion; 
     FIG. 10 b  is a side view of the switching arrangement shown in FIG. 10 a , with the arm members set to move back and forth together; 
     FIG. 11 a  is a side view of a seventh exercise apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention, with the arm members set to move back and forth in alternating fashion; 
     FIG. 11 b  is a side view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 11 a , with the arm members set to move back and forth together; 
     FIG. 12 is an enlarged and fragmentary rear view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the arm switching arrangement on the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 14 another enlarged perspective view of the arm switching arrangement shown in FIG.  13 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1-3 and  12 - 14  show a mechanism which allows the user to experience opposite reciprocation motion at the hand grips, or unison reciprocating motion wherein both hand grips move the same direction at the same instant. This embodiment is configured for an upright stationary bike, wherein a crank  1000  is rotatably secured to the machine frame, and foot pedals  1042  and  1040  move in a circular path. Right handle bar  1002  is contiguous from the hand grip at an upper distal end, to pin  1062  at a lower distal end. Right connector member  1052  and left connector member  1053  connect right handle bar  1062  and left rocker  1080  to respective right and left pedal cranks, respectively. The upper end of the left rocker terminates at left rocker drive journal  1082 , wherein left journal drive pin  1025  is rigid with left rocker  1080 . Right rocker drive hub  1081  is rigid with right rocker shaft  1030 , and also with right handle bar  1002 . Right drive pin  1028  is therefore rigid with right handle bar  1002 . Pawl yoke  1020  is rotatably secured to left handle bar  1004  at pawl shaft  1012 . Shift peg  1010  is rotatably secured to pawl yoke  1020  at shift peg pivot shaft  1060  (shown best in FIG. 5 b  and FIG.  13 ). Continuing with FIGS. 1-3, right rockers shaft  1030  is rotatably secured to the machine frame  1 , and left rocker drive journal  1082  is rotatably connected and concentric with right rocker shaft  1030 . Shift peg  1010  is spring loaded and telescopic between shift peg pivot shaft  1060  and shift peg point  1061  (shown in FIG. 13) such that the operator may toggle (rotate) the shift peg about the shift peg pivot shaft  1060  regardless of the position of pawl yoke  1020 . A trough  1063  (FIG. 13) is provided in order to limit the range (or provide a stop) through which the shift peg is allowed to travel. Referring to FIG. 1, the upper portion of the shift peg  1010  has been flipped to the left, whereby the compressed spring contained within the telescopic shift peg  1010  has biased the pawl yoke  1020  counter clockwise as viewed from the rear of the machine. Upon this action, left pawl arcuate seat  1070  has disengaged left journal drive pin  1025 , and right pawl arcuate seat  1071  has engaged right drive pin  1028 . Because right drive pin  1028  diametrically protrudes in a generally fore and aft direction from the circumferential surface of right rocker drive hub  1081 , and because pawl yoke encompasses the right rocker drive hub  1081  (and because pawl yoke also engages the portion of the right drive pin  1028  which protrudes beyond the fore section of right rocker drive hub  1081 ), the left handle bar  1004  becomes rigidly connected to the right handle bar  1002 . FIGS. 2 and 3 show different perspective angles of the mechanism as orientated in FIG.  1 . As mentioned previously with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the handle bars are set to operate in a reciprocating unison mode, and with the orientation of the elements shown, the shift peg  1010  may now be flipped to the operator&#39;s right side while the left handle bar  1004  remains stationary, whereafter the pawl yoke  1020  may or may not toggle clockwise in preparation for the right and left handle bars to move in an opposite reciprocating manner. If the pawl yoke has not toggled due to tangential forces present at the right pawl arcuate seat  1071 , then slight forces exerted at the left or right hand grip will readily cause the pawl yoke  1020  to toggle in anticipation for opposite reciprocating handle bar action. 
     FIG. 4 shows an embodiment wherein the handle bars may be cycled in unison or in opposite reciprocating motion independently from the pedal crank. Arm crank  1105  is rotatably secured to the machine frame, and establishes a right crank journal and a left crank journal radially displaced from the crank axis. Right connector  1102  and left connector  1103  are rotatably connected to the right and left crank journals, respectively, and maintain right handle bar  1002  and left rocker  1080  out of phase with respect to each other by 180 degrees. Separate adjustable resistance means may be connected to arm crank  1105  independent from any resistance means which may be connected to pedal crank  1000 . FIG. 4 shows the position of pawl yoke  1020  associated with unison reciprocating action of the handle bars. 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  show the handle bars connected to a handle bar pulley crank  1200  via crank arms  1225  and  1226 . Handle bar pulley crank  1200  is slightly larger in diameter than an unillustrated pedal crank pulley placed between the pedal crank  1000  and the machine frame. For example, if the handle bar pulley crank  1200  is driven with a bicycle style roller chain  1205 , handle bar pulley crank  1200  may be a 33 tooth sprocket, and the pedal crank pulley may be a sprocket containing 32 teeth. One purpose for establishing a phase timing which is different between the foot pedals and the handle bars is to ensure that right and left muscles of the operator&#39;s body are exercised equally. Referring now the mode in which the handle bars are operating, FIG. 5 a  shows the shift peg  101  and the pawl yoke  1020  set for unison reciprocating motion of the hand grips. FIG. 5 b  shows the shift peg  1010  and the pawl yoke  1020  set for opposite reciprocating motion of the hand grips. 
     FIG. 6 shows an embodiment which is similar to FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b , except that a multi-speed sprocket  1300  (having sprocket wheels of different sizes) is provided and functions in conjunction with derailleur  1305 . The multi-speed sprocket  1305  will not only provide for a phase difference between the foot pedals and the handle bar, but will also enable the operator to adjust the ratio through a broad range of phase velocities. FIG. 6 illustrates the mechanism with the shift peg  1010  and the pawl yoke  1020  set for unison synchronous motion of the left and right handle bars  1004  and  1002 . 
     FIG. 7 shows an upright exercise bike without the bimodal handle bar mechanism of the previous embodiments. On this embodiment, opposite reciprocating action of the handle bars is provided independent of the motion of pedal crank  1000 . Arm flywheel  1460  is rotatably connected to the machine frame, and is rigidly secured to right arm crank  1452  and left arm crank  1458 . Right connector  1452  and left connector  1450  transmit timing and inertia between right and left handle bars  1402  and  1404  respectively. Resistance means may be added to arm flywheel  1460  independent of resistance means which may or may not be added to pedal crank  1000 . In any event, additional flywheels may be included to supplement available inertia delivered to the operator&#39;s feet or arms. 
     FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  show an upright exercise bike (seat not illustrated) wherein right and left handle bars  5010  and  5012  may be established to operate in unison or opposite reciprocating motion. Means may be provided whereby connector members  5057  and  5058  are rotatably connected at a common crank location for unison hand grip motion, or whereby connector members  5057  and  5058  are connected at the crank/flywheel  5050  in a diametrically opposed relationship for opposite reciprocating motion at the hand grips. Such means for example may include a crank pivot arm  5065  which may be moved from a first position shown in FIG. 9 a , to a second position shown in FIG. 9 b , by an electric actuator  5060  or functionally similar element. Alternatively, an electric motor  5080  shown in FIG. 10 a  and FIG. 10 b  may be employed to rotate a screw  5090  which is diametrically installed on crank  5000 . Journal blocks  5085  may be moved from a first position to a second position, thereby changing hand grip modes from unison motion to opposite reciprocating motion. Screw  5090  is rotatably secured to each side of the crank (with the axis of the screw perpendicular to the axis of the crank) by bearings contained within journal block  5095  and electric motor assembly  5080 . 
     FIG. 11 a  and  11   b  show an elliptical striding machine having handle bars  6003  and  6004  which operate in opposite reciprocating manner (FIG. 11 a ), or in unison (FIG. 11 b ). Shift peg and pawl yoke (or functionally similar mechanism) are not illustrated. 
     FIGS. 12-13 show the adjustment arrangement of FIGS. 1-3 after the shift peg  1010  has been flipped, but while the pawl yoke  1020  has not yet reoriented, and FIG. 14 shows an additional perspective view of this arrangement. 
     Considering the different handle bar actions disclosed herein, the following handle bar modes may be incorporated on stationary cycles or stationary striders: 
     A. Handles locked to the frame (typically in a position aligned with each other). 
     B. Handles moving together, aligned, independent from the lower body with separately adjustable upper body resistance (or optional separate left/right resistance). 
     C. Handles moving opposed to each other, independent from the lower body with separately adjustable upper body resistance (like B except handles are not locked to each other to make them work in unison—they would basically be free to move independent of each other). 
     D. Handles moving together, linked to the lower body mechanism. 
     E. Handles moving together, linked to the lower body but with separate upper body resistance and/or variable hand grip stroke range mechanism. 
     F. Handles moving opposed to each other but linked to the lower body mechanism. 
     G. Handles moving opposed to each other, linked to the lower body mechanism, with separate resistance for the upper body and/or variable hand grip stroke range mechanism. 
     H. Handles that are linked to each other to make them reciprocate with each other but not linked to the lower body. For example, setting 1 could be right arm forward/right foot forward—setting 2 could be right arm forward/right foot rearward—setting 3 could be right arm forward/right foot mid position (90 degrees out of phase). 
     I. Same as H except with arms moving in unison. 
     J. Any of the above arrangements with the handles having lateral movement. 
     K. Any of the above arrangements with handles that have grasping portions that are movable further from or closer to the pivot. For example the upper ends of the handles could telescope, and you could have up and down movement, back and forth movement, and side to side movement. 
     L. Any of the above arrangements which include linking the upper body to the lower body with crank and arm sprockets of unequal diameter in order that phasing between the upper body and the lower body is always changing.