Patent Application
20190308057
The present invention relates generally to an exercise device, and more particularly to an exercise chair or equipment including an improved structure or configuration for conducting various exercising or rehabilitation operations.
Typical exercise devices, such as exercise chairs or equipment or facilities normally comprise a seat for supporting the user, and one or more movable pedals and resistance springs that may be used to perform exercises in a seated position.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,608,030 to Splane, U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,378 to Splane, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,998,045 to Splane, U.S. Pat. No. 8,007,423 to Solow et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 9,533,190 to Walkama disclose several of the typical exercise chairs or equipment or facilities each also comprising a stationary or pivotal seat for supporting the user, and one or more movable pedals and resistance springs to be stepped or actuated by the user to perform exercises in a seated position.
However, the foot pedals are solidly and stably and pivotally or rotatably connected or coupled to the chair for being stepped or actuated by the user to perform exercises in the seated position, but the foot pedals have not been taught and shown to be resiliently connected or coupled to the chair for providing different exercise operations.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional exercise devices or facilities.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an exercise device including an improved structure or configuration for conducting various exercising or rehabilitation operations.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an exercise device comprising a seat plate, a foldable seat support attached to the seat plate and foldable relative to the seat plate, the seat support including a pair of legs and a pair of stays pivotally coupled together, the stays each including a lower portion, a shaft connected to the lower portions of the stays for securing the lower portions of the stays together and for allowing the lower portions of the stays to be moved in concert with each other, a pair of spring biasing members attached to the shaft, and a pair of levers attached to the spring biasing members respectively for allowing the levers to be pivoted and moved relative to the shaft and the stays with the spring biasing members, and the levers each including a foot stem for being stepped and actuated by a user and for allowing the user to conduct or to perform various exercising or rehabilitation operations, such as stepping exercises in a seated position.
The foot stems are perpendicular to the levers respectively. The levers each include a foot pad engaged onto the foot stem respectively for being stepped by the user. The shaft includes a shank secured to the shaft, and the spring biasing members may be directly attached to the shank of the shaft, and indirectly attached to the shaft.
A housing may further be provided and mounted to the shaft, and the shank of the shaft is engaged in the housing. The shank includes an extension secured to the housing with a lock member for locking the shank to the housing and for solidly and stably securing and mounting the shank to the housing and for preventing the shank from being pivoted relative to the housing and the shaft.
The housing includes one or more, such as three panels attached to the shaft and parallel to each other for forming two chambers between the panels and for slidably receiving and engaging with the lower portions of the levers and the spring biasing members respectively and for guiding and limiting the levers to slide or move relative to the shaft and the stays and the housing.
The levers each include a follower provided on the lower portion of the respective lever and slidably and snugly engaged with the panels for guiding and limiting the levers to move relative to the shaft and the stays and the housing, and for preventing the levers from moving laterally or sidewise relative to the panels of the housing.
A latch device may further be provided for selectively latching the foot stems and the levers together and for allowing the foot stems and the levers to be moved in concert with each other. The foot stems each include an orifice formed in the respective foot stem for slidably receiving and engaging with the latch device.
A pair of spring biasing members may further be provided and coupled between the levers and the seat plate for applying a resistive force onto or against the levers and for resisting a movement of the levers relative to the shaft and the stays and the housing and the seat plate.
The legs each include an upper portion pivotally attached or mounted to the seat plate with a pivot axle and rotatable relative to the seat plate between an unfolding position and a folding and storing position, the stays each include a middle portion pivotally coupled to an intermediate portion of the legs with a pivot pin for allowing the stays to be rotated relative to the legs between a working and unfolding position and a folded storing position, and the stays each include an upper portion attached to the seat plate for allowing the stays to be pivoted relative to the seat plate. The seat plate includes two rails attached to a bottom portion of the seat plate, and the upper portions of the stays are slidably engaged with the rails of the seat plate.
A pair of resilient cables may further be provided and connected to the legs respectively. The cables each include a hand grip for being grasped or held by the user and for allowing the user to conduct various moving or pulling exercising or rehabilitation operations.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
A pair of poles or stays 30, 31 each include an intermediate or middle portion 32 pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or secured or coupled to the intermediate portion 24 of the legs 20, 21 with a pivot axle or pin 25 for allowing the stays 30, 31 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the legs 20, 21 between a working or unfolding position (
As shown in
The lower or bottom portions 35 of the stays 30, 31 are connected or coupled together with a pole or rod or shaft 36 for allowing the lower portions 35 of the stays 30, 31 to be solidly and stably secured or coupled together and to be moved in concert with each other. One or more (such as two) flexible or resilient wires or cables 40 may further be provided and attached or connected or coupled to the bottom or lower portion 26 of the legs 20, 21, and each include a handle or hand grip 41 formed or provided thereon for being gripped or grasped or held by the user and for allowing the user to conduct various pulling exercising or rehabilitation operations.
A support or guide device 5 is attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 36. For example, the guide device 5 includes a receptacle or housing 50 solidly and stably secured or mounted to the shaft 36. A pair of foot supports or levers 60, 61 each include a bottom or lower portion 62 attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 36 with a spring biasing member 63 for allowing the levers 60, 61 to be pivoted or rotated or moved relative to the shaft 36 and the stays 30, 31 with the spring biasing members 63. The spring biasing members 63 may be directly or indirectly attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 36.
For example, the guide device 5 may include a rod or shank 51 disposed or attached or mounted in the housing 50, it is preferable, but not necessary that the shank 51 is in line with or engaged in or parallel to and/or secured to the shaft 36. The provision of the shank 51 allows the spring biasing members 63 to be easily and quickly and readily attached or mounted or secured to the shank 51 which may then be easily and quickly and readily attached or mounted or secured to the housing 50 or the shaft 36. The shank 51 may further include an extension 52 extended therefrom (
The housing 50 include one or more (such as three) boards or panels 55 attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 36 and parallel to each other for forming or defining two compartments or chambers 56 therein and/or between the panels 55, and for slidably receiving or engaging with the lower portions 62 of the levers 60, 61 and the spring biasing members 63 respectively, and the levers 60, 61 each include a cushion or pad or follower 64 formed or provided on the lower portion 62 of the respective lever 60, 61 and slidably contacted or engaged with the panels 55 for guiding and limiting the levers 60, 61 to move relative to the shaft 36 and the stays 30, 31, and for allowing the levers 60, 61 to be pivoted or rotated or moved within the chambers 56 of the housing 50 and relative to the shaft 36 and the stays 30, 31 with the spring biasing members 63 and for preventing the levers 60, 61 from being moved laterally or sidewise relative to the shaft 36 and the stays 30, 31 and the housing 50.
The levers 60, 61 each include a bar or foot pedal or foot stem 65 attached or mounted or secured to the upper portion 66 of the respective lever 60, 61 and preferably perpendicular to the lever 60, 61 for engaging with and for supporting a foot pad 67 thereon and arranged for allowing the foot pads 67 and/or the foot stems 65 to be stepped or actuated by the user to perform exercises in a seated position. The foot stem 65 each include an orifice 68 formed therein (
For example, as shown in
In operation, as shown in
It is to be noted that the lower portions 62 of the levers 60, 61 are not directly, but indirectly attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 36 with the spring biasing members 63; i.e., the spring biasing members 63 are connected or coupled between the lower portions 62 of the levers 60, 61 and the shank 51 or the shaft 36 or the housing 50, and arranged for allowing the levers 60, 61 to be pivoted or rotated or moved relative to the shaft 36 and the stays 30, 31 with the spring biasing members 63. The shank 51 may be solidly and stably attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 36 and formed integral with the shaft 36 and/or the housing 50.
Accordingly, the exercise device in accordance with the present invention includes an improved structure or configuration for conducting various exercising or rehabilitation operations.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
