Abstract:
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to walking simulators. In one embodiment of the present invention, the walking simulator includes a support frame, a handlebar, and a pair of swing arms. Each swing arm is pivotally-mounted to the support frame and includes a foot pedal proximal to the distal end of the swing arm. A user can place one foot on each foot pedal and grasp the handlebar. The user can alternately swing one swing arm in front of the other to simulate a walking motion through muscle contractions in the hip muscles and various other muscle groups.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of exercise equipment, and, in particular, to a walking simulator. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many people strive to maintain, or even increase, their fitness level by regularly exercising. Regular exercise can improve fitness in a variety of ways, including improving cardiovascular health, strength, and balance and flexibility. Some people buy gym memberships so they can exercise at a gym. Many gyms contain exercise equipment with smooth motions and consistent resistances that can be used to improve fitness in various muscle groups. However, a gym membership can be expensive, and gyms can be crowded during popular workout times, making workouts slow and time-consuming. Blaring music, pushy trainers, and supplement salespeople can also be annoying to some users. Additionally, competitive and intense users can be intimidating to beginners and casual users. Gyms may be inconveniently located, may have inadequate parking, or may maintain hours of operation that conflict with a busy work, or school, schedule. 
         [0003]    Some people, instead, opt to exercise at home using home exercise equipment, which can provide a convenient, low-cost, small-scale alternative to gyms. However, low-cost, small-scale home exercise equipment can be difficult and uncomfortable to use and often does not provide a user with the same level of smooth motions and consistent resistances that a user may find with larger-scale commercial exercise equipment found in gyms. Additionally, low-cost, small-scale home exercise equipment may not efficiently exercise various muscle groups, and may fail to exercise certain muscle groups altogether. People exercising at home can also be distracted by many different types of commonly-occurring events, including telephones ringing, pets and/or roommates needing attention, and people knocking on the door. 
         [0004]    Increasing hip fitness is a common goal of many users. The hip muscles and joints can be exercised in a number of different ways. One way to enhance hip fitness is by running, or walking briskly, over long distances. However, sometimes long-distance and/or high-speed running and walking is difficult or impossible, due to a geographical hindrance, or some other locational problem. Additionally, running and walking may be too stressful or jarring for some people to adequately accomplish fitness goals without unduly enduring pain and risking injury. Some gyms may have electronic-based exercise equipment, such as treadmills and other fitness equipment, that simulate low-impact running or walking. However, due to price and electronic-supply constraints, many treadmills and low-impact running or walking exercise equipment are confined to high-priced gyms. People who are interested in staying fit have, therefore, recognized a need for a way to promote hip fitness without visiting a gym, purchasing low-cost, small-scale home exercise equipment, or engaging in high-impact, long-distance and/or high-speed running or walking. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to an indoor/outdoor, multiple-person walking simulator that one or more users can simultaneously use in order to exercise. In one embodiment of the present invention, the multiple-person walking simulator includes a support frame, a handlebar, and two exercise stations. Each exercise station includes a pair of swing arms. Each swing arm includes a proximal end that is pivotally-mounted to the support frame and a distal end that interconnects to a foot pedal. A user can place one foot on each foot pedal and grasp the handlebar. The user can alternately swing one swing arm in front of the other to simulate a walking or jogging motion through muscle contractions in the hip muscles and various other muscle groups. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a two-person walking simulator that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a user using the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a close-up view of a swing arm for the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a front view of the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows a top view of the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7A  shows a close-up view of an anchoring mechanism for the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7B  shows a close-up view of a cement block anchoring the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a one-person walking simulator that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of the one-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 8  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  shows three concrete blocks anchoring the one-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 8  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of a one-person walking simulator with an alternate support frame that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  shows a top view of the one-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 10  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of a three-person walking simulator that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 14  shows a front view of the three-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 13  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 15  shows a top view of the three-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 13  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 16A  shows a rear perspective view of a walking simulator and an elliptical trainer mounted to a support frame that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 16B  shows a front perspective view of a walking simulator and an elliptical trainer mounted to a support frame that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to an indoor/outdoor, multiple-person walking simulator for exercising hip muscles and joints and improving cardiovascular fitness.  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a two-person walking simulator that represents one embodiment of the present invention. The two-person walking simulator  100  includes a support frame  101 , a handlebar  102 , and two exercise stations  103  and  104 . Exercise station  103  includes two swing arms  105  and  106 . Similarly, exercise station  104  includes two swing arms  107  and  108 . Support frame  101  further includes three vertical support posts  110 - 112  and a horizontal base  113 . The horizontal base  113  includes two side horizontal base bars  114  and  115 , a middle horizontal base bar  116 , a front horizontal base bar  118 , and a rear horizontal base bar  120 . Six support bars  122 - 127  interconnect the three vertical support posts  110 - 112  to the horizontal base  113 . 
         [0025]    Pivots  134 - 137  interconnect the top end of each swing arm  105 - 108 , respectively, to the vertical support posts  110 - 112 . Foot pedals  129  and  130  are interconnected with the distal end of the swing arms  105  and  106 , respectively. Similarly, foot pedals  131  and  132  are interconnected with the distal end of the swing arms  107  and  108 , respectively. The swing arms  105 - 108  are shorter in length than the vertical support posts  110 - 112  so that, when the horizontal base  113  of the two-person walking simulator  100  is placed on a flat surface, the swing arms  105 - 108  can swing back and forth without contacting the ground, the front horizontal base bar  118 , or the rear horizontal base bar  120 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows a user using the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , a user  202  is shown standing on foot pedals  129  and  130  and grasping handlebar  102  to hold her upper body motionless. A simulated walking gait can be achieved by simultaneously swinging the swing arms  105  and  106  in opposite directions by hip rotation and by pushing forward on one of the two foot pedals  129  and  130  while pushing backwards on the other foot pedal  129  and  130 . In  FIG. 2 , the user  202  is rotating her hips clockwise and pushing forward on the foot pedal  129  while pushing backward on the foot pedal  130 . Pushing forward on the foot pedal  129  causes the swing arm  105  to swing forward, pivoting at the pivot  134 . Conversely, pushing backward on the foot pedal  130  causes the swing arm  106  to swing backward, pivoting at the pivot  135 . By regularly alternating pushing forward and backward on the foot pedals  129  and  130 , the user  202  can raise her heart rate for a period of time to promote cardiovascular fitness and can simultaneously strengthen hip and leg muscles and improve flexibility, balance, and coordination. Two users can simultaneously exercise on the two-person walking simulator  100  because the two-person walking simulator  100  contains two exercise stations  102  and  103 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a close-up view of a swing arm for the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. The foot pedal  132  includes a toe plate  302  extending upward from the proximity of the front of the foot pedal  132 . The toe plate  302  can be used to partially secure a user&#39;s right foot and ameliorate foot slippage in the roughly-forward direction during use of the two-person walking simulator  100 . The foot pedal  132  is interconnected to the swing arm  107  via a support block  304 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a front view of the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. The swing arms  105 - 108  are interconnected to the vertical support posts  110 - 112  by the pivots  134 - 137 , respectively. In one embodiment of the present invention, each pivot  134 - 137  includes a frictionless bearing (not shown in  FIG. 4 ), located inside the top portion of the appropriate swing arm  105 - 108 , that mates with a horizontal bar (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) extending from the corresponding vertical support post  110 - 112 . In  FIG. 4 , the pivots  134 - 137  are shown covered by pivot caps  402 - 405 , respectively, to conceal and protect the frictionless bearing (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) from various environmental elements, such as moisture build-up and debris accumulation, and also to reduce possible injury caused by a user contacting an outwardly-projecting horizontal bar (not shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 5 , the handlebar  102  is shown directly connected to the vertical support post  110 . For example, the handlebar  102  can be welded, bolted, or glued directly to the vertical support post  110 . Beneath the handlebar  102 , at the handlebar/vertical-support-post junction  502 , is a triangular-shaped support web  504 . The support web  504  reduces mechanical stress at the handlebar/vertical-support-post junction  502  and is used in lieu of a more conventional rod-shaped support in order to eliminate the risk of getting a head or limb trapped between the handlebar  102 , the vertical support post  110 , and a rod-shaped support. 
         [0030]    The top portions of the support bars  122  and  123  are interconnected to the vertical support post  110  and the bottom portions of the support bars  122  and  123  are interconnected to the horizontal base  113  in the proximity of the side-horizontal-base-bar/front-horizontal-base-bar junction  506  and the side-horizontal-base-bar/rear-horizontal-base-bar junction  508 . The support bars  122  and  123  provide lateral stability to the two-person walking simulator  100 . The vertical support post  110  also includes a dome-shaped cap  504  enclosing the top of the vertical support post  110  to provide protection from various environmental elements, such as moisture build-up and debris accumulation, inside the vertical support post  110 , and to provide an aesthetically-pleasing look. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  shows a top view of the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. Four flat bars  602 - 605  interconnect the side horizontal base bars  114  and  115  to the front horizontal base bar  118  and the rear horizontal base bar  120  in the proximity to the side-horizontal-base-bar/front-horizontal-base-bar junctions  506  and  506 ′ and side-horizontal-base-bar/rear-horizontal-base-bar junctions  508  and  508 ′. The flat bars  602 - 605  each include a vertically-facing mounting aperture  606 - 609 , respectively. The mounting apertures  606 - 609  can be used as part of a mounting mechanism for attaching the two-person walking simulator  100  to the ground. 
         [0032]    The support frame for the two-person walking simulator, described above with reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , allows the two-person walking simulator to be self-standing. However, in one embodiment of the present invention, the two-person walking simulator can be anchored to the ground when, for example, theft prevention is a concern, or when additional stability is desired during a particularly strenuous exercise session.  FIG. 7A  shows a close-up view of an anchoring mechanism for the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 7A , the flat bar  605  is shown with an L-shaped bolt  702  passing through the mounting aperture  609 . The lower portion of the L-shaped bolt  702  can be secured, for example, by being placed into a curing cement block, or other shaped cement footing, with a threaded locking nut  704  screwed onto the threaded portion of the L-shaped bolt  702 , above the flat bar  605 .  FIG. 7B  shows a close-up view of a cement block anchoring the two-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 1  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 7B , the L-shaped bolt  702  is placed in a cement block  708 . The L-shaped bolt  702  can be placed in the cement block  708  while the cement block  708  is still curing. Once the cement block  708  is cured and the locking nut  704  is threaded onto the L-shaped bolt  702 , the two-person walking simulator  100  is secured to the cement block  708 . The cement block  708  can be poured underground with the top edge of the cement block  708  in the proximity of ground level. The same procedure can be performed with each of the flat bars  602 - 605  on the two-person walking simulator  100 . In alternate embodiments of the present invention, a plastic covering (not shown in  FIG. 7 ) can be placed over the locking nut  704  when attached to the L-shaped bolt  702  to reduce the risk of injury to a user caused by contacting the L-shaped-bolt/locking-nut assembly  706 . 
         [0033]    A support frame for a walking simulator can be manufactured with a single pair of swing arms to accommodate a single user.  FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a one-person walking simulator that represents one embodiment of the present invention. One-person walking simulator  800  includes a support frame  802 , a handlebar  804 , and a pair of swing arms  806  and  807 . The support frame  802  contains two vertical support posts  808  and  809  and a horizontal base  810 . The horizontal base  810  includes side horizontal base bars  811  and  812  and a transverse horizontal base bar  813 . Support bars  815 - 818  interconnect the vertical posts  808  and  809  with the horizontal base  810 . Handlebar  804  directly attaches to the vertical support posts  808  and  809  and is mechanically supported by support webbings  820  and  821 .  FIG. 9  shows a top view of the one-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 8  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. The support blocks  902  and  903  connect the foot pedals  904  and  905  to the swing arms  806  and  807 , respectively. Flat bars  908 - 911  extend horizontally inward from the proximity of the ends of the side horizontal base bars  811  and  812 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 10  shows three cement blocks anchoring the one-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 8  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. One-person walking simulator  800  is anchored to cement blocks  1002 - 1004  by the flat bars  908 - 911 . L-shaped bolts, such as L-shaped bolt  1006 , are placed in curing cement blocks and passed through mounting apertures (not shown in  FIG. 10 ) in the flat bars  908 - 911 . A threaded locking nut, such as locking nut  1008 , is threaded onto the exposed portion of the L-shaped bolts, as discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 7A-7B . In alternate embodiments of the present invention, a plastic covering can be placed over the exposed portion of the L-shaped-bolt/locking-nut assembly. 
         [0035]      FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of a one-person walking simulator with an alternate support frame that represents one embodiment of the present invention. One-person walking simulator  1100  includes a support frame  1102 , a handlebar  1104 , and a pair of swing arms  1106  and  1107 . The support frame  1102  contains two vertical posts  1108  and  1109 . The vertical posts  1108  and  1109  can be secured and protected from theft, for example, by being sunk into curing cement footings. The swing arms  1106  and  1107  are shorter in length than the vertical support posts  1108  and  1109  so that, when the vertical posts  1108  and  1109  are sunk into cement footings enough to support the one-person walking simulator  1100 , the swing arms  1106  and  1107  can swing back and forth without contacting the ground. 
         [0036]    The handlebar  1104  includes mounting cuffs  1110  and  1112  on either end. In one embodiment of the present invention, the vertical support posts  1108  and  1109  and the mounting cuffs  1110  and  1112  each include mounting apertures on two opposite positions through which a mounting bolt can be passed and locked with a locking nut. Mounting caps, such as mounting cap  1114 , can be placed over the exposed ends of the mounting-bolt/locking-nut assembly.  FIG. 12  shows a top view of the one-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 10  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0037]    A support frame for a multiple-person walking simulator can be manufactured to include additional pairs of swing arms to allow additional users to simultaneously use a multiple-person walking simulator.  FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of a three-person walking simulator that represents one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 14  shows a front view of the three-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 13  that represents one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 15  shows a top view of the three-person walking simulator shown in  FIG. 13  that represents one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0038]    A walking simulator can be used in combination with other pieces of cardiovascular exercise equipment.  FIG. 16A  shows a rear perspective view of a walking simulator and an elliptical trainer mounted to a support frame that represents one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 16A , walking simulator  1602  and elliptical trainer  1604  are shown mounted to a common support frame  1606 .  FIG. 16B  shows a front perspective view of a walking simulator and an elliptical trainer mounted to a support frame that represents one embodiment of the present invention. A spacer bar  1608  interconnects the side of the walking simulator support frame  802  with the side of the elliptical trainer support frame  1610 . 
         [0039]    The multiple-person walking simulators described above can be placed indoors and outdoors at a number of different locations, including private homes, yards, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise ships, commercial-building courtyards, parks, trails, recreation centers, community centers, residential and lifestyle communities, hospital grounds, out-patient clinics, golf courses, and other indoor and outdoor locations. The anchoring mechanisms described above, with reference to  FIGS. 7A-7B  and  FIG. 10 , allow various embodiments of the present invention to be securely anchored to the ground to reduce the risk of theft. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention can be placed in locations that lack constant and careful supervision. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, several abovementioned design elements have been described above that allow for outdoor placement of the present invention, including providing pivot caps on the pivots, as described above with reference to  FIG. 4 , and providing dome-shaped caps at the top of the vertical support posts, as described above with reference to  FIG. 5 . Additional design elements can be included to allow the present invention to be placed in outdoor locations, including using powder coated steel components to provide rust protection and using stainless steel nuts and bolts for assembly. In one embodiment of the present invention, there are no electronic components mounted to the walking simulator. Various embodiments of the present invention also provide safety features, including rounded edges, smooth surfaces, and rubber padding around various moving and non-moving parts. 
         [0040]    Additional modifications within the spirit of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, modifications of the positioning and shape of the handlebar can be made to improve comfort, location, safety, and ease of use. Multiple handlebars can be used to give users additional gripping options. Modification of the shape of the swing arms can be made to change the swing-arm movement. Foot pedals can directly connect with swing arms or can have additional interconnecting features. Various materials can be used to fabricate walking simulators, such as metals and composite materials. The resistance used in the swinging movement of the swing arms can be varied. Varied resistances can be incorporated into each different piece of exercise equipment within a multiple-person walking simulator by the manufacturer, distributor, and/or a user. Variations between the discussed embodiments of the present inventions can also be made. For example, multiple-person versions of the walking simulator can utilize the alternate support frame structure shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . Additionally, multiple-person versions of the walking simulator can utilize a mounting cuff attachment mechanism, discussed with reference to  FIG. 11 , for attaching the handlebar to the support frame. The mounting cuffs can be designed to slide along the vertical support posts and be tightened to place the handlebar at a desired height. Additional flat bars can be attached to the support frame of a multiple-person walking simulator for anchoring the multiple-person walking simulator to the ground. Removable and non-removable devices can be attached to the support frame, such as water-bottle holders, book and magazine holders, towel holders, and radio/MP3-player holders. The foot pedals can be angled to change the gait used by a user. Angling the foot pedals can be accomplished in a number of different ways, such as bending and/or curving the swing arms and/or the support blocks. 
         [0041]    The foregoing detailed description, for purposes of illustration, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description; they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously many modifications and variation are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.