Patent Application
20060199703
1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains generally to exercise equipment and, more particularly, to a portable machine for doing stepping or stair climbing exercises.
2. Related Art
In recent years, stepping machines have been a popular way of exercising the lower body or legs and, at the same time, getting a cardiovascular workout. A number of different types of such machines have been provided, including relatively large upright machines having pedals mounted on arms connected to hydraulic cylinders or other resistance elements, with handrails to the sides and in front of the exerciser. In addition to being bulky and difficult to move about, such machines are complex and expensive.
Another type of stepper machine heretofore provided has a pair of pedal arms mounted on a base or frame which rests on the floor. Examples of such machines are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,420 and 5,230,674, the latter of which also folds up and serves as a baggage carrier. Such machines are more compact than the upright machines, but they are difficult to use since there are no handrails or other means to stabilize a person exercising on them.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,277,675 and 6,132,338 disclose resilient exercise boards which can be used for doing stepping exercises and a variety of other aerobic exercises. Those boards are light in weight, relatively inexpensive, and readily carried about. Other examples of portable step exercisers are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,176,596 and 5,697,870.
It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved machine for doing stepping or stair climbing exercises.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which is highly portable and overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of stepping machines heretofore provided.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a portable machine for doing stair climbing exercises which has a base movable between horizontal and upright positions, a wheel mounted on the base for rolling engagement with the floor when the base is in the upright position, a first step movable between an operative position beside the base and a storage position within the base, a second step surmounted on the base, and a post pivotally attached to the base for movement between a supporting position generally perpendicular to the base and a handle position generally parallel to the base.
In the embodiment of
An upper step 19 is surmounted on the base. This step consists of a platform 21 and a plurality of springs 23 between the platform and the base. In this particular embodiment, the springs are C-shaped leaf springs having lower legs 23a attached to the top panel of the base by U-bolts 24, upper legs 23b attached to the under side of the platform by U-bolts (not shown), and outwardly curved portions or bights 23c between the legs. The springs are fabricated of a resilient material such as spring steel or carbon fiber. In the embodiment illustrated, the springs extend along the front and rear edges of the platform, but they can just as well extend along the side edges, and one or more additional springs can be utilized between them, if desired.
A lower step 28 is positioned in front of the base and adapted to be slid into the base through the opening 17 and secured there for movement and storage of the machine. This step also has a platform 29 with a plurality of springs 31 beneath it. Springs 31 are similar to springs 23, and their upper legs 31b are attached to the under side of platform 29 by U-bolts 32. Mounting feet 33 are attached to the lower legs 31a of springs 31 by U-bolts 34, with skid resistant pads 36 on the under sides of the feet.
The two platforms are similar in construction, and each has a substantially rigid, yet flexible, substrate 37, a resilient pad 38 above the substrate, and a peripheral rim or frame 39.
A pair of wheels are 41 mounted on the front side of base 11 for use in moving the machine about. The wheels are rotatably mounted in forks 42 which extend in a forward direction from the base for engagement with the floor when the rear portion of the base is raised.
A pair of uprights or posts 43 are disposed on opposite sides of the base for use as supports for a person exercising on the steps and as handles by a person moving the machine about on its wheels. The posts are pivotally attached to the base by axles or pins 44 which are received in openings 46 in side panels 14, with thumbscrews 47 selectively engagable with nuts 48, 49 in the side panels for holding the posts in the supportive and handle positions. In the supportive position, the posts are generally perpendicular to the base, and in the handle position, they are generally parallel to it.
The posts are axially extensible with telescoping sections 43a, 43b with thumbscrews 51 engagable with aligned openings 52 in the two sections for holding them in a desired position. Hand grips 53 extend rearwardly at an angle on the order of 135 degrees from the upper ends of the posts.
Operation and use of the machine is as follows. Base 11 is placed in a horizontal position on the floor or other supporting surface with lower step 28 in front of it and posts 43 extending vertically. The length of the posts is adjusted so that a person exercising on the machine can grasp hand grips 53 for stability and support.
To move the machine about, the lower step is slid into the base and secured, and the posts are retracted and moved to the handle position, i.e. generally parallel to the base, as shown in
The embodiment illustrated in
Step 28 likewise has legs 59 near its corners of its platform. Those legs have blocks of resilient material 61 which rest upon the floor and are received in pockets formed by flanges 62 on the lower side of the platform. The blocks of resilient material for both steps are affixed in the pockets by an adhesive.
Operation and use of the embodiment of
The embodiment of
The upper leaves 66 of the springs for upper step 19 are attached to the lower side of platform 21 by U-bolts 68, and lower leaves 67 are similarly attached to the top panel 12 of base 11 by U-bolts (not shown) so that the springs provide additional resiliency and resistance to downward movement of the step.
In lower step 28, the arched leaf springs are positioned between the underside of platform 29 and the upper sides of mounting feet 71 which extend along the front and rear edges of the step beneath resilient legs 59. Mounting feet 71 are similar to the mounting feet 33 in the embodiment of
Operation and use of the embodiment of
The invention has a number of important features and advantages. It provides a highly portable step exerciser with two resilient steps which can be set up quickly and easily and then folded up and rolled about when not in use.
It is apparent from the foregoing that a new and improved machine for doing stepping or stair climbing exercises has been provided. While only certain presently preferred embodiments have been described, as will be apparent to those familiar with the art, certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
