Patent Application
20130045839
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a stepper, and more particularly to a sitting type stepper.
2. Description of the Related Art
In present days, more and more people care about health. However, people are hard to find available time and place to exercise in big city so that there are many training machines in the market for user to exercise at home.
Stepper is one of the common home training machines. The conventional stepper includes a pair of handles and a pair of pedals. The handles are fixed on a base to be held by user to keep balance when he/she stands on the pedals and steps them. User will train his/her thigh's and leg's muscles by repeating stepping the pedals. For those patients who hurt the legs, stepper is the best device to rehabilitate the legs.
However, the patient has to stand on the stepper and step the pedals. It is a hard job for the patient to step the pedals and keep balance in the same time by holding the handles only. The patient might fall and get more serious injury when he/her stands on the stepper and repeats stepping the pedals. In exercise on the stepper, user's body is moving up and down repeatedly when user steps the pedals. The fixed handles can't move along with the user that they can't help user to exercise on the stepper.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sitting type stepper, on which a seat is provided for user to sit thereon and step the pedals.
According to the primary objective of the present invention, a sitting type stepper includes a stationary base having a support frame, a seat provided on the support frame, and a stepping assembly. The stepping assembly is provided on the stationary base, including two transmission units pivoted on the support frame of the stationary base, and each of the transmission unit has a handle and a pedal connected to the handle that the pedal is moved by swinging the handle.
In an embodiment, each of the transmission units further includes an operating bar pivoted on the support frame, a four-linkage mechanism connected to a first end of the operating bar, and a linkage having opposite ends connected to a second end of the operating bar and the four-linkage mechanism, and the four-linkage mechanism further is pivoted on the support frame and the pedal respectively.
In an embodiment, the stepping assembly further includes a resistance device, which is pivoted on the support frame and has a belt having an end connected to the four-linkage mechanism and a spring having opposite ends connected to the support frame and the belt.
In an embodiment, the resistance device further includes a plurality of guiding wheels and a belt wheel pivoted on the support frame that the belt runs around the guiding wheels and the belt wheel in sequence.
In an embodiment, the stationary base further includes a base frame, on which the seat and the support frame are provided.
In an embodiment, the seat is provided with a sliding base engaging the base frame, and a control device provided on the sliding base with an end against the base frame.
In an embodiment, the seat is above the stepping assembly.
As shown in
The stationary base 10 has a base frame 12 and a support frame 14. The base frame 12 is constructed from a plurality of bars to stably rest on the ground. Some of the bars of the base frame 12 form rails 12a. The support frame 14 is constructed from a plurality of bars vertically provided on the base frame 12.
The seat 20 has a frame 22, a seat member 24 on a top of the frame 22, and a back member 26 that user may sit on the seat member 24. A sliding base 28 is provided on a bottom of the frame 22 to engage the rails 12a of the base frame 12 that the seat 20 may move along the rails 12a. A control device 29 is provided on the sliding base 28, having a plate 29a and a pin 29b connected to the plate 29a. The pin 29b is inserted into bores (not shown) on the rail 12a to fix the seat 20, and the plate 29a is pressed to move the pin 29b out of the bore that the seat 20 is free to move.
The transmission units 30 are pivoted on opposite sides of the support frame 14. Each transmission units 30 has an operating bar 32, a four-linkage mechanism 34, and a linkage 36. As shown in
The resistance device 40 has two sets of a spring 42, a belt 44, a plurality of guiding wheels 46, and a belt wheel 48. As shown in
The structure of the sitting type stepper 1 of the present invention is described as above, and the function of the sitting type stepper 1 will be described hereunder:
A user, usually a patient of leg or spin injury, sits on the seat 20, holds the handles 38, and put his/her feet on the pedals 39. The user may swing the handle 38 to move the pedals 39 up and down. In other words, the user may use hands to help the legs' exercise. It is very helpful to those patients who can't move the legs for rehabilitation. The pedals 39 are pivoted on the four-linkage mechanism 34 that user's feet may fully contact the pedals 39 all the time to provide a safe and comfortable training with the sitting type stepper 1 of the present invention.
The present invention provides the stepper with a seat that the patient who has leg or spin injury may sit on the seat to exercise without the balance problem. The present invention further provides the function of moving the pedals by swinging the handles that the patient may use hand to help leg's exercise.
The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the present invention. These equivalences of the present invention are still in the scope of claim construction of the present invention.
