Patent Publication Number: US-9849331-B2

Title: Elliptical stepper

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a stepper, and more particularly to an elliptical stepper. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     In various exercisers, an elliptical trainer is popular because the elliptical trainer can imitate motions of feet and legs during walking. However, the original elliptical trainer has a great volume such that the original elliptical is not suitable for indoors operation in many family spaces. Consequently, some small-sized elliptical steppers are marketed. 
     However, whatever the great original elliptical trainer or the small-sized elliptical stepper, they have a mature structure and are manufactured along an immutable skill such that more and more users feel that elliptical exercisers, including the great original elliptical trainer or the small-sized elliptical stepper, are boring machines. It is a serious bottleneck for manufacturers to develop new elliptical exercisers. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional elliptical exercisers. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved elliptical stepper that has two roller sets moved along a corresponding one of the two guiding structures. 
     To achieve the objective, the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention comprises a base divided into a front section and a rear section. Two guiding structures are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the base. Each guiding structure includes at least one rail having a front end outwardly extending relative to a center line of the base, wherein the route of the at least one rail is selected from a group consisted of linear and curved. A damping device is mounted on the base. Two crank devices are respectively laterally mounted to two opposite sides of the damping device. Each crank device has a stepping device mounted thereon and each stepping device has a roller set mounted to a bottom thereof. Each roller set is guided by a corresponding one of the rails for provides a wiggling effect to the stepping device when moved along the corresponding rail. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially side plan view of the elliptical stepper in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partially exploded perspective view of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a first operational view of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a second operational view of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a second embodiment of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a third embodiment of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-4 , an elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention comprises a base  10 , a damping device  20  mounted on the base  10 , two crank devices  30  respectively laterally mounted to two opposite sides of the damping device  20 . Each crank device  30  has a stepping device  40  mounted thereon and each stepping device  40  has a roller set  50  mounted to a bottom thereof, wherein the roller set  50  is universally rolled relative to a corresponding one of the two stepping device  40 . The base  10  includes two opposite sides each having a guiding structure  60  disposed thereon. Each guiding structure  60  includes at least one rail  61  having a front end outwardly extending relative to a center line of the base  10 . Each roller set  50  is moved along a corresponding one of the two guiding structures  60  such that each stepping device  40  provides a wiggling effect when moved along an elliptical route. 
     The base  10  is divided into a front section  11  and a rear section  12  detachably connected to each other. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each guiding structure  60  includes at least two rails  61 , wherein at least one rail  61  has a front end outwardly extending relative to a center line of the base  10 . A rail  61 , adjacent to the center line of the base  10 , is parallel to the center line of the base  10  and the other at least one rail  61  is curved. A handle  13  is disposed on the front section  11  of the base  10 . 
     The damping device  20  is mounted onto the rear section  12  of the base  10 . The damping device  20  includes a drive wheel  21  and a flying wheel  22  rotatably mounted onto the rear section  12  of the base  10 , wherein the driver wheel  21  has an axle  23  centrally extending therethrough. The drive wheel  21  and the flying wheel  22  are simultaneously rotated with each other for providing resistance by using speed ratio and the weight of the flying wheel  22 . 
     Each crank device  30  has an L-shaped crank  31  secured on a corresponding one of two opposite ends of the axle  23 . The L-shaped crank  31  includes a horizontal section  32  having a sleeve  33  rotatably sleeved thereon. The sleeve  33  has two ears  34  extending therefrom. 
     Each stepping device  40  includes a bottom plate  41  pivotally connected to the two ears  34  of a corresponding one the two sleeves  33  and a pedal  42  mounted on the bottom plate  41 . 
     Each roller set  50  includes a seat  51  pivotally mounted to a front end of a corresponding one of the two bottom plates  41  and a roller  52  rotatably mounted on the seat  51  such that the roller  52  is universally rotated relative to a corresponding one of the two stepping devices  40  and the moving route is limited by a corresponding one of the two guiding structures  60 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rail  61  is concaved and the roller  52  is partially received in the rail  61 . However, the rail  61  also provides the guiding function when the rail  61  is convex and the roller  52  defines a groove (not shown) to partially received the rail  61 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the stepping device  40  only moved along a vertical elliptical route when the roller  52  is partially received in the rail  61  adjacent the center line of the base  10 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , the stepping device  40  further provides a wiggling effect when moved along an elliptical route and the roller  52  is partially in the rail  61  that has a front end outwardly extending relative to the center line of the base  10 . The operator only needs to lift the front portion of the stepping device  40  and easily move the roller  52  from one rail  61  to another rail  61  when changing the moving mold of the stepping device  40 . As a result, no tool is necessary. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7  that shows a second embodiment of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention, in the preferred embodiment, all the rails  61 A are linear. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8  that shows a third embodiment of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention, in the preferred embodiment, all the rails  61 B are curved. The curvature of each of the rails  61 B of the guiding structure  60  is gradually raised relative to a distance between the center line of the base  10  and each rail  61 B. 
     As described above, the front section  11  of the base  10  is detachably connected to the rear section  12  such that the operator changes the sport mold when changing the section  11  with different guiding structures  60 . 
     Each roller set  50  is moved along a corresponding one of the two guiding structures  60  with at least one rail  61  having a front end outwardly extending relative to the center ling of the base  10  such that each stepping device  40  provides a wiggling effect when moved along an elliptical route. Consequently, the function and moving route of the elliptical stepper in accordance with the present invention is different from that of the conventional steppers. The guiding structure  60  has rails  61  with different guiding molds and the guiding mold is changed when lifting the front portion of the stepping device  40  and easily moving the roller  52  from one rail  61  to another rail  61 . In addition, the front section  11  of the base  10  is detachably connected to the rear section  12  such that the operator changes the sport mold for providing various sporting routes when changing the section  11  with different guiding structures  60 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.