Patent Publication Number: US-8109860-B2

Title: Twisting and leaping exercise apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a design of a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus, and more particularly to a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus that provides up-and-down leaping and left-and-right twisting exercise effects to users to achieve an all-round exercise effect. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Various fitness equipments are designed with different functional structures according to their use to fit users&#39; operating requirements, so as to achieve different fitness effects. Since fitness equipments can be operated and used anytime conveniently, they become increasingly popular and extensively used by consumers. 
     Among these fitness equipments, the most popular one used at home is a stepper. Since the stepper has a light weight and an easy-to-store feature and provides a mild exercise, therefore the stepper is suitable for exercises of the whole family. The design of a conventional stepper simulates human walking movements, and thus its operation can provide the exercise effect similar to walking and strolling. Although the conventional stepper can provide sufficient exercise for users, yet it cannot provide the benefits of an exercise other than walking (since users can obtain their desired exercise capacity by walking continuously and exercise their muscles similar to walking), and thus the exercise effect of the stepper cannot be enhanced up to the level of providing a good relaxing exercise effect for muscles of the whole body. 
     In view of the shortcomings of the conventional stepper having a structural function of simulating human walking, increasing exercise capacity of leg muscles without taking the all-round exercise effect for other muscles into consideration, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus using a simple structure to provide an up-and-down leaping exercise effect to users and achieve an all-round exercise effect and reducing the manufacturing cost to improve the product competitiveness. In addition, the present invention includes an elastic module for damping the downward impact forces caused by the body weight of the users. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention discloses a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus comprising a base, at least one fixed seat, one or more sets of upper and lower swinging arms, a pedal set, a connecting plate and an elastic module, wherein the fixed seat is installed on the base, and an end of the upper and lower swinging arms is pivotally installed onto the fixed seat, and another end is coupled to a pedal, and the pedal set is installed at an end of the upper and lower swinging arms by a connecting plate, and the elastic module is coupled to the pedal set for providing an elasticity for up and down movements of the pedal set, such that when an exerciser applies forces to the pedal set, the pedal set presses onto the elastic module, and the restoring resilience provided by the elastic module allows users to leap up and down. In addition to the up and down leaping movements, the pedal set also can be turned to left and right to provide the function of a waist twisting exercise, so as to achieve an all-round exercise function and a better exercise effect. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a shaft module of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of up-and-down leaping movements of a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of left-and-right twisting movements of a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are schematic views of a rotating pedal with a limited rotating angle in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of an elastic module of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The structural assembly, overall operation and technical characteristics of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the illustration of the related drawings as follows. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  for a twisting and leaping exercise apparatus in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the twisting and leaping exercise apparatus  1  comprises: 
     a base  11 ; 
     at least one fixed seat  12 , installed onto the base  11 ; 
     one or more sets of upper and lower swinging arms  131 ,  132 , wherein there are two sets of upper and lower swinging arms  131 ,  132  in this embodiment, and an end of the upper and lower swinging arms  131 ,  132  is pivotally installed to the fixed seat  12 , and another end is coupled to a pedal set  15 , and the upper and lower swinging arms  131 ,  132 , are arranged into upper and lower positions respectively; 
     a pedal set  15 , installed at an end of the upper and lower swinging arms  131 ,  132 , and having two rotating pedals  151 ; 
     a connecting plate  18 , having a planar portion  181  and a pivot portion  182  substantially parallel to a floor, and the pedal set  15  being installed to the planar portion  181  by a shaft module  14  and pivotally coupled to an end of the upper and lower swinging arms  131 ,  132  by a pivot portion  182 ; 
     a shaft module  14 , installed between the pedal set  15  and the connecting plate  18 , and the shaft module  14  as shown in  FIG. 3  comprising a fixing element  141 , a shaft  142  and a connecting pipe  143 , and the shaft  142  being fixed to the planar portion  181  of the connecting plate, and the connecting pipe  143  being fixed below each rotating pedal  151  of the pedal set, and the connecting pipe  143  including a sheath hole  144  for sheathing the shaft  142 , and at least one shaft sleeve  145  being installed between an internal wall of the sheath hole  144  and the shaft  142  and made by a powder metallurgy process, and the fixing element  141  (which can be a screw) being installed for connecting the shaft  142  and the connecting pipe  143 , such that each rotating pedal  151  of the pedal set can be turned on the connecting plate  18  by using the shaft module  14  as an axial center; 
     at least one elastic module  191 , which can be a spring or a rubber, coupled to the pedal set  15 , for providing an elasticity for up and down movements of the pedal set  15 , wherein the elastic module (or spring)  191  can be installed below the pedal set  15 , and the elastic module  191  includes a fender  192  installed on an external side of the elastic module  191  and fixed to the connecting plate  18 ; and 
     a guide plate  16 , installed onto the base  11 , for sheltering the fixed seat  12  and the elastic module  191 . 
     When use, a user can stand on the rotating pedals  151  with each leg on each rotating pedal  151  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and the user not just can obtain the up-and-down leaping exercise effect from the twisting and leaping exercise apparatus only, but also can turn each rotating pedal  151  of the pedal set to left and right to achieve the waist twisting exercise effect. Of course, the twisting and leaping exercise apparatus can further comprise a pull rope  2  with an end fixed to the base  11 , such that the user can use the twisting and leaping exercise apparatus  1  for leg exercises as well as arm exercises by pulling the pull rope  2 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the planar portion  181  of the connecting plate further includes a position-limit stopper  183  with a protruding surface for limiting a rotating angle of the pedal set each rotating pedal  151 . 
     In  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the base  11  includes a position-limit seat  193  installed at the bottom of the base  11  and provided for installing the elastic module  191 , such that the elastic module  191  will be fixed at a position, and an upper shock absorbing rubber  194  is installed below each rotating pedal  151  of the twisting pedal and extended into a protrusion  195  of the elastic module  191 , and the position-limit seat  193  includes a protruded pillar  196  extended into the elastic module  191 , and the position-limit seat  193  includes a lower shock absorbing rubber  197  installed at a position corresponding to the elastic module  191 , so that an interval between the protrusion  195  and the protruded pillar  196  can be controlled by the elasticity of the elastic module  191 . 
     It is noteworthy to point out that the present invention improves over the prior art that provides an exercise effect by simulating human walking, but cannot increase the exercise capacity. On the other hand, the twisting and leaping exercise apparatus of the present invention can provide users the up-and-down leaping exercise effect as well as the left-and-right twisting exercise effect, so that the invention not just provides an exercise for all muscles of the user&#39;s body and improve the exercise capacity effectively, but also increases the user&#39;s energy consumption. 
     The present invention complies with patent application requirements, and is thus duly filed for the patent application. While the invention has been described by device of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those generally skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.