Elliptical exercise apparatus

• US 7,946,962 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Health Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Johnson Health Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Long, Yun-Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada; Rinaldi I
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN
• Application Number:
  US12/650,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 482 51- 57, 482 58-148, 482/908
• US Class Current: 482/52
• 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 2022/0676 with crank and handles being on the same side of the exercising apparatus with respect to the frontal body-plane of the user, e.g. crank and handles are in front of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4034 for operation by feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• 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 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/035 for limbs, i.e. upper or lower limbs, e.g. simultaneously

Abstract

This invention discloses an elliptical exercise apparatus that is characterized in having left and right tracks disposed in a guider frame which is pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the elliptical exercise apparatus. When a user uses the elliptical exercise apparatus, the guider frame is at a use position. When the user folds the elliptical exercise apparatus, the guider frame is at a storage position. A user can complete folding procedure merely by operating the guider frame.

Claims

1. An elliptical exercise apparatus, comprising:

(a) a main frame having a base;

(b) first and second supporting members, each supporting member having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portions of the supporting members respectively coupled to the main frame to rotate about a first axis around a first closed path, the second end portions of the supporting members being able to align at an aligned axis, and a minimal periphery defined by the first axis and an aligned radius which is the distance between the first axis and the aligned axis;

(c) a guider frame pivotally connected to the main frame at a pivot axis to be movable between a use position and a storage position, the guider frame respectively having a track for supporting the second end portion of the respective supporting member at both the use and storage positions, the second end portion of the respective supporting member movable on the track within first and second reciprocating end points of a reciprocating path while the guider frame is at the use position, the track of the guider frame including a supplemental section extending from the second reciprocating end point to a terminal point, the magnitude of the supplemental section being smaller than the magnitude of a rotating radius which is defined by the first axis and first closed path, a second periphery being defined by the pivot axis and a second radius which is the distance between the pivot axis and the second reciprocating end point and a third periphery being defined by the pivot axis and a third radius which is the distance between the pivot axis and the terminal point, the minimal periphery and the second periphery intersected at a first intersection point located above the track of the guider frame, the minimal periphery and the third periphery intersected at a second intersection point located above the track of the guider frame wherein the pivot axis of the guider frame is located at a first height higher than the bottom edge of the first closed path, an arc of the second periphery between the first intersection point and the second reciprocating end point at the use position has a first lifting angle which is greater than sixty degrees, and an arc of the third periphery between the second intersection point and the terminal point at the use position having a second lifting angle which is greater than eighty degrees; and

(d) first and second pedals respectively coupled to the first and second supporting members.

2. The elliptical exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivot axis is located to be nearer to the first end portion of one of the supporting members than the base of the main frame when the guider frame is at the storage position.

3. The elliptical exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first height is greater than two thirds of the magnitude of the rotating radius.

4. The elliptical exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second radius at the first intersection point has a projective length on the surface where the base of the main frame rests on and the projective length is less than fifty percent of the second radius.

5. An elliptical exercise apparatus, comprising:

(a) a main frame having a base;

(b) first and second supporting members, each supporting member having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portions of the supporting members respectively coupled to the main frame to rotate about a first axis around a first closed path, the second end portions of the supporting members being able to align at an aligned axis, and a minimal periphery defined by the first axis and an aligned radius which is the distance between the first axis and the aligned axis;

(c) a guider frame pivotally connected to the main frame at a pivot axis to be movable between a use position and a storage position, the guider frame respectively having a track for supporting the second end portion of the respective supporting member at both the use and storage positions and having a constraining member with an open front end and a closed rear end, the second end portion of the respective supporting member movable on the track within first and second reciprocating end points of a reciprocating path while the guider frame is at the use position, the track of the guider frame including a supplemental section extending from the second reciprocating end point to a terminal point, the magnitude of the supplemental section being smaller than the magnitude of a rotating radius which is defined by the first axis and first closed path, a second periphery being defined by the pivot axis and a second radius which is the distance between the pivot axis and the second reciprocating end point, the minimal periphery and the second periphery intersected at a first intersection point located above the track of the guider frame wherein the pivot axis of the guider frame is located at a first height relative to the base, an arc of the second periphery between the first intersection point and the second reciprocating end point at the use position has a first lifting angle which is greater than sixty degrees, and the constrain member is located at the terminal point for stopping one of the second end portions of the supporting members when the guider frame is folded up to the storage position; and

(d) first and second pedals respectively coupled to the first and second supporting members.

6. The elliptical exercise apparatus of claim 5, further comprising first and second handle links pivotally coupled to the main frame and first and second control links coupled between the respective handle links and the pedals, the first and second handle links being substantially aligned from a side view of the stationary exercise apparatus when the guider frame is at the storage position.