Exercise apparatus having high durability mechanism for user energy transmission

• US 4,949,993 A
• Filed: 07/31/1989
• Issued: 08/21/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Laguna Tectrix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Laguna Tectrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Sweeney, Michael T., Stark, Duane P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/387,936
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 272/70, 272/71, 272/72, 272/73, 272/118, 272/69, 272/128, 272/94, 272/96, 272/131, 272/132, 272/133
• US Class Current: 482/52
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0038 One foot moving independently from the other, i.e. there is no link between the movements of the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0053 each support element being cantilevered by a parallelogram system
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/055 extension element type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/153 wound-up and unwound during exercise, e.g. from a reel
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/157 Ratchet-wheel links; Overrunning clutches; One-way clutches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• 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 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance

Abstract

An exercising apparatus is disclosed which simulates stair-climbing. In order to reduce breakage problems in the force-transmitting structure between each pedal and a one-way rotating drive shaft, a pair of pulley wheels, each associated with a pair of cables, are used. Each pulley wheel rotates the drive shaft, and is pulled in one direction of rotation by a pedal-connected cable, and in the other direction of rotation by a cable connected to a return spring. Each cable on each pulley wheel reels into and out of helical grooves formed in the periphery of the pulley wheel.

Claims

1. In an exercise apparatus which simulates stair climbing, which has a rotating resistance mechanism, and means for causing rotation of said mechanism as a user steps alternately on a left foot pedal, moving it from an upper to a lower position, and a right foot pedal, moving it from an upper to a lower position, a force transmitting structure between the pedals and the resistance mechanism, comprising:

a driving shaft rotatable in one direction only;

a member which rotates with the driving shaft to cause rotation of the resistance mechanism;

a first pulley wheel mounted on the driving shaft and arranged to apply torque to the driving shaft when the first pulley wheel rotates in one direction, and to free wheel on the driving shaft when the first pulley wheel rotates in the opposite direction;

a first cable connected at one end to the left foot pedal and at the other end to the first pulley wheel, said first cable applying torque at the first pulley wheel to rotate the driving shaft when the left foot pedal is moved from its upper position to its lower position by the user'"'"'s weight;

a first pedal-returning means for automatically returning the left pedal from its lower to its upper position when the user'"'"'s weight is removed from that pedal;

a second cable connected at one end to the first pedal-returning means and at the other end to the first pulley wheel, said second cable applying torque to rotate that pulley wheel but not the driving shaft;

a second pulley wheel mounted on the driving shaft and arranged to apply torque to the driving shaft when the second pulley wheel rotates in one direction, and to free wheel on the driving shaft when the second pulley wheel rotates in the opposite direction;

a third cable connected at one end to the right foot pedal and at the other end to the second pulley wheel, said third cable applying torque at the second pulley wheel to rotate the driving shaft when the right foot pedal is moved from its upper position to its lower position by the user'"'"'s weight;

a second pedal-returning means for automatically returning the right pedal from its lower to its upper position when the user'"'"'s weight is removed from that pedal; and

a fourth cable connected at one end to the second pedal-returning means and at the other end to the second pulley wheel, said fourth cable applying torque to rotate that pulley wheel but not the driving shaft.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which each of the cables is formed of:

a plurality of strands, each containing a plurality of wires; and

a protective jacket formed of nylon or other plastic material.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which:

each of the pulley wheels has a diameter which is at least approximately twenty-four times the diameter of each cable.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which:

the collective diameter of the wire strands in each cable is approximately one-eighth inch;

the diameter of the protective jacket of each cable is approximately three-sixteenth inch; and

the diameter of each pulley wheel is approximately three inches.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which:

each pulley wheel has helical grooves formed in its periphery, into which the cables wind and from which the cables unwind as the pulley rotates.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which:

each pulley wheel has a continuous helical groove formed in its periphery to guide the winding of both cables associated with that pulley wheel.

7. The structure of claim 5 in which:

each pulley wheel has formed in each of its ends an anchoring hole, and a smaller diameter slot leading from the helical groove to the anchoring hole; and

each cable has an enlarged end fitting which fits into the anchoring hole at one end of the pulley wheel, in order to provide an anchoring connection between the cable and the pulley wheel.

8. The structure of claim 1 which also comprises:

a fitting at each cable to foot pedal connection which allows lateral motion of the cable without lateral stress on the cable.

9. The structure of claim 1 in which:

each of the pedal-returning means is a spring exerting a tension force on the cable to which it is connected.

10. In an exercise apparatus which simulates stair climbing, which has a rotating resistance mechanism, and means for causing rotation of said mechanism as a user steps alternately on a left foot pedal, moving it from an upper to a lower position, and a right foot pedal, moving it from an upper to a lower position, a force transmitting structure between the pedals and the resistance mechanism, comprising:

a driving shaft rotatable in one direction only;

a member which rotates with the driving shaft to cause rotation of the resistance mechanism;

a first pulley wheel mounted on the driving shaft and arranged to apply torque to the driving shaft when the first pulley wheel rotates in one direction, and to free wheel on the driving shaft when the first pulley wheel rotates in the opposite direction, said first pulley wheel applying torque to the driving shaft when the left pedal is moved from its upper position to its lower position by the user'"'"'s weight;

a first pedal-returning means for automatically returning the left pedal from its lower to its upper position when the user'"'"'s weight is removed from that pedal;

cable means connected to the left foot pedal and to the first pedal-returning means, and anchored to the first pulley wheel, in order to rotate that pulley wheel in both the driving and returning directions;

a second pulley wheel mounted on the driving shaft and arranged to apply torque to the driving shaft when the second pulley wheel rotates in one direction, and to free wheel on the driving shaft when the second pulley wheel rotates in the opposite direction, said second pulley wheel applying torque to the driving shaft when the right pedal is moved from its upper position to its lower position by the user'"'"'s weight;

a second pedal-returning means for automatically returning the right pedal from its lower to its upper position when the user'"'"'s weight is removed from that pedal; and

cable means connected to the right foot pedal and to the second pedal-returning means, and anchored to the second pulley wheel, in order to rotate that pulley wheel in both the driving and returning directions.