Abstract:
An exercise apparatus that can be attached to any wheeled device that is pushed in which the wheel of the wheeled device is subjected to rolling resistance so that the person pushing it had to push harder thereby experiencing exercise.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/971,178 filed on Oct. 2, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,543 the content of which is incorporated by reference herein 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to wheeled exercise devices.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    There are various wheel resistance devices, known as stationary bicycles, for exercise in which the user sits on the device and operates pedals against a resistance mechanism.  
           [0004]    There are also resistance devices, which allow the user to walk or run while pushing the device and which use various means to impose load or resistance to increase the effort required to push or pull the device. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing a feature of the invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 5 is a partial side view showing a feature of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 6 is a view of an alternative embodiment.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 7 is another view of the embodiment of FIG. 6.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 8 is a view of another embodiment.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 9 is a partial view of an alternative embodiment.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 10 is a view of another alternative embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the exercise device  10  has a frame  12  consisting of a frame shaft  14 , at the top of which is a handle bar  16 , and having attached at its bottom a wheel fork  18 , having wheel fork legs  20  and  22 , defining between them a wheel space  24 , and terminating in wheel supports  26 A and  26 B. The frame  12  has a tube extension portion  28 . In this particular embodiment, the frame  12  consists of an upper frame shaft portion  30 , and a lower frame shaft portion  32 , which are joined together by bolts  34 . A wheel and tire assembly  36  is located in the wheel space  24  and is rotatably attached to the wheel supports  26 A and  26 B by an axle assembly  37 . This entire structure is similar to the assembly structure of a common bicycle frame front portion, handle bars, forks and wheels. The wheel assembly of a bicycle can be used.  
         [0016]    The tube extension portion  28  of the frame  12  is adapted to hold an adjustable resistance assembly  38 , which is designed to cause a resistance wheel to bear on the wheel and tire assembly  36  and is adjustable to increase or decrease the bearing pressure on the wheel and tire assembly  36 .  
         [0017]    In the preferred embodiment of the resistance assembly  38 , a lever  40  is pivotally attached between the wheel fork legs  20  and  22  by a pin or bolt  42 , which defines a pivot axis  44  for the lever  40 . In this embodiment the lever  40  is formed by a pair of spaced-apart opposed arms  46 A and  46 B connected by a brace  48 . The lever  40  has a first end  50 , which is forward of the pivot axis  44 , and a second end  52 , which is rearward of the pivot point. Attached to the first end  50  of the lever  40  is a small resistance wheel  54  rotatable on a bearing pin  56  mounted through the opposed arms  46 A,  46 B.  
         [0018]    Attached at the second end  52  as part of the adjustable resistance assembly is an adjusting mechanism  60 , which adjustably pivots the lever  40  on the pivot axis  44  to cause the resistance wheel  54  to pivot as shown by arrow  62 .  
         [0019]    The adjusting mechanism  60  has an adjusting link  63  having a lower end  64  and an upper end  66 . The lower end  64  enters the hole  68  in the brace  48  and is bent upward at  70  to be fixed in place. The upper end  66  is threaded (not shown). The adjusting link  62  passes through the tube extension portion  28  and has a threaded knob  76  threaded onto the threads at the upper end  66 . A spring  78  is fitted between the threaded knob  76  and the tube extension portion  28  and is constructed so as to be in a compressed condition for most of the useful travel of the knob  76  so as to keep the knob  76  from turning by itself. A washer  80  is helpful.  
         [0020]    An additional exercise variable can be obtained by providing means to attach free weights to the devise. One means for doing this is shown in FIG. 3. As shown, the upper frame shaft portion  30  has a hole  82  extending through it. A bolt  84  is in place through the hole and a weight  86  is mounted on the bolt  84 . In this example, the weight  86  is retained by a wing nut  88  threaded onto the bolt  84  along with a washer  90 . FIG. 4 shows another means for mounting a weight in which a threaded rod  92  is welded to the shaft  30  at  94 . In another embodiment a clamp devise could be configured with a rod or bolt attached, in which the position of the clamp can be adjusted, up or down on the shaft. Other forms could include all of the above means in which a pin or bolt extends sideways of the shaft, to each side, allowing a weight to be mounted on each side of the shaft. An example of this is shown in FIG. 5 in which the shaft  30  has rods  96 ,  98  extending oppositely to each side. The rods  96 ,  98  can be welded as at  100 ,  102  to the shaft  30 . In this configuration, weights  104 ,  106  can be oppositely mounted on the respective rods  100 ,  102 , held by wing nuts  108 ,  110  and washers  112 ,  114 .  
         [0021]    In use, the upper shaft portion  30  is assembled to the lower shaft portion  32 . The knob  76  is adjusted to pivot the lever  40  to cause the resistance wheel  54  to bear on the tire  36  to a pressure as desired. Greater pressure will cause more resistance to turning of the tire  36 . To obtain exercise the user takes a position behind the device after adjusting the knob  76  to create the desired resistance. Then the user pushes the handlebars ahead of himself or herself to cause the tire  36  to turn. The tire  36  will turn with greater or lesser required pushing force depending on the setting of the knob  76 .  
         [0022]    If the knob  76  is set so that resistance wheel  54  provides little or no resistance to turning of tire  36 , then the device can be pushed easily ahead of the user. But, as more resistance is placed on tire  36 , more effort will be required to push the device. In general, as the required force increases, more effort will be required to push the device. In general, as the required force increases the user will tilt the frame  12  to angle the tire  36  further away, but preferably not more than 45°.  
         [0023]    Also, to change the muscles exercised, the shaft  14  may be tilted less and its user uses his or her arms to push downward on the shaft  14  to overcome the resistance, preventing the tire  36  from skidding.  
         [0024]    Of course “cheating” by letting its tire  36  skid along the ground is self-defeating. If this happens, either greater downward pressure is exerted, or a sharper angle is created, or both.  
         [0025]    The resistance can be adjusted according to a set plan such as, less resistance for warm-up or aerobic exercise and more resistance for muscle building such as by pushing through the legs and arms.  
         [0026]    Other embodiments of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6, 7,  8 ,  9 , and  10 .  
         [0027]    In those other embodiments the invention is a portable and transferable wheel resistance apparatus that can be installed on various wheeled devices and removed when no longer desired or when it desired to use it on a different wheeled device. It can be used on existing devices such as a baby carriage; or it can be used on a device especially built for it. The portable and transferable wheel resistance device has as adjustment mechanism that retards the rotation of the road wheel of the wheeled device on which it is installed and can be adjusted to increase the retarding force or to decrease the retarding force, also called resistance. This makes the wheeled device adjustably more or less resistant to being pushed and that resistance gives exercise to the user. The exercise resistance apparatus resides in two forms. In one form a friction member is in direct contact with the road wheel of the wheeled device on which the apparatus is mounted. In the other form an intermediate resistance wheel is in rotational contact with the road wheel of the device and a friction member is in contact with the intermediate resistance wheel. In both forms, the exercise apparatus is mountable onto and dismountable from the wheeled devise and it may be adjusted in its position on the wheeled device for best use, and it may be removed.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 there is shown the exercise apparatus  100  (partial in FIG. 7) attached to a wheeled device  101  partially illustrated by the rod or post  102  and the road wheel  104 . The exercise apparatus  100  has a bracket  105  that has an attachment portion in the exemplary form of a vertical plate  108  and a drag assembly support portion in the form of a horizontal plate  110  that extends at a right angle from the bottom of the vertical plate  108  in a direction opposite to the placement of the rod or post  102 . The horizontal plate  108  is attached to and is readily removable from the rod or post  102  by U-bolts  112  that are aligned vertically to capture in their bight the rod or post  102 . The U-bolts  112  extend through holes  114  in the vertical plate  108  and are fixed by nuts such as the easily operated wing nuts  116 .  
         [0029]    The drag assembly  118  that is attached to and extends downwardly from the horizontal plate  108  has two portions, the friction assembly  120  and the adjustment assembly  122 .  
         [0030]    The friction assembly  120  has a friction member  124  that is on a movable side  126  of a hinge  128  so that it can pivot up and down on the hinge pivot  130 . The friction member  124  may be made of any suitable material that can engage the road wheel to create the resistance, metal, rubber and plastic are possible materials. The other side of the hinge, the immovable side  132  is mounted on the horizontal plate  110  by a bolt  134 , held tight by a nut  136 . The bolt  134  is attached to the horizontal plate  110  by nuts  138  and  140  and a washer  142 .  
         [0031]    The adjustment assembly  122  also extends downwardly from the horizontal plate  110  and is laterally spaced from the friction assembly  120 . It has a bolt  144  that is fixed to the horizontal plate  108  by a nut  146  and a washer  148  on top (instead, the nut  146  may be welded to the horizontal plate  110 ) and a nut  150  on the bottom. Alternatively the horizontal plate  108  could be threaded and a lock nut applied on the top or bottom of the horizontal plate  108 . The lower end  152  of the bolt  144  extends through an opening (not shown) in the movable side  126  of the hinge  128 , although it could simple bear on the movable side  126  of the hinge  128 . A nut  154  at the lower end  152  allows for fine adjustment although it could be welded onto the bolt  144 , with all adjustment being made by rotation of the bolt  144 .  
         [0032]    In use the exercise apparatus  100  is fitted to the rod or post  102  with the hinge rotated upwardly to the most upward position of the movable side  126 , contemplating the amount of wear that might be expected. It is then fixed in place by tightening the U-bolts  112 . Then the adjustment assembly  122  is adjusted to push the friction member  124  down on the road wheel  104 . Some trials are tried until the desired resistance to pushing the device  101  is found. Also as the friction member  124  wears smaller adjustments to the adjustment assembly can compensate, although generally it is also anticipated that adjustment for wear will be accomplished by lowering the exercise device  100  on the rod or post  102 . If the resistance to pushing the wheeled device  101  is too much the adjustment assembly  122  can be backed off by unscrewing the bolt  144 , or if more resistance is wanted by screwing it down.  
         [0033]    An alternative embodiment of the exercise device  160  is shown in FIG. 8. The side view can be appreciated by FIG. 7 which is similar. In this embodiment the attachment portion and operation is as described above with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7. It differs in the drag assembly  162  which also has two portions, the friction assembly  164  and the adjustment assembly  166 . The friction assembly  164  has a resistance wheel  168  attached to and extending below the horizontal plate  110 . It is attached by nut  170  and  171 . On the shaft of the resistance wheel  168  is the immovable side  132  of the hinge  128 . The movable side  126  of the hinge  128  extends laterally and is pivotable on the hinge pivot  130 . On the movable side  126  is the friction member  124  that contacts the resistance wheel  168 . The far end of the movable side  126  is pressed by a bolt  172  that is adjustable on the horizontal plate  110  by means of nuts  174  and  176 . The very same construction for the adjustment bolt as shown in FIG. 6 could be used here, but this alternative construction is shown. In this form it assumed that the resistance wheel  168  will not wear appreciably; so it is not contemplated that adjustment of the exercise apparatus on the rod or post  102  will be needed after it has been satisfactorily placed.  
         [0034]    In use the embodiment of FIG. 8 is tightened in place with the U-bolts  112  (backing plates  113  can be used), with the resistance wheel  168  pushed firmly onto the road wheel  104 . so that it will not slip. Then the adjustment assembly is operated to get the desired amount of resistance to rotation of the resistance wheel  168  that will accordingly cause the road wheel  104  to resist rotation.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 shows an alternative construction that is applicable to both of the foregoing embodiments. In this construction the friction member  124  is on a flexible bar  178  that could also be resiliently biased upwardly or downwardly. Although the partial figure is from the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the flexible bar  178  could also be fitted to the embodiment of FIG. 8.  
         [0036]    As described above the exercise device can be fitted to any wheeled device such as a baby carriage, that is constructed so as to allow it to be fixed in place on a rod or post and that has a road wheel that can be contacted by the friction member or the intermediate wheel.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 10 shows a wheeled device  180  that is specially designed for the exercise apparatus  100  described above. The wheeled device  180  has an elongated post  182  (shown broken in FIG. 10) At the top of the post  182  is handelbar  184 . The post  182  terminates at a lower end  186 . A road wheel  188  is mounted near the lower end  186 . It is mounted in any convenient way to facilitate rolling. Just above the road wheel  188  the exercise apparatus  100  is fitted to the post  182  in the manner described above. This specially designed combination of the exercise apparatus  100  and the wheeled device  180  defines a variable resistance pushing exercise device. In use the frictional engagement of the friction member  124  on the road wheel  188  is set to a desired amount of resistance. The user holds the handelbar  184  and pushes while walking, jogging or running. The angle of the variable resistance pushing exercise device depends on the amount of resistance; although the angle can be adjusted. For example, for added exercise. the device can be held more upright and downward pressure exerted to create sufficient friction of the road wheel on the ground to overcome the resistance set by the friction member. In this way, in addition to pushing exercise, upper body exercise can be accomplished. Additional weight  190  can be carried by a bolt  192 .  
         [0038]    In all of the embodiments described above the portable exercise apparatus can be fitted to a wheeled device by any convenient means such as by screws or bolts or by welding or by flexible straps.  
         [0039]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.