Patent Publication Number: US-11020626-B2

Title: Elliptical machine with function of freely controlling the lateral movement of the pedal

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 an elliptical machine, and more particularly to an innovative structure wherein the lateral movement of the pedal can be freely controlled according to the user&#39;s force application mode. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     Because of the busy life in modern days, most people feel very tired when they get home, not having spare energy to exercise. After the rise of leisure and health, the concept of physical fitness has become popular. However, finding the suitable place for sports is another problem for people who want to exercise. In terms of the popular choices of school playgrounds and parks, although they are convenient and free, they are easily affected by the weather and cannot be exercised. In view of this, the sports equipment industry has developed a variety of sports and fitness devices that are convenient for indoor use, so that the users can utilize spare time and achieve indoor exercise and fitness. 
     In the wide range of sports equipment, because the running trajectory of the elliptical machine pedal can simulate the movement trajectory of the foot and the leg when walking, it is more ergonomic, so it is favored by many consumers. However, the running trajectory of the two pedals of the currently commercial available elliptical machine is limited to two planes parallel to each other, so that the part of the exercise is fixed, and the corresponding relationship between the two pedal movement trajectories cannot be changed according to different force applying modes of the user. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention mainly aims to provide an elliptical machine with function of freely controlling the lateral movement of the pedal, and the technical problem to be solved is to how to develop a more ideal and practical new elliptical machine structure which the lateral movement of the pedal can be freely controlled, it is an innovative breakthrough as the goal. 
     The technical feature of the present invention is mainly to solve the problem that the elliptical machine comprises: a base, which is in a forward-backward extension and comprises a front frame part and a rear frame part, and virtualizes a forward and backward axis as well as a side axis according to the base type; an upright column is fixed on the front frame part of the base; a transmission mechanism is mounted on the front frame part of the base, the transmission mechanism comprises a bracket and a flywheel screwed on the bracket by a rotating shaft, and two ends of the rotating shaft are respectively fixed with a crank, each crank has a free end part, and the free end part is fixed with a pivot; two lateral swing tracks are respectively disposed on the rear frame part of the base in the left and right interval arrangement relationship. Each lateral swing track comprises a pivot end and a swing section. The pivot end is pivoted at a fixed position of the rear frame part, and the swing section extends a length along the anteroposterior axis, so that the swing section is in a displaceable state on the rear frame part, and forms that when the swing section is controlled by an external force, it takes the pivot end as a pivot point, and it is in a left and right lateral arc track freely-swinging state along the lateral axis direction; and a pair of connecting rod and stepping mechanisms. Each of the pair of connecting rod and the stepping mechanisms are disposed on corresponding sides of the transmission mechanism, and both are in a mutually interlocking relationship. Each connecting rod and the stepping mechanism comprises a front connecting rod, its bottom end is pivoted to the base, and one side of the front connecting rod body is pivoted to the corresponding pivot disposed by the crank; a rear connecting rod, its front end is connected to the rear end of the front connecting rod in a universal transmission type, and the rear end of the rear connecting rod is disposed on the corresponding lateral swing track; a pedal with a screwing particular for being screwed to a corresponding rear end part of a rear connecting rod, which forms that the pedal takes the screwing part as a pivot point in a rotatable state by force, and the pedal group is provided with an angle suppression limit device, so that the rotation of the pedal can be limited to a set angle range. 
     With said structural composition and technical features, when the user steps on each pedal, the flywheel is driven by each front connecting rod, and the front connecting rod is reciprocally extended with the rotation angle of the flywheel and the crank, thereby causing the movement of each pedal in the elliptical trajectory, and the user can selectively apply the lateral force on the pedal through the feet, freely and separately to manipulate the swing section of the lateral swing track in the left and right lateral arc track swing, thereby greatly improving the action type and exercise fitness effect of the elliptical machine to use, so as to meet the practical progress of multiple needs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional outside view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a lateral view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an action trajectory schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a back view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a partial enlargement diagram of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a back view of two lateral swing tracks at same deflection angle. 
         FIG. 5A  is a partial enlargement diagram of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a back view of two lateral swing tracks at different deflection angle. 
         FIG. 6A  is a partial enlargement diagram of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of two lateral swing tracks at different deflection angle. 
         FIGS. 8-9  are action schematic diagrams of universal joint disposed between front connecting rod and rear connecting rod of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 10-11  are action schematic diagrams of friction damper disposed in swing section group of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is an embodiment of an anti-detachment limiting member disposed in front and rear moving roller set of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is an embodiment of arrangement type disposed at rear end of pivot end and disposed at front end of swing section of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is an embodiment of second swing section disposed at lateral swing track and second arc track disposed at rear frame part of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is an embodiment of magnetic damper disposed at swing section set of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 - FIG. 5  for preferred embodiments of the elliptical machine with the function of freely controlling the pedal lateral movement of the present invention, but the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only, and they are not limited by this structure in patent application. 
     The elliptical machine comprises the following structures a base  10  with a front frame part  11  and a rear frame part  12  in a forward-backward extension mode, and a front-rear axis L 1  and a lateral axis L 2  virtualized according to the type of the base  10 ; an upright column  20  fixed on the front frame part  11  of the base  10 ; a transmission mechanism  30  mounted on the front frame part  11  of the base  10 , the transmission mechanism  30  comprises a bracket  301  and a flywheel  32  disposed in the bracket  301  by a rotating shaft  31 , wherein two ends of the rotating shaft  31  are fixed respectively with a crank  33 , each crank  33  has a free end part  335 , and the free end part  335  is fixed with a pivot  34 ; two lateral swing tracks  40  are disposed on the rear frame part  12  of the base  10  in a left and right interval arrangement relationship. Each lateral swing track  40  comprises a pivot end  401  and a swing section  402 , wherein the pivot end  401  is pivoted in a fixed position of the rear frame part  12 , the swing section  402  extends a length along the front-rear axis L 1 , so that the swing section  402  is placed on the rear frame part  12  in a displaceable state. When the swing section  402  is controlled by an external force, the pivot end  401  is used as a pivot point, it is in the leftward and rightward arc track free swing state; a pair of connecting rod and stepping mechanisms  50  disposed on one corresponding sides of the transmission mechanism  30 , so that both are interlocked with each other; each of the pair of connecting rod and stepping mechanisms  50  comprise: a front connecting rod  51 , the bottom end is pivotally disposed on the base  10 , the rod body side of the front connecting rod  51  is pivotally disposed on the corresponding pivot  34  in the crank  33 ; a rear connecting rod  52 , the front end is connected to the rear end of the front connecting rod  51  in universal transmission type; the rear connecting rod  52 , the rear end is disposed on the corresponding lateral swing track  40 ; a pedal  53 , the pedal  53  has a joint part  531  for being screwed on the rear end part of the corresponding rear connecting rod  52 , so that the pedal  53  takes the joint part  531  as a pivot point in the forced rotation state, and the pedal  53  is provided with an angle suppression limit device  54  for setting the rotation inhibition limit of the pedal  53  within a set angle range. 
     Preferably, the front connecting rod  51  comprises a first long member  511  and a second long member  512 . The first long member  511  and the second long member  512  are axially combined with each other in a retractable state. The bottom end of the first long member  511  is pivoted at the base  10 ; one side of the second long member  512  is pivotally disposed on the pivot  34  corresponding to the crank  33 , and the second long member  512  is axially reciprocated relative to the first long member  511  when the crank  33  is rotated, thereby changing the length of the front connecting rod  51 , and the rear connecting rod  52  is connected to the rear end of the second long member  512 . 
     With said structural composition and technical features, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , when the user steps on each pedal  53 , the flywheel  32  is driven by each front connecting rod  51 , and the front connecting rod  51  is reciprocally extended with the rotation angle of the flywheel  32  and the crank  33 , hereby causing the movement of each pedal  53  in the elliptical trajectory, and the user can selectively apply the lateral force on the pedal  53  through the feet, freely and separately to manipulate the swing section  402  of the lateral swing track  40  in the left and right lateral arc track swing (described later in detail); Referring to  FIG. 8 , at this time, the universal joint  70  is perpendicular to the axis of the front connecting rod  51 . The greatest difference between the present invention and the currently commercially available elliptical machine is mainly that two lateral swing tracks  40  are additionally disposed in left and right lateral arc track free swing state along the direction of the lateral axis L 2 , for this part, Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 4A . When two lateral swing tracks  40  are not deflected outward, the state between each pedal  53  and its corresponding rear connecting rod  52  is shown as  FIGS. 5 ˜ 7 . When the user steps on the two pedals  53 , one of the pedals  53  (or the two pedals  53 ) can be selectively forced by the lateral power at the same time, so that the lateral swing track  40  can be driven in the left and right lateral arc track swing, so as to achieve the exercise and fitness effect of different muscle groups in the leg. In addition, since the two lateral swing track  40  systems are respectively independently pivoted on the base  10 , they do not interfere with each other during the action, so that the deflection angle of two lateral swing tracks  40  and the movement track of the pedal  53  can be freely deflected with the user&#39;s force. In addition, the pedal  53  equipped with the angle suppression limit device  54  can limit the rotation of the pedal  53  to a set angle, so as to avoid the safety concerns due to the relatively large offset of the corresponding rear connecting rod  52 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in this example, the angle suppression limit device  54  is a rod type extending along the front-rear axis L 1 , and the angle suppression limit device  54  has a front rod end  541  and a rear rod end  542 , the front rod end  541  is connected to the rear section of the second long member  512  of the front connecting rod  51  in a universal transmission type, and the rear rod end  542  is connected to the bottom of the corresponding pedal  53  in a universal transmission type, and this place is spaced from the joint part  531  of the pedal  53 . Therefore, when the swing section  402  of each lateral swing track  40  is in left and the right lateral arc track swing, the rotation of the pedal can be limited to a set angle range by the arrangement connection relationship of the angle suppression limit device  54 , wherein the first long member  511  is in a rod type, and the second long member  512  is in a sleeve type disposed on the outer circumference of the first long member  511 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 , in this example, a height position of the upright column  20  is further provided with a transverse frame rod  21 , and the two ends of the transverse frame rod  21  extend toward the left and right sides and are equipped with two swing arm groups  60 , each swing arm group  60  comprises an upper arm rod part  62  and a lower elbow rod part  61  in a mutual elbow connection relationship, wherein the upper arm rod part  62  is provided with a grip  625  adjacent to the upper end, the rod body of the upper arm rod part  62  is pivoted at the end of the corresponding transverse frame rod  21 , and the front end of the lower elbow rod part  61  is pivoted to the corresponding pivot  34  of the crank  33 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 6 , in this example, the rear frame part  12  of the base  10  is provided with an arc track  121 , and a lateral moving roller set  41  is mounted on the bottom side of the swing section  402  of each lateral swing track  40  (note: not limited to single or double wheel type), each lateral moving roller set  41  is rolled on the arc track  121 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , in this example, each rear connecting rods  52  is further provided with a forward-backward moving roller set  521  (note: not limited to a single wheel or a double wheel type), the forward-backward moving roller set  521  is rolled on the corresponding lateral swing track  40 , and a rotary joint  522  is provided between the forward-backward moving roller set  521  and the rear section of the rear connecting rod  52 , so that when the forward-backward moving roller the set  521  is rolled on the lateral swing track  40 , the rear connecting rod  52  can be deflected synchronously with the lateral swing of the rear connecting rod  52 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in this example, the front end of the rear connecting rod  52  is connected to the rear end of the front connecting rod  51  by a universal joint  70 ; the universal joint  70  comprises an axial rod  71  passing through a front end of the rear connecting rod  52 , a universal bearing  72  disposed on the axial rod  71  and a bearing sleeve  73  disposed on the outer wall of the universal bearing  72 , the bearing sleeve  73  is fixed at the rear end of the front connecting rod  51 . The description to be added to this example is that: if the connector in a universal joint type is mentioned in the present invention, the specific structural details can be considered and specified in this example. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 10, 11 , the swing section  402  is further provided with a friction damper  80 , which comprises a liftable friction part  81  and a brake member  82  for controlling the lifting state of the liftable friction part  81 , and when the liftable friction part  81  is in the descending state, the frictional force is generated downwardly against the corresponding arc track  121 , so that the rolling displacement of the lateral moving roller set  41  has resistance; in addition, the brake member  82  adopts any control mode of electric or manual mode. For example, the brake member  82  of the present embodiment adopts an electric control mode, which mainly comprises an electric drive  821 , a bracing cable  822  and a rotating wheel  823 , wherein the rear end of the bracing cable  822  is connected to one place of the liftable friction parts  81  by passing the rotating wheel  823 . The electric drive  821  can be controlled to drive the bracing cable  822  and then to actuate the liftable friction part  81 . It is only a preferred embodiment and is not limited thereto; in this example, the advantage of the friction damper  80  is mainly to control the friction force of the swing section  402  relative to the arc track  121  displacement, thereby providing more options for the user to operate the elliptical machine. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , in this example, the forward-backward moving roller set  521  is further provided with an anti-detachment limit member  523 . Said anti-detachment limit member  523  has at least one abutment frame part  524  for abutting against the side of the lateral swing track  40  to prevent the forward-backward moving roller set  521  from escaping out of the lateral swing track  40 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , in this example, the pivot end  401  and the swing section  402  of each lateral swing track  40  are in an arrangement type of the pivot end  401  at the front side and the swing section  402  at the rear side. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the pivot end  401  and the swing section  402  are in an arrangement type of the pivot end  401  at the rear side and the swing section  402  at the front side. 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , in this example, the pivot end  401  of each lateral swing track  40  keeps away from one end of the swing section  402  and further extends to form a second swing section  91 , and the bottom of the second swing section  91  is provided with a second roller set  92 , so that the rear frame part  12  of the base  10  is provided with a second arc track  93  for the second roller set  92  to roll and shift thereon. 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , in this example, the swing section  402  is further provided with a magnetic damper  85 , the magnetic damper  85  comprises a liftable magnetic part  851  and a brake member  852  for controlling the liftable magnetic part  851 . The arc track  121  is composed of a magnetically permeable material, and when the liftable magnetic part  851  is in a descending state, a difference in the magnetic force (shown as a hollow arrow in the figure) is generated corresponding to the arc track  121 , so that the lateral moving roller set  41  has a resistance adjustment function for rolling displacement; the brake member  852  adopts either electric or manual control mode.