Patent Publication Number: US-6338703-B1

Title: Sliding exerciser

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to exercising apparatus and, more particularly, to a sliding exerciser, which is portable. 
     Various exercising apparatus have been disclosed, and have appeared on the market. These conventional exercising apparatus are commonly heavy and expensive. There is known a sliding exerciser adapted for reciprocating on a flat surface. This structure of sliding exerciser has wheels for moving on a flat surface, and damping means adapted to give a damping resistance when the user moves the sliding exerciser. However, this structure of sliding exerciser is not satisfactory in function. When the user moves the sliding exerciser, it may deviate from course. Keeping the sliding exerciser in balance requires a special skill. It is dangerous to a non-experience person to use this structure of sliding exerciser. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide a sliding exerciser, which is compact and portable. It is another object 6  of the present invention to provide a sliding exerciser, which is simple and detachable. According to one aspect of the present invention, the sliding exerciser comprises a body unit for sliding on a flat surface, and a damping unit installed in the body unit and adapted to impart a damping resistance to the body unit when the user moves the body unit on a flat surface. According to another aspect of the present invention, the damping unit comprises an elastic cord member, which is rolled up to impart a damping resistance when the user moves the sliding exerciser forwards, or released when the user moves the sliding exerciser backwards. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a sliding exerciser according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the sliding exerciser shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the wheel rotated, the elastic cord member rolled up according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. from  1  through  3 , a sliding exerciser in accordance with the present invention is generally comprised of a body unit  1 , and a damping unit  2 . The body unit  1  is covered with a covering  3 , having a front part  11  and a rear part  12 . The front part  11  of the body unit  1  comprises two parallel bottom slots  113 , two upright pots  114 , and a transverse handle  112  fastened to the upright posts  114 . The rear part  12  of the body unit  1  comprises a front wheel holder  121 , and a castor  122  coupled to an axle bearing  1211  of the wheel holder  121  and adapted to support the front part  12  for enabling the sliding exerciser to be moved on a flat surface. The damping unit  2  comprises two wheels  21  respectively rotated in the slots  113  and protruding the bottom side wall of the housing  1 , a wheel axle  211  coupled between the wheels  21 , the wheel axle  211  having an eyed lug  212  on the middle, a revolving shaft  23  transversely coupled between two upright side walls of the rear part  12  of the body unit  1 , and an elastic cord member  22  coupled between the wheel axle  211  and the revolving shaft  23 . The revolving shaft  23  comprises two reversed conical wheels  231 , and collars  232  rose around the periphery at two sides of each conical wheel  231 . The elastic cord member  22  is inserted through the eyed lug  212  of the wheel axle  211  and turned round the conical wheels  231 , having two distal ends respectively fastened to the front part  11  of the body unit  1  at two sides. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the elastic cord member  22  is set in a W-curve arrangement. When the user alternatively pushes and pulls the handle  112  to move the sliding exerciser back and forth on a flat surface, the elastic cord member  22  is alternatively rolled up and released, i.e., the elastic cord member  22  is rolled up to impart a resistance to the user when the user moves the sliding exerciser forwards on a flat surface; the elastic cord member  22  is released when the user moves the sliding exerciser backwards. 
     It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended for use as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed.