EXERCISING APPARATUS

Abstract

An exercising apparatus which enables a user to perform stepping exercises and waist twisting exercises simultaneously. The apparatus is provided with an electric motor without an increase in its size and cost, and this enables the user to perform effective exercises. The exercising apparatus (1) has left and right footboards (2L, 2R); an oscillation mechanism (10) for making the left and right footboards (2L, 2R) oscillate vertically about an oscillating spindle (27) provided on the front side of the left and right footboards (2L, 2R); a swing mechanism (11) for making the left and right footboards (2L, 2R) swing in a reciprocating fashion in the left-right direction with the boards (2L, 2R) maintained adjacent to each other, the boards (2L, 2R) swinging about a swing spindle (15) having a vertical axis; and an electric motor (12) for driving the oscillating mechanism (10) and the swing mechanism (11) simultaneously.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an exercising apparatus that enables a user to take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise simultaneously.

BACKGROUND ART

Various exercising apparatuses employed for stepping exercises, exercising apparatuses employed for waist twisting exercises and the like have been recently developed so that every user can take indoor exercise easily. These include an exercising apparatus that enables a user to take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise simultaneously (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The exercising apparatus that enables the user to take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise simultaneously uses a user's force for taking the stepping exercise. The user swings a pair of left and right footboards on which the user gets along the left-right direction in a reciprocating fashion, whereby the user takes a waist twisting exercise.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3060544

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

It is pointed out that a quantity of exercises of a senior or a woman who intends to lose weight is excessively large if the senior or woman uses the exercising apparatus for the stepping exercise or that for the waist twisting exercise.

Therefore, it is considered including an electric motor in such an exercising apparatus and causing the electric motor to compensate for strength of user's legs with which the user steps on the footboards so as to suppress user's exercise. With the exercising apparatus including the electric motor, the user can take effective exercise only by naturally moving up and down user's legs. Further, user's burden is light, so that the user can continuously use the apparatus every day. It is, therefore, said that the exercising apparatus with the electric motor is superior to a manual exercising apparatus.

However, in the exercising apparatus described in the Patent Document 1, each of the left and right footboards is structured as a cantilever support beam having an oscillation fulcrum portion provided on a front side thereof. Not only user's weight but also a stepping force during the stepping exercise act on the portion. Due to this, if the exercising apparatus is intended to be simply motorized (driven by the electric motor), then the electric motor driving the oscillation fulcrum portion requires high drive torque and strong power, disadvantageously making the exercising apparatus large in size and high in cost as a whole.

The present invention has been made in the above-stated circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercising apparatus that enables a user to take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise simultaneously while causing an electric motor to compensate for strengths of user's legs by which the user steps without making the apparatus large in size and high in cost.

Means Adapted to Solve the Problems

To achieve the above objects, the present invention takes the following measures.

In other words, an exercising apparatus according to the present application comprises:

left and right footboards provided to be adjacent to each other;

an oscillation mechanism vertically oscillating the left and right footboards around an oscillation spindle, the oscillation spindle being provided on a front side of each of the left and right footboards with a central axis of the oscillation spindle extending along a left-right direction;

a swing mechanism swinging the left and right footboards around a swing spindle along the left-right direction in a reciprocating fashion while the left and right footboards are kept adjacent to each other, the swing spindle being provided with a central axis of the swing spindle extending along a vertical direction; and

an electric motor simultaneously driving the oscillation mechanism and the swing mechanism.

In this way, by configuring the exercising apparatus to include the electric motor, a user using the exercising apparatus can simultaneously take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise while receiving assistance from the electric motor and can take effective exercise. Furthermore, since a user's burden is light as compared with use of a manual exercising apparatus, the user can advantageously and continuously use the exercising apparatus every day.

The swing mechanism may include an installation base plate and a movable base plate, wherein the movable base plate is arranged in parallel to the installation base plate, and is swingable around the swing spindle provided on the installation base plate perpendicularly, and

the left and right footboards, the oscillation mechanism and the electric motor are provided on the movable base plate.

Preferably, the oscillation mechanism includes

an elongated hole provided in rear of and lower surfaces of the left and right footboards so as to be along a front-rear direction;

a vertical drive shaft having a central axis of the vertical drive shaft extending along the left-right direction, the vertical drive shaft being fitted into the elongated hole; and

a rotation drive shaft having a central axis of the rotation drive shaft extending along the left-right direction, the vertical drive shaft being attached to the rotation drive shaft in an eccentric state.

By doing so, the exercising apparatus can be structured to support both ends of the left and right footboards by the above-stated oscillation spindle and vertical drive shaft, thus making it possible to provide a robust structure. Besides, a structure around the oscillation spindle can be made simple.

Preferably, the oscillation spindle is provided to cross the swing spindle, and is swingable around the swing spindle in an interlocking manner with left-right swing of the movable base plate.

Furthermore, the oscillation mechanism may include an elastic member provided on each of the lower surfaces of the left and right footboards and urging each of the left and right footboards upward.

This elastic member always applies an upward urge force to each of the footboards, so that the user can change a state of each of the footboards from a state of being stepped on to a state of moving up with lower force. Further, a load on the electric motor is reduced, so that the exercising apparatus can employ a small-sized electric motor.

Preferably, a single electric motor is arranged between the left and right footboards, and the rotation drive shaft protrudes toward both of left and right sides of the single electric motor.

The swing mechanism may include a guide mechanism provided between the installation base plate and the movable base plate, and holding a gap between the installation base plate and the movable base plate to be constant.

This can stabilize swing operation of a movable base plate.

The swing mechanism may include a power conversion mechanism extracting a left-right swing movement from a vertical movement of each of the footboards generated by the oscillation mechanism, and

the power conversion mechanism is provided between each of the left and right footboards and the installation base plate.

Furthermore, the power conversion mechanism may include

an inclined cam arranged on the installation base plate along a virtual circular arc centering around the swing spindle; and

a slider provided on each of the lower surfaces of the left and right footboards, and sliding on an inclined surface of the inclined cam.

This enables the left-right swing of each footboard to be extracted in an interlocking manner with the vertical oscillation of the each footboard.

Preferably, the inclined surface having a height larger as the inclined surface is farther from the swing spindle is formed on the inclined cam.

By so forming, if one of the left and right footboards moves to a lower position, the footboard toward the lower position swings outward of the left-right swing. Accordingly, the user getting on the footboards can make a weight shift naturally and stably according to natural sense.

Furthermore, preferably, the movable base plate includes a pair of left and right notches on both ends of the movable base plate, respectively, the pair of left and right notches being notched toward a center side of the movable base plate, and

when the movable base plate swings counterclockwise, the inclined cam provided below the left footboard is located in the left notch, and when the movable base plate swings clockwise, the inclined cam provided below the right footboard is located in the right notch.

This can ensure that the movable base plate swings in the left-right direction with respect to the installation base plate.

A rail member may be provided on each of the lower surfaces of the footboards and an elongated hole being along the front-rear direction is provided in the rail member.

It is also preferable that a grip rod which faces upward and which the user can grasp is attached to each of the left and right footboards, and that the grip rod is configured to oscillate along the front-rear direction in an interlocking manner with vertical oscillation of the corresponding footboard.

By so configuring, the user standing on the footboards can simultaneously take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise in a stable attitude of grasping a tip end portion of the grip rod under assistance of the electric motor. It appears to the user that such exercises are skiing (Nordic skiing in particular), so that the user can take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise without feeling bored.

Preferably, the swing spindle of the swing mechanism is arranged to be located almost just under a user getting on the left and right footboards in a standing attitude.

By doing so, the user getting on the left and right footboards can be given a swing about, for example, a backbone of the user's body. Due to this, the user receiving the swing operation is in a situation of being encouraged to perform a stable waist twisting operation without shifting the center of gravity to largely move the backbone laterally. Therefore, the user can advantageously continue taking exercise comfortably without disturbing a standing attitude (a balance).

The swing spindle of the swing mechanism may be arranged at a position between the left and right footboards and corresponding to almost a front-rear center of each of the footboards or at a position of almost a front-rear center of the installation base plate and of almost a left-right center of the installation base plate.

By doing so, similarly to the above, the swing spindle of the swing mechanism is located substantially almost just under the user getting on the left and right footboards in a standing attitude, so that the user can advantageously continue taking exercise comfortably.

The installation base plate may be formed into a circular shape or a shape approximate to the circular shape in a plan view.

This can not only improve stability of the entire apparatus but also make the entire apparatus quite compact.

The oscillation mechanism can include:

a guide rail provided on each of the lower surfaces of the left and right footboards on an opposite side to the oscillation spindle so as to be along the front-rear direction;

a rail insertion part slidably fitted into the guide rail;

an annular wheel holder provided on a lower portion side of the rail insertion part;

a crank wheel held rotatably by the wheel holder while a central axis of the crank wheel is along the left-right direction; and

a rotation drive shaft provided at an eccentric position with the crank wheel while a central axis of the rotation drive shaft is along the left-right direction.

The swing mechanism can include a power conversion mechanism extracting a left-right swing movement from a vertical movement of each of the footboards generated by the oscillation mechanism, and

the power conversion mechanism can include a connection rod connecting each of the footboards to the installation base plate, and one end of the connection rod is connected to a side portion of each of the footboards in rear of the oscillation spindle via a first universal joint, and other end of the connection rod is connected to the installation base plate via a second universal joint.

This can ensure that the left-right swing of each footboard is extracted smoothly in an interlocking manner with the vertical oscillation of the footboard.

Each of the first universal joint and the second universal joint may be constituted by a ball joint.

The power conversion mechanism may be provided to correspond to each of the left and right footboards.

By doing so, it is possible to obtain an efficient swing operation.

Preferably, the power conversion mechanism is provided between the left and right footboards.

With such an arrangement, the power conversion mechanism and the other member can avoid interfering with each other, thereby making the entire apparatus compact.

Preferably, the single electric motor is arranged between the left and right footboards, and a rotation drive shaft protruding toward both of left and right sides of the single electric motor and a rotation drive shaft protrudes toward both of left and right sides of the single electric motor, and the swing mechanism includes a guide mechanism provided between the installation base plate and the movable base plate and holding a gap between the installation base plate and the movable base plate to be constant.

Advantages of the Invention

By using the exercising apparatus according to the present invention, a user can simultaneously take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise while the electric motor compensates for strength of user's legs with which the user steps on the footboards. Moreover, the exercising apparatus according to the present invention is small in size and low in cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mode of using an exercising apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the exercising apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the exercising apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the exercising apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line D-D of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line E-E of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an installation base plate.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a movable base plate.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a situation of swing of the exercising apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a left side view showing a situation of oscillation of the exercising apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another mode of using the exercising apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a mode of using the exercising apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a left perspective view of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view taken along the line H-H of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view taken along the line J-J of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view taken along the line K-K of FIG. 15.

FIG. 19A is a first left side view showing a situation of oscillation of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 19B is a second left side view showing a situation of oscillation of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 19C is a third left side view showing a situation of oscillation of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 20A is a first plan view explaining the relationship between oscillation and swing of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 20B is a second plan view explaining the relationship between oscillation and swing of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 20C is a third plan view explaining the relationship between oscillation and swing of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 21A is a first left side view explaining the relationship between oscillation and swing of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 21B is a second left side view explaining the relationship between oscillation and swing of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 21C is a third left side view explaining the relationship between oscillation and swing of the exercising apparatus according to the second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Exercising apparatus

2 Footboard

2L Left footboard

2R Right footboard

10 Oscillation mechanism

11 Swing mechanism

12 Electric motor

14 Installation base plate

15 Swing spindle

16 Movable base plate

18 Guide mechanism

20L Left notch

20R Right notch

23L Left power conversion mechanism

23R Right power conversion mechanism

27 Oscillation spindle

28 Vertical drive shaft

29 Rotation drive shaft

43 Rail member

44 Elongated hole

45 Cam follower

48 Elastic member

50 Inclined cam

51 Slider

65 Guide rail

66 Slider

67 Crank wheel

68 Rotation input shaft

80 First universal joint

81 Second universal joint

82L Left connection rod

82R Right connection rod

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter based on the drawings.

First Embodiment

FIGS. 1 to 11 show an exercising apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, an exercising apparatus 1 is used while a user stands on the exercising apparatus 1. In a following description, a left-right direction on a sheet of FIG. 2, a vertical direction on the sheet of FIG. 2, and a left-right direction on a sheet of FIG. 4 will be referred to as a “front-rear direction”, a “vertical direction”, and a “left-right or width direction”, respectively. These coincide with front-rear, left-right, and vertical directions with reference to a direction of the user as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the exercising apparatus 1 includes a pair of left and right footboards 2 (a left footboard 2L and a right footboard 2R) provided to be adjacent to each other.

Furthermore, an entire apparatus is covered with a casing 3 formed out of resin, metal or the like. FIG. 1 shows that, within a range of this casing 3, each of the footboards 2L and 2R is rimmed with, but not limited thereto, a flexible cover 4 formed out of a rubber sheet, a resin sheet, an artificial leather or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the exercising apparatus 1 includes an oscillation mechanism 10 and a swing mechanism 11. The exercising apparatus 1 also includes an electric motor 12, which drives the oscillation mechanism 10 and the swing mechanism 11 simultaneously.

The swing mechanism 11 includes an installation base plate (fixed base plate) 14 mounted on a floor, a swing spindle 15 provided on the installation base plate 14 with a central axis of the swing spindle 15 extending along the vertical direction, and a movable base plate 16 provided to be swingable along the left-right direction around the swing spindle 15. The swing spindle 15 is provided in a front portion and at a center in a width direction of the installation base plate 14, and designed to pass through a front portion and a center in a width direction of the movable base plate 16.

In the example shown, the swing spindle 15 is fixed to the installation base plate 14 and a spindle cap 17 externally fitted into the swing spindle 15 in a relatively rotatable manner is fixed to the movable base plate 16.

The left and right footboards 2L and 2R, the oscillation mechanism 10, and the electric motor 12 are provided on this movable base plate 16. As a result, if the movable base plate swings around the swing spindle 15, the left and right footboards 2L and 2R swing above the installation base plate together with the movable base plate 16 while the left and right footboards 2L and 2R are kept adjacent to each other.

Each of the installation base plate 14 and the movable base plate 16 is plate-shaped. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a guide mechanism 18 holding a wheel, a roller, a ball or the like to be rollable is provided between the lower installation base plate 14 and the upper movable base plate 16. This guide mechanism 18 enables the movable base plate 16 to stably swing along the left-right direction while a vertical distance of the movable base plate 16 to the installation base plate 14 is kept constant.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, a left notch 20L is formed in a left side portion of the movable base plate 16 and a right notch 20R is formed in a right side portion thereof. Due to this, the movable base plate 16 is formed to be constricted toward the center.

A left power conversion mechanism 23L is provided between the upper left footboard 2L and the lower installation base plate 14 to pass into the left notch 20L formed in the movable base plate 16. A right power conversion mechanism 23R is provided between the upper right footboard 2R and the lower installation base plate 14 to pass into the right notch 20R formed in the movable base plate 16.

The left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R are main constituent elements of the swing mechanism 11 for extracting left and right swing components from operation components for vertically moving the left and right footboards 2L and 2R by the oscillation mechanism 10. These left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R will be described later in detail.

The left notch 20L is formed to have a size and a constricted shape enough to be able to avoid contact with the left power conversion mechanism 23L when the movable base plate 16 swings counterclockwise. The right notch 20R is formed to have a size and a constricted shape enough to be able to avoid contact with the right power conversion mechanism 23R when the movable base plate 16 swings clockwise.

The oscillation mechanism 10 includes an oscillation spindle 27 supporting the left and right footboards 2L and 2R on respective oscillation fulcrum sides, vertical drive shafts 28 circularly moving in a perpendicular plane on vertical movement sides of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R with central axes of the shafts 28 kept in the left-right direction, respectively, and rotation drive shafts 29 located at locus centers of circular movements of the vertical drive shafts 28 and circularly rotating the vertical drive shafts 28, respectively.

The oscillation spindle 27 is arranged on a front side of the movable base plate 16. The oscillation spindle 27 is arranged on rear sides of the vertical drive shafts 28 and the rotation drive shafts 29. The oscillation spindle 27 is provided to be shared between the left and right footboards 2L and 2R. In contrast, the vertical drive shafts 28 and the rotation drive shafts 29 are provided to correspond to the footboards 2L and 2R, respectively.

The oscillation spindle 27 is kept suspended at a predetermined height while both ends of the oscillation spindle 27 are supported between brackets 32 provided outward of width directions of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R, respectively. The spindle cap 17 penetrates through an intermediate portion of the oscillation spindle 27, that is, between the left footboard 2L and the right footboard 2R. Due to this, in a plan view of a portion in which the spindle cap 17 penetrates, the oscillation spindle 27 and the swing spindle 15 of the swing mechanism 10 are arranged to cross each other.

Moreover, a cylindrical spindle-through portion 33 is fixed to a lower surface of each of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R. The oscillation spindle 27 penetrates into the respective spindle-through portions 33 in a rotatable state.

The rotation drive shaft 29 provided to correspond to the left footboard 2L includes a central shaft 29a and an outer shaft 29b arranged coaxially to be separate from each other so as to face each other from left and right sides of the left footboard 2L, respectively with the left footboard 2L held between the shafts 29a and 29b. The central shaft 29a protrudes downward of the left footboard 2L from a deceleration part 35 provided between the left and right footboards 2L and 2R. The outer shaft 29b protrudes downward of the left footboard 2L from an outer rotor 37 rotatably provided by a rotor bracket 36 exceeding and outward of the left footboard 2L.

The deceleration part 35 is fixed onto the movable base plate 16 via a motor base 40. The electric motor 12 is connected to this deceleration part 35. The deceleration part 35 decelerates a driven rotation applied from the electric motor 12 and extracts the decelerated rotation as a rotation of the central shaft 29a of the rotation drive shaft 29. An inner rotor 41 is provided on this central shaft 29a to be integrally rotatable with the central shaft 29.

An outer rotor 37, which is disc-shaped, is fitted into a circular concave portion provided in a rotor bracket 36 without play and rotatably held in the rotor bracket 36. The outer shaft 29b is provided to penetrate through a center of the outer rotor 37 and a center of the rotor bracket 36 within the circular concave portion. The outer shaft 29b is rotatable relatively to one of or each of the outer rotor 37 and the rotor bracket 36.

The vertical drive shaft 28 provided to the left footboard 21L is suspended between the outer rotor 37 and the inner rotor 41. This vertical drive shaft 28 is connected to the outer rotor 37 and the inner rotor 41 at positions eccentric from rotation centers of the outer rotor 37 and the inner rotor 41 by a same distance in a same direction, respectively. Namely, the rotation drive shaft 29 is parallel to the vertical drive shaft 28.

Accordingly, if the electric motor 12 drives the deceleration part 35 to rotate the inner rotor 41, the vertical drive shaft 28 moves to draw a circular orbit around the rotation drive shaft 29. The outer rotor 37 thereby rotates to follow the vertical drive shaft 28.

A rail member 43 is provided on a lower surface of the left footboard 2L, and the vertical drive shaft 28 penetrates into an elongated hole 44 provided to penetrate the rail member 43 along the left-right direction. This elongated hole 44 is formed along the front-rear direction. By so forming, only a component by which the vertical drive shaft 28 vertically moves can be extracted from a moving locus on which the vertical drive shaft 28 moves circularly.

Cam followers 45 are provided in portions of the vertical drive shaft 28 which portions penetrate into the elongated hole 46 of the rail member 43 in states of being unmovable along the shaft 28. By so providing, the vertical drive shaft 28 can move smoothly within the elongated hole 44 without play.

The rotation drive shaft 29 and the vertical drive shaft 28 provided to correspond to the right footboard 2R are almost similar to those provided to correspond to the left footboard 2L. Therefore, the rotation drive shaft 29 and the vertical drive shaft 28 provided to correspond to the right footboard 2R will not be described herein.

It is noted, however, that the vertical drive shaft 28 provided to correspond to the left footboard 2L and the vertical drive shaft 28 provided to correspond to the right footboard 2R are deviated from each other in rotational angle by 180°.

An elastic member (a spring body) 48 generating an upward urge force against a force for pressing down each of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R is provided on a lower surface of each of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R. This can facilitate obtaining a drive force in an opposite direction when a state of each of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R changes from a pressed-down state to a rising state.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R that are main constituent elements of the swing mechanism 11 include inclined cams 50 provided on the installation base plate 14 and sliders 51 provided separately on the left and right footboards 2L and 2R, respectively.

Each of the inclined cams 50 is arranged along a virtual circular arc (see reference symbol P shown in FIG. 8) on a plane drawn around the swing spindle 15. An inclined surface formed on an upper surface of each inclined cam 50 is designed to have a direction along the virtual circular arc P and have a larger height as being closer to a central position (a left-right center) of the installation base plate 14.

The left slider 51 is arranged on a tip end of a stay (connection rod) 53 provided to be suspended from the left footboard 2L and slidable on an inclined surface of the left inclined cam 50. Likewise, the right slider 51 is arranged on a tip end of a stay 53 provided to be suspended from the right footboard 2R and slidable on the inclined surface of the right inclined cam 50. Each of these sliders 51 is structured to hold a wheel, a roller, a ball or the like to be rollable.

In each of the left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R, the positioning of the inclined cam 50 and inclination (inclination angle) of the inclined surface of the inclined cam 50 and the positioning and a vertical length of the stay 53 have a following relationship.

Namely, in the left power conversion mechanism 23L, if the footboard 2L is raised by the oscillation mechanism 10, the slider 51 operates to get on a higher position of the inclined cam 50. As the footboard 2L is moved down by the oscillation mechanism 10, the slider 51 operates to slide toward a lower position of the inclined cam 50. During this time, the slider 51 is always kept in a state of abutting on the inclined cam 50.

Likewise, in the right power conversion mechanism 23R, if the footboard 2R is raised by the oscillation mechanism 10, the slider 51 operates to get on the higher position of the inclined cam 50. As the footboard 2R is moved down by the oscillation mechanism 10, the slider 51 operates to slide toward the lower position of the inclined cam 50. During this time, the slider 51 is always kept in a state of abutting on the inclined cam 50.

When the slider 51 slides from the higher position to the lower position on the inclined surface of the inclined cam 50, a reactive force acts on the slider 51 to push out the slider 51 forward of the inclined cam 50. This reactive force is transmitted to the movable base plate 16 via the left or right footboard 2L or 2R and the oscillation mechanism 10. As a result, a left-right swing force centering around the swing spindle 15 is applied to the movable base plate 16.

Vertical movements of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R given by the oscillation mechanism 10 are alternate with each other along the left-right direction since the vertical drive shafts 28 of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R differ in phase by 180°. Namely, in the swing mechanism 11, when the slider 51 gets on the higher position of the inclined cam 50 in the left power conversion mechanism 23L, the slider 51 slides toward the lower position of the inclined cam 50 in the right power conversion mechanism 23R. Conversely, when the slider 51 gets on the higher position of the inclined cam 50 in the right power conversion mechanism 23R, the slider 51 slides toward the lower position of the inclined cam 50 in the left power conversion mechanism 23L.

As a consequence, when the right footboard 2R moves down (indicated by “D” in FIGS. 9 and 10), the movable base plate 16 swings clockwise and the left footboard 2L moves up simultaneously (indicated by “U” in FIGS. 9 and 10) as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Conversely, when the left footboard 2L moves down (indicated by “D” in FIGS. 9 and 10), the movable base plate 16 swings counterclockwise and the right footboard 2R moves up simultaneously (indicated by “U” in FIGS. 9 and 10) (operation in arrow Y directions shown in FIG. 1). As repetition of the operation, the footboards 2L and 2R continuously and alternately move vertically and the movable base plate 16 continuously swings along the left-right direction in a reciprocating fashion.

In this way, the oscillation mechanism 10 and the swing mechanism 11 have closely interlocking relationship between them.

As evident from the description given so far, the exercising apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes the electric motor 12 and the electric motor 12 drives the oscillation mechanism 10 to alternately and vertically oscillate the left and right footboards 2L and 2R. In response to the vertical oscillation of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R, the swing mechanism 11 swings the movable base plate 16 along the left-right direction.

Due to this, the user located on the left and right footboards 2L and 2R of the exercising apparatus 1 can simultaneously take a stepping exercise (an operation in arrow X directions shown in FIG. 1) for vertically moving left and right legs and a waist twisting exercise (an operation in the arrow Y directions shown in FIG. 1) for twisting a user's waist alternately left and right. The user can thereby take exercise useful for the user's body such as an aerobic exercise.

Second Embodiment

FIGS. 12 to 21C show an exercising apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In a following description, a left-right direction on a sheet of FIG. 13, a vertical direction on the sheet of FIG. 13, and a left-right direction on a sheet of FIG. 14 will be referred to as a “front-rear direction”, a “vertical direction”, and a “left-right or width direction”, respectively. These coincide with front-rear, left-right, and vertical directions with reference to a direction of a user as shown in FIG. 12.

Great differences of the exercising apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment from that according to the first embodiment are an oscillation mechanism 10 and a swing mechanism 11. The remaining configurations are similar to those according to the first embodiment.

Namely, the swing mechanism 11 includes an installation base plate (fixed base plate) 14 mounted on a floor, a swing spindle 15 (see FIGS. 15 and 18) provided on the installation base plate 14 with a central axis of the swing spindle 15 extending along the vertical direction, and a movable base plate 16 provided to be swingable along the left-right direction around the swing spindle 15.

The swing spindle 15 is arranged to be located almost just under the user getting on left and right footboards 2L and 2R in a standing attitude. It is noted that in the second embodiment, the installation base plate 14 is disc-shaped and the movable base plate 16 is a rectangular plate having major sides being along a left-right direction in a range in which major sides are on the installation base plate 14.

The swing spindle 15 is arranged almost in a central portion of the installation base plate 14 and also arranged at a position almost at a center of the plate-shaped movable base plate 16 in a front-rear direction and at a center thereof in a left-right direction (see FIG. 15).

As shown in FIG. 18, a bearing 60 externally fitted into the swing spindle 15 in a rotatable state is provided almost in a central portion of the installation base plate 14. The swing spindle 15 is provided almost at the center of the movable base 16 while protruding downward. The swing spindle 15 is fitted into a bearing 60 from above. Due to this, the movable base plate 16 is swingable around the swing spindle 15.

Left and right footboards 2L and 2R, the oscillation mechanism 10, and an electric motor 12 are provided on the movable base plate 16. As a result, if the movable base plate 16 is caused to swing around the swing spindle 15, the left and right footboards 2L and 2R swing above the installation base plate 14 together with the movable base plate 16 while the left and right footboards 2L and 2R are kept adjacent to each other.

Sidewall bodies 61L and 61R are provided on left and right side portions of the movable base plate 16, respectively. As shown in FIG. 13, guide mechanisms 18 each holding a wheel, a roller, a ball or the like to be rollable on the installation base plate 14 are provided on each of a left side surface of the left sidewall body 61L closer to a lower portion thereof and a right side surface of the right sidewall body 61R closer to a lower portion thereof.

Accordingly, if the movable base plate 16 starts to be inclined around the swing spindle 15, the guide mechanism 18 on a lower inclination side instantly abuts on the installation base plate 14 or keeps abutting thereon from the beginning so that the movable base plate 16 is not further inclined. Such guide mechanisms 18 enable the movable base plate 16 to stably swing along the left-right direction while a vertical distance of the movable base plate 16 to the installation base plate 14 is kept constant.

As shown in FIGS. 13 to 17, a left power conversion mechanism 23L is provided between a right side portion of the left footboard 2L and the installation base plate 14 in rear of the left footboard 2L, and a right power conversion mechanism 23R is provided between a left side portion of the right footboard 2R and the installation base plate 14 in rear of the right footboard 2R. The left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R are main constituent elements of the swing mechanism 11 for extracting left and right swing components from operation components for vertically moving the left and right footboards 2L and 2R by the oscillation mechanism 10.

It suffices that the swing mechanism 11 includes at least one of the left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R. However, it is preferable that the swing mechanism 11 is configured to include both the left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R to ensure smooth operation, robustness with fewer defects, and the like. These left and right power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R will be described later in detail.

As shown in FIG. 16, the oscillation mechanism 10 includes an oscillation spindle 27 supporting the left and right footboards 2L and 2R on respective oscillation fulcrum sides, a guide rail 65 provided on a vertical movement side of the footboards 2L and 2R (opposite side to the oscillation spindle 27) and on lower surfaces of the footboards 2L and 2R to be along the front-rear direction, sliders 66 slidably engaged with this guide rail 65, crank wheels 67 rotatably held by the sliders 66 while central axes thereof extending along the left-right direction, and rotation input shafts 68 (rotation drive shafts) provided at eccentric positions with the crank wheels 67 with axes thereof extending along the left-right direction.

The oscillation spindle 27 is arranged on a front side of the movable base plate 16. The oscillation spindle 27 supporting the left footboard 2L is suspended between the left sidewall body 61L and a left bearing body 70L laterally rightward of the left footboard 2L and provided on the movable base plate 16. By inserting a pivotal bracket 71 provided downward of the left footboard 2L into an intermediate portion of this oscillation spindle 27, the left footboard 2L is kept vertically swingable around the oscillation spindle 27.

Likewise, the oscillation spindle 27 supporting the right footboard 2R is suspended between the right sidewall body 61R and a right bearing body 70R laterally leftward of the right footboard 2R and provided on the movable base plate 16. By inserting a pivotal bracket 71 provided downward of the right footboard 2R into the intermediate portion of this oscillation spindle 27, the right footboard 2R is kept vertically swingable around the oscillation spindle 27.

The guide rail 65 includes a rail member 73 suspended between the left and right footboards 2L and 2R to be parallel, to be proximate to lower surfaces of the respective left and right footboards 2L and 2R, and to be along the front-rear direction, and a rail bracket 74 formed into an inverted-U shape so as to be able to hold both ends of the rail member 73. The guide rail 65 is fixed to the lower surfaces of the respective left and right footboards 2L and 2R via a back portion of the rail bracket 74.

Each of the sliders 66 includes a rail insertion part 75 inserted into the rail member 73 of the guide rail 65 in a skewered fashion and a circular ring-shaped wheel holder 76 provided in a lower portion of the rail insertion part 75. Each of the crank wheels 67 formed into a disc shape is held by this wheel holder 76 in a state in which the crank wheel 67 is rotatable with a central axis thereof extending along the left-right direction and is not detachable in the left-right direction.

One end of each rotation input shaft 68 is rotatably held by a bearing 77 (see FIG. 13) provided on each of the left and right sidewall bodies 61L and 61R (see FIG. 13). Likewise, the other end of the rotation input shaft 68 is connected to the deceleration part 35 between the left and right footboards 2L and 2R. This deceleration part 35 is fixed onto the movable base plate 16 via a motor base 40. The above-stated electric motor 12 is connected to this deceleration part 35. If a driven rotation is applied from the electric motor 12, the deceleration part 35 decelerates the rotation and transmits the decelerated rotation to the both of the left and right rotation input shafts 68 to thereby rotate the rotation input shafts 68.

Each of the rotation input shafts 68 is provided to penetrate through both of left and right sides of each crank wheel 67 at an eccentric position with the crank wheel 67 (at a position deviated from a center of the disc shape in a radial direction), and is fixed in a state of not relatively rotating to the crank wheel 67 (a state of rotating integrally with the crank wheel 67). Namely, if this rotation input shaft 68 rotates, the crank wheel 67 eccentrically rotates about this rotation input shaft 68.

At this time, each slider 66 eccentrically rotates about the rotation input shaft 68 along with the crank wheel 67. In this case, the rail insertion part 75 of the slider 66 is inserted into the rail member 73. Due to this, a relative slip occurs between an inner circumferential surface of the wheel holder 76 and an outer circumferential surface of the crank wheel 67. As a result, the slider 66 is kept in an attitude in which the rail insertion part 75 is at an upper level and the wheel holder 76 is at a lower level.

As evident from these respects, if the electric motor 12 drives each crank wheel 67 to be eccentrically rotated via the deceleration part 35 and the rotation input shaft 68, the rail insertion part 75 of each slider 66 moves along the rail member 73 of the guide rail 65 by a front-rear moving component included in this eccentric rotation as shown in FIGS. 19A to 19C. At the same time, the slider 66 generates driving for vertically oscillating the left and right footboards 2L and 2R by a vertical moving component included in the eccentric rotation of the crank wheel 67. In this way, the left and right footboards 2L and 2R vertically oscillate.

Eccentricities of the crank wheels 67 in the left and right footboards 2L and 2R are set to have a positional relationship therebetween of a phase shift by 180° (see FIG. 14). As a result, when the left footboard 2L moves down, the right footboard 2R moves up. When the right footboard 2R moves down, the left footboard 2L moves up. In this way, the left and right footboards 2L and 2R alternately and vertically oscillate.

As combinations of the guide rail 65, the slider 66, and the crank wheel 67, two sets of guide rails 65, sliders 66, and crank wheels 67 are provided in parallel for the left footboard 2L and two sets of guide rails 65, sliders 66, and crank wheels 67 are provided in parallel for the right footboard 2R for a reason of making the respective members compact and for a reason of reinforcement.

As shown in FIGS. 14, 15, and 17, in the above-stated swing mechanism 11, the left power conversion mechanism 23L includes a left connection rod 82 for the left footboard 2L at a position in rear of the oscillation spindle 27. The left connection rod 82 has one end connected to a first universal joint 80 and the other end connected onto the installation base plate 14 via a second universal joint 81.

The first universal joint 80 forming a connection portion in which the left footboard 2L is connected to a left connection rod 82L is formed out of, for example, a ball joint. The first universal joint 80 includes a spherical seat formed on a coupler part 83 provided in a state of protruding laterally rightward of the pivotal bracket 71 provided to protrude downward of the left footboard 2L, and a ball portion formed on the connection rod 82L. The spherical seat and the ball portion are spherically jointed with each other, thereby forming a fitted state.

Moreover, the second universal joint 81 forming a connection portion in which the left connection rod 82L is connected to the installation base plate 14 can be also formed out of a ball joint. This second universal joint 81 includes a spherical seat formed on a hinge base 86 held by a support base 85 provided on the installation base plate 14 in a vertically oscillational state, and a ball portion formed on the connection rod 82L. The spherical seat and the ball portion are spherically jointed with each other, thereby forming a fitted state. Namely, the two spherical seats are formed on both of left and right sides of one hinge base 86, respectively.

The same thing is almost true for the right power conversion mechanism 23R. A first universal joint 80 forming a connection portion in which the right footboard 2R is connected to a right connection rod 82R is, for example, a ball joint. The first universal joint 80 includes a spherical seat formed on a coupler part 83 provided in a state of protruding laterally leftward of the pivotal bracket 71 provided to protrude downward of the right footboard 2R, and a ball portion formed on the connection rod 82R. The spherical seat and the ball portion are spherically jointed with each other, thereby forming a fitted state.

Moreover, a second universal joint 81 forming a connection portion in which the right connection rod 82R is connected to the installation base plate 14 can be also formed out of a ball joint. This second universal joint 81 includes a spherical seat formed on a hinge base 86 held by a support base 85 provided on the installation base plate 14 in a vertically oscillational state, and a ball portion formed on the connection rod 82R. The spherical seat and the ball portion are spherically jointed with each other, thereby forming a fitted state. Namely, the two spherical seats are formed on both of left and right sides of one hinge base 86, respectively.

Each of the left connection rod 82L and the right connection rod 82R has a material and a strength so as not to have an elastic or curved deformation only by an external force applied when the left and right footboards 2L and 2R vertically swing. Accordingly, a distance increase or reduction change generated between the first universal joint 80 and the second universal joint 81 to follow the vertical oscillation of the left and right footboards 2L and 2R with the oscillation spindle 27 set as a fulcrum is transmitted to the first universal joint 80 side (that is, the left and right footboards 2L and 2R) and the second universal joint 81 side (that is, the installation base plate 14) as it is as an action in which the left connection rod 82L and the right connection rod 82R are pushed and pulled.

That is, it is assumed that a perpendicular distance between the first universal joint 80 and the second universal joint 81 while the right footboard 2R is moved up as shown in, for example, FIG. 21A is L, and that the footboard 2R is moved down to almost a horizontal state as shown in FIG. 21B. A mutual distance at this time is reduced to L−α as shown in FIG. 20B. Due to this, a pressing force resulting from a distance change α to follow a downward movement of the footboard 2R acts on the right connection rod 82R (with constant length) and the footboard 2R moves rightward. Eventually, the movable base plate 16 swings clockwise around the swing spindle 15.

As evident from FIG. 15, the right connection rod 82R is in a direction inclined rightward and facing outward in a plan view. Due to this, the pressing force moves the footboard 2R in a right direction and does not act to press the footboard 2R in a left direction.

Furthermore, it is assumed that the footboard 2R is moved down as shown in FIG. 21C. A mutual distance at that time is reduced to L−β (β>α) . Due to this, a further pressing force resulting from a distance change β to follow the downward movement of the footboard 2R acts on the right connection rod 82R, the footboard 2R moves rightward, and the movable base plate 16 further swings clockwise around the swing spindle 15.

Conversely, if the right footboard 2R is moved up as shown in FIGS. 21C→21B→21A, a perpendicular distance between the first universal joint 80 and the second universal joint 81 is increased to (L−β)→(L−α)→L. Due to this, a pulling force resulting from such a distance change acts on the right connection rod 82, the footboard 2R moves in an opposite direction, and the movable base plate 16 swings counterclockwise around the swing spindle 15. The movable base plate 16 swings around the swing spindle 15 by causing the pressing force and the pulling force to mutually act on the right connection rod 82.

The same thing is true for the left footboard 2L. The left connection rod 82L has a constant length and is in a direction inclined leftward and facing outward in a plan view. Due to this, a pressing force resulting from a downward movement of the left footboard 2L moves the footboard 2L in the left direction and does not act to press the footboard 2L in the right direction.

As stated, eccentricities of the crank wheels 67 in the left and right footboards 2L and 2R are set to have a positional relationship therebetween of a phase shift by 180°. As a result, when the left footboard 2L moves down, the right footboard 2R moves up. When the right footboard 2R moves down, the left footboard 2L moves up. In this way, the left and right footboards 2L and 2R alternately and vertically oscillate. As a consequence, when the left footboard 2L moves down and a pressing force acts on the left connection rode 82L, the right footboard 2R moves up and a pulling force acts on the right connection rod 82R. Conversely, when the right footboard 2R moves down and a pressing force acts on the right connection rod 82R, the left footboard 2L moves up and a pulling force acts on the left connection rod 82L.

In this way, when the left footboard 2L moves down (indicated by “DW” in FIG. 20C), the movable base plate 16 swings clockwise and the right footboard 2R moves up simultaneously (indicated by “UP” in FIG. 20C). When the right footboard 2R moves down (indicated by “DW” in FIG. 20A), the movable base plate 16 swings counterclockwise and the left footboard 2L moves up simultaneously (indicated by “UP” in FIG. 20A). As repetition of the operation, the footboards 2L and 2R continuously and alternately move vertically with the oscillation spindle 27 set as a fulcrum and the movable base plate 16 continuously swings along the left-right direction around the swing spindle 15. In this way, the oscillation mechanism 10 and the swing mechanism 11 have closely interlocking relationship between them.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 12, ropes 90L and 90R which the user getting on the left and right footboards 2L and 2R can grasp are attached to the left and right footboards 2L and 2R, respectively. Each of these ropes 90L and 90R has elasticity that enables each of the ropes 90L and 90R expandable and that restores in a contraction direction after expansion. Further, a grip ring 91 is provided on a tip end of each of the ropes 90L and 90R so as to facilitate user's grasping the ropes 90L and 90R.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, with respect to the left footboard 2L, a rope mount base 93 is provided at a position in front of and a left side portion of the footboard 2L, preferably at a position of one-third to one-fourth of a front-rear length of the left footboard 2L from a front side thereof, so as to face outward along the left-right direction. The ropes 90L and 90R are connected to an upper portion of this rope mount base 93 via a hook fitting 94.

If such ropes 90L and 90R are provided, the user who gets on the footboards 2L and 2R can perform an operation for pulling the respective grip rings 91 of the ropes 90L and 90R against elastic forces (contraction forces) of the ropes 90L and 90R in accordance with the vertical oscillation of the footboards 2L and 2R. By doing so, a load is imposed on the user as if the user walks while vigorously waving his or her arms. Therefore, the user can build up not only a lower part of the user's body but also user's arms, shoulders, chest, back muscle, abdominal muscle and the like while taking a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise under an assistance of the electric motor. Besides, the apparatus can realize activation to training of respiratory operation, increase in calorie consumption, and the like, thereby making it possible to use the apparatus more suitably.

Alternatively, proximal ends of non-elastic ropes or grip rods made of metal or plastic may be inserted into the rope mount base 93 so that the user can grasp these non-elastic ropes or upper ends of the rods.

If the grip rods are used, a length of each of the grip rods is set to about 1 meter to about 1.5 meters, whereby the user who gets on the footboards 2L and 2R can easily grasp the upper ends of the grip rods. Each grip rod preferably has an inclination angle so that the grip rod is almost perpendicular when the footboards 2L and 2R are located at lowermost positions. For example, each grip rod is set to be inclined forward at about 10° with respect to an upper surface of each footboard.

If such grip rods are provided, the user getting on the footboards 2L and 2R can simultaneously take a stepping exercise and a waist twisting exercise under an assistance of the electric motor in a stable state in which the user grasps the upper ends of the grip rods. The user can thereby continue exercising without feeling bored.

Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to the above-stated embodiments but can be appropriately changed according to modes of carrying out the present invention.

In each of the power conversion mechanisms 23L and 23R of the oscillation mechanism 10, the inclined cam 50 may be formed to have an inclined surface having a larger height as being closer to outward along the left-right direction from the central position (the left-right center) of the installation base plate 14.

Two oscillation spindles 27 can be provided in a state of being divided between the left and right footboards 2L and 2R.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, a front-rear direction of the user may be changed appropriately according to a place where the user desires.

The elastic ropes 90L and 90R, non-elastic ropes replaceable with the elastic ropes 90L and 90R, or the grip rods can be also employed in the exercising apparatus 1 (see FIGS. 1 to 11) according to the first embodiment.

Only one of the left and right elastic ropes 90L and 90R, non-elastic ropes replaceable with the elastic ropes 90L and 90R, or the grip rods can be used and provided to face upward in neighborhoods of the swing spindle 15. In case of the grip rod, a handle bar facing horizontally may be provided on the upper end of the grip rod to form the grip rod into a T-shape.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention can be suitably used for an exercising apparatus for stepping exercises or an exercising apparatus for waist twisting exercises so that a user can take indoor exercise easily.

Claims

1. An exercising apparatus comprising: left and right footboards provided to be adjacent to each other;an oscillation mechanism vertically oscillating the left and right footboards around an oscillation spindle, the oscillation spindle being provided on a front side of each of the left and right footboards with a central axis of the oscillation spindle extending along a left-right direction;a swing mechanism swinging said left and right footboards around a swing spindle along the left-right direction in a reciprocating fashion while said left and right footboards are kept adjacent to each other, the swing spindle being provided with a central axis of the swing spindle extending along a vertical direction; andan electric motor simultaneously driving said oscillation mechanism and said swing mechanism.

2. The exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said swing mechanism includes an installation base plate and a movable base plate, the movable base plate being arranged in parallel to the installation base plate and being swingable around the swing spindle provided on the installation base plate perpendicularly, andthe left and right footboards, the oscillation mechanism and the electric motor are provided on said movable base plate.

3. The exercising apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said oscillation mechanism includesan elongated hole provided in rear of and lower surfaces of the left and right footboards so as to be along a front-rear direction;a vertical drive shaft having a central axis of the vertical drive shaft extending along the left-right direction, said vertical drive shaft being fitted into said elongated hole; anda rotation drive shaft having a central axis of the rotation drive shaft extending along the left-right direction, said vertical drive shaft being attached to the rotation drive shaft in an eccentric state.

4. The exercising apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said oscillation spindle is provided to cross said swing spindle, and is swingable around the swing spindle in an interlocking manner with left-right swing of the movable base plate.

5. The exercising apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said oscillation mechanism includes an elastic member provided on each of the lower surfaces of the left and right footboards and urging each of the left and right footboards upward.

6. The exercising apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a single electric motor is arranged between said left and right footboards, and the rotation drive shaft protrudes toward both of left and right sides of the single electric motor.

7. The exercising apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said swing mechanism includes a guide mechanism provided between the installation base plate and the movable base plate, and holding a gap between the installation base plate and the movable base plate to be constant.

8. The exercising apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said swing mechanism includes a power conversion mechanism extracting a left-right swing movement from a vertical movement of each of the footboards generated by the oscillation mechanism, andsaid power conversion mechanism is provided between each of the left and right footboards and the installation base plate.

9. The exercising apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said power conversion mechanism includesan inclined cam arranged on the installation base plate along a virtual circular arc centering around the swing spindle; anda slider provided on each of the lower surfaces of the left and right footboards, and sliding on an inclined surface of said inclined cam.

10. The exercising apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the inclined surface having a height larger as the inclined surface is farther from said swing spindle is formed on said inclined cam.

11. The exercising apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said movable base plate includes a pair of left and right notches on both ends of said movable base plate, respectively, the pair of left and right notches being notched toward a center side of the movable base plate, andwhen said movable base plate swings counterclockwise, the inclined cam provided below the left footboard is located in the left notch, and when said movable base plate swings clockwise, the inclined cam provided below the right footboard is located in the right notch.

12. The exercising apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a rail member is provided on each of the lower surfaces of said footboards and an elongated hole being along the front-rear direction is provided in the rail member.

13. The exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the swing spindle of said swing mechanism is arranged to be located almost just under a user getting on the left and right footboards in a standing attitude.

14. The exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the swing spindle of said swing mechanism is arranged at a position between the left and right footboards and corresponding to almost a front-rear center of each of the footboards.

15. The exercising apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the swing spindle of said swing mechanism is arranged at a position of almost a front-rear center of the installation base plate and of almost a left-right center of the installation base plate.

16. The exercising apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said installation base plate is formed into a circular shape or a shape approximate to the circular shape in a plan view.

17. The exercising apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said oscillation mechanism includesa guide rail provided on each of the lower surfaces of the left and right footboards on an opposite side to the oscillation spindle so as to be along the front-rear direction;a rail insertion part slidably fitted into the guide rail;an annular wheel holder provided on a lower portion side of the rail insertion part;a crank wheel held rotatably by the wheel holder while a central axis of the crank wheel is along the left-right direction; anda rotation drive shaft provided at an eccentric position with the crank wheel while a central axis of the rotation drive shaft is along the left-right direction.

18. The exercising apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said swing mechanism includes a power conversion mechanism extracting a left-right swing movement from a vertical movement of each of the footboards generated by said oscillation mechanism, andsaid power conversion mechanism includes a connection rod connecting each of the footboards to the installation base plate, one end of the connection rod being connected to a side portion of each of said footboards in rear of the oscillation spindle via a first universal joint, other end of the connection rod being connected to the installation base plate via a second universal joint.

19. The exercising apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each of said first universal joint and said second universal joint is constituted by a ball joint.

20. The exercising apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said power conversion mechanism is provided to correspond to each of the left and right footboards.

21. The exercising apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said power conversion mechanism is provided between the left and right footboards.

22. The exercising apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the single electric motor is arranged between said left and right footboards and a rotation drive shaft protrudes toward both of left and right sides of the single electric motor.

23. The exercising apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said swing mechanism includes a guide mechanism provided between the installation base plate and the movable base plate and holding a gap between the installation base plate and the movable base plate to be constant.