Patent Publication Number: US-6902514-B2

Title: Swinging exerciser having rotatable foot pedals

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an exerciser, and more particularly to a swinging exerciser having rotatable foot pedals. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various kinds of typical exercisers have been developed for conducting various operations or exercises. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,528 to Natterer discloses an exerciser for conducting swinging or skiing operations. The users&#39; feet may not be rotated relative to the support thereof. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,180 to Simjian, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,408 to Wilkinson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,690 to Gilman disclose three other exercisers which may be used for conducting rotating or swinging operations only. In addition, a single circular plate is provided for supporting the feet of the users, and includes a tiny space or area such that the feet of the users may not be suitably separated or opened from each other. Furthermore, the users may only rotate or twist their waist portion with a limited rotational angle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,389 to Chen discloses another exerciser which may be used for conducting rotating and swinging and stepping operations. However, similarly, a single tiny circular plate is provided for supporting the feet of the users, such that the feet of the users may not be suitably separated or opened from each other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,176 to Kuo, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,961 to Kuo et al. disclose two further typical exercisers which may be used for conducting stepping operation, and which includes a rotatable handle for allowing the users to twist their upper portions. However, the feet of the users may not be rotated or twisted relative to the handle, such that the rotational movement of the users is limited. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,065 to Lien et al. discloses a still further typical exerciser including a stepper mechanism rotatably supported on a support frame, a base body rotatably attached to the support frame, and having a pair of spaced pedal arms that have one end rotatably secured to an upright front portion, such that the exerciser includes a complicated configuration and a great cost. Similarly, the feet of the users also may not be rotated or twisted relative to the handle. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional exercisers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a swinging exerciser having rotatable foot pedals for rotatably and separately supporting the feet of the user and for allowing the user&#39;s feet to suitably rotated relative to the support and for preventing the user&#39;s feet from being twisted or hurt by the support. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an exerciser comprising a base including a shaft provided thereon, a supporting device rotatably secured to the base with the shaft, and including a beam having two separate orifices formed therein, two spindles rotatably engaged into the orifices of the beam respectively, and separated from each other, and two foot pedals secured to the spindles and thus rotatably secured to the beam with the spindles, for rotatably and separately supporting users&#39; feet. The foot pedals may be rotatable relative to the beam when the beam of the supporting device is rotated relative to the base, for preventing the users&#39; feet from being twisted or hurt by the beam while conducting the rotating or swinging operations or exercises. 
     The supporting device includes a seat rotatably secured to the base with the shaft, and the beam includes a middle portion secured to the seat and two end portions having the orifices formed therein for rotatably supporting the spindles of the foot pedals respectively. 
     A handle device may further be provided and secured to the base, for supporting upper portion of users, and includes a lower segment rotatably secured to the base with a pin, and includes a shank rotatably secured to the lower segment with a pivot rod, and means for selectively securing the shank to the lower segment of the handle device. 
     A device may further be provided for coupling the the handle device to the supporting device and includes a first rotary member attached to the supporting device, and a second rotary member attached to the handle device and coupled to the first rotary member. 
     The coupling means further includes a coupling member engaged over the first and the second rotary members for rotatably coupling the first and the second rotary members together. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exerciser in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of the exerciser; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the exerciser; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the exerciser; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating another arrangement of the exerciser; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the exerciser as shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the exerciser as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the exerciser as shown in FIGS.  5 - 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-4 , an exerciser in accordance with the present invention comprises a base  10  including a shaft  11  and a pin  12  provided thereon, such as upwardly extended therefrom, two rotary members  13 ,  14  rotatably secured on the shaft  11  and the pin  12  respectively and coupled together with a coupling member  16 , such as a belt or a cable  16  or the like. 
     For example, the rotary members  13 ,  14  may be the disks or the pulleys  13 ,  14  and rotatably coupled together with a belt, a cable  16  or the like, for allowing the pulleys  13 ,  14  to be rotatably coupled together with the cable  16 . 
     Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , the rotary members  13 ,  14  may be gears  131 ,  141 , and may be directly engaged with each other. 
     A handle device  20  is provided for supporting the upper portion of the users, and includes a lower segment  21  rotatably or pivotally engaged onto the pin  12 , and preferably secured to the rotary member  14 , for allowing the handle device  20  to be rotated in concert with the rotary member  14 , and includes a shank  22  having a hand grip  25  adjustably provided on top thereof. 
     For example, the shank  22  of the handle device  20  includes a lower portion rotatably secured to the lower segment  21  with a pivot rod  23 , and releasably secured to the lower segment  21  with a fastener  24 , which may secure the shank  22  at an upright or working position relative to the lower segment  21  as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     A rotatable supporting device  30  includes a seat  31  rotatably or pivotally engaged onto the shaft  11 , and preferably secured to the rotary member  13 , for allowing the rotatable supporting device  30  to be rotated in concert with the rotary member  13 , and for allowing the rotatable supporting device  30  to be rotatably coupled to the handle device  20  with the rotary members  13 ,  14  and the cable  16 . 
     The rotatable supporting device  30  further includes a beam  33  having a middle portion secured to the seat  31 , and having two ends each having an orifice  34  formed therein (FIG.  2 ), or having two separate orifices  34  formed therein. 
     Two foot pedals  37  each includes a spindle  38  extended therefrom and rotatably engaged into the orifices  34  of the beam  33 , such that the foot pedals  37  may be rotatably secured on the beam  33  with the respective spindles  38 , and such that the foot pedals  37  may be separated from each other, for separately supporting the feet of the users. 
     In operation, when the rotatable supporting device  30  is rotated relative to the base  10  about the shaft  11  by the user, the foot pedals  37  may also be rotated relative to the beam  33 , such that the feet of the user may be rotated relative to the beam  33 , and will not be twisted or hurt by the beam  33 . 
     In addition, the users may also rotate the rotatable supporting device  30  in order to rotate the handle device  20  and to swing or twist the users&#39; waist portion via the rotary members  13 ,  14  and the cable  16 . Relatively, the users may also rotate the handle device  20  relative to the base  10 , in order to rotate the rotatable supporting device  30 . 
     It is to be noted that the foot pedals  37  are rotatably secured or supported on the beam  33 , for separately and rotatably supporting the feet of the users, and for allowing the feet of the users to be comfortably supported on the foot pedals  37 . 
     A longer fastener  24  may be engaged through the handle device  20  and the base  10 , in order to secure the handle device  20  to the base  10 , and for preventing the support device  30  from being rotated relative to the base  10 . 
     Alternatively, the rotary members  13 ,  14  and the coupling member  16  may be removed from the base  10 , and the rotatable supporting device  30  and the handle device  20  may be freely and rotatably secured onto the base  10  with the shaft  11  and the pin  12  respectively, for allowing the rotatable supporting device  30  and the handle device  20  to be randomly rotated relative to the base  10  with the shaft  11  and the pin  12  respectively. 
     Accordingly, the exerciser in accordance with the present invention includes rotatable foot pedals for rotatably and separately supporting the feet of the user and for allowing the user&#39;s feet to suitably rotated relative to the support and for preventing the user&#39;s feet from being twisted or hurt by the support. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.