Abstract:
A multi-function exercise apparatus includes a frame, left and right pedal guides, left and right foot pedals and left and right handles. The left and right pedal guides are constrained to pivot back and forth reciprocally, and the left and right foot pedals are constrained to slide reciprocally along the pedal guides. Additionally, the apparatus may include resistance subsystems configured to selectively apply a resistance force against the pivot motion of the pedal guides and the radial motion of the foot pedals along the length of the pedal guides. The left and right handles are coupled to the left and right pedal guides for upper body exercise.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/798,502, filed Nov. 13, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a multi-function exercise device, and more particularly to an exercise device wherein the exerciser may perform a variety of different leg exercise motions.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Over the years, a variety of exercise devices have been produced to facilitate lower body exercise. These exercise devices are configured to allow an exerciser to perform repetitively a limited and invariable exercise motion. For example, treadmills enable a person to run or walk; stair-climbers enable a person to simulate climbing; skiing machines enable a person to stride in place; elliptical trainers enable a person to walk or run through an elliptical path.  
           [0004]    Unfortunately, these exercise devices have certain drawbacks. First, by limiting a user to a specific exercise, these exercise devices develop only a specific muscle group. This may result in an unbalanced workout for the user. Second, repetitive motion may cause premature muscle fatigue for the targeted muscle group, resulting in a shorter period of exercise, or injuries such as stress fractures, tendon and ligament damage, muscle pulls, etc. Third, these exercise devices limit the user to repeating only a certain exercise motion and over time may become boring and unchallenging to the user.  
           [0005]    It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus that enables a user to perform lower body exercise with a variety of exercise motions, thereby increasing the effectiveness and challenge of the exercise apparatus.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    An exercise apparatus is provided. Typically the exercise apparatus includes a frame, left and right pedal guides which are pivotally mounted to the frame, and left and right foot pedals which are configured to slide in a radial direction along the pedal guides. The apparatus may further include a radial motion translation linkage configured to link the foot pedals reciprocally in the radial direction along the length of each pedal guide, and a pivot translation linkage configured to link the pivot motion of the pedal guides reciprocally. Additionally, the apparatus may include a pivot resistance subsystem configured to selectively apply a resistance force against the pivotal motion of the pedal guides, and a radial resistance subsystem configured to selectively apply a resistance force against the radial motion of the foot pedals. The apparatus may also include left and right handles which are selectively coupled to left and right pedal guides, respectively, to provide upper body exercise.  
           [0007]    The pivot resistance subsystem may selectively lock the pedal guides from pivoting back and forth, thereby constraining the foot pedals to move up and down in a stair-stepping mode. The radial resistance subsystem may selectively lock the foot pedals from sliding along the pedal guides, thereby constraining the foot pedals from movement in a radial direction along the guides and enabling the foot pedals to pivot back and forth in a striding mode. The resistance subsystems may apply a selective resistance force against the foot pedal movement and allow the user to move her feet through a variety of paths at the discretion of the user. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a side view of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a cut-away perspective view of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the internal motion translation mechanism.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a partial cut-away perspective view of components of the motion translation mechanism of FIG. 3 housed in a left housing.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a partial cut-away perspective view of components of the motion translation mechanism of FIG. 3 housed in a right housing.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a cut-away top view of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    An exercise apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and generally indicated at  10 . Exercise apparatus  10  includes a frame  12  that supports left housing  14   a  and right housing  14   b  in a stable fashion on an underlying floor surface. Housings  14   a  and  14   b  are connected together by a hollow shaft housing  16 . FIGS. 2 and 3 show a left pedal guide  20   a  and a right pedal guide  20   b  on which pedals  45   a  and  45   b  are mounted via respective roller assemblies  49  and pedal support assemblies  47 . Each pedal guide is pivotally mounted at an upper end to the housing  14   a  and  14   b , and is supported by bearings  22 , which attach to the respective housing. The user may drive the pedals in any one of the following ways:  
         [0015]    (1) along an accurate path as the pedal guide pivots;  
         [0016]    (2) in a radial direction along the length of each pedal guide; and  
         [0017]    (3) simultaneously pivotally and radially.  
         [0018]    The left and right pedal guides and their corresponding roller assemblies are reciprocally linked by a motion translation mechanism  11 . The motion translation mechanism includes a pivot translation linkage  13  configured to link the pivot motion of the left and right pedal guides reciprocally. Motion translation mechanism  11  further includes a radial motion translation linkage  15  configured to link the motion of the left and right pedals reciprocally in the radial direction along the length of each pedal guide.  
         [0019]    As shown in FIG. 4, pivot motion translation linkage  13  typically includes, on the left side of the apparatus, sprockets  24 ,  38 , and  28   a  linked by a chain  26   a , which work in tandem to rotate shaft  30  as the pedal guide  20   a  is pivoted forward or backward. Sprockets  24  are typically referred to as pivot sprockets, sprockets  38  may be referred to as handle sprockets, and sprockets  28   a  and  28   b  may be referred to as pivot translation sprockets. Chains  26   a ,  26   b  are also referred to as pivot chains.  
         [0020]    On the right side of the apparatus, as shown in FIG. 5, pivot motion translation linkage  13  further includes sprockets  28   b ,  24 , and  38 , as well as idler sprockets  40 , all linked by a chain  26   b . The idler sprockets  40  serve to reverse the direction of the rotation of sprocket  28   b . As pedal guide  20   a  is pivoted forward, for example, the pivoting motion is translated through the chain  26   a , pivot translation shaft  30 , and chain  26   b , which causes pedal guide  20   b  to rotate in the opposite direction. The chains  26   a  and  26   b  typically remains taut, so that no backlash or slack occurs and motion is smoothly translated between the pedals. Chains  26   a  and  26   b  may also be referred to as flexible tension members. While chains and sprockets are typically used, it will be appreciated that belts/cables and pulleys, cams, four bar linkages, or other suitable components may alternatively be used. As used herein the term “sprocket” should be understood to include both toothed sprockets and sprockets without teeth, more commonly referred to as pulleys.  
         [0021]    The radial motion translation linkage typically includes, on the left side of the apparatus, a left pedal linkage having a chain  51  and an idler sprocket  53 . The chain  51  is attached at a lower end to a roller assembly  49 , which in turn is linked to a pedal support assembly  47  and pedal  45   a . The radial motion translation linkage further includes a left-side radial motion translation sprocket  55   a , which chain  51  engages. An end  51 ′ of the chain  51  is fixedly inset into radial motion translation sprocket  55   a . On the right side of the apparatus, like the left side, the radial motion translation linkage typically includes a right pedal linkage having a chain  51  and an idler sprocket  53 . The radial motion translation linkage further includes a right-side radial motion translation sprocket  55   b.    
         [0022]    The motion of sprockets  55   a  and  55   b  is linked by a radial motion translation shaft  57 . Typically pivot shaft  30  is positioned within radial motion translation shaft  57 , although other configurations are possible. An end  51 ′ of right-side chain  51  is fixedly inset into sprocket  55   b , and the other end is attached to the roller assembly  49  coupled to pedal  45   b . In operation, as pedal  45   a  is raised or lowered radially along pedal guide  20   a , the radial motion of the pedal  45   a  is translated through left-side chain  51 , idler sprockets  53  and sprocket  55   a , through shaft  57 , and again through sprockets  55   b  and right-side chain  51  and idler sprocket  53 , such that pedal  45   b  moves radially along pedal guide  20   b , in the opposite direction (i.e. reciprocally) to pedal  45   a.    
         [0023]    Thus, it will be appreciated that sprockets  24  are rigidly attached to pedal guides  20   a  and  20   b . As shown in more detail in FIGS. 4, 5, to couple the pivot motion of pedal guide  20   a  and  20   b , sprocket  28   a  in left housing  14   a  and sprocket  28   b  in right housing  14   b  are connected together by an inner shaft  30  that runs concentrically inside hollow shaft housing  16 . The shaft  30  is supported at two ends by bearings  32 , which are also attached to the respective housing.  
         [0024]    To provide upper body exercise, handles  34   a ,  34   b  are provided. The handles  34   a ,  34   b  are generally sized for the grip of a user and are pivotally mounted at a lower end to the housing  14   a  and  14   b  by bearings  36 . Sprockets  38  are also rigidly mounted to the handles on the lower horizontal portion of each handle. In the left housing  14   a , chain  26   a  loops around and tensionally encompasses sprocket  24 , sprocket  28   a  and sprocket  38  such that when left pedal guide  20   a  pivots, it will also turn left handle  34   a  and shaft  30 . In the right housing  14   b , chain  26   b  wraps around idler sprockets  40 , which are attached to the housing  14   b  by mounting bolts  42 . The path of chain  26   b  causes sprocket  28   b  to rotate in the reverse direction of sprockets  24  and  38 . To achieve the reciprocal pivotal motion of pedal guide  20   a  and  20   b , chain  26   b  loops around pedal guide sprocket  24 , handle sprocket  38 , idler sprockets  40  and to the inner side of sprocket  28   b . When right pedal guide  20   b  pivots, it also turns right handle  34   b  and reversibly rotates shaft  30  such that left pedal guide  20   a  and left handle  30   a  will pivot in the opposite direction.  
         [0025]    As described briefly above, exercise apparatus  10  also includes left foot pedal  45   a  and right foot pedal  45   b . Each foot pedal is connected to the respective pedal guide by pedal support assembly  47 . Pedal support assembly  47  typically includes a roller assembly  49  configured to support and allow the foot pedal to slide radially along the length of the pedal guide. Chain  51  connects at one end to the roller assembly  49 , and extends generally upward along the inside of the pedal guide, and wraps around idlers  53  which are mounted to the upper end of the pedal guide  20   a  and  20   b . To couple the radial motion of pedal  45   a  and  45   b , sprocket  55   a  in left housing  14   a  and sprocket  55   b  in right housing  14   b  are connected together by a hollow shaft  57 . Hollow shaft  57  is supported at two ends by bearings  59  and runs preferably but not necessarily concentrically inside shaft housing  16 . Hollow shaft  57  is also configured such that it allows the smaller pivot motion connecting shaft  30  to run concentrically inside of it. To achieve the reciprocal radial motion of the left pedal  45   a  and right pedal  45   b , chain  51  wraps around sprocket  55   a  in a clockwise direction and wraps around sprocket  55   b  in a counter-clockwise direction. When one foot pedal is pushed down, the other one will be pulled up along the pedal guide.  
         [0026]    Radial resistance subsystem  70  typically includes caliper disc brake  75 , as shown in FIG. 6. Caliper disc brake  75  is mounted to the housing  14   b  and selectively applies friction force to sprocket  55   b . Pivotal resistance subsystem  80  typically includes caliper disc brake  85 . Caliper disc brake  85  is attached to housing  14   b  and selectively applies friction to sprocket  28   b . Control console  90  typically includes readouts, keypad and controllers to control radial resistance subsystem  70  and pivotal resistance subsystem  80 .  
         [0027]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the interconnecting chain, sprocket and shaft assemblies could be replaced by cable, pulley, belt, cam, gear, four bar linkage etc. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be limited only to the extent of the claims as follow.