Abstract:
A stationary frame with two vertically positioned rotary cycles, each independent of the other, for a user exercising hands and feet simultaneously in free, upright position. A special combination of stiff, heavy-duty resistance devices, to include extension springs and wheel and roller braking devices, combined with shock absorbers. A spring loaded foot pedal mechanism that provides resistance only to the power stroke of the foot pedal rotation, and springs the pedal back freely on the return stroke. A cam and shock absorber assembly that provides extra tension to the power stroke of the hand pedal rotation. A pivoting frame that allows two hand operating positions.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not Applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING  
       [0003]     Not Applicable.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The invention relates to exercise devices; more particularly, to the subclass of stationary bikes that provide exercise for the top and the lower halves of the body simultaneously, with the user in free-standing, vertical position.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Despite a flurry of new exercise devices, there is still a particular need of another class of exerciser, one that will stand the test of time. New and exciting machine exercise concepts have appeared on the world scene yearly since the start of the fitness boom in nineteen eighty-four. Many machines capture the public&#39;s imagination as they seek to simulate popular activities, such as, rowing, stair-climbing, skiing and the like. Unfortunately, we see many of these come and go. Interestingly, the three that have triumphantly held the foreground, the Elite Three, have held their position from the start, going back before the fitness boom ever started: these are the stationary bike, the treadmill, and the weightlifting apparatus. That we should see the rise of another staple in exercise equipment, to stand along side the elite three, is well over due. But perhaps we should not look so much to exciting concepts of simulation, but to existing subclasses that have not yet reached full potential. This inventor believes that the subclass that shall be referred to as “total body”, that is, machines that exercise both the upper and lower body simultaneously, has great potential for rising to great status. Everyone wants more from exercise equipment. The biggest complaint is boredom. More body involvement is a logical direction to take.  
         [0006]     The Total Body class of exercise equipment is quite diverse although limited in the skill with which it is represented. There are many different modes of operation. There are total body exercisers with reciprocating motion, rotary motion, oscillating motion and so on. There are those that you sit on, stand on, and lie on. And there is even a total body exerciser that positions the user at a forty-five degree angle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,791, by Long. The present invention more specifically relates to rotary exercisers that you stand on, the vertical rotary exercisers; such as, U.S. Pat. No. 1,820,372, by Blomquist; U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,468, by Kurlytis; U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,002, by Huang; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,262, by Hansen. Ironically, this total body class of exercise equipment shows the greatest need for improvement, despite the fact that it has the best potential for greatness. The fact of this can be directly attributed to the challenges of standing freely on an exerciser working both hands and feet at the same time. A lot of problems arise. Prior art has not completely met the challenge. For example, Huang&#39;s “Exercise Apparatus”, lacking resistance or anything to work against, will be cumbersome at best. Blomquist, Kurlytis and Hansen&#39;s embodiments do have resistance, but show little awareness of the problems that needed resistance brings along with it. Once the resistance is there, coupled with body weight, there is a problem of getting the pedals back up on the back stroke. This is not a big problem if one is sitting on the exerciser; but standing is totally different. Inventor R. J. Decloux showed awareness of this problem; U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,072. His solution is adequate, though complex. He uses an array of gears, clutches, a cam, and electrical charges to fast return the pedals to user operating position in each pedaling cycle. Hansen, one of the before mentioned inventors, may have been partially aware of this problem, as suggested in his use of a modified pedal member that fits on the user like a shoe. Apparently, the shoe helps the user bring the pedal back up the back side of the pedaling cycle, forcing the user to use both pushing and pulling in each rotation of the pedal. This could be difficult for the user, and very halting in motion. There is something to be said, though, for certain equipment in this same field in which the hand cranks and foot pedals are made in tandem; such as, Blomquist&#39;s and Long&#39;s (if Long can be considered in this field in view of the fact that his embodiment is short of vertical). The hands, in this case, are able to help the feet to some extent get through the difficult phase of the pedaling cycle. But there is still discomfort for the user, as Blomquist himself hinted, “inasmuch as the pedals and cranks are synchronized in their action through the gearing above described, a sort of twisting and turning or weaving of the entire body results which brings into play practically all muscles of the body.” My contention, as the present invention will teach, is that the truest exercise is stress-free, and totally natural to the way that the body functions. Our muscle configuration best lends itself to a split pattern of rotation. Each rotation should have a one-directional power stroke, followed by a free return stroke. This is best illustrated in free style swimming. We see that the power stroke is applied in the water and the return stoke is out of the water, so that there is no drag in the return. We also see this in walking. This pattern is seen in most physical activity; it is neglected, though, in prior art of this field.  
         [0007]     And there are other problems of bringing both hands and feet together in a vertical, free standing exerciser. One such problem is body support. Having no seat or strap for support presents a major problem, not fully addressed in this field. Another problem is leverage. The lack of a true fulcrum is a problem not addressed in this field. Co-ordination can be a problem; although, not so much when the mechanisms operate in tandem. The present invention, however, will deal with co-ordination in a unique way. Finally, we see in prior art a lack of user body extension. We see the standard bicycle size crank mechanisms that tend to bring the body extremities into a narrow center of gravity. Taggett&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,708 B2 does, however, provide extension for the hand pedals, but not for the foot pedals. Of course, Taggett&#39;s is primarily a sitting apparatus that can be optionally used free-standing.  
         [0008]     Some of these are not huge problems, but as we know, the slightest problem presented to a user could mean user avoidance of the exerciser. Any difficulty in exercise equipment is bad; challenge, of course, is good. They are not the same. Challenge is what machine exercise is all about, but it should be placed where the user can comfortably get to it. Put in the wrong place and it becomes difficulty. Thus, I conclude that prior art in the total body class of exercise equipment has not fully addressed all of the functionality and quality control issues that could bring this class of equipment up to the level that it deserves. The present invention seeks to address these issues.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     This total body exerciser functions to suspend the user bodily in space, as the user, using rotary motion, exercises both hands and feet simultaneously in free, upright position. There is no seat or strap or any of the usual elements of support and leverage. The actual resistance is used for body support and for leverage, aside from being used as exercise. The user is in essence riding the resistance, similarly to what is seen in swimming. This is accomplished by the vertical positioning of the two rotary cycles, effectively wedging the user in between; and, by a special combination of stiff, heavy-duty resistance devices, creating the pedal effect of moving platforms. These devices include extension springs and wheel and roller braking devices, combined with shock absorbers.  
         [0010]     The counterpoising of the two resistances and the stiff quality of the resistance are largely responsible for carrying the weight of the user. But the user is not given a free ride. The user&#39;s torque is equally responsible for carrying his weight, making for an extra vigorous, relatively short-lived exercise. The task is only made easier by the built-in leverage potential of the apparatus: because the user must use one set of resistance against another set of resistance, pressing each away from the other, the resistance itself becomes the fulcrum.  
         [0011]     The springs give a lively tension to the foot pedals, but would be too lively if not for the shock absorbers. The shock absorbers slow or deaden the action, and add greatly to the feel of harnessing a natural force, such as the great forces of water and air, and add to the power that is needed to carry the weight of an adult human body. The wheel and roller braking devices supplement the resistance and help equalize pedal movement, and they are the only adjustable resistance devices on the apparatus.  
         [0012]     The springs serve a dual purpose with the foot pedal mechanism. As the springs are caused to extend outward by the movement of the foot pedal, the springs provide tension only to the part of the pedaling cycle going away from the user, referred to as the power stroke; then, as they compress, or spring back, the springs provide lift to the pedal coming back toward the user, the free return stroke. This is crucial to the functionality and to the comfort ability of the apparatus, as it allows the user to concentrate his efforts only on pushing the pedals, and not having the difficult task of pushing and pulling all in the same rotation.  
         [0013]     The hand pedaling mechanism like the foot pedaling mechanism requires extra tension concentrated in a power stroke. The extra tension is provided by a cam and shock absorber assembly mounted with the hand pedaling mechanism on the right forward end of the pivoting frame.  
         [0014]     The pivoting frame gives the user the choice of raising or lowering the hand pedals between two operating positions. The lower position is at chest level and the upper position is at over-head level. Two gas cylinder lifts provide help to the user in lifting the pivoting frame, like an automobile hatchback. The frame then catches in the upper position so that the user does not need to use his or her strength to hold it up during exercise. A simple tug is all that is necessary to start the frame on a gradual descent, again with the help of the gas cylinder lifts. The lifting and lowering of the pivoting frame do not necessarily interrupt the continued pedaling action.  
         [0015]     The main object of this invention is to provide a truly total body exercise that immerses the whole body into a sea of powerful yet yielding resistance, just body against resistance without the support of a seat or strap.  
         [0016]     Another object of this invention is to solve the functionality and quality control problems we see in the prior art. The unique difficulties of pedal rotation are solved in the present invention. Leverage and body support problems are solved in the basic nature of the present invention. Coordination is built into the very nature of this apparatus: since the two mechanisms are independent of one another, the user himself must bring the two in tandem. The user simply must know the starting position; that is, the position of pushing the pedals away from the body, hands and feet, at the same time. Once correctly started, both cycles remain in the same rotation. Finally, body extension, very lacking in prior art, is a mark of the present invention. The hand and foot pedals are spread for lateral extension of the user&#39;s body. And the pedals have longer cranks for more vertical extension of the body. These solutions to problems all go to the objectives of functionality, quality and comfort ability, and perhaps even recreational quality of the present invention.  
         [0017]     A final, even broader object of this invention is to bring total body from subclass to the level of being in a class of its own. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the apparatus.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the apparatus. Also shown in phantom lines is the upper hand operating position of the pivoting frame.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the spring loaded foot pedal mechanism. The housing and pedals are removed to better show the operational parts of the mechanism.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of the cycle rotation of the foot pedals. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     ( FIG. 1 ) The stationary frame consists of a base  26  and a pivoting frame  60 . The supporting members of the base  26  that surround and cradle the housing  10  are two vertical support members  25 , two diagonal support members  13 , and two cross support members  6 , all joined by weldment. These pieces are made from heavy gauge steel tubing, but of the narrowest width possible. The considerations here are strength and, at the same time, minimizing the total distance between the pedals. Although lateral extension of the foot pedals is one of the virtues of the present invention, there is still a fear of going too wide given the necessary width of the housing  10 .  
         [0023]     The base  26  is supported on two transverse members  14 , made from tubing of thinner gauge and wider width, to further serve as a sleeve for the insertion of two floor members  15  of heavy gauge that are fixed in place by set screws  8  respectively. The floor members  15  are preferably plated to resist scratch since they are removable. On their ends are four rubber tips  16 .  
         [0024]     Standard bicycle hubs  5 A and  5 B (the latter not seen) are welded underneath the location where support members  13  and  6  join. A flange (not shown in this view) on hubs  5 A and  5 B provides attachment to the lower half of the housing  10  on the front end. The back end of the lower half of the housing  10  is attached to the cross support members  6 . The top half of the housing  10  is removable. The hubs  5 A and  5 B contain standard bicycle hardware and bearings (not shown). Journal in the bearings are axles  4 A and  4 B (the latter not shown). On the axles are cranks  2  and  12 , keyed by pins  3 . These are foot-long cranks to provide vertical body extension for the user. On the ends of the cranks are standard bicycle pedals  1  and  11  with rubber safety straps  7 .  
         [0025]     Elevating from the base  26 , supported on either side by vertical support members  25  and by four spacers  23 , also joined by weldment, is a single vertical support column  24 . This column is made from wide tubing of thin gauge. The column  24  contains a telegraphic member  61  that should be plated for scratch resistance and a compression spring (not shown) that helps in lifting the telegraphic member  61  for the purpose of height adjustment. Knobs  56  are used to secure the proper setting.  
         [0026]     Surmounted on the telegraphic member  61  is the pivoting frame  60 . The frame is made from thin gauge tubing of a considerable width, and formed in a U shape. It is attached to the telegraphic member  61  by way of a yoke  64  welded to the frame  60 . A bolt  67  is placed through bores in the yoke  64  and the telegraphic member  61  and tightened to allow the pivoting up and down of the pivoting frame  60 . The frame extends outward like out-stretched arms, and is on a downward slant approximately twenty-seven degrees, held in position by a stop  65 , cut from solid round stock or steel tubing and welded to the yoke  64 , and resting against the telegraphic member  61 . There are two gas cylinder lifts  62 A and  62 B (the latter not seen) attached to the telegraphic member  61  in threaded bores  68  and to the yoke  64  at the threaded connector  63 .  
         [0027]     Mounted on the forward end of the pivoting frame is the hand pedaling crank  31 . The ends of the crank are attached through bores in the bossed ends of the axles  33  and  43  with set crews  32 . The axles are bossed on one end in order to key the axles on the sleeve type bearings (not shown) in the arm of the pivoting frame  60 . Handle grips  20  and  30  are fit on sleeve type bearings (not seen) and keyed in place with wire clips  22  on either side. The handles are laterally extended to just beyond the shoulders of the average user.  
         [0028]     ( FIG. 2 ) The vertical alignment of the two rotary cycles is one of the essentials to the functionality of the apparatus. It is not, however, necessary for the two cycles to align on center one directly above the other. The two cycles are actually off-set such that the hand cycle  75  is a little in front of the user and the foot cycle  76  is directly underneath the user. This alignment does place the power strokes  111 A and  111 B one directly above the other. It is important that the hand grips  20  and  30  and the foot pedals  1  and  11  come in vertical alignment during their respective power stroke. This alignment is significant in that it provides the most leverage for the user in this position. This alignment further provides for body support and body containment. Even in a weightless environment such as out-of-space, body containment is still well served in this configuration without the need of a strap or any containment device.  
         [0029]     For proper height adjustment, the user simply moves the telegraphic member  61  up or down such that the hand grip  20  or  30  comes to mid-chest level; that is, of course, when the pivoting frame  60  is in lower hand operating position  72  and the user is standing on a foot pedal positioned at the bottom of rotation  74 . A simpler, faster alternative method of adjusting height (not seen on this embodiment) would be to use stick-on labels or markings directly on the telegraphic member  61  to indicate various user heights. In that way, the user can make the proper height adjustment before ever getting on the apparatus.  
         [0030]     ( FIG. 3 ) The other essential to the functionality of the apparatus is the quality and degree of resistance used. In order to provide exercise, body support and leverage, the resistance must be relatively stiff and at the same time yielding. This quality is provided by a combination of sources. The primary source for the foot pedal mechanism is extension springs, four in all. The two large springs  94 A and  94 B carry the maximum pounds of pressure for their size. They are attached, on one end, to the frame  82  on welded studs (not shown) and on the other end to the carriages  95 A and  95 B by way of welded brackets  104 A and  104 B. The two smaller, narrower springs  93 A and  93 B supplement the total pounds of pressure needed and fill the narrow space on the other side of the carriages  95 A and  95 B. They also help stabilize the movement of the carriages. These smaller springs are attached on one end to the carriages  95 A and  95 B on welded studs  102 A and  102 B, and on the other end to welded studs on the housing  10  at the locations  92 A and  92 B (the latter not shown).  
         [0031]     A supplementary source of resistance is a wheel and roller braking device located in the front compartment of the frame  82 . This device is common to many other exercise apparatuses. The wheel  86  is on the axle  4 C (the axle not seen). The roller  87  and the knob  96  are assembled on appendages (not seen) welded to the frame  82 . A shock absorber  90  is attached at one end to a bracket  91  located on the floor of the housing  10 , and on the other end to the carriage  95 A by way of a welded, slotted bracket  101 . The connector  100 , placed through the end of the shock absorber shaft and through the slotted bracket  101 , is a bolt and wheel device that allows the carriage  95 A to move undampened during certain phases of rotation. One shock absorber is all that is necessary in this arrangement. It dampens both ways, on extension and compression of the shaft, doing work for both sides of the foot pedal mechanism, as the mechanism operates in tandem.  
         [0032]     On the rear compartment of the frame  82 , the carriages  95 A and  95 B are translatably supported on four sheaves  103 . And on the other end, the carriages  95 A and  95 B are linked to axle shanks  84 A and  84 B and  85 A and  85 B. The right side shanks  84 A and  85 A are one hundred-eighty degrees out of phase with the left side shanks  84 B and  85 B; therefore, in this view, the shanks on the left side cannot be seen. The outside axles  4 A and  4 B each have one shank and are supported on bearings within flanged hubs  5 A and  5 B. The center axle  4 C has two shanks, and is supported within two flanged bearings  83 A and  83 B (the latter not seen); attachments to the frame  82  and the housing  10  are provided through bores in the flanges.  
         [0033]     The primary objective of the foot pedal mechanism is to convert the rotary motion of axles  4 A,  4 B, and  4 C to the oscillating motion of the carriages  95 A and  95 B, thereby providing for the lateral extension of the springs  93 A and B and  94 A and B and the shock absorber  90 . In a very broad sense, one could say that this mechanism basically alternates between the building of spring tension and the releasing of that tension. A closer look reveals four distinct phases of each pedal rotation. Remarkably, although there is some tension throughout the process, tension from the wheel and roller braking device, and the springs are installed with a degree of tension, the bulk of the total resistance is concentrated in only one of the four phases of rotation, as we shall see through plotting the movement of the pedals in a single rotation. ( FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ) Even when the mechanism is in a state of rest, the cranks  2  and  12  settle in horizontal position, which happens to be the starting position of rotation  110 . This is due to the equalizing effect of both sets of springs having been installed under pressure. Now, as the user applies torque to the pedal  1  at the starting position  110 , the right side springs  93 A and  94 A extend, and now the shock absorber  90  has started to dampen by extension, as the pedal  1  goes through the power stroke  111 . The springs  93 A and  94 A and the shock absorber  90  reach maximum extension at the end of the first phase of rotation  112 A. With the pedal  1  now at the bottom of rotation  74 , here starts the free return stroke  113 . The springs  93 A and  94 A, as they compress or spring back, are now powering the pedal  1  through the second phase of rotation  112 B. The shock absorber  90  is dormant through phase two, with its shaft still extended, and the connector  100  is now shifting freely within the slot  101  by the movement of the carriage  95 A. The third phase of rotation  112 C is still in free return for the pedal  1  because the user&#39;s torque on the pedal  11  is now powering the rotation in pedal  11 &#39;s own power stroke  111 . The shock absorber  90  is now dampening on compression for the pedal  11 . The last phase of rotation  112 D is yet another free return for the pedal  1  because the rotation now is powered by the compression of the left side springs  93 B and  94 B for the pedal  11 . The shock absorber  90  is dormant through this phase, with its shaft fully retracted. This completes one full rotation bringing pedal  1  back to starting position  110 . We see that the user only applies torque in the power stroke  111 , which, for each pedal, consists of only one quarter of the total pedal rotation.  
         [0034]     (Back to  FIG. 1 ) The resistance for the hand operating mechanism is a lot simpler and less intense than that of the foot pedaling mechanism. There is no need of springs since the hand mechanism does not bear the weight of the user as with the foot mechanism and far less resistance is required since the upper body of the user is not as strong as the lower body. Similarities in the two mechanisms, however, do persist in the four phases of rotation, as will soon be discussed.  
         [0035]     A wheel and roller braking device, pretty much the same as on the foot pedal mechanism, is mounted on the right arm of the pivoting frame  60 . This is a device commonly seen on other exercise apparatuses. It will not hurt here, however, to explain how it works. The wheel  40  is fit on the axle  43  with a keyway and a key  41 . A wire clip  42  keeps the wheel from sliding off. The roller  50  is mounted on the open end of a unshaped yoke  45 . The yoke  45  is mounted to the arm of the pivoting frame  60  with a bolt  44 . At the closed end of the yoke  45  is a bore (not seen) into which the hooked end of the rod  47  is placed. The rod is translatably mounted through a bore in a welded plate  48 . A knob  51  is screwed on the threaded end of the rod  47 . A compression spring  49  under the knob  51  adds stabilizing pressure. The user simply turns the knob  51  one way or the other to tighten or loosen the pressure of the roller  50  against the wheel  40 .  
         [0036]     Located on that same arm of the pivoting frame  60  are the cam  57  and the shock absorber  52 . The cam  57  is an elliptically shaped steel plate. It is centered and welded on to the bossed end of axle  43 . The threaded body of the shock absorber  52  is screwed into the threaded bracket  53  that is welded to the arm of the pivoting frame  60 . Once the unit is adjusted to position, a nut  54  locks the unit in place. The shock absorber  52  only dampens on compression of the shaft. A spring  55  returns the shaft to its extended position.  
         [0037]     The cam and shock absorber assembly provides the four phases of the hand pedal rotation. The cam  57  is in constant contact with the shaft of the shock absorber  52 . The spring  55  exerts a little pressure on the cam  57  even while the mechanism is in a state of rest. This tends to automatically settle the crank  31  into a starting position. Now, as the grip  20  is pressed upward through the power stroke by the user&#39;s torque, one of the elongated ends of the cam  57  compresses the shaft of the shock absorber  52 . The shaft is released in phase two after the long end of the cam  57  passes through. The grip  30  now approaches starting position, and the process is repeated in the last two phases, completing one full rotation of the crank  31 .  
         [0038]     ( FIG. 2 ) The pivoting frame  60  allows two hand operating positions, the lower hand operating position  72  and the upper hand operating position  73  (in phantom lines). The user can switch from one position to the other simply by lifting or lowering the frame  60 . No extra adjustments are necessary; not even the interruption of the pedaling action is necessary. The two gas cylinder lifts  62 A and  62 B (the latter not seen) help the user in lifting and lowering the pivoting frame  60 . The lowering of the frame could be slowed somewhat by the cylinder lifts. The lifts further help in holding the frame in the upper position. Additional help in holding the pivoting frame  60  in upper hand operating position  73  is provided by a catch  66 A and  66 B (the latter not seen) consisting of a protuberance or bulge in the metal on either side of the telegraphic member  61 .