Exercise assisting machine

• US 7,247,128 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OGA Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: OGA Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oga, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Cary E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US10/509,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20050227826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 482/121, 482/123, 482/51, 482/71, 482/72, 482/79, 482/92, 482/93, 482 95- 97, 482/101, 482/135, 482/142, 482/145, 297/DIG.10, 297/344.1, 297/344.12, 297/338, 601/24, 601 33- 35, 434/253, 128/845
• US Class Current: 482/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/14 Standing-up or sitting-down aids
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00181 comprising additional means assisting the user to overcome part of the resisting force, i.e. assisted-active exercising
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0405 involving a bending of the knee and hip joints simultaneously A63B23/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/10 Occupant-arising assist

Abstract

An exercise assisting instrument assists the user'"'"'s knee-bending exercise, and lightens a burden and maintains safety of the user. It has a base 10, supporting columns 20, lifting mechanisms 30 consisting of lifting arms, lever arms 40, and a chair 50. A three-member linkage system is formed by the supporting columns 20 and the lifting mechanisms 30, so that the chair 50 may move upward and downward. Further, it is equipped with an upward movement assisting device 33, which provides a force in the raising direction to the hinge point 30a of the lifting arms, so that stand-up movement of the user is assisted and lightening the user'"'"'s burden is possible. Moreover, a locking device 11 and a stopper 13 are equipped, so the user'"'"'s safety may be improved.

Claims

1. An exercise assisting instrument for assisting knee-bending exercise of a user comprising:

a base;

a pair of supporting columns spaced apart and standing vertically in parallel supported on the base;

a chair adapted to support a user'"'"'s buttocks, the chair movable along an upright path between a downward position wherein a user may be seated thereon in a sitting posture and an upward position to assist the user to a standing posture; and

a lifting device mounted to the supporting columns and to the chair and having a pair of lifting arms which are operated by the user for moving the chair upward and downward as the user does knee-bending exercises by moving between a downward sitting posture and an upward standing posture, wherein said lifting device comprises

a respective one of the lifting arms having one end to be manipulated by a user and its other moving end operatively coupled to a respective one of a pair of sliding members slidable in a respective one of a pair of sliding slots formed in a respective one of the supporting columns for movement between downward and upward positions thereon,

a lifting mechanism coupled to the other end of the lifting arm and the sliding member for upwardly biasing said sliding member in its sliding movement between the upward and downward positions upon operation of the lifting arm by the user, and

a lifting member supported on the sliding member and coupled to the chair for moving the chair upward and downward in conjunction with operation of the lifting arm by the user so as to position the chair for supporting a user'"'"'s body thereon near the buttocks of the user, which chair moves upward and downward together with the user doing the knee bending exercise, whereby the user doing the knee-bending exercise may be supported on the chair any time, accordingly the user may do the knee-bending exercise safely.

2. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said lifting device raises the chair in conjunction with pulling movement of the user'"'"'s arms on the lifting arms when the user stands up.

3. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said lifting mechanisms and said lifting arms are connected to each other at first hinge points, one ends of the lifting mechanisms being rotationally connected to said base and other ends thereof moving upward and downward along said supporting columns, and said one ends serving as second hinge points;

a pair of lever arms having handle-parts at their ends for the user to grip, said lever arms being rotationally connected to the supporting columns at third hinge points, around which they swing upward and downward as seesaws;

a stopper for abutting the chair to stop when the chair moves down and reaches to the lowest point;

an upward movement assisting device for urging an assisting force in a direction that the other ends of the lifting mechanisms move upward; and

a connecting member for connecting the first hinge points of the lifting arms to control the movement of said paired lever arms, wherein said lifting device partially assists standing-up movement of the user and lightens a burden of the knee-bending exercise when the user stands up and pulls said handle-parts of the lever arms upward with gripping of said handle-parts.

4. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 3 wherein said lever arms have length adjusting devices so the user may adjust the length thereof corresponding to the user'"'"'s body size.

5. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 3 wherein said upward movement assisting device is made of an elastic member which is connected between said stopper and said connecting member.

6. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said lifting mechanisms and said lifting arms are connected to each other at first hinge points, one ends of said lifting mechanisms being rotationally connected to said base and other moving ends thereof moving upward and downward along said supporting columns, and said one ends serving as second hinge points;

a pair of lever arms having handle-parts at their ends for the user to grip;

a connecting member for connecting the first hinge points of the paired lifting arms to control the movement of said paired lever arms;

a lifting linkage having a linkage system for moving said moving ends of said lifting mechanisms upward and downward in conjunction with the movements of said lever arms;

a lifting base fixed to said moving ends of said lifting mechanisms, said lifting base moving upward and downward together with the upward-downward movement of said moving ends and having support means for supporting said lever arms to move backward and forward; and

an upward movement assisting device for urging an assisting force in a direction that said moving ends of the lifting mechanism moves upward, wherein said lifting device partially assists standing-up movement of the user and lightens a burden of the knee-bending exercise when the user stands up and pulls said lever arms upward with gripping said handle-parts.

7. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 6 wherein said lever arms have length adjusting devices so that the user may adjust the length thereof corresponding to the user'"'"'s body size.

8. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said lifting mechanisms and said lifting arms are connected to each other at first hinge points, one ends of said lifting mechanisms being rotationally connected to said base and other moving ends thereof moving upward and downward along said supporting columns, and said one ends serving as second hinge points;

a pair of lever arms which move upward and downward in conjunction with the upward-downward movement of said moving ends;

a connecting member for connecting the first hinge points of the paired lifting arms to control the movement of said paired lever arms;

a pair of wire members, each having an end which is used as a pulling end part pulled by the user and an other end which is connected at the first hinge point of said lifting arms so that the moving ends of said lifting arms may be moved upward by pulling said pulling end parts; and

an upward movement assisting device for urging an assisting force in a direction that said lifting mechanism moves upward, wherein said lifting device partially assists standing-up movement of the user and lightens a burden of the knee-bending exercise when the user stands up and pulls said lever arms upward with gripping said handle-parts.

9. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 8 wherein said lifting arms have winding devices for winding said wire members at the first hinge points.

10. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 8 wherein said lever arms have an angle adjusting device so that the user may adjust the angle of said lever arms corresponding to the user'"'"'s body size.

11. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 8 wherein said upward movement assisting device is made of an elastic member, which is connected between an upper end of said supporting column and the first hinge point of said lifting arms.

12. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said chair moves upward and downward in conjunction with the upward-downward movement of the moving ends of said lifting arms, wherein said exercise assisting instrument further includes a movement stopper to stop said chair at a designated position of height.

13. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said chair has an adjusting device for moving the chair backward and forward so that the position of the chair may be adjusted to a suitable position to the user.

14. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said chair has a structure able to tilt forward so that the user may easily stand up when some part of the user'"'"'s body touches said chair to tilt forward.

15. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 12 wherein said stopper is a column member established under said chair and supports said chair at the upper part of said column member when said chair moves downward.

16. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said exercise assisting instrument further includes, an assisting force adjusting device that adjusts assisting forces of said upward movement of said chair according to the user'"'"'s condition.

17. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said exercise assisting instrument further includes, a counter for counting a number of knee-bending movements of the user.

18. The exercise assisting instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said base has slip stoppers to prevent slipping so that the user does not slip.