Patent Publication Number: US-2004058783-A1

Title: Wheel assembly for exerciser

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to a wheel assembly for exerciser with improved characteristics.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] A conventional wheel assembly for exerciser is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The wheel assembly comprises a sleeve  1  having a smaller diameter section abutted one end, the smaller diameter section being secured to a foot  3  on a supporting surface (e.g., ground) by snapping and a larger diameter section abutted the other end; and a cup-shaped flexible wheel  2  with a multi-sided outer surface supported on the ground and including an eccentric bore  4 , an internal conic surface  5  extended inwardly from the bore  4 , and a cylindrical surface  6  extended inwardly from the conic surface  5  to the bottom. In assembly, cling the wheel  2  to the sleeve  1  so as to engage the other end of the sleeve  1  with bottom of the wheel  2  and urge the larger diameter section of the sleeve  1  against the cylindrical surface  6 . Note that a diameter of the bore  4  is larger than an outer diameter of the larger diameter section of the sleeve  1  for facilitating the clinging of the wheel  2  to the sleeve  1 . Typically, a user can rotate the wheel  2  to adjust an eccentricity of the bore  4  by grasping the multi-side surface of the wheel  2  by hand if the foot  3  is not stably supported on the ground. However, the prior art failed to achieve this. In detail, such adjustment requires a considerable force due to larger contact area between the wheel  2  and the sleeve  1 . Further, the rotation of the wheel  2  is relatively difficult due to a flexibility of the wheel  2 . Preferably, a flat of the multi-side surface of the wheel  2  is in contact with the ground for obtaining a maximum support However, in most cases only an edge between adjacent sides of the multi-side surface of the wheel  2  is in contact with the ground after adjustment. This is due to as stated above, difficulty of the rotation of the wheel  2  and the flexibility of the wheel  2  in nature. As a result, a stable exerciser is not obtainable. This in turn may frustrate an enthusiastic person. To the worse, an unstable exerciser may cause danger during exercising. Hence, a need exists for an improved wheel assembly for exerciser.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wheel assembly for an exerciser comprising a sleeve comprising a smaller diameter section having one end coupled to a foot on a supporting surface, a larger diameter section, a first shoulder at a junction of the smaller and the larger diameter sections, an external collar on the larger diameter section, a conic surface abutted the other end, a second shoulder at a junction of the conic surface and the larger diameter section, and a fastening mechanism at the other end; and a cup-shaped flexible wheel comprising a multi-sided outer surface on the supporting surface, an eccentric bore, an internal annular flange on a mouth of the bore, the flange having a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the conic surface of the sleeve but smaller than a diameter of the collar, an internal conic surface extended inwardly from the flange, a shoulder at a junction of the conic surface of the wheel and a cylindrical surface extended from the conic surface of the wheel to a bottom, and a mating fastening mechanism at a bottom end; wherein in response to an assembly the wheel onto the sleeve, the other end of the sleeve is engaged with the bottom edge of the wheel, the fastening mechanism is engaged with the mating fastening mechanism, the conic surface of the sleeve is urged against the cylindrical surface, the second shoulder is urged against the conic surface of the wheel, the collar is in contact with an internal side of the flange so as to be restrained from moving out of the flange, and a rotation of the wheel causes the mating fastening mechanism to move engagement with the fastening mechanism in a predetermined angle.  
       [0004] In one aspect of the present invention, the fastening mechanism comprises a plurality of indentations equally spaced around the other end of the sleeve.  
       [0005] In another aspect of the present invention, the mating fastening mechanism comprises a plurality of projections equally spaced around the bottom edge of the wheel.  
       [0006] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a conventional wheel assembly for exerciser;  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is a side view in part section of the assembled wheel assembly in FIG. 1;  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a wheel assembly for exerciser according to the invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is a side view of the assembled foot and sleeve in FIG. 3;  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of wheel in FIG. 3; and  
     [0012]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled wheel and sleeve. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0013] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and  5 , a wheel assembly for exerciser constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a sleeve  10  with a smaller diameter section at one end secured to a foot  30  supported on a supporting surface (e.g., ground) by snapping and a larger diameter section, the sleeve  1  comprising a first shoulder  11  at a junction of the smaller and the larger diameter sections, an external collar  12  on the larger diameter section, a conic surface  15  abutted the other end, a second shoulder  14  at a junction of the conic surface  15  and the larger diameter section, and a plurality of indentations  13  equally spaced around the open other end; and a cup-shaped flexible wheel  20  with a multi-sided outer surface supported on the ground and including an eccentric bore  21 , an internal annular flange  22  on the mouth of the bore  21 , an internal conic surface  25  extended inwardly from the flange  22 , a shoulder  24  at a junction of the conic surface  25  and a cylindrical surface extended from the conic surface  25  to a bottom, and a plurality of projections  23  equally spaced around the bottom.  
     [0014] Referring to FIG. 6, an assembly of the invention will now be described in detail below. First, cling the wheel  20  to the sleeve  10  so as to engage the other end of the sleeve  10  with a bottom edge of the wheel  20  in which the indentations  13  are engaged with the projections  23 , the conic surface  15  is urged against the cylindrical surface, the second shoulder  14  is urged against the conic surface  25 , and the collar  12  is in contact with the internal side of the flange  22 . Note that a diameter of the flange  22  is larger than an outer diameter of the conic surface  15  of the sleeve  10  for facilitating the clinging of the wheel  20  to the sleeve  10 . Further, a diameter of the collar  12  is larger than an inner diameter of the flange  22  for restraining the collar  12  from moving out of the flange  22 , i.e., the sleeve  10  and the wheel  20  are secured in the position shown in FIG. 6. In an angle adjustment of the wheel  20  with respect to the sleeve  10 , simply rotate the wheel  20  by grasping the multi-side surface of the wheel  20  by hand to cause the projections  23  to move engagement with the indentations  13  in a cyclic manner. It is envisaged that a flat of the multi-side surface of the wheel  20  in contact with the ground for obtaining a maximum support can be achieved by the invention. As a result, a stable exerciser is obtainable. This in turn can encourage enthusiastic persons.  
     [0015] While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.