Abstract:
The present invention concerns a sports or exercise device comprising a mounting frame and a parallelogram having left and right longitudinal bars and upper and lower cross bars, wherein the longitudinal bars are movable vertically and parallelly to one another against at least one resistance element or weight. A left hand grip and a left treading surface are assigned to the left longitudinal bar, and a right hand grip and a right treading surface are assigned to the right longitudinal bar, such that the movement of the parallelogram results in a forward movement of the left hand grip and left treading surface, or a backward motion of the right hand grip and the right treading surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sports and fitness devices, such as they are used, for example, as home equipment or in fitness studios, are generally designed in such a way that specific muscle groups are stressed in a targeted manner. For training at home or in the fitness studio, a large number of special apparatus is necessary, if one wishes to work the entire body uniformly. This is particularly a disadvantage if one would like to train at home because purchasing various training devices often is limited by the high price of such equipment and lack of space. 
     The object of the present invention is to present a sports device, with which several different muscle groups can be stressed or worked simultaneously. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention comprises a sports or exercise device with a mounting frame and a parallelogram structure with left and right longitudinal bars and upper and lower crossbars, whereby the longitudinal bars can be moved vertically and parallely relative to one another against at least one resistance and/or at least one weight. A left hand grip and a left treading surface are assigned to the left longitudinal bar and a right hand grip and a right treading surface are assigned to the right longitudinal bar, in such a way that the movement of the parallelogram structure results in a forward motion of the left hand grip and the left treading surface and a reverse motion of the right hand grip and the right treading surface, and vice versa. 
     The construction of the device according to the invention thus leads to a course of movement in which simultaneously the left leg and the left arm are moved upward and the right leg and the right arm are moved downward, and in fact, against a weight. Either only the arms or only the legs, or both the arms and legs can be simultaneously worked against the weight. The course of movement is comparable with climbing stairs or mountain climbing. Thus, the musculature of the arms, the legs, the back, the chest and the shoulder girdle as well as the buttocks region can be worked simultaneously. 
     The sports device according to the invention can be produced in different sizes and constructed such that it can be easily disassembled and reassembled. The present device is particularly suitable for home use. However, it may also be used in a larger setting, e.g., as a professional training device, for example, in fitness studios. The present device also may be used for medical purposes, such as for checking fitness or EKG measurement. According to the invention, almost all important muscle groups are stressed simultaneously, thus more precise results can be obtained with such measurements than with previously used home trainers such as stationary bicycle devices or stair climbing devices. 
     The arrangement of the hand grips and treading surfaces can be made in different ways. For example, the hand grips and treading surfaces may be attached directly to the parallelogram structure, for example to the longitudinal bars or to the cross bars. They also may be joined indirectly to the parallelogram by attaching them to one or more mounting elements, which in turn are attached to or joined with the parallelogram. In a currently preferred embodiment, these mounting elements, for aesthetic reasons, are shaped as equilateral triangles. However, any shape may be used, including, without limitation, squares, rectangles, circles or other triangular shapes. 
     The weight is preferably in the form of one or more pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, whereby one of the ends of each cylinder is attached to the mounting frame and the other end of each cylinder is attached to the parallelogram or to one or more mounting elements. In this way, the parallelogram can be moved against the restoring force exerted by the cylinders. 
     Examples of embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the present invention with a parallelogram and two triangles as upper and lower mounting elements for the hand grips and treading surfaces; 
     FIG. 2 a  shows a schematic representation of the upper triangle with two hand grips; 
     FIG. 2 b  shows a schematic side view of one hand grip; 
     FIG. 3 a  shows a schematic representation of the lower triangle with two treading surfaces; 
     FIG. 3 b  shows a schematic top view onto a buttress arranged at the lower triangle; 
     FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of the mounting frame with two buttresses for the triangles; 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show schematic representations of the course of movement of the sports device according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a second form of embodiment of the present invention with a parallelogram, whose upper and lower cross bars are designed in a compact manner; and 
     FIG. 8 shows a back view of the sports device of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The construction of a first embodiment of the sports device according to the invention can be seen from a synopsis of FIGS. 1 to  4 . This embodiment preferably is approximately 1.9 meters high, but can be designed appropriately smaller or larger. 
     FIG. 1 shows schematically the total device, but without treading surfaces and hand grips. The sports device  1  according to the invention has a mounting frame in the form of a support frame  2 , which bears the other components (see FIG.  4 ). As shown in FIG. 4, the support frame  2  comprises a vertical mounting rod  3  and a pedestal  6 . Pedestal  6  has two beams  7 ,  8 , which are joined together by rungs  9 ,  10 . The vertical mounting rod  3  and a front support  11  are inserted into one another and fixed. A back support  12  preferably is attached from behind at the vertical mounting rod  3  and/or at the front support  11 . The vertical mounting rod  3 , however, may open up also into a front support  11  and a back support  12 . The free ends  13 ,  14  of front support  11  and back support  12  are joined rigidly with rungs  9 ,  10  of pedestal  6 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the core piece of the sports device  1  is a parallelogram structure  20  having a left longitudinal bar  21 , a right longitudinal bar  22 , an upper cross bar  23 , i.e., turned toward mounting rod  3 , and a lower cross bar  24 , i.e., turned toward supports  11 ,  12 . The longitudinal bars  21 ,  22  and cross bars  23 ,  24  are joined together in a moveable manner at their ends by means of bearings  25   a - 25   d.    
     Two hydraulic cylinders  26 ,  27  (FIG. 1) are provided as resistance or weight. The free ends  28 ′,  29 ′ of each cylinder housing  28 ,  29  are joined in a rotatable manner, each time by means of bearings  30   a ,  30   b , with the lower cross bar  24  of parallelogram  20 . The free ends  31 ′,  32 ′ of each cylinder piston  31 ,  32  are joined each time by means of bearings  33   a ,  33   b  with a carrier plate  24 , which in turn is attached to the front support  11  of mounting frame  2 . The restoring force exerted by cylinders  26 ,  27  can be manually controlled, if desired. 
     The lower cross bar  24  of parallelogram  20  is simultaneously part of an equilateral triangle  40  with a base  41  and two legs  42 ,  43  (see FIG. 3 a ). Base  41  of triangle  40  simultaneously forms the lower cross bar  24  of parallelogram  20  (see FIG.  1 ). 
     As shown in FIG. 3 a , footrests  44 ,  45  are attached in a rotatable manner to bearings  46   a ,  46   b  to base  41 . Footrests  44 ,  45  are provided with through boreholes  47 , in which bearings  46   a ,  46   b  are inserted and fixed. A treading surface  48 ,  49  preferably is attached in a removable manner to each footrest  44 ,  45 . The position of treading surfaces  48 ,  49  on footrests  44 ,  45 , can be axially adjusted, therefore adjusted in width. 
     The footrests also may be attached to legs  41 ,  42  of triangle  40  or directly to the longitudinal or cross bars of parallelogram  20 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3 a , in a preferred embodiment, the lower triangle  40  has a cross carrying beam  50 , which in turn is supported by two longitudinal carrying beams  51 ,  52  running parallel to legs  42 ,  43 . A bearing socket  53 , which defines a rotational axis D 1  for triangle  40  lies substantially centrally on cross-carrying beam  50 . The rotation of triangle  40  around axis of rotation D 1  in the direction of arrow A results from the movement of the lower cross bar  24  of parallelogram  20 . Bearing socket  53  is attached to the front support  11  of mounting frame  2  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     Further, a buttress  54  at the back side of lower triangle  40  preferably is provided (see FIG. 3 b ). Buttress  54  has two rollers  55 ,  56 , which are attached to the back side of base  41  of lower triangle  40 , which is turned toward the front support  11  of mounting frame  2 , as well as a rolling surface in the form of a plate  57 , which is attached to front support  11 . During the rotational movement of triangle  40  around its axis of rotation D 1 , rollers  55 ,  56  move over plate  57 . 
     Another equilateral triangle  60  with a base  61  and two legs  62 ,  63  is provided on the upper cross bar  23  of parallelogram  20  (see FIGS. 1 and 2 a ). Triangle  60  is attached by legs  62 ,  63  by means of bearings  64   a ,  64   b  in a rotatable manner to upper cross bar  23 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2 a , hand grips  65 ,  66  are attached in a rotatable manner to bearings  67   a ,  67   b  on legs  62 ,  63 . Legs  62 ,  63  are provided with through boreholes  68 , in which bearings  67   a ,  67   b  are inserted and fixed. Several through boreholes  68  are provided, so that hand grips  65 ,  66  can be adjusted in height and can be adapted to the weight of the person who uses sports device  1 . 
     Hand grips  65 ,  66 , of course, could also be attached to base  61  of triangle  60  or directly to the longitudinal or cross bars of parallelogram  20 . 
     FIG. 2 b  shows a hand grip  65  in detail. It is attached rigidly to bearing  67   a . Bearing  67   a  in turn has a threaded rod  69  or a shaft with a thread. Threaded rod  69  is introduced into through borehole  68  in leg  62  of triangle  60  and is screwed with a lock nut  70  at its free end  69 ′ and fixed in this way. 
     Upper triangle  60  preferably has a cross-carrying beam  71 , which in turn is supported by two longitudinal carrying beams  72 ,  73  running parallel to legs  62 ,  63 . A bearing socket  74 , which defines an axis of rotation D 2  for triangle  60 , lies centrally on cross carrying beam  71 . The rotation of triangle  60  around axis of rotation D 2  in the direction of arrow B results from the movement of upper cross bar  23  of parallelogram  20 . Bearing socket  74  is attached to vertical mounting rod  3  of mounting frame  2 . 
     The sports device according to the invention can be completely taken apart and put together again, and thus can easily be transported. 
     The course of movement with the use of the sports device  1  according to the invention can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6. In the resting position, the sports device  1  assumes the position shown in FIG. 1, brought about by the restoring force of cylinders  26 ,  27 . As shown in FIG. 5, vertical mounting rod  3  coincides with longitudinal axis L of parallelogram  20  and triangles  40 ,  60 . The user of sports device  1  climbs up treading surfaces  48 ,  49  and holds onto hand grips  65 ,  66 . A backward motion of right longitudinal bar  22  of parallelogram  20  is forced by exertion of the right arm and the right leg against the restoring force exerted by cylinders  26 ,  27  (see FIG.  5 ). This leads to a corresponding forward motion of left longitudinal bar  21  and to the corresponding inclination of cross bars  23 ,  24 . In this way, triangles  40 ,  60  are rotated in the clockwise direction around their axes of rotation D 1 , D 2 . This leads to a backward movement U of the right hand grip  66  and the right footrest  45  or treading surface  49  and leads to a forward motion  0  of the left hand grip  65  and the left footrest  44  or treading surface  48 . The movement also runs the opposite way, if the left arm and the left leg are exerted (see FIG.  6 ). Then a forward movement of the right longitudinal bar  22  of parallelogram  20  is forced against the restoring force exercised by cylinders  26 ,  27 . This leads to a corresponding backward movement of left longitudinal bar  21  and to the corresponding inclination of cross bars  23 ,  24 . In this way, triangles  40 ,  60  are rotated in the counterclockwise direction around their axes of rotation D 1 , D 2 . This leads to a forward movement O of the right hand grip  66  and the right footrest  45  or treading surface  49  and to a backward movement U of left hand grip  65  and left foot rest  44  or treading surface  48 . 
     By alternate pressure exerted by the left leg or arm and of the right leg or arm, a smooth movement thus arises, which is comparable to the course of movement in climbing stairs or climbing mountains, and both the arm and leg musculature as well as the back, chest and shoulder musculature are stressed. Treading surfaces ( 48 ,  49 ) always remain horizontal, so that there is no danger that a foot could twist. The sports device according to the invention can be equipped with a step counter, in order to determine the number of forward and reverse motions that have been completed. 
     This course of motion also occurs if treading surfaces  48 ,  49  and hand grips  65 ,  66  are attached directly to the longitudinal or cross bars of parallelogram  20 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show schematically another embodiment  80  of the sports device according to the invention. Features, which are identical with those of the first form of embodiment, are provided with the same reference numbers. 
     Sports device  80  shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 also has a mounting frame in the form of a support frame  2 , which bears the other components. Support frame  2  is also comprised here essentially of a vertical holding rod  3 ′ and a pedestal  6 ′. Pedestal  6 ′ has two foot parts  81 ,  82 , which bear rubber coatings  83  resistant to sliding at their ends. The vertical holding rod  3 ′ is made up in one piece. A back support  12  is attached from behind to the vertical mounting rod  3 . Vertical mounting rod  3 ′ and back support  12  converge in one piece into pedestal  6 ′. 
     Sports device  80  also has a parallelogram  20 ′ with a left longitudinal bar  21 ′, a right longitudinal bar  22 ′, an upper cross bar  23 ′ and a lower cross bar  24 ′. In this way, cross bars  23 ′,  24 ′ are configured in the form of the base edge of trapezoidal components  84 ,  85  each time. Longitudinal bars  21 ′,  22 ′ and cross bars  23 ′,  24 ′ are joined with one another at their ends in a moveable manner via bearings  25   a - 25   d . The course of movement is the same as described for the first embodiment. 
     The resistance or the weight, against which parallelogram  20 ′ is moved, as described above for the first embodiment, is integrated into the vertical mounting rod. The transfer of force is produced by means of bearings  86 ,  87  each time. Bearings  86 ,  87  join the upper narrow edges  84 ′,  85 ′ of each trapezoidal component  84 ,  85  with the vertical mounting rod. They correspond to bearings  30   a ,  30   b  and  33   a ,  33   b  in the first example of embodiment, which join the cylinders  26 ,  27  serving there as the resistance with the vertical mounting rod  3  or the lower cross bar  24  of parallelogram  20 . Bearing  86  simultaneously defines the axis of rotation D 1 , while bearing  87  defines the axis of rotation D 2  (see FIGS. 2 a ,  3   a ). The restoring force exercised by the hydraulic resistance also integrated into the vertical mounting rod  3 ′ is manually controllable by a control mechanism (not shown). 
     The lower cross bar  24 ′ of parallelogram  20 ′ is, as already mentioned, simultaneously a part of a trapezoidal component  85 . The wide lower edge  85 ″ of the trapezoid forms the lower cross bar  24 ′ of parallelogram  20 ′. Two footrests  44 ,  45  are attached in a rotatable manner at bearings  46   a ,  46   b  on edge  85 ″. A treading surface  48 ,  49  is attached to each footrest  44 ,  45 . 
     The upper cross bar  23 ′ of parallelogram  20 ′ is simultaneously part of another trapezoidal component  84 . The wide lower edge  84 ″ of the trapezoid forms the upper cross bar  23 ′ of parallelogram  20 ′. 
     Lateral edges  90 ,  91  of the upper trapezoidal component are elongated outwardly in a V shape at their upper end approximately at the level of the narrow upper edge  84 ′ of the trapezoid. Two hand grips  65 ,  66  are attached in a rotatable manner, as already described, by means of bearings  67   a ,  67   b , on the resulting mounting rods  92 ,  93 . Mounting rods  92 ,  93  are provided with through boreholes  68 , into which bearings  67   a ,  67   b  are inserted and fixed. Several through boreholes  68  are provided, so that hand grips  65 ,  66  are adjustable in height and can be adapted to the size of the person who uses the sports device  80 . 
     Sports device  80  can be utilized in the same way as sports device  1 , i.e., by loading the right arm and the right leg against the restoring force exercised by the resistance integrated into vertical mounting rod  3 ′, a backward motion of the right longitudinal bar  22 ′ of parallelogram  20 ′ is forced, which leads to a corresponding forward motion of the left longitudinal bar  21 ′ and to the corresponding inclination of cross bars  23 ′,  24 ′. In this way, the trapezoidal components  84 ,  85  are rotated in the clockwise direction around their axes of rotation D 1 , D 2 . This leads to a backward movement of the right hand grip  66  and the right footrest  45  or treading surface  49  and to a forward movement of left hand grip  65  and left footrest  44  or treading surface  48 . The motion runs the reverse way, if the left arm and the left leg are loaded. Then a forward motion of the right longitudinal bar  22 ′ of parallelogram  20 ′ is forced against the restoring force exercised by the resistance integrated in the vertical mounting rod  3 ′. This leads to a corresponding backward motion of the left longitudinal bar  21 ′ and to the corresponding inclination of cross bars  23 ′,  24 ′. In this way, the trapezoidal components  84 ,  85  are rotated in the counterclockwise direction around their axes of rotation D 1 , D 2 . This leads to a forward movement of the right hand grip  66  and the right footrest  45  or treading surface  49  and to a backward movement of the left hand grip  65  and the left footrest  44  or treading surface  48 . By alternate loading of the left leg or arm and of the right leg or arm, there is a smooth movement, which is comparable to the course of movement for climbing stairs or climbing mountains, and both the arm and leg musculature as well as the back, chest and shoulder musculature can be worked. 
     Equivalents 
     Those skilled in the art will be able to ascertain many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.