Patent Publication Number: US-11642568-B2

Title: Limb exercise machine

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an exercise machine, and more particularly to a limb exercise machine for exercising the upper and lower limbs of a user synchronously. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In these days, people pay more attention to do exercise, so there are various exercise machines on the market. Taiwan Patent Publication No. I618559A discloses a vertical climbing machine for doing exercise by stepping continuously. The user steps on the pedals with both feet and performs the action of stepping repeatedly. The two pedals of the above-mentioned conventional structure are respectively connected with handles above the pedals, so that the handles are linked with the pedals. When the pedals are stepped down, the handles are driven synchronously, and the user&#39;s hands resting on the handles are pulled to swing for the user to exercise his/her upper and lower limbs. 
     In the above-mentioned conventional structure, the right-foot pedal is connected to the right-hand handle, and the left-foot pedal is connected to the left-hand handle. When the right-foot pedal is stepped down by the user&#39;s right foot, the right hand is synchronously pulled down to swing; on the other hand, when the left-foot pedal is stepped down by the user&#39;s left foot, the left hand is synchronously pulled down to swing. Accordingly, this conventional structure enables the user to exercise the left upper and lower limbs and the right upper and lower limbs by turns. It is not in line with human kinesiology. As a result, the motion is not coordinated, and it is unable to provide a better exercise effect. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a limb exercise machine. The user&#39;s upper and lower limbs are pulled to perform staggered swings. It is in line with human kinesiology, which makes the movement more coordinated and smooth and enhances the effect of doing exercise. 
     In order to achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a limb exercise machine, comprising a base, a first transmission unit, a second transmission unit, and a resistance device. 
     The base includes a first step portion, a second step portion and a third step portion in a descending order of height. An upper left slide rail and an upper right slide rail are connected between the first step portion and the second step portion and extend obliquely. A lower left slide rail and a lower right slide rail are connected between the second step portion and the third step portion and extend obliquely. 
     One end of the first transmission unit is connected to a left-hand control member for manipulation of a user&#39;s left hand. Another end of the first transmission unit is connected to a right-foot control member for manipulation of the user&#39;s right foot. The left-hand control member is slidably disposed on the upper left slide rail. The right-foot control member is slidably disposed on the lower right slide rail. The left-hand control member and the right-foot control member are pulled by the first transmission unit to be moved synchronously. 
     One end of the second transmission unit is connected to a right-hand control member for manipulation of the user&#39;s right hand. Another end of the second transmission unit is connected to a left-foot control member for manipulation of the user&#39;s left foot. The right-hand control member is slidably disposed on the upper right slide rail. The left-foot control member is slidably disposed on the lower left slide rail. The right-hand control member and the left-foot control member are pulled by the second transmission unit to be moved synchronously. 
     The resistance device is connected to the left-foot control member and the right-foot control member to provide a resistance when moving. 
     Preferably, the first transmission unit includes an upper left link connected to the left-hand control member and a lower right link connected to the right-foot control member. The upper left link and the lower right lower link are fixedly connected by a first transverse rod. The second transmission unit includes an upper right link connected to the right-hand control member and a lower left link connected to the left-foot control member. The upper right link and the lower left link are fixedly connected by a second transverse rod. 
     Preferably, each of the left-hand control member, the right-hand control member, the left-foot control member and the right-foot control member is provided with a roller frame resting on the corresponding slide rail. 
     In an embodiment, the base is provided with a first pulley unit and a second pulley unit. The first pulley unit includes a first pull rope connected to the left-hand control member and the right-hand control member. The left-hand control member and the right-hand control member are pulled by the first pull rope to move synchronously. The second pulley unit includes a second pull rope connected to the left-foot control member and the right-foot control member. The left-foot control member and the right-foot control member are pulled by the second pull rope to move synchronously. 
     Preferably, the resistance device includes two pneumatic cylinder units connected to the left-foot control member and the right-foot control member, respectively. 
     Preferably, the resistance device includes four springs. Two of the springs are connected to the left-foot control member, and the other two of the springs are connected to the right-foot control member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective schematic view of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic view of the partial components of the present invention, without the base; 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic view of the partial components of the present invention, only illustrating the first transmission unit; 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic view of the partial components of the present invention, only illustrating the second transmission unit; and 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic view of the present invention in an operating state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2   , a limb exercise machine provided by the present invention comprises a base  1 , a first transmission unit  2 , a second transmission unit  3 , and a resistance device. The base  1  is a stepped frame, having a first step portion  11 , a second step portion  12  and a third step portion  13  in a descending order of height. The first step portion  11  is connected with an upper left slide rail  14  and an upper right slide rail  15 . The other end of each of the upper left slide rail  14  and the upper right slide rail  15  is connected to the second step portion  12 . The second step portion  12  is connected with a lower left slide rail  16  and a lower right slide rail  17 . The other end of each of the lower left slide rail  15  and the lower right slide rail  17  is connected to the third step portion  13 . Because the first step portion  11 , the second step portion  12  and the third step portion  13  have a difference in height, the slide rails each extend in an oblique manner. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , the first transmission unit  2  includes an upper left link  21  and a lower right link  22 . The upper left link  21  and the lower right lower link  22  are fixedly connected by a first transverse rod  23 . The upper left link  21  is connected with a left-hand control member  41  for manipulation of the user&#39;s left hand. The bottom of the left-hand control member  41  is provided with a roller frame  411  resting on the upper left slide rail  14 , so that the left-hand control member  41  can slide along the upper left slide rail  14 . The lower right link  22  is connected with a right-foot control member  42  for manipulation of the user&#39;s right foot. The bottom of the right-foot control member  42  is provided with a roller frame  421  resting on the lower right slide rail  17 , so that the right-foot control member  42  can slide along the lower right slide rail  17 . The left-hand control member  41  and the right-foot control member  42  can be pulled by the first transmission unit  2  to be moved synchronously. Based on the arrangement of the first transverse rod  23 , the left-hand control member  41  and the right-foot control member  42  are spaced a determined distance apart from each other in the transverse direction to correspond in position to the left hand and the right foot of the human body, respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , the second transmission unit  3  includes an upper right link  31  and a lower left link  32 . The upper right link  31  and the lower left link  32  are fixedly connected by a second transverse rod  33 . The upper right link  31  is connected with a right-hand control member  43  for manipulation of the user&#39;s right hand. The bottom of the right-hand control member  43  is provided with a roller frame  431  resting on the upper right slide rail  15 , so that the right-hand control member  43  can slide along the upper right slide rail  15 . The lower left link  32  is connected with a left-foot control member  44  for manipulation of the user&#39;s left foot. The bottom of the left-foot control member  44  is provided with a roller frame  441  resting on the lower left slide rail  16 , so that the left-foot control member  44  can slide along the lower left slide rail  16 . The right-hand control member  43  and the left-foot control member  44  can be pulled by the second transmission unit  3  to be moved synchronously. Based on the arrangement of the second transverse rod  33 , the right-hand control member  43  and the left-foot control member  44  are spaced a determined distance apart from each other in the transverse direction to correspond in position to the right hand and the left foot of the human body, respectively. 
     In this embodiment, each of the left-hand control member  41 , the right-hand control member  43 , the left-foot control member  44  and the right-foot control member  42  is in the form of a plate, so that the user can put his/her corresponding hands and feet on the respective control members to do exercise. The control members are not limited to the above-mentioned structure. As long as they can be manipulated by the hands and feet of the user, they should belong to the scope of the present invention. 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG.  2   , the base  1  is provided with a first pulley unit  5 . A first pull rope  51  passes around the first pulley unit  5 . Two ends of the first pull rope  51  are connected to the left-hand control member  41  and the right-hand control member  43 , respectively. Because the length of the first pull rope  51  is fixed, when one of the left-hand control member  41  and the right-hand control member  43  slides along the corresponding slide rail, the other will be pulled by the first pull rope  51  to move synchronously. The base  1  is provided with a second pulley unit  6 . A second pull rope  61  passes around the second pulley unit  6 . Two ends of the second pull rope  61  are connected to the left-foot control member  44  and the right-foot control member  42 , respectively. Because the length of the second pull rope  61  is fixed, when one of the left-foot control member  44  and the right-foot control member  42  slides along the corresponding slide rail, the other will be pulled by the second pull rope  61  to move synchronously. 
     With the above structure, the user can bend over the base  1  as shown in  FIG.  1   , with both hands and feet resting on the left-hand control member  41 , the right-hand control member  43 , the left-foot control member  44  and the right-foot control member  42  respectively to do exercise. In detail, as shown in  FIG.  2   , when the user steps down with his/her right foot, the right-foot control member  42  will move down along the lower right slide rail  17 . Then, the left-hand control member  41  is pulled to move down synchronously through the first transmission unit  2 , and the left-foot control member  44  is pulled to move up synchronously through the second pull rope  61 . The left-foot control member  44  is pulled by the second transmission unit  3  to move the right-hand control member  43  up synchronously. On the other hand, as shown in  FIG.  5   , when the user steps down with his/her left foot, the left-foot control member  44  will move down along the lower left slide rail  16 . Then, the right-hand control member  43  is pulled to move down synchronously through the first transmission unit  2 , and the right-foot control member  42  is pulled to move up synchronously through the second pull rope  61 . The right-foot control member  42  is pulled by the second transmission unit  3  to move the left-hand control member  41  up synchronously. Accordingly, the four control members guide the user&#39;s upper and lower limbs to do exercise, respectively. 
     The foregoing four control members further use a resistance device to increase the difficulty of driving, thereby enhancing the effect of doing exercise. In this embodiment, the resistance device includes two pneumatic cylinder units  7  respectively connected to the left-foot control member  44  and the right-foot control member  42  and four springs  8 . Two of the springs are connected to the right-foot control member  42 , and the other two of the springs are connected to the left-foot control member  44 . The pneumatic cylinder unit  7  can adjust the exhaust flow in the cylinder through an exhaust throttle valve  71 , and the spring  8  can be adjusted through the elastic coefficient to change the driving difficulty of each control member. 
     Based on the foregoing description and the drawings, it can be understood that when the right-foot control member  42  is stepped to move down, the left-hand control member  41  is moved down in coordination; when the left-foot control member  44  is stepped to move down, the right-hand control member  43  is moved down in coordination. Accordingly, the user&#39;s upper and lower limbs are pulled to perform staggered swings, just like the natural swinging motion of the human body when walking. It is in line with human kinesiology, which makes the movement more coordinated and smooth and enhances the effect of doing exercise.