Abstract:
A walking/jogging exercise machine includes a frame supported upon a generally horizontally extending floor, and a main driveshaft mounted for rotation on the frame. A pair of cams is mounted for rotation on the driveshaft, and a pair of first track assemblies is fixed to the frame. A pair of second track assemblies is rotatably attached to the frame and includes brackets having first rollers which ride upon the peripheries of the cams. A pair of non-aligned, foot assemblies are mounted for sliding movement on the first and second track assemblies. A linkage arrangement is provided between the drive shaft and the foot assemblies for transferring the movement of the foot assemblies to the cams so as to produce a change in the angle of a user&#39;s ankle which will result in a natural walking/jogging motion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to walking and jogging conditioning devices and, more particularly, pertains to stand up exercise equipment wherein a user&#39;s feet travels through a curved path of travel to produce a more natural motion of walking or jogging. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Recognizing the benefits of exercise contrasted with the various constraints of time and space limiting exercisers in using their lower and upper body muscles, various walking/jogging machines have been designed to provide for physical development and aerobic exercise. It is generally desirable to create a machine that will allow a user to walk or jog without the impact on the user&#39;s joints that occur while running on the ground or on a treadmill. There are a number of elliptical machines on the market today which achieve this result, but force the users into an unnatural motion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a general object of the present invention to provide an exercising machine which enables an individual to exercise lower and upper body muscles over a range of motion. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide an exercise machine which permits one&#39;s feet to move along a smooth path during exercise. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an exercise machine which utilizes a drive and cam arrangement and a linkage system to produce a low impact, natural ambulatory motion. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a walking/jogging exercise machine includes a frame supported upon a generally horizontally extending floor. A drive shaft is mounted for rotation, and a pair of cams is mounted for rotation on the drive shaft. A pair of first track assemblies is fixed to the frame, and a pair of second track assemblies is rotatably attached to the frame and includes brackets having first rollers which ride upon the peripheries of the cams. A pair of non-aligned foot assemblies is mounted for sliding movement on the first and second track assemblies. A linkage arrangement is provided between the drive shaft and the foot assemblies for transferring the movement of the foot assemblies to the cams so as to produce a change in the angle of a user&#39;s ankle which will result in a natural walking/jogging motion. 
     The frame includes a base member, vertical uprights connected to the base member and a rearwardly angled support member joined to the base member. A circular drive pulley is mounted for rotation on the drive shaft between the cams. A brake assembly is mounted forwardly of the vertical uprights and is entrained with the drive pulley by a drive belt. The frame carries an electronic controller connected to the brake assembly for providing resistance to the drive shaft. The first track assemblies take the form of downwardly and forwardly declined, rear guide shaft assemblies disposed at an angle of about 10 degrees to the floor. The second track assemblies take the form of front guide shaft assemblies, each including a cylindrical tube connected to a bifurcated bracket for holding one of the first rollers which ride upon the cam assembly. The cylindrical tube pivots through an angular range of about 5 to 10 degrees relative to the floor. Each foot assembly includes a foot pedal mounted upon a support bar having a rearward end provided with a second roller attached to a carriage assembly which rides back and forth on one of the rear guide shaft assemblies. Each foot assembly includes a forward, lower end equipped with a third roller which rolls back and forth along the cylindrical tube of the front guide shaft assembly. The carriage assembly includes a pair of side plates for holding a pair of upper rollers which ride upon an upper surface of the rear guide shaft assembly, and a lower roller which rides upon a lower surface of the rear guide shaft assembly. An adjustment device for changing the position of the upper and lower rollers is provided on the carriage assembly. A pair of swing arms is pivotally connected to an upper portion of the support member and carries a pair of handles fixed thereto. The support member carries a pair of handgrips fixed thereto. The linkage arrangement includes a pair of bell cranks attached at one end of the drive shaft, and a pair of forward connecting links, each having a first end pivotally connected to another end of one of the bell cranks, and a second end pivotally connected to a mid portion of one of the swing arms. A pair of rear connecting links is also provided, each having a first end pivotally secured to a bottom end of one of the swing arms, and a second end pivotally connected to one of the carriage assemblies. 
     The invention further contemplates a method of walking/jogging in an exercise machine, the method including the steps of providing a frame supported on a generally horizontally extending floor; mounting a drive shaft for rotation on the frame; mounting a pair of cams for rotation on the drive shaft; fixing a pair of first track assemblies to the frame; rotatably mounting a pair of second track assemblies to the frame such that the second track assemblies have brackets for holding first rollers which ride upon the peripheries of the cams; mounting a pair of non-aligned, foot assemblies for sliding movement on the first and second track assembly; and providing a linkage arrangement between the cams and the foot assemblies for transferring movement of the foot assemblies to the cams so as to produce a change in the angle of a user&#39;s ankle which will result in a natural walking/jogging motion. 
     Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a low impact walking and jogging exercise machine constructed in accordance with the invention, certain parts being removed for clarity; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 4 a - 4   f  are views showing the sequence of operation of the exercise machine; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the rear guide shaft assembly of the exercise machine; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the front guide shaft assembly and swing arm of the exercise machine; 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the drive and cam arrangement of the exercise machine; 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the carriage assembly of the exercise machine; and 
     FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the foot assembly of the exercise machine. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is advantageously directed to an exercise machine which moves a user&#39;s feet and legs through a natural range of motion associated with walking, jogging and running. 
     General Overview 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  illustrate an exercise machine  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     The exercise machine  10  is designed with a left side and a right side which are identical. The left side and right side are staggered in such a manner that when the left foot is at the extreme rear extent of its travel, the right foot is at the extreme forward extent of its travel. This interconnection is accomplished with the use of a main drive shaft  12  and a pair of bell cranks  14 ,  16  which are attached to the main drive shaft  12  180 degrees in rotation to each other. Because the left and right sides of the machine  10  are symmetrical about a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the exercise machine  10 , the following discussion will be only of the left side. 
     The machine  10  has a rear guide shaft assembly  18  which is fixedly mounted on both ends to a machine frame  20 . A carriage assembly  22  is attached to the rear guide shaft assembly  18  with a wheel arrangement which allows the carriage assembly  22  to move forward and back on the rear guide shaft assembly  18 . A curved swing arm  24  is pivotally connected to the machine frame  20 . A curved connecting link  26  is pivotally connected on one end to the swing arm  24 , and pivotally connected on the other end to the carriage assembly  22 . A forward connecting link  28  is pivotally connected on one end to the swing arm  24  and pivotally connected on the other end to the bell crank  14 . An upper body handle  30  is attached to the upper end of the swing arm  24 . A foot assembly  32  is pivotally connected to the carriage assembly  22 . The machine  10  also has a front guide shaft assembly  34  which is pivotally connected on the rear end to the machine frame  20 . The front guide shaft assembly  34  has a cam roller  36  (FIG. 6) mounted on the other end. A cam  38  is affixed to the main drive shaft  12 . A roller  40  (FIG. 9) is mounted at the front end of the foot assembly  32  to ride on the front guide shaft assembly  34 . The drawings show the upper body handle  30  attached to a top end of the swing arm  24 . Although this enhances the function of the machine  10 , it is not necessary to the operation. Instead, the machine  10  also carries a handgrip  42  fixed to the machine frame  20 . In the drawings, a circular drive pulley  44  is shown which is attached to the main drive shaft  12 . This drive pulley  44  is connected with a drive belt  46  to a generator/eddy current brake assembly  48  which is connected to an electronic controller  50 . This system provides resistance of the rotation of the main drive shaft  12  to increase the difficulty of the exercise. It should be noted that other methods of resistance could be used, such as a simple friction brake. 
     Component Details 
     The exercise machine frame  20  rests upon a floor  51  and includes a pair of vertical uprights  52  connected to a top transverse member  54  and a bottom transverse member  56 . A curved neck  57  is connected to the top transverse member  54  and supports the controller  50 . An attachment bracket  58  extends rearwardly from the top transverse member  54  for mounting the brake assembly  48  thereto. The frame  20  also includes an elongated base member  60  having a support link  61 , a rearwardly angled, support member  62  which carries a first pivot shaft  64  and the fixed handgrips  42  at the upper end thereof. The base member  60  is provided with a rear transverse retaining member  66  and a forward transverse retaining member  68 . A second pivot shaft  70  is provided on the base member  60  near the rear transverse retaining member  66 . Both retaining members  66 ,  68  are forwardly angled and equipped with rectangular plates  72  (FIG. 5) for affixing the rear guide shaft assemblies  18  thereto. 
     As seen in FIG. 5, each of the rear guide shaft assemblies  18  includes a guide shaft spacer  74  flanked by a pair of guide shaft tubes  76 . The spacer  74  and tubes  76  are held together by a plurality of transversely extending bolts  78 . At each end of the spacers  74 , vertically extending bolts  80  pass through holes formed therein, and are screw threaded into openings in the rectangular plates  72  of the retaining members  66 ,  68 . The rear guide shaft assemblies  18  are positioned at an angle of about 10 degrees relative to the floor  51  (FIG.  3 ). 
     Turning to FIG. 6, the rearward end of each front guide shaft assembly  34  includes a cylindrical cuff  82  for receiving a pair of pop-in bearings  84 . The cuff  82  and bearings  84  fit over the second pivot shaft  70  on the base member  60  and enable a pivotal mounting for the rearward end of the front guide shaft assemblies  34 . Each of the front guide shaft assemblies  34  is comprised of an elongated cylindrical tube  86 , and a forwardly projecting, bifurcated bracket  88  having a pair of aligned apertures at its upper end. The tube  86  is pivoted at an angle of about 5 degrees to 10 degrees during operation of the exercise machine  10 . The cam roller  36  has openings which are positioned in alignment with the bracket apertures so that the cam roller  36  may be interposed between the brackets  88 . Bearings  90  are provided in the cam roller  36 , and a bolt  92  passes through the apertures of the brackets  88  and the openings of the cam roller  36  and is secured by a nut  94 . Each cam roller  36  rides upon the periphery of its cam  38 . The upper end of each swing arm  24  has a mounting cylinder  96  provided with pop-in bearings  98 . The mounting cylinder  96  and bearings  98  slide over the first pivot shaft  64  at the top of the support member  62  to provide a pivotal mounting. 
     Referring to FIG. 7, the drive pulley  44  for the brake assembly  48  is placed between the cams  38 . The main drive shaft  12  passes through offcenter locations of the cams  38  and the center of the drive pulley  44 . The drive belt  46  wraps around the drive pulley  44  and a shaft  100  on the brake assembly  48 . Pillow block bearings  102  are secured by bolts  104  and nuts  106  to the vertical uprights  52  of the frame  20 . Each end of the main drive shaft  12  passes through a respective pillow block bearing  102  and a large hole on one end of the bell crank  14  or  16  and is fitted with a retaining nut  107 . The other end of the bell crank  14  or  16  has a small hole which is aligned with a forward end opening of the forward connecting link  28 . Pop-in bearings  108  are provided on each side of the forwardly connecting link  28 . A link bolt  110  passes through the bearings  108  and the forward end opening of the forward connecting link  28 . A rearward end of the forward connecting link  28  includes pop-in bearings  112  and a link bolt  114  so that it can be pivotally connected to an inside, mid-portion of the swing arm  24 . 
     FIG. 8 illustrates the forward end of the rear connecting link  26  with pop-in bearings  116  and a link bolt  118  so that the forward end is pivotally secured to the inside, bottom end of the swing arm  24  (FIG.  3 ). The rearward end of the rear connecting link  26  has pop-in bearings  120  and is aligned with a laterally extending boss  122  on an outer side plate  124  of the carriage assembly  122 . A link bolt  126  pivotally connects the rearward end of the rearward connecting link  26  to the side plate  124 . The carriage assembly  22  also includes an inner side plate  128 . The side plates  124 ,  128  are formed with four holes in registration with each other, and an outwardly protruding tab  130 . Three tubular rollers  132 ,  134 ,  136 , each having pop-in bearings  138 , are aligned with appropriate holes in the side plates  124 ,  128  and are mounted between the side plates  124 ,  128  by means of pivot bolts  140  and roller nuts  142 . In addition, a rearward cylindrical end  143  of the foot assembly  32  having pop-in bearing  144  is aligned with one set of the holes in the side plates  124 ,  128 , and is pivotally attached between the side plates  124 ,  128  by pivot bolt  146  and roller nut  148 . An adjustment bolt  150  passes through an opening in the tab  130  of each side plate  124 ,  128  and selectively engages an adjustment member  152  connected to the side plate  124 ,  128 . The adjustment member  152  is used to set the position of the rollers  132 ,  134 ,  136  on the carriage assembly  22 . 
     The foot assembly  32  shown in FIG. 9 includes a walled foot pedal  154  for positioning the user&#39;s foot thereon. The foot pedal  154  is mounted on a support bar  156  having the rearward cylindrical end  143 . A front, lower end of the foot pedal  154  has a bifurcated bracket  158  for holding roller  40  having pop-in bearings  162  therebetween. A pivot bolt  164  passes through aligned holes in the bracket  158 , bearings  162  and roller  40  and receives a roller nut  166  to rotatably hold the roller  40  in place. The roller  40  at the front of the foot assembly  132  rolls along the tubes  86  of the front guide shaft assembly  34 . The carriage assemblies  22  connected to the rear of the foot assemblies  32  have upper rollers  132 ,  134  which ride along the top of the rear guide shaft assemblies  18 , and a lower roller  136  which rolls along the bottom of the rear guide shaft assemblies  18 . 
     Operation 
     FIGS. 4 a  through  4   f  show the sequence of movement in the operation of the exercise machine  10 . In FIG. 4 a , the foot assembly  32  in a toe down condition is in the most rearward position of travel, simulating the end of a step. As the foot assembly  32  is moved forward on carriage rollers  40 ,  132 ,  134 ,  136  moving along the tubes  80  and the rear guide shaft assembly  18 , the rear connecting link  26  forces the swing arm  24  forward as the mid portion of swing arm  24  pivots on the rear end of the forward connecting link  28 . This moves the upper body handle  30  rearward. The movement of the forward connecting link  28  causes the bell crank  14  or  16  to rotate the main drive shaft  12  and cam  38 . 
     FIGS. 4 b  and  4   c  show the foot assembly  32  moving forward. As the cam  38  rotates, it lifts the cam roller  36  which raises the front guide shaft assembly  34 , raising the front of the foot assembly  32  and simulating raising the user&#39;s foot and changing the angle of the ankle through the motion, as happens when stepping forward. 
     FIG. 4 d  shows the foot assembly  32  in a toe up condition at its forwardmost position of travel. The cam  38  is rotating to its lowest height of lift, simulating the user making ground contact to propel himself forward. It can also be noted that because the cam  38  is dropping, the user&#39;s weight helps rotate the cam  38  through the direction change of the foot assembly  32 , preventing the bell crank  14  or  16  from locking up in a change over position. 
     FIGS. 4 e  and  4   f  show the foot assembly  32  returning to the rearward position. Through this motion, the cam  38  has no lift, simulating the user propelling himself forward. Because the rear and front guide shaft assemblies  18 ,  34 , respectively, are at opposite angles relative to level, the angle of the foot assembly  32  changes through the motion, as a user&#39;s ankle change would change in walking. 
     During the motion of the exercise machine  10 , the drive pulley  44  will rotate with the main drive shaft  12 . Because the drive pulley  44  is connected by the drive belt  46  to the brake assembly  48  and the electronic controller  50 , a varying level of resistance is provided to the main drive shaft  12  to establish the difficulty of the exercise. The electronic controller  50  is preferably battery powered and is designed to provide a set of various walking, or jogging programs. The controller  50  also is programmed to reflect distance traveled, time elapsed, calories burned and other desirable perimeters. 
     Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.