Patent Application
20160263418
This invention relates to exercise devices and methods performed by an exercise apparatuses, and particularly but not exclusively to exercise devices with treadles.
Exercise apparatuses, such as stair climbers and steppers, serve to assist the user in performing a desired motion. For example, the exercise apparatuses allow for the proper positioning of the user and proper completion of the user's motion so as to isolate work-out of the desired muscles. Further, such machines serve to support the user to a certain degree to minimize impact during use.
An object of the invention is to improve such devices.
An embodiment of the invention involves an exercise resistance device with depresser plates angled to receive a user's appendages at targeted angles.
A more specific embodiment involves a targeted air support or resistance stepper system with angled treadles that compress bellows connected by air passages.
The various features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out in the claims appended to and forming a part of this specification. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident from the detailed description when read in light of the following drawings.
In use the bellows 140 deliver pressurized air, or an alternate fluid such as a gas, in a controlled quantity from an air transport pathway to the treadles 120. In the present embodiment, the bellow 140 includes a deformable container and a nozzle or outlet located at the top portion of the bellow 140. When a force is applied to a top portion 142 of the bellow 140, via the vertical motion of the user applied to a treadle 120, the size of the bellow 140 decreases and air escapes through the outlet. This fluid transfer provides a supporting force to the treadles 120 attached to the bellow 140. An inlet is located at a bottom portion 144 of the bellow 140 and coupled to an air transport pathway to facilitate the intake of air into the bellow 140. The bellows 140 is part of an air support system at least partially contained by the housing 110. This air transport system is discussed in greater detail herein.
The front section 112 of housing 110 contains or partially contains pivots 130. In the present example, the front portion 112 of the housing 110 serves to couple to pivots 130 to allow for the clockwise and counterclockwise movement of pivots through a predetermined range. This desired movement facilitates a substantially vertical movement of treadles 120, which are coupled to the pivots 130.
Furthermore, the housing 110 includes and/or contains one or more knobs, such as the knob 150. Knob 150 serves to allow the apparatus user to adjust and control a valve or valves within the bellows 140 transfer components of the air support system contained, at least in part, within the housing 110.
As shown, the treadles 120 are attached to the pivots 130. The treadles 120 are configured to receive an appendage of user, in this case a foot, and may be sized or shaped accordingly. In some examples, the treadles include various tread patterns and/or are sized or shaped to accommodate a foot, such as the right foot or left foot of a user of the exercise apparatus 100. While the present embodiment serves to receive a foot of a user, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize the application of the present invention for use with a hand of a user. In the embodiment of
The treadles 120 are attached to the pivots 130 and/or the bellows 140 such that they provide an angled reception surface for a foot of the user when the apparatus is in resting position. The angled attachment may be modified by the user based on the desired comfort angle. In one embodiment, the treadles 120 are angled toward the front section 112 of housing 110, with the rear of treadles 120 at a higher elevation than the front of treadles 120. According to various embodiments this angled surface is accomplished by attaching treadles 120 to angled pivots 130, angled bellows 140, or multiple bellows 140, or by pressurization of bellows 140.
The housing 110, comprised of front section 112, a back section 116, and a middle section 114, contains a knob 150 or other control mechanism(s), electronic or manual, that control, adjust, modify, and/or otherwise operate one or more valves within an air support system contained within the housing 110. Knob 150 serves to facilitate controlling a valve to increase an amount of air taken in by a bellow 140, to decrease an amount of air taken in by a bellow 140, and to modulate between the two. As shown, knob 150 includes predefined setting increments 200 for establishing a certain pressure calibrated to a desired resistance. While four predefined settings are apparent in the present embodiment, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognized that any series of control mechanisms may be employed through a range for a myriad of resistance settings as is known in the art.
The housing 110 contains a display 160, such as a digital display 208 that provides information and/or data about an exercise workout sequence performed by a user with the exercise apparatus 100. The display 160, and associated computing system, is capable of tracking and presenting information associated with a number of steps taken during a workout, a duration of a workout, a number of calories burned during a workout, an estimated distance traveled during a workout, a range of values associated with a degree of difficulty of a workout, and so on. Display 160 further includes a status button 202, including an indicator light. Status button 202 serves to perform multiple functions such as the ability to reset the computing system, enter user data, etc. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exercise apparatus may include other components and/or devices not shown in the present embodiment, such as a body cord attachment component that facilitates attachment of a body cord to the housing 110. Such body cord attachment, may also allow the transmission of data related to the user exercise regimen to monitor the exercise workout, store data related to the exercise workout, etc.
While two bellows integrated as part of an air compression system are disclosed, it is readily apparent that independent bellows may be employed.
Further detail of the air support system of the exercise apparatus appears in
In the present embodiment, the air transfer pathway 510 is coupled to an inlet component of a bellow 140, which facilitates the input of air 525 from the air transfer pathway 510 to the bellow 140. In some embodiments, the air pressure within the bellows 140 and/or air transfer pathway 510 are controlled by the valve 520, which is connected to a knob, such as the knob 150, to regulate resistance and calibrate the exercise apparatus, or other component of the housing 110. This enables a user to adjust the valve 520 and the air pressure within the bellows 140.
In the present embodiment, the air transfer pathway 510 facilitates the transfer of forces between treadles 120, such as between a right treadle and a left treadle. That is, a downward force received at a right treadle, such as a force caused by a foot of a user stepping down on the right treadle, may cause air 525 to leave an associate bellow 140, travel through the air transfer pathway 510, and apply a support force, such as a two-dimensional force, to the left treadle.
In some embodiments, the bellows 140 are configured and/or positioned at an angle θi with respect to a vertical axis V of the housing 110 of the exercise apparatus. That is, a bellow or bellows 140 are positioned such that an angle θ formed between a longitudinal axis L of a bellow 140 and the plane of the housing 110 of the exercise apparatus 100 is less than 90 degrees. In some cases, the angle θ is an acute angle, such as an angle between 90 and 60 degrees.
In these embodiments, the bellows 140 are configured such that a longitudinal axis L of the right bellow and a longitudinal axis L of the left bellow intersect one another. In one embodiment of the present invention, the intersection of inner angle θi is 45 degrees or less.
The angled bellows 140 provide various targeted support forces to treadles 120, such as support forces having vertical and horizontal components. For example, an angled bellow facilitates application of a first dimensional component of a support force and a second dimensional component of the support force to a treadle, among other things.
Although shown in
Additionally and/or alternatively, in some embodiments the air support system may support treadles of an exercise apparatus via two or more bellows, such as bellows 140.
In an embodiment, the outer bellows 610 are taller and expand to a greater degree than the inner bellows 620. This allows an attached treadle 120 to provide an angled support surface, among other benefits. In some embodiments, the first air transfer pathway 630 is set at a higher pressure than the second air transfer pathway 640. In some embodiments, the first air transfer pathway 630 is set at a lower pressure than the second air transfer pathway 640. A knob, such as the knob 150, of the housing 110 controls valve 635 and/or valve 645, in order to adjust the air pressure within one or both air transfer pathways 630, 640.
Thus, in alternate embodiments, use of two or more bellows 610, 620 facilitates the application of targeted support forces, such as a first force at an outer portion of a treadle and a second, optionally different, force at an inner portion of the treadle. These targeted support forces provide enhanced support and/or comfort for a user of an exercise apparatus, and provide a modified or targeted workout, among other benefits.
In some embodiments, two or more bellows are positioned to provide support at various locations along a treadle.
During use of the exercise apparatus 700, the back bellows 710 provide a first support force to treadles, and the middle bellows 720 provide a second, and different, support force to the treadles. For example, the back bellows 710 may provide a support force that is lower than a support force provided by the middle bellows 720. The variable support forces may provide enhanced comfort to a user, may provide a workout targeted to specific muscle groups, such as muscle groups within a user's legs, among other benefits.
In some embodiments, an exercise apparatus, such as exercise apparatus 100 or 700, utilizes a support system that relies on fluids other than air to provide support to a user of the exercise apparatus. In one embodiment a fluid support system includes a hydraulic fluid and/or other compressible or incompressible fluids.
Various embodiments of an exercise apparatus having an air support system are described. In some embodiments, the exercise apparatus provides targeted support to a user of the exercise apparatus via angled bellows and/or multiple bellows, among other things.
As shown, embodiments of the exercise apparatus take the form of a climbing or stepping apparatus, which employs a targeted air support or resistance system. In some implementations, the exercise apparatus includes an air support system configured to provide two-dimensional supporting or resistance forces during use of the exercise apparatus.
Depending on the particular embodiment disclosed, a single bellow configured to support a single treadle of the exercise apparatus is positioned and/or attached at various angles. Such configuration serves to facilitate the application of two-dimensional forces to the treadles.
In alternate disclosed embodiments, two or more bellows configured to support treadles of the exercise apparatus are positioned and/or attached to the treadles. In an embodiment the bellows are attached next to one another at one section of a treadle, and/or in another embodiment are attached next to one another along the length of the treadle. This facilitates the application of two-dimensional forces to the treadles.
Thus, the present apparatus or device described herein provides targeted support to a user of an exercise apparatus. Such targeted support offers improved or enhanced support to the user during exercise, to assist in exercising certain muscle groups, to adjust or modify a workout.
A detailed description of the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention is disclosed. However, techniques of manufacture and resulting structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to represent suitable implementations for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein, which define the scope of the present invention. The above presents a detailed description of several examples of the present invention.
Moreover, well known methods, procedures, and substances for both carrying out the objectives of the present invention and illustrating the preferred embodiment are incorporated herein but have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure novel aspects of the present invention.
The figures of various implementations set forth in the illustrations serve for an understanding of the present invention and objectives other than those set forth above. Although the shown implementations illustrate certain aspects of the present invention, the apparatus and method of use of the invention, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings, examples, and the above description. The examples and figures are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplify the invention.
The invention contrasts with other air compression systems that provide minimal operational improvement over mechanical based support systems in other exercise apparatuses. Generally, such air compression systems merely facilitate up and down motion of a user.
While certain aspects of the device are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the system in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the system.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling of connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list. The term “air” as used herein is intended to include not just air but any gas.
Thus, there has been summarized and outlined, generally in broad form, a plurality of the most important features of the present invention. While this summary is presented so that the novelty of the present contribution to the related art may be better appreciated, it will further be apparent that additional features of the invention described hereinafter (which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto) will further define the scope, novelty, and in certain instances the improvements upon any existing art. The above description provides specific details for a thorough understanding of, and enabling description for, various examples of the technology. One skilled in the art will understand that the technology may be practiced without many of these details and it is to be readily understood that the invention presented herein is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the various figures integrated and categorized herein. For example, in some instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the examples of the technology. It is intended that the terminology used in the description presented below be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain examples of the technology. Although certain terms may be emphasized below, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner is overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure of the present invention may readily be utilized as a basis for forming other similar structures, methods and systems for carrying out the various purposes and objectives of the present invention. Thus, the claims as set forth shall allow for such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described herein.
This is a Division of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/356,468 filed 23 Jan. 2012, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/113,029 filed 20 May 2011. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. 61/568,619 filed 8 Dec. 2011. Applicant hereby claims the priority dates of these applications. The contents of these applications are hereby made a part of this application as if fully recited herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61568619 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13356468 | Jan 2012 | US |
| Child | 15019911 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13113029 | May 2011 | US |
| Child | 13356468 | US |
