Exercise device

• US 20070037667A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exerciting, LLC
• Original Assignee: Joel Gordon
• Inventors: Gordon, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 7,645,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/51
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0043 the movements of the limbs of one body half being synchronised, e.g. the left arm moving in the same direction as the left leg
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0051 the support elements being supported at a substantial distance below their axis, e.g. the axis for the foot support elements are arranged at hip height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0688 with cranks being substantially within the horizontal moving range of the support elements, e.g. by using planetary gearings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0083 of the piston-cylinder type using pneumatic piston-cylinder type force resistors A63B21/0087
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/155 Cam-shaped pulleys or other non-uniform pulleys, e.g. conical
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0007 by alternatively exercising arms or legs, e.g. with a single set of support elements driven either by the upper or the lower limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/001 by simultaneously exercising arms and legs, e.g. diagonally in anti-phase A63B22/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0017 the adjustment being controlled by movement of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0046 Details of the support elements or their connection to the exercising apparatus, e.g. adjustment of size or orientation attachments of resisters or weights to the body of the user A63B21/4001; using rollers, wheels, castors or gliding means to be moved over the floor or guide tracks A63B22/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0056 the pivoting movement being in a vertical plane, e.g. steppers with a horizontal axis platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0292 separate for each leg, e.g. dual deck
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/20 using rollers, wheels, castors or the like, e.g. gliding means, to be moved over the floor or other surface, e.g. guide tracks, during exercising
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/203 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 1/28 characterised by the use of flexible drive members, e.g. chains

Abstract

An exercise device upon which a user generally standing upright supported by foot platforms suspended from a frame via linkages in which the linkage lengths and pivot points correspond generally to the users upper and lower legs and hip and knee joints. This device not only allows natural free and spontaneous leg movement, able to simulate such exercises as walking, jogging, running, stepping, skiing or gliding, bicycling, climbing, reverse action and various isolated leg exercises, where the exercises can be performed at random generally without the need to reconfigure the device. This device preferably includes an isolation system capable of simulating natural forces throughout the entire range of movement in the horizontal and/or vertical plane. A safety/suspension system can be provided, alone or in combination with the isolation system, to resist sudden foot movement in the same direction, yet allows a slow and controlled tilting of the linkages whereby the user may simulate uphill and downhill travel.

Claims

1. An exercise device comprising:

a base member;

a support mechanism connected to said base member;

a leg linkage mechanism coupled to said support mechanism, said leg linkage mechanism defining a pair of leg linkages each having an upper leg linkage member and a lower leg linkage member;

a drive mechanism coupled to said support mechanism for selectively adjusting a displacement distance between said leg linkage mechanism and said base member;

a suspension mechanism contiguous to and rotatable about a portion of said support mechanism; and

a leg interlink mechanism coupled to said leg linkage mechanism for providing controlled opposite displacement of said leg linkages each with respect to the other.

2. The exercise device as recited in claim 1, wherein said support mechanism comprises:

a pair of upright members, each said upright member respectively extending from said base member;

a pair of frame extension members respectively extending from an upper portion of said upright member; and

a bridge tube coupled to and extending between said upright members.

3. The exercise device as recited in claim 2, where said suspension mechanism is rotatable about said bridge tube to provide angular adjustment of said leg linkage mechanism with respect to said frame extension members.

4. The exercise device as recited in claim 2, where each said leg linkage being pivotally coupled to said frame extension members by a bracket member.

5. The exercise device as recited in claim 4, where each of said upper leg linkage members is pivotally coupled to said bracket member at upper ends thereof by a pair of first pivots, each of said lower leg linkage members pivotally coupled to respective lower ends of said upper leg linkage members by a pair of second pivots, each of said lower linkage members respectively having a foot support coupled to lower ends thereof.

6. The exercise device as recited in claim 1, where said drive mechanism includes a pair of drive cords coupled each to the other at respective first ends by a spring member, said spring member being disposed within said suspension mechanism, said pair of drive cords each having a second end coupled to a respective one of said pair of leg linkages.

7. The exercise device as recited in claim 1, where said leg interlink mechanism includes a pair of sub linkage mechanisms each respectively pivotally coupling one of said upper leg linkage members to a respective one of a pair of linkage rods, said linkage rods being coupled each to the other by a swing bar.

8. The exercise device as recited in claim 7, where said swing bar includes a center distance pivot disposed in a tube housing forming a portion of said suspension system.

9. The exercise device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a spring bar coupled to said bridge mechanism and a portion of said suspension mechanism, said spring bar controlling a user'"'"'s ability to simulate uphill and downhill travel by controllably angularly displacing said leg linkage mechanisms.

10. The exercise device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a pair of resistance mechanisms each having respective first ends coupled to one of said frame extension members, each said resistance mechanisms having opposing second ends respectively coupled to each one of said pair of leg linkages.

18. The exercise device as recited in claim 11, where said leg interlink mechanism includes a pair of sub linkage mechanisms each respectively pivotally coupling one said upper leg linkages to a respective one of a pair of linkage rods, said linkage rods being coupled each to the other by a swing bar.

19. The exercise device as recited in claim 18, where said swing bar includes a center distance pivot disposed in a tube housing forming a portion of said suspension system.

11. An exercise device comprising:

a support mechanism;

a leg linkage mechanism coupled to said support mechanism, said leg linkage mechanism defining a pair of leg linkages each having an upper leg linkage member and a lower leg linkage member;

a suspension mechanism contiguous to and rotatable about a portion of said support mechanism;

a resistance mechanism coupled to said support mechanism for providing variable resistance to each one of said pair of leg linkages; and

a leg interlink mechanism coupled to said leg linkage mechanism for providing controlled opposite displacement of said leg linkages.

12. The exercise device as recited in claim 11, wherein said support mechanism includes a bridge mechanism coupled to and extending between opposing ends of said support mechanism.

13. The exercise device as recited in claim 12, where said suspension mechanism is rotatable about said bridge member to provide angular adjustment of said leg linkage mechanism with respect to said support mechanism.

14. The exercise device as recited in claim 11, further comprising a drive mechanism coupled to said support mechanism for selectively adjusting a displacement distance between said leg linkage mechanism and a base surface upon which said support mechanism rests.

15. The exercise device as recited in claim 12, where each of said leg linkages being pivotally coupled to said support mechanism by a bracket member.

16. The exercise device as recited in claim 15, where each of said upper leg linkage members is pivotally coupled to said bracket member at upper ends thereof by a pair of first pivots, each of said lower leg linkage members pivotally coupled to respective lower ends of said upper leg linkage members by a pair of second pivots, each of said lower leg linkage members respectively having a foot support coupled to lower ends thereof.

17. The exercise device as recited in claim 15, where said resistance mechanism includes a pair of gear mechanisms and a pair of first resistance elements, each of said gear mechanisms being coupled to a respective one of said bracket members, each of said first resistance elements including a resistance cord, each of said resistance cords being coupled to a respective one of said pair of gear mechanisms.

20. The exercise device as recited in claim 12, further comprising a spring bar coupled to said bridge mechanism and a portion of said suspension mechanism, said spring bar controlling a user'"'"'s ability to simulate uphill and downhill travel by controllably angularly displacing said leg linkages.

21. The exercise device as recited in claim 12, further comprising a pair of second resistance elements each having respective first ends coupled to said support mechanism, each said second resistance elements having opposing second ends respectively coupled to each one of said pair of leg linkages.

22. An exercise device comprising:

a base member;

a support mechanism connected to said base member;

a leg linkage mechanism coupled to said support mechanism, said leg linkage mechanism defining a pair of leg linkages each having an upper leg linkage member and a lower leg linkage member;

a drive mechanism coupled to said support mechanism for selectively adjusting a displacement distance between said leg linkage mechanism and said base member;

a resistance mechanism coupled to said support mechanism for providing variable resistance to each one of said pair of leg linkages, said resistance mechanism includes a pair of gear mechanisms and a pair of first resistance elements, each of said gear mechanisms being coupled to a respective one of said bracket members, each of said first resistance elements including a resistance cord, each of said resistance cords being coupled to a respective one of said pair of gear mechanisms;

a pair of second resistance elements each having respective first ends coupled to said support mechanism, each said second resistance elements having opposing second ends respectively coupled to each one of said pair of leg linkages;

a suspension mechanism contiguous to and rotatable about a portion of said support mechanism;

a spring bar coupled to said support mechanism and a portion of said suspension mechanism, said spring bar controlling a user'"'"'s ability to simulate uphill and downhill travel; and

a leg interlink mechanism coupled to said leg linkage mechanism for providing controlled opposite displacement of said leg linkages.