Exercise device with adaptive curved track motion

• US 20100167883A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precor Incorporated (Peloton Interactive, Inc.), Universitat Heidelberg
• Original Assignee: Precor Incorporated (Peloton Interactive, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grind, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/71
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/067 with crank and handles being on opposite sides of the exercising apparatus with respect to the frontal body-plane of the user, e.g. the crank is behind and handles are in front of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/206 on a curved path
• 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 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/203 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/208 On a track which is itself moving during exercise

Abstract

An exercise device reciprocates footpads along curved tracks having first pivotally supported ends and second ends that are alternately raised and lowered with respect to one another.

Claims

1. An exercise device comprising:

a frame;

a first curved track having a first portion pivotably connected directly to the frame;

a second curved track having a first portion pivotably connected directly to the frame;

a track drive connected to a second portion of the first curved track and a second portion of the second curved track, the track drive configured to raise and lower the first curved track and the second curved track, alternately, provide vertically opposed motions;

a first footpad movably supported along the first curved track; and

a second footpad movably supported along the second curved track, wherein forward and rearward movement of the second footpad is synchronized with rearward and forward movement, respectively, of the first footpad and wherein the first foot pad and the second foot pad are configured to change between a plurality of different available paths in response to force applied by a person to the first footpad and the second footpad.

2. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the track drive comprises a suspension assembly having a first pulley and one or more flexible members suspending a second portion of the first curved track and a second portion of the second curved track from the first pulley.

3. The exercise device of claim 2, wherein the track drive further comprises:

a second pulley coupled to the first pulley so as to rotate with the first pulley;

a third pulley rotationally supported by the frame;

a belt wrapped about the second pulley and the third pulley;

a flywheel rotationally supported by the frame; and

a lever arm having a first portion eccentrically connected to the third pulley and a second portion eccentrically connected to the flywheel.

4. The exercise device of claim 3, wherein the flywheel is formed from a ferromagnetic material and wherein the exercise device further comprises one or more magnets opposite the flywheel.

5. The exercise device of claim 4, wherein the one or more magnets comprises an electromagnetic configured to apply a selectively adjustable magnetic field to the flywheel to resist rotation of the flywheel.

6. The exercise device of claim 2, wherein the one or more flexible members wrap about a lower portion of the first pulley.

7. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the first curved track has a radius of curvature of between 30 inches and 48 inches.

8. The exercise device of claim 1 further comprising:

a horizontal resistance source configured to resist horizontal movement of the first footpad and the second footpad along the first curved track and a second curved track; and

a vertical resistance source configured to resist vertical movement of the first curved track and the second curved track.

9. The exercise device of claim 8 further comprising:

a first swing arm pivotally coupled to the frame and pivotally connected to the first footpad; and

a second swing arm pivotally coupled to the frame and pivotally connected to the second footpad, wherein the horizontal resistance source is connected to the first swing arm and the second swing arm.

10. The exercise device of claim 9 further comprising a footpad synchronizer connected to the first swing arm and the second swing arm and configured to synchronize forward and rearward movement of the first footpad with rearward and forward movement of the second footpad, respectively.

11. The exercise device of claim 10, wherein the horizontal resistance source is connected to the footpad synchronizer.

12. The exercise device of claim 11, wherein the horizontal resistance source comprises of an eddy brake.

13. The exercise device of claim 10, wherein the first swing arm and the second swing arm pivot about a first axis relative to the frame and wherein the footpad synchronizer comprises:

a rocker arm pivotally supported by the frame about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;

a first link having a first end pivotally connected to the first swing arm and a second end pivotally connected to a first end of the rocker arm; and

a second link having a first end pivotally connected to the second swing arm and a second end pivotally connected to a second end of the rocker arm.

14. The exercise device of claim 13, wherein the horizontal resistance source comprises:

a ferromagnetic member operably coupled to the rocker arm so as to rotate with the rocker arm; and

one or more magnets configured to apply a magnetic field to the ferromagnetic member to resist rotation of the rocker arm and horizontal movement of the first footpad and the second footpad.

15. The exercise device of claim 14, wherein the one or more magnets comprises an electromagnet configured to apply selectively adjustable magnetic field to the ferromagnetic member.

16. The exercise device of claim 8, wherein the horizontal resistance source is at a first end of the exercise device and wherein the vertical resistance source is at a second opposite end of the exercise device.

17. The exercise device of claim 13, wherein the horizontal resistance source comprises:

a ferromagnetic member operably coupled to the rocker arm so as to rotate with the rocker arm; and

one or more magnets configured to apply a magnetic field to the ferromagnetic member to resist rotation of the rocker arm and horizontal movement of the first footpad and the second footpad.

18. The exercise device of claim 1 further comprising:

a horizontal resistance source configured to resist horizontal movement of the first footpad and the second footpad along the first curved track and a second curved track;

a first swing arm pivotally coupled to the frame and pivotally connected to the first footpad; and

a second swing arm pivotally coupled to the frame and pivotally connected to the second footpad, wherein the horizontal resistance source is connected to the first swing arm and the second swing arm.

19. The exercise device of claim 18 further comprising a footpad synchronizer connected to the first swing arm and the second swing arm and configured to synchronize forward and rearward movement of the first footpad with rearward and forward movement of the second footpad, respectively.

20. The exercise device of claim 19, wherein the horizontal resistance source is connected to the footpad synchronizer.

24. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein movement of the first foot pad is independent of movement of the first curved track.

26. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the track drive comprises a suspension assembly having a first pulley and one or more flexible members suspending a second portion of the first curved track and a second portion of the second curved track from the first pulley and wherein the exercise device further comprises:

a first swing arm pivotally coupled to the frame and pivotally connected to the first footpad; and

a second swing arm pivotally coupled to the frame and pivotally connected to the second footpad, wherein the first swing arm and in the second swing arm are movable in response to movement of the first footpad and the second footpad along the first curved track and the second curved track, respectively, independent of movement of the first curved track and the second curved track.

21. A method comprising:

pivotably guiding, with an exercise device, a first end of a first curved track and a first end of a second curved track which are pivotably connected directly to a frame of the exercise device;

raising and lowering, with the exercise device, a second end of the first curved track while lowering and raising a second end of the second curved track, respectively; and

reciprocatively guiding, with the exercise device, a first footpad along the first curved track and a second footpad along the second curved track independent of the raising and lowering of the second end of the first curved track and the raising and lowering of the second end of the second curved track.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

applying a first user adjustable resistance against reciprocation of the first footpad along the first curved track and the second footpad along the second curved track; and

applying a second user adjustable resistance against raising and lowering of the first end of the first curved track and the first end of the second curved track.

23. An exercise device comprising:

a frame;

a first curved track having a first portion pivotably supported by the frame;

a second curved track having a first portion pivotably supported by the frame;

a track drive connected to a second portion of the first curved track and a second portion of the second curved track, the track drive configured to raise and lower the first track and the second track, alternately, provide vertically opposed motions, wherein the track drive comprises;

a first pulley;

one or more flexible members suspending a second portion of the first track and a second portion of the second track from the first pulley;

a second pulley coupled to the first pulley so as to rotate with the first pulley;

a third pulley rotationally supported by the frame;

a belt wrapped about the second pulley and the third pulley;

a flywheel rotationally supported by the frame; and

a lever arm having a first portion eccentrically connected to the third pulley and a second portion eccentrically connected to the flywheel;

a first footpad movably supported along the first track; and

a second footpad movably supported along the second track, wherein forward rearward movement of the second footpad is synchronized with rearward and forward movement, respectively, of the first footpad.

25. The exercise device of claim 23, wherein movement of the first foot pad is independent of movement of the first curved track.