Applicant notes commonly owned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/941,123, filed Nov. 16, 2007.
The invention relates to exercise apparatus for exercise movement of the limbs of the user in an exercise motion.
Exercise apparatus is known for supporting and guiding exercise movement including the limbs of the user in various motions. The motion can be uniplanar circular or elliptical, such as with bicycles, exercise apparatus, elliptical machines, and so on. The motion can be linear, such as linear sliding motion found in steppers, rowing machines, and so on. Some mechanisms allow planar motion in independent planes for each appendage or limb.
The present invention arose during continuing development efforts directed toward improved motion, including more natural human biomechanical motion, including three dimensional motion.
At least one of the links, such as link 36, has a user-engagement surface, e.g. at handle 56, guiding movement of the user. For example, the user's right hand engages handle 56 which guides exercise arm movement of the user seated on seat 24. The user-engagement surface at handle 56 guides movement of the hand and arm of the user in three dimensional motion. First, second, third, fourth pivot axes 48, 50, 52, 54, respectively, all go through a common point 58. Accordingly, at least the link 36 including at user-engagement surface or handle 56 traverses along a sphere having a center at common point 58. The noted pivot joints are preferably provided by self-aligning pivots allowing some tolerance deviation and some tolerance window or volume constituting common point 58 such that the latter includes a tolerance zone or space permitting and accommodating tolerance deviation of the pivot joints. The term “common point” as used herein includes a tolerance zone or space around a singular unitary coordinate.
In the preferred embodiment, first link 32 is a ground link, second link 34 is a first grounded link, third link 36 is coupler link, and fourth link 38 is a second grounded link. Further in the preferred embodiment, second link 34 is an input link, and fourth link 38 is a follower link. Further in the preferred embodiment, first and fourth pivot axes 48 and 54 define a 90° angle therebetween at common point 58. Coupler link 36 has the noted user-engagement surface at handle 56. In the preferred embodiment, coupler link 36 has first and second segments 60 and 62 on distally opposite sides of second pivot joint 42 and extending in distally opposite directions from second pivot joint 42. First segment 60 extends from second pivot joint 42 to third pivot joint 44. Second segment 62 provides the noted user-engagement surface at handle 56. Further in the preferred embodiment, second link 34 is a crank input rotating in a rotary motion plane, and fourth link 38 is a rocker follower rocking in a rocking motion plane, wherein the rotary motion and rocking motion planes are non-coincident, and preferably non-parallel, and further preferably the noted rotary motion plane is transverse to the noted rocking motion plane.
The noted second four-bar mechanism 30 has fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth links 70, 72, 74, 76, respectively,
As noted above, one of the links, such as link 36, of the first four-bar mechanism 28 has a user-engagement surface 56 guiding movement of the user. One of the links, such as link 74, of the second four-bar mechanism 30 has a second user-engagement surface, for example at handle 94, guiding movement of the user. In one preferred embodiment, the apparatus provides an upper body exercise apparatus, wherein link 36 of the first four-bar mechanism 28 provides the first user-engagement surface 56 for the right hand of the user, and link 74 of the second four-bar mechanism 30 provides the second user-engagement surface for the left hand of the user. In the preferred embodiment, first and fifth links 32 and 70 are a common ground link, whereby the first and second four-bar mechanisms 28 and 30 share the same common ground link 32, 70. Further in the preferred embodiment, first and fifth pivot axes 48 and 86 are coincident. Further in the preferred embodiment, fourth and eighth pivot axes 54 and 92 are coincident. First and second user-engagement surfaces 56 and 94 guide movement of the user in respective three dimensional motions. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth pivot axes 48, 50, 52, 54, 86, 88, 90, 92, respectively, all go through common point 58. User-engagement links 36 and 74 traverse along a sphere having a center at common point 58.
In the preferred embodiment, first link 32 is a ground link, second link 34 is a first grounded link, third link 36 is a first coupler link, fourth link 38 is a second grounded link, fifth link 70 is a second ground link, sixth link 72 is a third grounded link, seventh link 74 is a second coupler link, and eighth link 78 is a fourth grounded link. Further in the preferred embodiment, second link 36 is a first input link, fourth link 38 is a first follower link, sixth link 72 is a second input link, eighth link 76 is a second follower link, and the first and second ground links are common. Further in the preferred embodiment, first and fourth pivot axes 48 and 54 define a first 90° angle therebetween at common point 58, and fifth and eighth pivot axes 86 and 92 define a second 90° angle therebetween at common point 58. Further in the preferred embodiment, first coupler link 36 has the noted first user-engagement surface 56, and second coupler link 74 has the noted second user-engagement surface 94. First coupler link 36 has the noted first and second segments 60 and 62. Second coupler link 74 has third and fourth segments 96 and 98 on distally opposite sides of sixth pivot joint 80 and extending in distally opposite directions from sixth pivot joint 80. Third segment 96 extends from sixth pivot joint 80 to seventh pivot joint 82. Fourth segment 98 provides the noted second user-engagement surface 94. Pivot joints 40 and 78 are mounted on a common axle 100 rotatably supported on frame stanchion or post 26 and having a flywheel or pulley 102 connected via pulley belt 104 to a flywheel or pulley 106 which in turn can be driven by an electric motor or which may itself be the motive member which may drive an electrical generator for supplying power to a display or the like and/or which may be coupled to a resistance mechanism or brake for providing resistance to user motion.
In the exercise apparatus 120 of
One of the links such as 36 of the first four-bar mechanism 28 has the noted first user-engagement surface 56 guiding movement of a first body part of the user, for example the user's right hand. One of the links such as 74 of the second four-bar mechanism 30 has the noted second user-engagement surface 94 guiding movement of a second body part of the user, for example the user's left hand. A given link such as 36 of the first four-bar mechanism is connected to a given link such as 74 of the second four-bar mechanism 30 at the noted common connection 122. The first user-engagement surface 56 guides movement of the noted first body part of the user in three dimensional motion. The noted second user-engagement surface 94 guides movement of the noted second body part of the user in three dimensional motion. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth pivot axes 48, 50, 52, 54, 86, 88, 90, 92, respectively, all go through the noted common point 58. At least the third and seventh links 36 and 74 traverse along a sphere having a center at common point 58.
In the preferred embodiment, first link 32 is a first ground link, second link 34 is a first grounded link, third link 36 is a first coupler link, fourth link 38 is a second grounded link, fifth link 70 is a second ground link, sixth link 72 is a third grounded link, seventh link 74 is a second coupler link, and eighth link 76 is a fourth grounded link. Third and seventh pivot joints 44 and 82 are provided by a common pivot 124. First and fifth links 32 and 70 are provided by a common ground link, as above. Fourth and eighth links 38 and 76 are provided by a common rocker link at 126. First coupler link 36 has the noted first user-engagement surface 56. Second coupler link 74 has the noted second user-engagement surface 94. The first and second coupler links 36 and 74 are connected to each other at common connection 122 at common pivot 124 providing the noted third and seventh pivot joints 44 and 82.
In the preferred embodiment, second and sixth links 34 and 72 are spaced on distally opposite sides of common point 58 and extend distally oppositely relative thereto. Further in the preferred embodiment, first and fifth pivot axes 48 and 86 are coincident, and fourth and eighth pivot axes 54 and 92 are coincident and define a 90° angle between the noted coincident first and fifth pivot axes 48 and 86 at common point 58. Further in the preferred embodiment, third and seventh pivot axes 52 and 90 are coincident at 128 at common pivot 124.
The exercise apparatus 120 of
In one preferred embodiment, user engagement surfaces 56a and 94a are provided by a common platform 142 secured to coupler links 36a and 74a. The first user-engagement surface 56a is provided by the right side of the platform 142 and guides movement of the right foot and right leg of the user in three dimensional motion. The second user-engagement surface 94a is provided by the left side of the platform 142 and guides movement of the left foot and left leg of the user in three dimensional motion. Further in the preferred embodiment, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth pivot axes 48a, 50a, 52a, 54a, 86a, 88a, 90a, 92a, respectively, all go through common point 58a. Further in the preferred embodiment, at least the third and seventh links 36a and 74a traverse along a sphere having a center at common point 58a. Further in the preferred embodiment, first link 32a is a first ground link, second link 34a is a first grounded link, third link 36a is a first coupler link, fourth link 38a is a second grounded link, fifth link 70a is a second ground link, sixth link 72a is a third grounded link, seventh link 74a is a second coupler link, and eighth link 76a is a fourth grounded link.
As noted above, the exercise apparatus 140 of
Platform 142 has the noted right and left sides 56a and 94a connected respectively to third and seventh links 36a and 74a providing the noted first and second coupler links, respectively. Platform 142 extends back to front between rearward and forward ends 144 and 146. The platform is forward of the noted first and fifth pivot joints 40a and 78a, and is rearward of common pivot 124a. In further embodiments, the platform may extend rearwardly of the noted first and fifth pivot joints.
In the preferred embodiment of
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different configurations, systems, and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other configurations, systems and method steps. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
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