1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rehabilitation equipment and, more particularly, to rehabilitation exercising equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional rehabilitation equipment comprises a support frame, a pedal portion mounted on the support frame, and a handle portion mounted on the support frame and connected with the pedal portion to move in concert with the pedal portion. Thus, when a user holds the handle portion and treads the pedal portion, the handle portion is driven by the pedal portion to move upward and downward so as to provide a rehabilitating function to the user's two hands. However, when the user's legs are injured, he/she cannot tread the pedal portion to drive the handle portion easily, thereby causing inconvenience to the user, and thereby decreasing the rehabilitating effect of the rehabilitation equipment.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided rehabilitation exercising equipment, comprising a main frame, a first geared member rotatably mounted on the main frame, a second geared member rotatably mounted on the main frame, a connecting mechanism mounted between the first geared member and the second geared member to connect the first geared member and the second geared member so that the first geared member and the second geared member are movable in concert with each other, a first idle geared member rotatably mounted on the main frame and connected with the connecting mechanism, a second idle geared member rotatably mounted on the main frame and connected with the connecting mechanism, and two handlebars secured on the first geared member and the second geared member to pivot in concert with the first geared member and the second geared member respectively.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide rehabilitation exercising equipment that can extend a user's arms and legs.
According to the primary advantage of the present invention, a user's two hands can hold the two handlebars to pivot the two handlebars in two opposite directions by connection of the connecting mechanism so as to achieve an exercising or rehabilitating function.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings and initially to
The main frame 10 includes a transverse bar 17, an upright post 11 mounted on the transverse bar 17, a seat unit 40 swivelably mounted on the transverse bar 17, an extension bar 12 connected with the transverse bar 17, a crossbar 18 mounted between the upright post 11 and the extension bar 12, and a control panel 20 mounted on the extension bar 12. The control panel 20 of the main frame 10 is preferably an electronic instrument panel.
The main frame 10 further includes a first support rod 111 mounted on the upright post 11 to support the first geared member 13 and one of the two handlebars 50, a second support rod 112 mounted on the upright post 11 to support the second geared member 14 and the other one of the two handlebars 50, a third support rod 113 mounted on the upright post 11 to support the first idle geared member 15, and a fourth support rod 114 mounted on the upright post 11 to support the second idle geared member 16.
The first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14 are rotatably mounted on the upright post 11 of the main frame 10 and are rotated in two opposite directions by connection of the connecting mechanism 30. The first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14 are parallel with each other.
The first idle geared member 15 and the second idle geared member 16 are rotatably mounted on the upright post 11 of the main frame 10 and are located above the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14. The first idle geared member 15 and the second idle geared member 16 are parallel with each other. The first idle geared member 15 and the second idle geared member 16 are perpendicular to the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14.
The connecting mechanism 30 is connected between the first geared member 13, the second geared member 14, the first idle geared member 15 and the second idle geared member 16. The connecting mechanism 30 includes a first connecting portion 31 meshing with the first geared member 13, a second connecting portion 32 meshing with the second geared member 14, a third connecting portion 33 meshing with the first idle geared member 15 and a fourth connecting portion 34 meshing with the second idle geared member 16.
The first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32 of the connecting mechanism 30 are parallel with each other. Each of the first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32 of the connecting mechanism 30 has a substantially U-shaped profile and has a first distal end connected with the third connecting portion 33 and a second distal end connected with the fourth connecting portion 34.
The third connecting portion 33 and the fourth connecting portion 34 of the connecting mechanism 30 are parallel with each other. Each of the third connecting portion 33 and the fourth connecting portion 34 of the connecting mechanism 30 traverses and connects the first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32 so that the third connecting portion 33 and the fourth connecting portion 34 of the connecting mechanism 30 are perpendicular to the first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32. Each of the third connecting portion 33 and the fourth connecting portion 34 of the connecting mechanism 30 has a substantially inverted U-shaped profile and has a first distal end connected with the first connecting portion 31 and a second distal end connected with the second connecting portion 32.
Each of the two handlebars 50 has a substantially L-shaped profile. Each of the two handlebars 50 has a lower end provided with a mounting head 54 rotatably mounted on the upright post 11 of the main frame 10 and secured on one of the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14. The lower end of each of the two handlebars 50 has a side provided with a support plate 52 to support one of the two pedals 53. Each of the two handlebars 50 has an upper end provided with a holding portion 51. The two handlebars 50 are pivoted in two opposite directions by connection of the connecting mechanism 30.
In operation, referring to
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive unit 60 of the transmission mechanism 70 is a magnetically controlled resistance device. Alternatively, the drive unit 60 of the transmission mechanism 70 is a powered motor. In addition, each of the connecting mechanism 30, the first linking member 64 and the second linking member 61 is a toothed belt. Alternatively, each of the first geared member 13, the second geared member 14, the first idle geared member 15, the second idle geared member 16, the first driven geared member 66, the second driven geared member 63, the driving geared member 67 and the drive geared member 62 is a sprocket, while each of the connecting mechanism 30, the first linking member 64 and the second linking member 61 is a chain.
Thus, when the drive unit 60 of the transmission mechanism 70 is a magnetically controlled resistance device, the drive unit 60 provides a magnetic damping force to the first driven geared member 66 by connection of the second linking member 61 and the first linking member 64 to damp rotation of the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14 and to damp pivot action of the two handlebars 50 so as to provide a resistance to the user's two hands, thereby enhancing the exercising or rehabilitating effect.
Alternatively, when the drive unit 60 of the transmission mechanism 70 is a powered motor, the drive unit 60 drives the driving geared member 67 which drives the second linking member 61 which drives the drive geared member 62 which drives the rotation shaft 68 which drives the second driven geared member 63 which drives the first linking member 64 which drives the first driven geared member 66 which drives the second geared member 14 which drives the connecting mechanism 30 which drives the first geared member 13 so that the two handlebars 50 are moved by the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14 and are pivoted in two opposite directions by connection of the connecting mechanism 30 to move the user's two hands so as to achieve a rehabilitating function.
As shown in
Accordingly, a user's two hands can hold the two handlebars 50 to pivot the two handlebars 50 in two opposite directions by connection of the connecting mechanism 30 so as to achieve an exercising or rehabilitating function. In addition, the two pedals 53 are moved in concert with the two handlebars 50 respectively to exercise or rehabilitate the user's two legs. Further, the drive unit 60 of the transmission mechanism 70 functions as a magnetically controlled resistance device to provide a damping force to the first driven geared member 66 by connection of the second linking member 61 and the first linking member 64 to damp rotation of the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14 and to damp pivot action of the two handlebars 50 so as to provide a resistance to the user's two hands, thereby enhancing the exercising or rehabilitating effect. Further, the drive unit 60 of the transmission mechanism 70 functions as a powered motor to drive the first driven geared member 66 by connection of the second linking member 61 and the first linking member 64 and to drive the second geared member 14 and the first geared member 13 by connection of the connecting mechanism 30 so that the two handlebars 50 are moved by the first geared member 13 and the second geared member 14 and are pivoted in two opposite directions by connection of the connecting mechanism 30 to move the user's two hands so as to achieve a rehabilitating function.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4880225 | Lucas et al. | Nov 1989 | A |
6852070 | Herbert | Feb 2005 | B1 |
20090253558 | Lofgren et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130005548 A1 | Jan 2013 | US |