The disclosure relates to an exercise apparatus, more particularly to a fitness exercise apparatus that combines aerobic and strength training.
An exerciser, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 20020077229A1, includes a frame assembly, a user support assembly disposed on the frame assembly, two bungee cords mounted on the frame assembly, and two pull cords respectively connected to the bungee cords. When a user is seated on the user support assembly, he/she can perform physical training through cooperation of the bungee cords and the pull cords. When not in use, the user support assembly is operated to pivot relative to the frame assembly so as to be disposed in an upright position for storage.
However, this kind of exerciser can only provide physical training in a sitting position, but not in a standing position because of the obstruction of the user support assembly which can cause falling and injury to the user.
Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a fitness exercise apparatus that combines aerobic and strength training and that can be easily adjusted to suit different requirements of a user.
According to this disclosure, a fitness exercise apparatus comprises a main frame, a seat frame, a swing frame, an elastic cord unit, a pulling unit and an operating unit. The main frame includes a base member configured to be disposed on a support surface, a support unit disposed on the base member, and a slide bar that is disposed on the support unit, that extends along a horizontal direction, and that has a first end and a second end opposite to each other along the horizontal direction, and a middle portion between the first and second ends. The seat frame is slidably mounted on the slide bar, and includes a connector connected to the slide bar and slidable between the first and second ends thereof, a guide rail connected to the connector and transverse to the slide bar, a seat assembly slidably disposed on the guide rail, and a foot post connected to the guide rail opposite to the connector and disposed rearwardly of the base member.
The swing frame is connected to the guide rail at a position corresponding to the foot post. The elastic cord unit includes a plurality of first and second elastic cords connected to the support unit.
The pulling unit includes three first pulley sets disposed on the base member and the support unit, two first cables each of which is looped around the first pulley sets and connectable with at least one of the first elastic cords, a second pulley set including a plurality of pulleys disposed on the main frame, the seat frame and the swing frame, and a second cable looped around the pulleys of the second pulley set and connectable with at least one of the second elastic cords. The operating unit is connectable with the first cables.
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
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The main frame 10 includes a base member 11, a support unit 12 and a slide bar 13. The base member 11 is configured to be disposed on a support surface, such as a ground surface, and has an anti-skid plate 111 provided on a top surface thereof. The support unit 12 is disposed on the base member 11, and includes a support post 123, a cross bar 124, a hanging rod 125, two wheel frames 126, and a fixing frame 127. The support post 123 has a bottom portion 121 connected to the base member 11, and a top portion 122 opposite to the bottom portion 121 and provided with a pair of support plates 129 at a top end thereof. Each support plate 129 has a substantially L-shaped body. A rod 1291 is provided between top ends of the support plates 129.
The fixing frame 127 is connected between the base member 11 and the support post 123, and includes a substantially inverted U-shaped rod 1271, a vertical rod 1274, a curved rod 1275, and a horizontal rod 1276. The inverted U-shaped rod 1271 has two legs 1272 disposed on left and right sides of the base member 11, and a bight portion 1273 connected between top ends of the legs 1272. The vertical rod 1274 is connected to and extends upwardly from the bight portion 1273. The curved rod 1275 has an upper end connected to a central portion of the support post 123, and a lower end connected to a top end of the vertical rod 1274. The horizontal rod 1276 is inserted through a front portion of the base member 11, and has two opposite ends respectively connected to the legs 1272 such that the horizontal rod 1276 is opposite to the bight portion 1273. A pair of foot pedals 128 are mounted on the bight portion 1273.
The slide bar 13 extends along a horizontal direction (X), and has a first end 132 and a second end 133 opposite to each other along the horizontal direction (X) and respectively connected to the legs 1272 of the inverted U-shaped rod 1271, and a middle portion 131 between the first and second ends 132, 133. In this embodiment, the horizontal direction (X) is a left-right horizontal direction.
The cross bar 124 is positioned on top of the pair of support plates 129 in proximity to the rod 1291, and has two opposite ends respectively located on left and right sides of the support post 123 along the horizontal direction (X) and respectively provided with an L-shaped plate 1241.
The hanging rod 125 is connected to the support post 123 between the top and bottom portions 122, 121 thereof, and has two opposite ends respectively located on the left and right sides of the support post 123. The wheel frames 126 are respectively disposed on the opposite ends of the hanging rod 125.
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The swing frame 30 includes a connecting rod 31 having a bottom end connected to the rear end of the guide rail 23 at a position corresponding to the foot post 26, two knee support rods 32 connected to two opposite sides of the connecting rod 31, a swing rod 33 pivoted to a top end of the connecting rod 31 and swingable toward and away from the foot post 26, and two positioning rods 34 connected to two opposite sides of the swing rod 33 and distal to the knee support rods 32.
The elastic cord unit 40 includes a plurality of first elastic cords 41 disposed on the opposite ends of the cross bar 124, and a plurality of second elastic cords 42 disposed on the pair of support plates 129. Three first elastic cords 41 disposed on each end of the cross bar 124 and having different thicknesses are exemplified in this embodiment. Each first elastic cord 41 has a first end hooked to the L-shaped plate 1241 provided on a corresponding one of the opposite ends of the cross bar 124, and a second end for connection with the pulling unit 50. The second end of each first elastic cord 41 is hooked to a retainer provided on a corresponding one of left and right lateral surfaces of the support post 123 when not in use. Three second elastic cords 42 having different thicknesses are also exemplified in this embodiment. Each second elastic cord 42 has a first end hooked to the rod 1291 provided between the top ends of the support plates 129, and a second end for connection with the pulling unit 50. The second end of each second elastic cord 42 is hooked to the retainer provided on the corresponding one of the left and right lateral surfaces of the support post 123 when not in use.
The pulling unit 50 includes three first pulley sets 51, two first cables 52, a second pulley set 53, a second cable 54, a movable pulley set 55, two auxiliary pulley sets 56, and an auxiliary cable 57. One of the first pulley sets 51 includes two pulleys respectively disposed on left and right front ends of the base member 11. A second one of the first pulley sets 51 includes two pairs of pulleys respectively disposed on the wheel frames 126. A third one of the first pulley sets 51 includes two pulleys respectively disposed on the L-shaped plates 1241 provided on the opposite ends of the cross bar 124. The second pulley set 53 includes three pulleys 531, one of which is disposed in the bottom portion 121 of the support post 123, a second one of which is disposed on the base member 11 in proximity to a middle front end thereof, and a third one of which is disposed in the foot post 26. The movable pulley set 55 is disposed in proximity to the bottom portion 121 of the support post 123, and includes two pulleys disposed one above the other. One of the auxiliary pulley sets 56 includes two pulleys spacedly disposed on the top portion 122 of the support post 123 between the pair of support plates 129. The other auxiliary pulley set 56 includes two pulleys spacedly disposed on the curved rod 1275 of the fixing frame 127.
The first cables 52 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the support post 123. Each first cable 52 includes a first cable section 521 and a second cable section 523. The first cable section 521 has a first end 522 (see
The second cable 54 includes a first cable section 541 and a second cable section 543. The first cable section 541 is looped around the pulley 531 of the second pulley set 53 disposed on the base member 11 in proximity to the middle front end thereof, a lower pulley of the movable pulley set 55, and the pulley 531 of the second pulley set 53 disposed in the bottom portion 121 of the support post 123, and has a first end extending out of the pulley 531 of the second pulley set 53 disposed on the base member 11, and a second end connected to the second end of at least one of the second elastic cords 42. The second cable section 543 is looped around the pulley 531 of the second pulley set 53 disposed in the foot post 26, and has a first end detachably connected to the first end of the first cable section 541, and a second end fixed to the swing rod 33. The first end of the second cable section 543 can be hooked to the hook 241 of the cable-hooking mechanism 24 after being detached from the first end of the first cable section 541, and can be positioned to the bottom portion of the connector 21 through the magnetic attraction of the magnet 242 disposed inside the connector 21, as shown in
The auxiliary cable 57 is looped around the pulleys of the auxiliary pulley set 56 disposed on the curved rod 1275 of the fixing frame 127, an upper pulley of the movable pulley set 55, and the pulleys of the auxiliary pulley set 56 disposed on the top portion 122 of the support post 123, and has a first end extending out of the pulleys of the auxiliary pulley set 56 disposed on the curved rod 1275 for connection with the operating unit 60, and a second end extending out of the pulleys of the auxiliary pulley sets 56 disposed on the top portion 122 of the support post 123 for connection with the operating unit 60.
The operating unit 60 includes two handles 61, an upper pull rod 62 and a lower pull rod 63. The handles 61 may be connected detachably and respectively to the second ends 527 of the second cable sections 523 of the first cables 52 or the first ends 522 of the first cable sections 521 of the first cables 52 depending on the training exercise. The upper pull rod 62 is detachably connected to the second end of the auxiliary cable 57, and is positioned on a pair of hook members provided on the pair of support plates 129 when not in use. The lower pull rod 63 is detachably connected to the first end of the auxiliary cable 57, and is positioned on a lower portion of the curved rod 1275 when not in use.
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It should be noted herein that, when the lower pull rod 63 is connected to the first end of the auxiliary cable 57 and the user is seated on the seat assembly 25, a rowing exercise can be performed by the user (not shown).
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It is worth to mention herein that, in actual practice, different thicknesses and different numbers of the first and second elastic cords 41, 42 may be used to obtain different damping effects and to meet the different demands of training, and the damping curve of each of the first and second elastic cords 41, 42 (F=KX, external force is proportional to elongation) is similar to the human muscle strength. The damping can be changed from 10 to 100 kgs.
regardless of the user's sex and age. Further, by using the combination of the first cables 52 and the first elastic cords 41 and the combination of the second cable 54 and the second elastic cords 42, the range of different kinds of users is wide.
The efficiency of this disclosure can be summarized as follows:
1. When performing standing stretching exercises, the first elastic cords 41 and the second elastic cords 42 can be directly stretched without the need to pass through a slide shaft, so that the service life thereof can be effectively prolonged.
2. Through the provision of the cross bar 124 and the pair of support plates 129 on the top portion 122 of the support post 123, the appearance of this disclosure can be enhanced.
3. Depending on the training requirements, the first end 522 of the first cable section 521 of each first cable 52 can be connected to the first end 525 of the second cable section 523 thereof to perform standing stretching exercises. When the first end 525 of the second cable section 523 of each first cable 52 is not in use, the first end 525 thereof can be hooked to the retainer provided on the corresponding left or right side of the hanging rod 125.
4. Because the seat frame 20 is movable along the horizontal direction (X), the fitness exercise apparatus 100, 100′ can further provide standing and lying exercises for the user, and has enough space, so that it is convenient for the user to perform different exercise modes.
In summary, the fitness exercise apparatus 100, 100′ of this disclosure has a simple overall structure, and the seat frame 20 can be moved along the horizontal direction (X) through the connector 21 that is slidable along the slide bar 13 and through the roller 261 attached to the bottom portion of the foot post 26 so as to meet the needs of the user for performing different exercise modes. Therefore, the object of this disclosure can indeed be achieved.
In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.
While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.