Patent Publication Number: US-10315069-B1

Title: Exercise machine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/392,617, filed Jun. 6, 2016, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to an exercise machine, more particularly, a stationary exercise machine which provides vertical, lateral and longitudinal foot path motion to exercise lower body muscles. 
     Three popular categories of exercise machines known to exercise various muscle groups in the human body include bicycle machines, stair steppers, and skiing machines. These machines have been successful because they offer an effective form of an aerobic, low impact exercise. 
     Bicycle machines provide resistance to leg motion by causing two foot petals to resistively travel along a circular path, mutually in the same direction, about a coaxial, horizontal axis of rotation, while maintaining the pedals diametrically opposite and with constant lateral distance between them. 
     Stair steppers provide resistance to leg motion such that work is performed during the unbending (or straightening) of each leg as two pedals or foot platforms are continuously and alternatively stepped upon and released. 
     Skiing machines offer resistance to leg motion by allowing two foot platforms to alternately travel rearward with resistance and forward with minimal resistance in a linear side by side manner. During use, dependent upon the specific machine design, the two foot platforms may have to be continuously coordinated and synchronized by the user to be out of phase with each other by half of a cycle. 
     SUMMARY 
     In an exercise machine, foot platform support members, each with their own distinct axis of rotation, may include a foot platform rotatably installed at an outer end. The foot platforms may travel in inclined circular paths to establish the three dimensional operational characteristics. The platform support members may be rotationally synchronized by connected mechanical components such that they are maintained out of phase with each other by one half of a cycle or 180 degrees in counter rotational directions. Inertial characteristics during operation, may be provided by a mechanical flywheel, with its respective driven pulley, installed remote from the platform support members, and belt or chain driven by a drive pulley secured at an inner end to one of the rotatable platform support members. Crank synchronization in an inclined plane at angle β during operation of the exercise machine may provide three-dimensional foot travel in vertical, lateral and longitudinal directions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages and objects of the present invention are attained can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. 
       It is noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exercise machine. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear partial perspective view of the exercise machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the exercise machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the exercise machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded partial perspective view of the exercise machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , an exercise machine in generally identified by the reference numeral  100 . The exercise machine  100  may include a frame  110  configured to rest on a substantially flat surface, such as but without limitation, a floor surface. The frame  110  may include a base  112  and a stanchion  114  extending angularly upward and forward from proximate a forward end of the base  112 . The stanchion  114  may be inclined in a forward direction at an angle β relative to a horizontal plane defined by the base  112 . The angle β may, for example but without limitation, may be about sixty(60°) degrees. 
     The stanchion  114  may include a pair of stanchion leg members  116  spaced apart from one another. A frame bridge member  118  may extend across the space separating the stanchion leg members  116 . Opposite distal ends of the stanchion bridge member  118  may be fixedly secured to the upper distal ends of the stanchion leg members  116 . Alternatively, the stanchion  114  may be fabricated as a single unitary frame member fixedly secured proximate the forward end of the base  112 . 
     The exercise machine  100  may include a stationary handle bar (not shown in the drawings) for grasping by an operator while exercising. It may be noted that a stationary handle bar may be replaced with handles which move under resistance, if an upper body workout is also desired. Such handles may for example pivot about an axis perpendicular to the side of the exercise machine  100 , and be bent such that the hand grips are located at a comfortable position to operate. Because various designs of upper body workout handles, poles, or cranks or levers are incorporated upon many different categories of exercise machines, the potential for including any one of them upon the exercise machine  100  is considered obvious. 
     Left and right cranks  120 ,  122  may be rotatably secured to the stanchion  114 . A flywheel timing belt  124  may engage a series of timing pulleys  126 ,  128  and  130  in a circuitous manner so that counter rotation of the cranks  120 ,  122  may be established in a manner known in the art. 
     Left and right cranks  120 ,  122  may be rotatably mounted at proximate the upper distal ends of respective stanchion leg members  116  and rigidly secured to respective crank shafts  132 . The crank shafts  132  may extend through respective boreholes  133  in the stanchion leg members  116 . The crank shafts  132  may be keyed to respective timing pulleys  126  by a key and slot  134  connection so that the cranks shafts  120 ,  122  and respective timing pulleys  126  rotate together. 
     The crank shafts  132  may extend through respective fixed timing pulleys  136  disposed between the cranks  120 ,  122  and stanchion leg members  116 . The crank shafts  132  may be rotatably secured to respective fixed timing pulleys  136  by radial and thrust bearings  138 . The fixed timing pulleys  136 , radial and thrust bearings  138  and boreholes  133  may be concentric to one another. 
     The exercise machine  100  may include foot platforms  140  supported by respective cranks  120 ,  122 . Foot platform shafts  142  may rigidly secure the foot platforms  140  to respective timing pulleys  143  by a key and slot  144  connection. The foot platform shafts  142  may be rotatably secured to respective cranks  120 ,  122  by radial and thrust bearings  146  concentrically received in a bore  148  of respective cranks  120 ,  122 , best shown in  Fig. 5 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , synchronization timing belts  150  may engage respective timing pulleys  143  and fixed timing pulleys  136 . As timing pulleys  143  orbit fixed timing pulleys  136  in an inclined plane while engaging orbital synchronization timing belts  150  the orientation of the foot platforms  140  remains constant while the foot platforms  140  move in three dimensions. Timing belts  124 ,  150  and timing pulleys  126 ,  130 ,  136 ,  143  may cooperatively interconnect to define a synchronization linkage interconnecting the left and right cranks  120 ,  122  for moving the left and right foot platforms  140  in inclined paths defining three-dimensional foot travel. Inertia of the exercise machine  100  due to rotation of the flywheel  152  may be provided while left and right timing pulleys  126  drive timing belt  124 , thereby causing rotation of idler pulley  128  and flywheel pinion pulley  130 . It may be observed that crank synchronization lies in an inclined plane at angle β during operation of the exercise machine  100  while providing three-dimensional foot travel in vertical, lateral and longitudinal directions, more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,554 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     Generally, the three spatial dimensions that an operator may experience include, a first spatial dimension corresponding to the forward and back (longitudinal) motion of the foot pedals traveling along their inclined circular paths. The magnitude of the first dimension is inversely proportional to the angle β to which the plane defining the circular path of the foot pedals has been inclined from horizontal. The second spatial dimension corresponds to the up and down (vertical) motion of the foot platforms traveling along their inclined circular paths. The magnitude of the second dimension is directly proportional to the inclination angle β of the circular path plane, and as follows, would be zero if the path is level. The third spatial dimension corresponds to the side to side (transverse) motion of the foot platforms traveling along their circular path, and, because the path plane has not been inclined transversely, the magnitude of this third dimension is not a function of the degree to which the inclined path of the foot pedals traveling along their circular paths has been inclined. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims which follow.