Patent Publication Number: US-9403054-B1

Title: Sitting type oblong orbital exercising machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an exercising machine and, more particularly, to a sitting type exercising machine with an oblong orbit or cycle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional oblong orbital exercising machine comprises a main frame, an upright mounted on a front portion of the main frame, two cranks each having a first end pivotally connected with the upright, two sliding bars each having a first end pivotally connected with a second end of the respective crank, two guiding tracks each mounted on a rear portion of the main frame, two rollers each mounted on a second end of the respective sliding bar and each slidable forward and backward on the respective guiding track, two swinging handles each pivotally connected with the upright, two tread bars each having a first end pivotally connected with a lower end of the respective swinging handle, and two pedals each secured on a second end of the respective tread bar. Each of the tread bars is pivotally connected with the respective sliding bar. However, when each of the rollers is moved on the respective guiding track, each of the rollers is easily deflected rightward or leftward during movement, and is easily detached from the respective guiding track due to a higher speed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an oblong orbital exercising machine comprising a main frame, an upright mounted on a front portion of the main frame, a seat support mounted on a rear portion of the main frame, a cycle movement mechanism mounted between the seat support and the main frame, a seat mounted on the seat support, two guiding tracks each mounted on the main frame, two swinging handles each pivotally connected with the upright, two drive bars each having a first end pivotally connected with the cycle movement mechanism, two pedal units each mounted on a second end of the respective drive bar, two driven bars each having a first end pivotally connected with the respective swinging handle and a second end pivotally connected with the respective drive bar, and two rollers each pivotally connected with the respective driven bar and each movably mounted in the respective guiding track. Each of the pedal units includes a fixing plate secured on the second end of the respective drive bar and provided with two elongate slots, a rocking plate pivotally connected with the second end of the respective drive bar, two springs biased between the fixing plate and the rocking plate, two fastening rods secured on the rocking plate and extending through the springs and the elongate slots of the fixing plate, and a pedal secured on the rocking plate. 
     According to the primary advantage of the present invention, the driven bars are directly driven by the swinging handles so that the driven bars are moved smoothly and stably and will not vibrate leftward and rightward during a long-term utilization. 
     According to another advantage of the present invention, the rollers are covered by the guiding tracks so that the rollers slide in the guiding tracks solidly and stably without incurring deflection, detachment or vibration. 
     According to a further advantage of the present invention, the guiding tracks  40  are arranged at the middle position of the main frame to enhance the operational safety and the aesthetic quality of the oblong orbital exercising machine. 
     According to a further advantage of the present invention, the springs of each of the pedal units provide an elastic force to the pedal, so that when the pedal units are moved in concert with the drive bars to perform an oblong orbital movement, the pedal of each of the pedal units is moved and adjusted forward and backward to correspond to the oblong trace of movement. 
     According to a further advantage of the present invention, the optimum angle between the fixing plate of each of the pedal units and the ground is ranged between 55° and 75° to satisfy the ergonomically designed requirement, so that when the pedal of each of the pedal units is moved to the foremost position, the user&#39;s feet can tread the pedal of each of the pedal units exactly and comfortably. 
     According to a further advantage of the present invention, the fastening rods are slidable in the elongate slots of the fixing plate to increase the swinging movement extent of the pedal, so that the pedal of each of the pedal units is pivoted largely relative to the fixing plate to facilitate the user treading and swinging the pedal of each of the pedal units. 
     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 DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an oblong orbital exercising machine in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a locally enlarged view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a locally enlarged front perspective view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partially exploded perspective view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side operational view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is another side operational view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a locally enlarged side operational view of the oblong orbital exercising machine as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-5 , an oblong orbital exercising machine in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a main frame  10 , an upright  20  mounted on a front portion of the main frame  10 , a seat support  30  mounted on a rear portion of the main frame  10 , a cycle movement mechanism  70  mounted between the seat support  30  and the main frame  10 , a seat  130  mounted on the seat support  30 , two guiding tracks  40  each mounted on the main frame  10 , two swinging handles  50  each pivotally connected with the upright  20 , two drive bars  60  each having a first end pivotally connected with the cycle movement mechanism  70 , two pedal units  9  each mounted on a second end of the respective drive bar  60 , two driven bars  100  each having a first end pivotally connected with the respective swinging handle  50  and a second end pivotally connected with the respective drive bar  60 , and two rollers  120  each pivotally connected with the respective driven bar  100  and each movably mounted in the respective guiding track  40 . 
     The main frame  10  is provided with a fixing base  110 . The seat support  30  has s top provided with a slide track  140 . The seat  130  has a bottom slidably mounted on the slide track  140 . The upright  20  has an upper end provided with an instrument panel  150 . The guiding tracks  40  are arranged on the main frame  10  in an inclined manner. Each of the guiding tracks  40  has a first end secured on the upright  20  and a second end secured on the fixing base  110  of the main frame  10 . Each of the guiding tracks  40  has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional profile. The swinging handles  50  are arranged on two opposite sides of the upright  20 . Each of the swinging handles  50  includes an upper grip portion  501  and a lower elastic portion  502  connected with the upper grip portion  501 . The lower elastic portion  502  of each of the swinging handles  50  is flexible relative to the upper grip portion  501 . 
     The drive bars  60  are arranged on two opposite sides of the cycle movement mechanism  70 . The second end of each of the drive bars  60  is provided with a through hole  603 . Each of the drive bars  60  includes a straight section  601  and a curved section  602 . The curved section  602  of each of the drive bars  60  has a substantially U-shaped profile. The first end of each of the driven bars  100  is pivotally connected with a lower end of the lower elastic portion  502  of the respective swinging handle  50 . The second end of each of the driven bars  100  is pivotally connected with the straight section  601  of the respective drive bar  60 . The second end of each of the driven bars  100  is provided with a transverse connecting rod  101  which is pivotally connected with the respective roller  120  and the respective drive bar  60 . 
     Each of the pedal units  9  is pivotally connected with the curved section  602  of the respective drive bar  60 . Each of the pedal units  9  includes a fixing plate  61  secured on the second end of the respective drive bar  60  and provided with two elongate slots  62 , a rocking plate  91  pivotally connected with the second end of the respective drive bar  60 , two springs  93  biased between the fixing plate  61  and the rocking plate  91 , two fastening rods  92  secured on the rocking plate  91  and extending through the springs  93  and the elongate slots  62  of the fixing plate  61 , and a pedal  90  secured on the rocking plate  91 . 
     The fixing plate  61  of each of the pedal units  9  is secured on the curved section  602  of the respective drive bar  60  and is perpendicular to the respective drive bar  60 . The fixing plate  61  of each of the pedal units  9  is inclined relative to the ground, and an angle between the fixing plate  61  of each of the pedal units  9  and the ground is ranged between 55° and 75°. The rocking plate  91  of each of the pedal units  9  is provided with two pivot ears  911  mounted on the second end of the respective drive bar  60 . Each of the pivot ears  911  of each of the pedal units  9  is provided with a through bore  912 , and each of the pedal units  9  further includes a pivot member  604  extending through the through bore  912  of each of the pivot ears  911  and the through hole  603  of the respective drive bar  60 , so that the pivot ears  911  of each of the pedal units  9  is pivotally connected with the second end of the respective drive bar  60 . 
     In operation, referring to  FIGS. 6-8  with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , a user is seated on the seat  130 , with his/her hands holding and moving the upper grip portions  501  of the swinging handles  50 , and with his/her feet treading the pedals  90  of the pedal units  9 , so that the drive bars  60  and the driven bars  100  are driven and moved, and the rollers  120  are driven synchronously to slide in the guiding tracks  40  forward and backward as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . At the same time, the drive bars  60  drive the cycle movement mechanism  70  to rotate. In addition, when the pedal units  9  are moved in concert with the drive bars  60 , the springs  93  of each of the pedal units  9  are biased between the fixing plate  61  and the rocking plate  91  to provide a buffering effect to the pedal  90 . 
     Accordingly, the driven bars  100  are directly driven by the swinging handles  50  so that the driven bars  100  are moved smoothly and stably and will not vibrate leftward and rightward during a long-term utilization. In addition, the rollers  120  are covered by the guiding tracks  40  so that the rollers  120  slide in the guiding tracks  40  solidly and stably without incurring deflection, detachment or vibration. Further, the guiding tracks  40  are arranged at the middle position of the main frame  10  to enhance the operational safety and the aesthetic quality of the oblong orbital exercising machine. Further, the springs  93  of each of the pedal units  9  provide an elastic force to the pedal  90 , so that when the pedal units  9  are moved in concert with the drive bars  60  to perform an oblong orbital movement, the pedal  90  of each of the pedal units  9  is moved and adjusted forward and backward to correspond to the oblong trace of movement. Further, the optimum angle between the fixing plate  61  of each of the pedal units  9  and the ground is ranged between 55° and 75° to satisfy the ergonomically designed requirement, so that when the pedal  90  of each of the pedal units  9  is moved to the foremost position, the user&#39;s feet can tread the pedal  90  of each of the pedal units  9  exactly and comfortably. Further, the fastening rods  92  are slidable in the elongate slots  62  of the fixing plate  61  to increase the swinging movement extent of the pedal  90 , so that the pedal  90  of each of the pedal units  9  is pivoted largely relative to the fixing plate  61  as shown in  FIG. 8  to facilitate the user treading and swinging the pedal  90  of each of the pedal units  9 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.