Abstract:
A waist exerciser is able to bring a user to passively twist the waist to and fro, so as to easily strengthen the user&#39;s waist. The waist exerciser includes a carrier for a user to sit thereon. The carrier has a rotating center offset from a centerline of a power output shaft of a driving device, so that the carrier is able to rotate about the power output shaft in a circular motion and accordingly brings the user&#39;s hips to move in circular motion and thereby twist the user&#39;s waist. The waist exerciser also includes a mechanism for inclining the carrier for the user to feel a different twisting effect on the inclined and rotating carrier, and a mechanism for adjusting the carrier to a height most suitable for a user to sit thereon comfortably.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a waist exerciser, and more particularly to a waist exerciser capable of bringing a user sat thereon to passively twist the waist. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    People facing the fierce competition in the commercial and industrial society must work harder and longer than before. Many people even have to work overtime at home. The heavy work load strips most people of the time for taking exercise, which together with poor diet habit, such as irregular and unbalanced diet, including too many sweet desserts, caloric food, starches, etc., gradually cause people to grow fat, gain weight, and particularly, have increased fat and size at waist and belly. 
         [0003]    In the past, a HU LA hoop was most frequently used by people for removing extra waist and belly fat. To use the HU LA hoop, first put it around the waist with a certain point in contact with the waist, and then twist the waist hard to cause the hoop to continuously rotate around the waist. Due to a weight of the HU LA hoop, the user has to exert force to rotate it around the waist, and therefore consumes a large amount of heat and energy to thereby achieve the purpose of removing extra waist and belly fat. There are also developed HU LA hoops with protrusions provided at an inner peripheral edge thereof in an attempt of giving enhanced functions of removing extra waist and belly fat and massaging the waist and belly. A variant of the conventional HU LA hoop is formed from a plurality of serially connected be ads to provide further enhanced functions of reducing waist and belly fat. There is still a disc-shaped twist trimmer, which includes a round disc body rotatable relative to a floor surface. A user stands on the disc and keeps an upper part of the trunk unmoved. When the disc rotates, the user is brought to twist the waist and the lower trunk to and fro, so as to achieve the purpose of removing extra waist and belly fat. 
         [0004]    To use any of the above-mentioned waist twisting items, a user has to put aside any other work on hand. The user also has to be sure that his or her physical fitness condition is suitable for taking exercise using such items. As having been mentioned above, most people in the modern society work overtime and become exhausted after work. They simply do not have much time, energy, or willingness to do leisure activities or take exercises after work. Moreover, the above-mentioned waist twisting items, such as the HU LA hoop, all require a considerably large space to use them, so as to avoid collision of the rotating hoop with surrounding things or persons. 
         [0005]    It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a waist exerciser that allows a user to take passive waist exercise without additionally occupying the user&#39;s time while achieving the target of giving the user&#39;s waist and belly beautiful curves. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A primary object of the present invention is to provide a waist exerciser that brings a user to passively twist the waist to and fro, so as to remove extra waist and belly fat and give the user&#39;s waist and belly beautiful curves. 
         [0007]    To achieve the above and other objects, the waist exerciser according to the present invention includes a driving device having a power output shaft and being mounted on a first support; a carrier defining a bearing surface for a user to sit thereon; and a link pivotally connected at an end to a rotating center of the carrier, and fixedly connected at an opposite end to the power output shaft of the driving device, so that the rotating center of the carrier is offset from a centerline of the power output shaft. Whereby, when a user sits on the carrier of the waist exerciser, the are as of the user&#39;s body above the waist are generally unmoved while the user&#39;s hips are rotated about the user&#39;s spine to and fro when the carrier is rotated in circular motion, and bring the user&#39;s waist to passively twist to and fro. The exercise of twisting waist is effective in reducing extra waist and belly fat, giving the waist and belly beautiful curves, and bringing viscera in the waist and belly are as to move at the same time. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a waist exerciser according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is another top view of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 1  showing a carrier thereof is rotated to a different position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side view showing the carrier of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 1  is adjusted to a different height; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is another side view showing the carrier of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 1  is adjusted to a different inclination; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a waist exerciser according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the waist exerciser of FIG. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 8 and 9  are top views of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 6  showing a carrier thereof is rotated to different positions; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a waist exerciser according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 10 ; and 
           [0019]      FIGS. 12 and 13  are top views of the waist exerciser of  FIG. 10  showing a carrier thereof is rotated to different positions. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Please refer to  FIG. 1  that is a perspective view of a waist exerciser according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the waist exerciser in the first preferred embodiment includes a carrier  1 , an auxiliary supporting mechanism  2 , a driving device  3 , a link  4 , and a first support 
         [0021]    The carrier  1  includes a bearing surface  11  on which a user is seated. A rotating center  12  is defined at a center of the bearing surface  11 . 
         [0022]    The auxiliary supporting mechanism  2  includes four rotary discs  21 , each of which has an auxiliary rotating center  211 . 
         [0023]    The driving device  3  may be adjusted to different rotating speeds and, as shown in  FIG. 4 , has a power output shaft  31  via which power produced by the driving device  3  is output. 
         [0024]    The first support  5  includes an inclining base  51 , a first elevating mechanism  52 , and a second support  53 . The second support  53  includes a second elevating mechanism  531 . 
         [0025]    As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , the link  4  is pivotally connected at an end to the rotating center  12  of the carrier  1 , and fixedly connected at the other end to the power output shaft  31  of the driving device  3 , such that the rotating center  12  of the carrier  1  is always offset from a centerline  311  of the power output shaft  31 , and the carrier  1  is turned about the centerline  311  in circular motion. The user may sit on the bearing surface  11  of the carrier  1  with the body are as above the waist generally unmoved, while allowing the hips to follow the circular motion of the carrier  1  to turn about the user&#39;s spine. In this manner, the user&#39;s waist is passively twisted to and fro. Waist twisting exercise has the effect of removing waist and belly fat, giving the waist and belly beautiful curves, and bringing viscera in the waist and belly are as to move at the same time. 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 , and  4  at the same time. The driving device  3  is mounted to the inclining base  51  of the first support  5 . The four rotary discs  21  of the auxiliary supporting mechanism  2  are independently rotatably connected at the auxiliary rotating centers  211  to four corners of the inclining base  51  of the first support  5 , with a peripheral point on each of the rotary discs  21  pivotally connected to four corners of the carrier  1 , so that the four rotary discs  21  may undertake part of the load born by the carrier  1 . 
         [0027]    Please refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5  at the same time. The inclining base  51  is pivotally connected at an end to the second support  53 . The first elevating mechanism  52  is mounted between an opposite end of the inclining base  51  and the second support  53  for adjusting the bearing surface  11  of the carrier  1  to a different inclination relative to a horizontal surface, as shown in  FIG. 5 . When the user sits on the waist exerciser of the present invention to do waist twisting exercise, the bearing surface  11  set to different inclinations would give the user a different waist twisting feeling, and helps all are as around the user&#39;s waist to move. The second elevating mechanism  531  is used to adjust a height of the bearing surface  11  relative to a floor surface, so that a user may adjust the waist exerciser of the present invention via the second elevating mechanism  531  to a height most suitable for the user to sit thereon comfortably, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective and side views, respectively, of a waist exerciser according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. And,  FIGS. 8 and 9  are top views of the waist exerciser of the second preferred embodiment showing a carrier thereof is rotated to different positions. As shown, the waist exerciser of the second embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment except for the auxiliary supporting mechanism  2 . In the second embodiment, the auxiliary supporting mechanism  2  includes a slide plate  22 , a first sliding mechanism  23 , and a second sliding mechanism  24 . 
         [0029]    The first sliding mechanism  23  includes two first slide rails  231  and two first slide ways  232 . The second sliding mechanism  24  includes two second slide rails  241  and two second slide ways  242 . 
         [0030]    The first sliding mechanism  23  is provided between the slide plate  22  and the inclining base  51  of the first support  5 , with the two first slide rails  231  located on a top of the inclining base  51 , and the two first slide ways  232  correspondingly provided below the slide plate  22 . Alternatively, the two first slide ways  232  may be provided on the top of the inclining base  51 , with the two first slide rails  231  correspondingly located below the slide plate  22 . 
         [0031]    In a variant of the first sliding mechanism  23  according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are included two first slide rails  231  and two rows of first balls (not shown). The two first slide rails  231  are located on the top of the inclining base  51  with the two rows of first balls correspondingly provided below the slide plate  22 . Alternatively, the two rows of first balls may be provided on the top of the inclining base  51  with the two first slide rails  231  correspondingly located below the slide plate  22 . 
         [0032]    The second sliding mechanism  24  is provided between the carrier  1  and the slide plate  22 , with the two second slide rails  241  located on a top of the slide plate  22 , and the two second slide ways  242  correspondingly provided below the carrier  1 . Alternatively, the two second slide ways  242  may be provided on the top of the slide plate  22 , with the two second slide rails  241  correspondingly located below the carrier  1 . 
         [0033]    In a variant of the second sliding mechanism  24  according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are included two second slide rails  241  and two rows of second balls (not shown). The two second slide rails  241  are located on the top of the slide plate  22  with the two rows of second balls correspondingly provided below the carrier  1 . 
         [0034]    Alternatively, the two rows of second balls may be provided on the top of the slide plate  22  with the two second slide rails  241  correspondingly located below the carrier  1 . 
         [0035]    The first sliding mechanism  23  defines a sliding direction that is perpendicular to a sliding direction defined by the second sliding mechanism  24 , so that the slide plate  22  may undertake part of the load born by the carrier  1 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 10 and 11  are perspective and side views, respectively, of a waist exerciser according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. And,  FIGS. 12 and 13  are top views of the waist exerciser of the third preferred embodiment showing a carrier thereof is rotated to different positions. As shown, the waist exerciser of the third embodiment is generally structurally similar to the second embodiment except for the first sliding mechanism  23  and the second sliding mechanism  24 . In the third embodiment, the first sliding mechanism  23  includes a first slide rail  231  and a first slide way  232 ; and the second sliding mechanism  24  includes three second slide rails  241 , a second slide way  242 , and two rows of second balls  243 . 
         [0037]    The first sliding mechanism  23  is provided between the slide plate  22  and the inclining base  51  of the first support  5 , with the first slide rail  231  located on a top of the inclining base  51  and the first slide way  232  correspondingly provided below the slide plate  22 . Alternatively, the first slide way  232  is provided on the top of the inclining base  51  with the first slide rail  231  correspondingly located below the slide plate  22 . 
         [0038]    In a variant of the first sliding mechanism  23  according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are included one first slide rail  231  and one row of first balls (not shown). The first slide rail  231  is located on the top of the inclining base  51  with the row of first balls correspondingly provided below the slide plate  22 . Alternatively, the row of first balls may be provided on the top of the inclining base  51  with the first slide rails  231  correspondingly located below the slide plate  22 . 
         [0039]    The second sliding mechanism  24  is provided between the carrier  1  and the slide plate  22 , with the three second slide rails  241  located on a top of the slide plate  22 , and the second slide way  242  and the two rows of second balls  243  correspondingly provided below the carrier  1 . Alternatively, the second slide way  242  and the two rows of second balls  243  may be provided on the top of the slide plate  22 , with the three second slide rails  241  correspondingly located below the carrier  1 . 
         [0040]    In a variant of the second sliding mechanism  24  according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are included three second slide rails  241  and three second slide ways  242 . The three second slide rails  241  are located on the top of the slide plate  22  with the three second slide ways  242  correspondingly provided below the carrier  1 . Alternatively, the three second slide ways  242  may be provided on the top of the slide plate  22  with the three second slide rails  241  correspondingly located below the carrier  1 . 
         [0041]    Again, in the third preferred embodiment, the first sliding mechanism  23  defines a sliding direction that is perpendicular to a sliding direction defined by the second sliding mechanism  24 , so that the slide plate  22  may undertake part of the load born by the carrier  1 . 
         [0042]    The waist exerciser of the present invention is designed based on an actuating principle and spirit that the carrier  1  has a rotating center  12  that is offset from the power output shaft  31  of the driving device  3 , so that the carrier  1  is caused to rotate about the power output shaft  31 . It is understood that any other inventions that adopts the actuating principle and spirit of the present invention with changes and modifications only in the materials or mechanism designs thereof can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.