The present disclosure relates generally to a stationary exercise machine and more specifically a stair climber machine.
Stair climber or stepper machines, also referred to as stepmills, are stationary exercise machines that simulate the motion of climbing stairs and thus can be used to exercise various muscle groups including the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. Stair climber machines can provide a low-impact workout, the intensity of which can typically be selected by the user and is typically adjusted by varying the resistance to rotation, and thus the amount of support, provided by the stair assembly against the weight of the user. To provide a continuous path of stairs to climb, a stepmill typically has a set of discrete step platforms (or simply steps) connected to one another, alternating with a step riser or kickplate between each step, to form a continuous loop which is routed around a set of upper and lower rollers of a drive system that moves the steps in a closed loop path. Each step is typically a continuous fixed surface or platform that is hinged, at its toe side and heel side, to two other fixed continuous platforms that serve as the kickplates between adjacent steps. Typically, in order to route the interconnected steps and kickplates around the rollers of the drive system, each individual fixed surface or platform (e.g., of the steps and kickplates) must be routed or rotated around the upper and lower rollers of the drive system so as to provide the continuous stair climbing path of the stepper.
While being adjustable with respect to resistance, existing stepmills, however, do not provide the ability to adjust the physical parameters of the stair climbing path. For example, the step heights of existing stepmills is typically fixed, which can make the workout too challenging for smaller/shorter users and make the workout insufficiently challenging for taller users. Often, this is due to the fact that existing stepmills have fixed-length step and/or kickplate platforms. Another disadvantage of many existing stepmills is a step-on height, which may be too tall and thus too intimidating or cumbersome for some users, such as shorter users, inexperienced users, or users with declined mobility (e.g., the elderly). Accordingly, designers and manufacturers of stair climber machines continue to seek improvements thereto such as to enhance the user experience.
In various embodiments, a stair climber machine is disclosed. The stair climber machine (or stepmill) of the present disclosure may provide a lower step-on height than may be possible with existing stair climbing machines, and may optionally be incline-adjustable to enable a user to change the height between the steps.
A stair climbing machine is disclosed. In one example, the stair climbing machine includes a frame with a base and an upright frame movably coupled to the base. A plurality of steps are movably coupled to the upright frame to move in a closed loop path. A lift mechanism is operatively coupled to the upright frame to selectively change a position of the upright frame relative to the base to change a step-height of the plurality of steps.
In another example, a stair climbing machine includes a frame with a base and an upright frame. A plurality of steps are movably coupled to the upright frame to move in a closed loop path. The plurality of steps are spaced apart from one another such that individual steps do not contact one another as the steps move in the closed loop path. Each of the plurality of steps includes a supporting platform provided by a plurality of individual slats pivotally connected to one another to allow the step to transition, while moving along the closed loop path, between a flat configuration in which user-supporting surfaces of the slats are substantially co-planar and a bent configuration in which the user-supporting surfaces of at least two adjacent the slats are pivoted away from one another.
In another example, a stair climbing machine includes a base and first and second upright frames coupled to opposite sides of the base. A plurality of steps are positioned in a space defined between the first and second upright frames and movably coupled to the first and second upright frames to move in a closed loop within the space. Each step has a toe end constrained to move along a first closed loop path and a heel end constrained to move along a second closed loop path different from the first closed loop path and which crosses the first closed loop path, wherein the first closed loop path is defined by at least one flexible member routed around and engaged with a corresponding plurality of rotating disks, and wherein the second closed loop path is defined by a track system.
This summary is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is set forth in various levels of detail in this application and no limitation as to the scope of the claimed subject matter is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, or the like in this summary.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate examples of the disclosure and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of these examples.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details unnecessary for understanding the disclosure or rendering other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. In the appended drawings, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label. The claimed subject matter is not necessarily limited to the particular examples or arrangements illustrated herein.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an exercise machine, which is configured to simulate stair climbing motion, and is referred to herein as a stair climbing exercise machine or simply stair climber or stepmill. The stepmill may include a frame, which includes a base that supports the stepmill (e.g., by placing the base) on a support surface (e.g., the floor or ground). The stepmill includes a plurality of steps that are movably supported by the frame. The steps are operatively connected to one another to move in a closed loop path. The movement of one of the steps, e.g., responsive to a force applied by a user such as the user placing some or all of his weight on the step, is transmitted to the other steps via a drive system, which operatively connects the steps to cause them to move in the closed loop path. Embodiments of a stepmill according to the present disclosure may provide for a lower step-on height than previously possible by existing stair climbing machines. This may be achieved in a variety of ways as described further below. For example, a lower step-on height may be achieved by utilizing modular articulating steps that wrap around guide disks (e.g., pulleys or rollers, sprockets, or the like) of a drive system as they traverse the closed loop path. The individual modular articulating steps may be formed of multiple interconnected segments (e.g., slats) that articulate relative to one another about at least one degree of freedom. By utilizing articulating steps, rather than single-platform (or fixed) steps in some embodiment, the diameter of at least the lower guide disks of the drive system may be smaller than those of existing stepmills, allowing the lower end of the closed loop path to be brought closer to the ground to reduce the step-on height. In some embodiments, a fixed (non-articulating) step surface may be used. In some such embodiments, instead of routing the fixed step around guide disks, each of the fixed steps is flipped under and over the lower and upper guide disks, respectively, as they move from the front to the rear side of the closed loop path and vice versa. In such embodiments, the user-supporting surface of each of the fixed steps remains substantially facing the user while the step traverses the front and rear sides of the closed loop path.
In some embodiments, a portion of the frame of the step mill may be adjustable to allow the user to vary certain physical parameters of the stepmill, for example the vertical distance between the steps (i.e. the step height). The vertical distance between the steps may be adjusted, for example by changing the incline angle of the closed loop path. The steps may be supported at their opposite lateral ends by a respective lateral or side sub-frame, which may form a four-bar linkage. As such, in some embodiments of the stepmill, the incline angle of the closed loop path, and thus the step height, may be adjusted by articulating the four-bar linkages that support the steps. The four-bar linkage may be a planar quadrilateral linkage that includes four links and four pivotal joints. Each of the four links of the four-bar linkage may be of fixed length and the links may be operatively coupled to define a generally parallelogram shape. The four-bar linkage may include a fixed link, the position of which remains fixed with respect to a reference frame (e.g., the base of the machine), and three movable links that move relative to the reference frame for adjusting the incline angle of the closed loop path of the steps.
The base 21 of the stepmill 10 may be provided by one or more rigid members (e.g., any suitable combination of beams and/or a solid platform) arranged to provide a stable support structure for supporting the stepmill 10 onto the support surface. For example, the base 21 may include one or more longitudinal beams 22 extending between the front and rear sides of the stepmill 10, and one or more cross-beams 24 extending transversely, optionally perpendicularly, to, and in some cases between and/or connecting, the longitudinal beams 22. Without intending to be limiting, and solely for the ease of describing the components and operation of the stepmill 10 and to facilitate an understanding of the present disclosure, the side of the stepmill 10 facing the user during normal use of the stepmill 10 will be referred to as the front side 11, while the side facing away from the user during normal use will be referred to as the rear side 15. Components located closer to the respective front or rear side may thus also be referred to as front or rear components. Also for ease of illustration, the side and thus components located near the supporting surface (e.g., ground) during normal use of the machine, may be described as lower or bottom, while the side of the machine, and thus the components, farther away from the base and ground may be described as upper or top. Movement or components away or spaced from the mid-plane of the machine may be described as lateral.
In
The base 21 supports a plurality of support members extending upwardly from the base 21, and collectively referred to as upright frame 40. The upright frame supports at least some of the components of the drive assembly 30, which connects the steps 50 into a closed loop path. The upright frame includes two lateral or side portions, specifically a first lateral (e.g., left) frame portion 40a and a second lateral (e.g., right) frame portion 40b, each located on opposite sides of a mid-plane of the exercise machine 10. The terms first and second, when referring to the sides of the exercise machine 10, may be interchanged with “left” and “right,” respectively, for simplicity and clarity of the description that follows, noting, however that this is not intended as limiting given that the designation of sides of the machine as either left or right is arbitrary and purely illustrative.
Each of the lateral frame portions 40a and 40b includes one or more movable members. The movable frame members are configured to move relative to the base 21 in a controlled manner (e.g., selectively, responsive to a selection by the user) for adjusting the incline of the stepmill 10, and consequently adjusting a physical parameter of the step assembly such as the step height HS provided by the stepmill 10. In the context herein the step height HS is defined as the vertical distance between the user-supporting sides of two adjacent steps 50 when located in the front side 11 of the stepmill 10, and thus positioned to face the user and support a user's foot. Each of the first and second lateral frame portions 40a and 40b may include a plurality of rigid members (e.g., links 42, 44, and 46), one or more of which are selectively movable relative to the base 21 for adjusting the incline of the stepmill 10. For example, each of the first and second lateral frame portion 40a and 40b may be configured as a four-bar linkage 41, specifically a first (or left) four-bar linkage 41a and second (or right) four-bar linkage 41b.
Each of the four-bar linkages 41 includes a first link 42, a second link 44, and a third link 46, each of which is movable relative to the base 21 and may thus be interchangeably referred to as first, second, and third movable or moving links 42, 44, and 46, respectively. In some embodiments, the first, second, and third links 42, 44, and 46, respectively, may be movably coupled to the respective one of the longitudinal beams (e.g., the left beam 22a or the right beam 22b). Each of the first link 42, second link 44, and third link 46 may be implemented using any suitable rigid member, such as a tube or differently shaped beam (e.g., a structural member capable of carrying the relevant loads such as bending, compression and tension). One end 42-1, also referred to as lower end 42-1, of the first link 42 is non-rigidly (e.g., pivotally) coupled to the respective longitudinal beam (e.g., left beam 22a), at a first location 47 along the length of the beam is rotatable about a first pivot axis A1. The first link 42 has an end 42-2 opposite the end 42-1, also referred to as upper end 42-2, of the first link 42. Similarly, one end 44-1, also referred to as lower end 44-1, of the second link 44 is non-rigidly (e.g., pivotally) coupled to the respective longitudinal beam (e.g., left beam 22a), at a second location 45 spaced apart from the first location 47, thereby positioning the link 44 in a spaced apart relationship with the first link 42. The lower end 44-1 of the second link 44 is pivotable about a second pivot axis A2 spaced apart from and parallel to the first pivot axis A1. The first link 44 has an end 44-2 opposite the end 44-1, also referred to as upper end 44-2, of the first link 44.
The first link 42 is coupled to the base 21 relatively closer to the front side of the stepmill 10 as compared to the second link 44 and may thus be referred to as front link 42 while the second link 44 may be referred to as a rear link 44. A third link 46 connects the upper ends 42-2 and 44-2 of the first and second links 42 and 44, respectively. One end 46-1 of the third link 46 is pivotally coupled to the upper end 42-2 of the first link and the opposite end 46-2 of the third link 46 is pivotally coupled to the upper end 44-2 of the second link 44. The pivotal connection between the third link 46 and the first link 42 defines a third pivot axis A3 and the pivotal connection between the third link 46 and the second link 44 defines a fourth pivot axis A4. The third pivot axis A3 is movable (e.g., pivotable) about the first pivot axis A1 and the fourth pivot axis A4 is movable (e.g., pivotable) about the second pivot axis A2.
A fourth link 48, which remains substantially fixed relative to the base 21 and is thus also referred to as fixed link 48, is defined between the lower ends 42-1 and 44-1. The fixed link 48 may be defined by two locations on the frame 20 that remain in a fixed relationship at all times. For example, the fixed link 48 may be defined by the spaced apart pivotal mounting locations of the lower ends of the first and second links. The fourth link 48 may thus have a length substantially defined by the distance between the first and second locations 47 and 45 (see, e.g.,
A drive assembly 30 movably couples the steps 50 of the stepmill 10 to the frame 20. The drive assembly 30 includes a first (e.g., left) drive sub-assembly 30a and a second (e.g., right) drive sub-assembly 30b. The first (e.g., left) drive sub-assembly 30a is associated with the first (e.g., left) lateral frame portion 40a, and the second (e.g., right) drive sub-assembly 30b is associated with the second (e.g., right) lateral frame portion 40b. In some embodiments, each of the first and second drive sub-assemblies 30a and 30b may include substantially the same set of components, mirrored across the mid-plane of the exercise machine 10 and arranged to operate in a like manner to support and route the respective (e.g., the left or right) sides of the steps 50 along their closed loop paths. The drive assembly 30 may be implemented using any suitable combination of components that can substantially constrain the movement of the steps 50 along a desired closed loop path. For example, the drive assembly 30 may be implemented using a chain drive, a belt drive, a geared drive, or other suitable drive components or combinations thereof. The drive assembly 30 may be configured to transmit rotation from one rotatable component (e.g., a guide disk) to another rotatable component such as via a flexible member (e.g., a belt or chain), thereby interconnecting the plurality of steps 50 to move together in a closed loop path. In some embodiments, the drive assembly 30 may, additionally or alternatively, utilize one or more track and corresponding engagement members (e.g., rollers, sliders, etc.) configured to engage the track(s) to follow a path defined by the track(s).
As shown in
Each of the outer and inner flexible members 36 and 38, respectively, on a given lateral side of the machine 10, is associated with a corresponding set of rotating guide members (e.g., outer and inner guide disks 32 and 34, respectively). The guide disks 32 and 34 are rotatably supported on the frame. In some embodiments, each of the guide disks 32 and 34 may be rotatable about a shaft which is aligned with one of the four pivot axes A1, A2, A3, and A4 of the four-bar linkages 41. A first set of guide disks, referred to as first or inner guide disks 34, are arranged to lie substantially in a first (or inner) plane DI (see
Each of the outer and inner loops PO and PI, respectively, may be defined by a respective plurality of guide disks. For example, a plurality of (e.g., four) outer guide disks 32 may be used to define the outer loop PO that has a generally quadrilateral shape. In such embodiments, all of the outer guide disks 32 may be located inside the outer loop PO, e.g., with each of the guide disks 32 positioned at one of the four corners of the loop PO. The outer flexible member 36 is arranged in a continuous closed loop around the four guide disks 32. In some embodiments, the outer guide disks 32 may be arranged such that the pivot axis of each of the four outer guide disks 32 aligns or coincides with one of the four pivot axes of the four-bar linkage 41. The outer loop PO may have a generally quadrilateral shape (e.g., a rhomboid in some incline positions) which may substantially corresponds to the shape of the four-bar linkage 41. The outer loop PO may be defined by an outer flexible member 36 wrapped around four outer disks 32-1 through 32-4. In some embodiments, the outer guide disks 32 may be arranged such that the pivot axis of each of the four outer guide disks 32 aligns or coincides with one of the four pivot axes of the four-bar linkage 41. For example, a first (or front lower) outer disk 32-1 may be rotatably coupled to the frame 20 via a front lower shaft 33-1, which extends along and rotates about the pivot axis A1 associated with the first link 42. A second for rear lower) outer disk 32-2 may be rotate coupled to the frame via a rear lower shaft 33-2 which extends along and rotates about the pivot axis A2 associated with the second link 42. A third (or front upper) outer disk 32-3 may be pivotally supported on a front upper shaft 33-3 that rotates about the pivot axis A3 associated with a pivot joint between the first and third links 42 and 46, respectively. A fourth (or rear upper) outer disk 32-4 may be pivotally supported on a rear upper shaft 33-4 that rotates about the pivot axis A4 associated with a pivot joint between the second and third links 44 and 46, respectively.
The inner and outer closed loops defined by the inner and outer flexible members may be differently shaped. For example, the inner loop PI may have an L-shape, including a substantially horizontal loop portion PI-1 that extends along the length of one of the horizontal links (e.g., the fixed link 48), and a vertical loop portion PI-2 that extends upward from, but not necessarily perpendicularly to, one end of the horizontal loop portion PI-1. The outer loop PI may be defined by a plurality of outer guide disks 34, which may also be located near the corners of the four-bar linkage 41. To define a generally L-shaped path, three of the inner guide disks 34 may be positioned inside the loop PI, and a fourth inner guide disk 34 may be positioned outside of the loop PI at the interface or transition from the horizontal loop portion PI-1 to the vertical, loop portion PI-2. One or more of the inner guide disks 34 may be positioned coaxially with a pivot axis of the four bar linkage 41. For example, a first (or front lower) inner disk 34-1 may be rotatably coupled to the frame via a corresponding shaft 35-1, which in some embodiments may be the same shaft or a shaft coaxially aligned with the front lower shaft 33-1 that couples the outer disk 32-1 to the frame. A second (or rear lower) inner disk 34-2 may be rotatably coupled to the frame via a corresponding shaft 35-2, which in some embodiments may be the same shaft or a shaft coaxially aligned with the rear lower shaft 33-2 that couples the outer disk 32-2 to the frame. A third inner disk 34-3 may be located near the second inner disk 34-2 but spaced apart from the inner disk 34-2 (e.g., diagonally towards the front upper corner of the four-bar linkage) to constrain the route of the inner flexible member 38 into an L-shape. The inner disk 34-3 may be rotatably coupled to the frame via a shaft 35-3 which may be parallel to but may not coincide with any of the pivot axes A1-A4 of the four bar linkage. A fourth (or rear upper) inner disk 34-4 may be rotatably coupled to the frame via a shaft 35-4, which may be the same or coaxial with the upper rear shaft 33-4 that couples the outer disk 32-4 to the frame. In some embodiments, inner and outer guide disks that are coaxially arranged may rotate in synchrony with one another. For example, the inner and outer front lower disks may rotate in synchrony with one another, the inner and outer rear lower disks may rotate in synchrony with one another and/or the inner and outer rear upper disks may rotate in synchrony with one another. In some embodiments, all of the guide disks on a given side (e.g., the left side or the right side) may rotate in synchrony. In some embodiments, all of the guide disks on both sides of the machine may rotate synchronously.
During normal use of the stepmill, when a user's foot is supported on a step 50, the user's toes are located near the first longitudinal side 50-1 of the step 50, also referred to herein as the toe end 50-1 of the step, and the user's heel is located near the second longitudinal side 50-2 of the step 50 opposite the first longitudinal side 50-1 and which is also referred to as the heel end 50-2 of the step. The steps 50 may be arranged with respect to the frame 20 such that the first and second sides of each step are adjacent a respective one of the first and second upright frame portions 40a, 40b, with the step 50 being generally suspended between the two upright frame portions. The steps 50 may be coupled to the stepmill 10 via mounting components extending laterally outward from the first and second lateral sides 50-3 and 50-4, respectively, of the step 50 toward a respective one of the first and second upright frame portions 40a and 40b, respectively. The toe end 50-1 of each step is operatively coupled, at each of its opposite lateral sides 50-3 and 50-4, to a respective one of the flexible members 36a and 36b, both of which define respective continuous loops of substantially the same shape, and thus the toe ends 50-1 of the steps are substantially constrained to traverse a first closed loop path, as defined by the flexible members 36a and 36b. The heel end 50-2 of each step is operatively coupled, at each of the opposite lateral sides 50-3 and 50-4 of the step, to a respective one of the flexible members 38a and 38b, both of which define respective continuous loops having substantially the same shape, and thus the heel ends 50-2 of the steps are substantially constrained to traverse a second closed loop path, as defined by the flexible members 38a and 38b. The combined movement of the toe ends 50-1 along the first closed loop path and the heel ends 50-2 along the second closed loop path define an overall closed loop path for the steps 60 of the stepmill 10. In other embodiments, the connection may be reversed, that the toe ends 50-1 of the steps 50 may be connected to the outer flexible member 3 while the heel ends 50-2 of the steps 50 may be connected to the inner flexible member 38.
In some embodiments, the heel ends 50-2 of each step 50 may be connected to the outer flexible members via brackets 51 that are suitably shaped (e.g., U-shaped) to pass over the inner flexible member, and thus through the inner plane DI, without interfering with the movement of the inner flexible member 38 along its closed loop path. The brackets 51 may be formed of a material (e.g., a metal, a substantially rigid plastic or composite material, or other) which is sufficiently strong to support the heel end 50-2 of the step 50, with or without the user's weight thereon. In other embodiments, and depending on the configuration of the drive assembly, the brackets 51 may be differently shaped, such as substantially L-shaped, for example in embodiments in which larger diameter guide disks are used for the outer loop than for the inner loop.
Referring now also to
The step 50 may be mounted to the drive assembly 30 via a set of first (or toe end) mounts 56a and 56b, which couple the first side (or toe end) 50-1 of the step 50 to the drive assembly 30. A set of second (or heel end) mounts 54a and 54b couple the second side (or heel end) 50-2 of the step 60 to the drive assembly 30. Each of the first mounts and second mounts may be fixed to (e.g., rigidly coupled or integrally formed with) the step platform 52 so as to extend from a lateral side (e.g., the third side 50-3 or fourth side 50-4) of the step 50. The first mounts 54a and 54b may be fixed to the toe-end slat 53-h and the second mounts 56a and 56b may be fixed to the heel end slat 53-t. The mounts may be configured to pivotally coupled the toe end and the heel end of the step to the respective flexible member. For example, each of the first mounts may include a housing 59-1, such as a tube having a cylindrical cavity, that pivotally receives a first pin 55-1. Each of the second mounts may similarly include a housing 59-2 that defines a cylindrical cavity to pivotally receive a second pin 55-2. The pins 55-1 may be fixed, directly or using one or more intermediate components, to the inner flexible member 38 and the pins 55-2 may be fixed, directly or using one or more intermediate components (e.g., a bracket 51), to the outer flexible member 36. Any other suitable arrangement for pivotally coupling the toe ends and heel ends of the step to respective fixed locations along the respective flexible member may be used.
Adjacent slats 53 of a given step 50 may be pivotally connected, e.g., using a hinge 57 or other suitable pivot joint, to enable the step platform 52 to fold or articulate from the flat configuration in only one direction, which is referred as the articulation direction. One or more hinges 57 (e.g., a piano hinge or other suitable hinge) may be used to connect the undersides of adjacent slats 53 as shown in
Multi-slat step platforms 152, 152′, and 152″ of steps 150, 150′, and 150″, respectively, according to further examples are shown in
Referring back to
The one or more lift mechanisms 60 may be implemented using any suitable lift motor or any suitable linear actuator. For example, the lift motor may include an electric motor operatively coupled to extend and retract an extendible member (e.g., a rod, such as a threaded rod). The lift motor may use a worm drive (e.g., a worm screw driven by worm wheel) to retract and extend the extendable member. In some embodiments, a hydraulic or other type of motor may be used instead of an electric motor. In some embodiments, the lift mechanism 60 may alternatively or additionally use a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or another type of linear actuator. In some embodiments, the incline may be adjusted using a lift mechanism 60 which pushes directly on a component of the upright frame 40 to lift and lower the moving components of the upright frame 40. For example, referring to
In other embodiments, the lift mechanisms 60 may act indirectly on the upright frame 40. For example, referring to
In other examples, the force for adjusting the incline of the stepmill 10 may be applied by the lift mechanism (e.g., a lift motor 61) indirectly to the four-bar linkage, such as via an intermediate link (e.g., a push link 65 in
In other examples, and referring to
In some embodiments, the incline of the stepmill 10 may be adjustable to a substantially horizontal position, as shown in
In some embodiments, the stepmill 10 may include protective shrouding, e.g., to conceal moving components of the stepmill such as to protect the user accidentally coming into contact with moving components and/or for aesthetics. For example, movable components of the stepmill 10, such as the moving frame portion (e.g., the upright frame 40) and the drive assembly 30, may be substantially enclosed or concealed by shrouding 12, such as to protect the user from coming into contact with these movable components during normal use of the stepmill 10. As shown in
Additionally and optionally, the stepmill 10 may include step shrouding 14. During normal use of the stepmill 10, as the steps 50 travel along their closed loop path, the individual steps 50 may travel from the front side 11 (also referred to as the user-facing side) to the rear side 15 of the stepmill 10. The user-facing side 11 is the side of the machine that the user is facing during normal use of the stepmill 10 (e.g., for performing stair climbing exercise). The step shrouding 14 may be operatively positioned with respect to the steps 50 to protect or prevent the user's foot from crossing into the rear side 15 of the path of the steps 50. In some embodiments, the step shrouding 14 may be located substantially in a mid-plane or a plane parallel to the mid-plane between the front and rear sides of the closed loop path. In some embodiments, the step shrouding 14 may be implemented as multi-part shrouding, which includes individual step shrouds 14-i (see e.g.,
The individual step shrouds 14-i may be implemented using a sheet of flexible material (e.g., fabric, polymer, composite or other). The sheet of flexible material may be operatively connected to each individual step, e.g., along the length of the heel end 50-2 of the step, such that it hangs below the step towards a lower adjacent step. The sheet of flexible material may be sufficiently long to substantially fully span the distance between two adjacent steps. In some embodiments, the sheet of flexible material may hang substantially vertically downward toward the lower adjacent step. In some embodiments, the sheet of flexible material may have a hanging length which is greater than the vertical distance between the step 50, and may be may be angled towards the toe end 50-1 of the adjacent lower step 50 so as not to obstruct, or minimize any obstruction, of the user-supporting surface of the lower adjacent step. The individual step shrouds 14-i may be held at such an inclined hanging position, for example by a rope, bungie or other suitable flexible member 17. In some embodiments, the individual step shrouds 14-i may be retractable such as by a roll-up mechanism which operates to roll the sheet of flexible material within a housing (e.g., a cylindrical housing). In other embodiments, the individual step shrouds 14-i may be moved out of the way, if needed, such as when the steps wrap around the guide disks, by a retraction mechanism 16. The retraction mechanism 16 may be configured to retain or automatically pull the lower end of the shroud 14-i towards the underside of the step 50 when the step begins to articulate (e.g., wrap) around a guide disk. The retraction mechanism 16 may include one or more flexible members 17 (e.g., ropes of bungees), attached to the lower end of the shroud 14-i. The one or more flexible members may be anchored to any suitable location on the step 50 (e.g., the toe end 50-1, or looped around a structure at the toe end 50-1 and anchored near the heel end 50-2 of the step) so as to maintain the handing edge of the shroud 14-i at the desired location below the step 50 (e.g., at a desired inclination or handing distance from the underside of the step).
In other embodiments, the riser spaces between adjacent steps may be shrouded by a continuous shroud 14-c. The continuous shroud 14-c may be configured to move with the movement of the steps 50 to substantially conceal between the plurality of steps. As shown in
For example, referring to
Referring back to
In some embodiments in which the incline of the stepmill is adjustable, the handlebars 27 may be movably (e.g., pivotally) coupled to the stanchions such as to allow for adjustment of the incline of the handlebars corresponding to adjustments to the incline of the frames 40a and 40b. For example, the left handlebar 27a may be pivotally coupled to the upper ends 28a-2 and 29a-2 of the front and rear left stanchions 28a and 29a, respectively. The right handlebar 27b may be pivotally coupled to the upper ends 28b-2 and 29b-2 of the front and rear right stanchions 28b and 29b, respectively. In some embodiments, either the front or the rear stanchions may move relative to the base during adjustments to the incline of the stepmill 10. Referring to
As shown also in
The stepmill 10 may optionally include a transverse handlebar 25 which may be located near the rear end of the handlebars 27. The transverse handlebar 25 may be used by a user for supporting at least a portion of his or her weight. The transverse handlebar 25 may be discontinuous, for example including a right side portion and a left side portion, that extend transversely but span only along part of the right and left halves, respectively, of the machine. Other suitable combinations may be used. In some examples, the transverse handlebar 25 may remain stationary to the base 21 (e.g., during adjustments of the incline of the stepmill) and may also, optionally, be used for mounting or stabilizing other components of the machine (e.g., a console) such that they may remain stationary during incline adjustments. The location of the transverse handlebar 25 between the front and rear sides of the machine may be selected so as to prevent or guide the user to remain within an optimal exercise space of the machine (e.g., to prevent or guide the user from stepping too far forward and/or prematurely forward on the top step before it has completely unfolded after traversing over the top guide disk(s)).
The movement of components of the drive assembly 30, such as responsive to user force (e.g., the user's foot pressing a step 50 downward) may be resisted by a resistance mechanism 90. The resistance mechanism 90 may be operatively coupled to one or both of the left and right drive sub-assemblies 30a and 30b. The resistance mechanism may include any one or a combination of suitable resistance mechanisms that can apply resistance to rotation of a shaft. For example, the resistance mechanism may include a brake (e.g., a friction brake or a magnetic resistance brake, such as an eddy current brake) that resists the rotation of a shaft, which is operatively coupled to the rotation of any one or a plurality of the guide disks (e.g., inner and outer guide disks 34 and 32). In some embodiments, the resistance mechanism may include an air brake, or any combination of a friction based, magnetic-resistance based, or air-resistance based brake.
Referring, for example, to
The rotation of the rotatable components of the drive assembly may be transmitted to the resistance mechanism using any suitable transmission assembly (e.g., gears, chains and sprockets, a belt drive, etc.). In some embodiments, the transmission may be geared so as to provide a gear increase or reduction. One or a multi-stage transmission assembly may be used. For example, a two-stage transmission assembly which provides a speed increase ratio, for example 10:1, 11:1 or greater, 16:1 or other gearing, may be used. Increasing the rotational speed of the shaft to which the resistance is applied may facilitate reducing the size of the resistance mechanism (e.g., a smaller caliper for the friction or eddy current brake), for a more compact overall design. In some embodiments, no gearing may be used and the rotation at the output of the drive assembly may be synchronous with the rotation of the shaft which is resisted by the resistance mechanism.
In some embodiments, a lower step-on height for a stepmill may be achieved using a multi-piece step according to any embodiment of the present disclosure, independent of whether the stepmill is incline-adjustable or not. Referring to
Each of the steps includes an articulating step platform 352 formed of a plurality (e.g., two or more) slats 353. Adjacent slats 353 of the plurality of slats that form each step platform are pivotally connected to one another, e.g., via a hinge 359 or other suitable pivot joint, to allow the step platform 352 to articulate (e.g., curve or wrap around the guide disk(s) 332, 334) as each step 350 moves from the front (or user-facing) side 311 of the closed loop path 338 to the rear side (or underside) 315 the closed loop path 338 or vice versa.
The drive assembly 330, on each of the left and right sides of the stepmill 300, may include one or more upper disks 332 and one or more lower disks 334, each of which may be implemented using any suitable combination of sprockets, rollers, pulleys, drums, or other rotatable elements, that guide the movement of the steps 350. A flexible member 336, such as a chain, belt, rope, cable, or other, may be wrapped, in a continuous loop, around the set of disks located on each of the left and right sides of the stepmill 300, to define the closed loop path 338 traversed by the steps 350. In some embodiments, the size (e.g., diameter) of the one or more lower disks 334 may be smaller than a corresponding size (e.g., diameter) of the upper disk(s) 332, for example up to about ½ of the size of the upper disk(s) 332. The size (e.g., diameter of the lower and/or upper disks 334 and 332, respectively, may be selected based on the width WS of the individual slats 353. In some embodiments, the size (e.g., diameter) of one or more of the disks 334 and 332 may be about the same as the width WS of the slats. In other embodiments, the size of the disks may be differently selected. For example, the diameter of the lower disks 334 and/or the upper disk(s) 332 may be selected to ensure that the slats 353 do not cross the rotation axis of the respective disk.
In some embodiments, one or more of the disks 332 or 334 may be driven by a power source (e.g., a motor) to cause the steps to move in the closed loop path without the application of force from the user. In such embodiments, the speed of rotation of the disks 332 and 334, and consequently the speed of downward movement of the steps 350, may be selectively adjusted by controlling the operation of the power source (e.g., the rotational speed of a motor). In some embodiments, the disks 332 and 334 may rotate solely responsive to the application of force by the user (e.g., resulting from the user placing at least some of his or her weight on one or more of the steps 350) and/or due to gravity. In some such embodiments, the movement of the disks 332 and 334 or flexible member 336, and consequently of the steps 350, may be resisted by a resistance mechanism, which may reduce the amount of exertion by the user, and thus the intensity of the exercise.
Each step 350 may be coupled to fixed location along the length of the flexible member 336. The steps 350 may be evenly spaced apart along the continuous loop formed by the flexible member. The spacing between the steps 350 may be selected to ensure that adjacent steps 350 do not interfere (e.g., overlap or otherwise come into contact) with one another whether traversing on the front or rear sides of the closed loop path 338. The left and right sides of each step 350 may be coupled to the flexible member 336 using any suitable mounting arrangement that fixes the location of the step 350 along the length of the flexible member 336. For example, each step 350 may be provided, on each of its left and right sides, with a first (e.g., front) mount 354-1 and a second (e.g., rear) mount 354-2 such that the step is joined to the flexible member at two locations along the depth D of the step 350. In some embodiments, the front and rear mounts may be located at or near the toe end and heel end, respectively, of the step other embodiments, the mounts 354-1 and 354-2 may be located elsewhere. For example, in some embodiments of a two-slat step 350, as shown in
The relative movement between adjacent slats 353 of a step 350 may be limited, for example to allow the slat 353 to rotate in one direction, bringing the undersides closer, but not in the opposite direction. The slats may be so limited using any suitable mechanism, for example a tension member (e.g., 271 as in the example in
In some cases, it may be desirable to use a monolithic (also referred to as a unitary, single-piece, or fixed) step platform, while still achieving a lower step-on height HSO (e.g., a step-on height of up to 12 inches) and, optionally, incline-adjustability. For example, a lower step-on height, when using a fixed step, may be achieved with a drive assembly or system that, instead of wrapping each step around guide disks, flips the steps under and/or over the guide disks. Optionally, such a stepmill may also be incline-adjustable, which can be achieved, e.g., by supporting components of the drive system on left and right upright frame portions that form respective left and right four-bar linkages.
The heel ends 2153 of each step 2150 may be constrained to travel along a second closed loop path 2139. The second closed loop path 2139 may be defined in part by a track system 2120 that extends along at least a portion of the closed loop path 2139. A remaining portion of the second closed loop path 2139 may be defined by wheel 2142. The wheel 2142 may be arranged coaxially with the upper disc 2132 so as to rotate in synchrony with and about the same rotation axis as the upper disk 2132. The wheel 2142 may include a plurality of engagement (or pick-up) features 2143 operable to, at least temporarily, support each step in a predetermined position with respect to the wheel. The pick-up features 2143 may be provided at different radial positions, for example regularly spaced along the periphery of the wheel 2142. A pick-up feature 2143 may be implemented as ledge extending from the surface of the wheel 2142 such that the ledge is positioned against the underside of a step 2150 as each step 2150 is moved into a position overlapping the wheel 2142.
The track system 2120 includes a first (e.g., front side) portion 2120-1, a second (e.g., rear side) portion 2120-2, and a third (e.g., lower transition) portion 2120-3, which in combination span the front and rear sides of the closed loop path 2139 and the lower curved portion of the closed loop path 2139. The heel ends 2153 of the steps 250 are provided into the first portion 2120-1 of the track system 2120 via a track entrance 2122. The heel ends 2153 of the steps 2150 traverse the path defined by the track system 2120 until they reach the track exit 2124 located at the rear side (or underside) 2115 of the closed loop path 2139, whereupon the heel end 2153 of each step 2150, as it exits the track system 2120, is picked up by the wheel 2142 and guided around the rotation axis of the upper disk 2132 until the heel end 2153 of the step 2150 reaches the track entrance 2122 and is again provided thereto. The heel ends 2153 of the steps 2150 may engage the track system 2120 using any suitable combination of sliding and/or rolling components, such as one or more wheels (or rollers) located at the opposite (left and right) heel ends 2153 of each step. As such, the heel end 2153 of each step 2150 may be in rolling engagement with a part of the track system 2120 (e.g., a first and/or second track member 2121-1 and 2121-2, respectively) when the heel end 2153 is traversing the portion of the closed loop path defined by the track system 2120. In some embodiments, one portion of the track system, such as the first (or front) portion 2120-1, may be defined by a plurality of track members (e.g., first and second track members 2121-1 and 2121-2 respectively), while other portion (e.g., the second portion 2120-2 may be defined by only one track member. In embodiments, any of the portions of the track system may be defined by a single track member.
As shown in
On the upper side of the closed loop path 2139, when returning the step 2150 from the rear side 2115 to the front side 2111 of the path 2139, the steps 2150 may be rotated about the axis AD of the upper disk 2132 (as shown in
The drive system 2210 operatively couples and routes the toe ends 2251 and the heel ends 2253 of each step 2250 along respective closed loop paths, to define the overall closed loop path of the steps 2250. The toe ends 2251 of the steps 2250 may be constrained to move along the first closed loop path 2238 and the heel ends 2253 of the steps 2250 may be constrained to move along a second closed loop path 2239. Each of the first and second closed loop paths 2238 and 2239, respectively, may be defined by any suitable combination of components (e.g., flexible members routed around guide disks, tracks, or other mechanisms, or combinations thereof) that can constrain the movement of the steps along a desired path. For example, the first closed loop path 2238 may be defined by a flexible member 2236 (e.g., a cable, belt, chain, etc.) which is wrapped in a continuous loop, around at least one lower disk 2234 and at least one upper disk 2232. The toe ends 2251 of each step 2250 may be constrained to travel along the first closed loop path 2238, such as by being attached at predetermined (or fixed) positions along the continuous loop formed by flexible member 2236. As such, the shape of the continuous loop formed by the flexible member 2236 corresponds to the closed loop path 2238 traversed by the toe ends 2251 of the steps 2250. In some embodiments, the steps 2250 may engage additional guide elements (e.g., additional flexible members and/or tracks) to facilitate the routing of the steps 2250 along their closed loop path.
Similar to the drive system 2110, the drive system 2210 is configured to flip each step 2250 under the lower guide disk 2234. The configuration and operation of the drive system 2210 may be substantially the same as that of drive system 2110 along the front, rear and lower transition sides of the steps' closed loop path. The steps 2250 may be coupled to the drive system 2210 such that their toe ends 2251 and heel ends 2253 are constrained to move along respective paths 2238 and 2239. Like in the example in
The heel ends 2253 of the steps 2250 are substantially constrained to move along the closed loop path, a portion of which is defined by a track system 2220. The track system 2220 may be configured similarly to the track system 2120. The track system 2220 may include a first (e.g., front side) portion 2220-1, a second (e.g., rear side) portion 2220-2, and a third (e.g., lower transition) portion 2220-3, which in combination span the front and rear sides 2211 and 2215, respectively, as well as the lower curved portion, of the closed loop path 2239. The heel ends 2253 of the steps 2250 are provided into the first portion 2220-1 of the track system 2220 via a track entrance 2222. The heel ends 2153 of the steps 2150 traverse the path defined by the track system 2220 until they reach the track exit 2224 located at the rear side (or underside) 2215 of the closed loop path 2239, whereupon a step flipper 2260 engaged each step 2250 as it is exiting the track system 2220 and rotates the step 2250 in a direction, indicated by arrow 2257, which is opposite the direction of rotation of the disks 2232 and 2234, indicated by arrows 2259, and thus opposite the direction of travel of the toe ends 2251 of the steps 2250. The heel ends 2253 may be configured for operative (e.g., rolling) engagement with the one or more track members (e.g., a first track member 2221-1 and/or a second track member 2221-2) of the track system 2220.
As such, the drive system 2210 is configured to flip each step 2250 twice in each closed loop traversed by a step. At the lower end of the path 2239, each step 2250 is flipped to reverse the relative position of the toe end 2251 with respect to the heel end 2253 from a leading to a trailing position. At the upper end of the path 2239, each step 2250 is again flipped to reverse the relative position of the toe end 2261 with respect to the heel end 2263 from a trailing position to a leading position.
A step flipper 2260 may be implemented using any suitable structure which can engage a portion of the step 2250, for example the toe end 2251 of the step 2250, to re-orient and/or reposition the heel end 2253 of the step 2250 as the toe end 2251 continues along its closed loop path. For example, the step flipper 2260 may include one or more rigid members 2262 (e.g., bar, rod, plate, etc.) positioned near the upper disk 2232. The rigid member 2262 is positioned with its first end 2262-1 outside of the closed loop path defined by the flexible member 2236 and with its second end 2262-2 positioned so as to align the member 2262 with the direction of travel along the rear side of the closed loop path. The rigid member 2262 may thus be operatively positioned to engage the toe end 2251 of the step, as shown in
A drive system configured to flip the steps, such as the drive system 2110 or the drive system 2210, may be operatively supported on a moving frame (e.g., first and second four bar linkages 41), to enable selectively varying the incline of the moving frame, thereby selectively changing the vertical distance between the steps (e.g., steps 2150 or 2250). For example, the upper and lower disks 2232 and 2234, respectively, may be rotatably coupled to opposite ends of the first link 42 of the four-bar linkage 41, for example coaxially with the pivot axes A2 and A4 associated with the first link 42. The track system 2220 may be operatively supported by the four-bar linkage 41 to enable the incline adjustments to the stepmill. For example, the first and second portions 2220-1 and 2220-2 of the track system may run parallel to the first and second links, which are also parallel to one another. The first and second portions 2220-1 and 2220-2 of the track system 2220 may move with the first and second links to remain parallel thereto when the first and second links are repositioned relative to the base 21.
In some embodiments, the drive system may include a second lower disk 2235, which supports the heel end 2253 of a step 2250 as the toe end 2251 of the step 2250 is flipped around and under the lower disk 2234 via its connection to the flexible member 2236. Referring also to
The second lower disk 2235 includes radial engagement features (e.g., radial recesses) 2237 operatively spaced about the circumference of the second lower disk 2235 to engage (e.g., receive, in the case of a recess) the heel end 2253 of each step 2250 as the step 2250 reaches its lowest vertical supportive position. The term supportive position refers to a position in which the step a oriented to support a user's foot. In other words, a supportive position is a position which the step is substantially horizontally oriented. The second lower disk 2235 may thus engage and/or support the heel end 2253 of the step 2250 while the toe end 2251 is rotated around the lower disk 2234, flipping the step 2250 under the lower disk 2234. In operation, as the lower disk 2234 rotates, pulling the toe end 2251 around the lower curve of the closed loop path 2238, the second lower disk 2235 rotates, maintaining the heel end 2253 of the step 2250 forward of the lower disk 2234, until the toe end 2251 has rounded the lower disk 2234 and begins advancing along the underside of the closed loop path, thereby facilitating the reversal of the leading and trailing positions of the heel and toe ends. In some embodiments, the second lower disk 2235 may be synchronized with the lower disk 2234. For example, the lower disks 2234 and 2235 may be operatively connected by a transmission member 2241 which is shown here as a flexible member (e.g., a belt, chain, cable, etc.), but may instead be one or more gears or any other suitable combination of elements that can transmit the rotation of the disk 2234 to the rotation of the disk 2235 or vice versa.
The frame 620 includes a base 621 for supporting the stepmill 600 on a surface (e.g., the ground). The frame 620 also includes an upright frame 640 coupled to the base 621. In some embodiments, the upright frame 640 may be movably coupled to the base 621 for selectively adjusting the incline of the stepmill 600. The base 621 may be implemented using any suitable combination of structures that can stably support the components of the stepmill 1600. For example, the base 621 may include one or more first beams 622, which may extend substantially lengthwise between the front and rear sides 611 and 615 of the stepmill 600, and one or more cross-beams 624 operatively coupled to (e.g., transversely extending and/or connecting) the one or more first beams 622 to provide a stable support structure for the stepmill 600. The upright frame 640 may be movably coupled to the base 621 to allow the incline angle of the stepmill 600, and consequently the step-height HS, to be selectively adjusted. The upright frame 640 may include a left frame portion 640a and a right frame portion 640b spaced apart from one another to define a central space 603 that accommodates the steps 650 there between. In some embodiments, the left and right frame portions 640a and 640b, respectively, may be connected, such as by one or more cross-members 643 extending across the central space 603 (e.g., behind the steps 350 or elsewhere positioned so as not to interfere with the movement of the steps 650). The cross-member(s) 643 may tie the left frame portion 640a and the right frame portion 640b such that the two move together relative to the base 621, e.g., when the incline of the stepmill 600 is being adjusted.
A lift mechanism 880 may apply a force to the upright frame 640 to move the upright frame 640 relative to the base 621. The upright frame 640 may thus also be referred to as the moving portion of the frame, or simply moving tame 640. The lift mechanism 660 may be operated in one direction to raise the moving frame 640, thereby increasing the incline angle of the stepmill 600, and a second opposite direction to lower the moving frame, thereby decreasing the incline angle of the stepmill 600. In some embodiments, the incline angle of the stepmill 600 may be selectively adjustable from a minimum incline angle, e.g., a substantially zero incline, which is a position in which the moving frame 640 is substantially horizontal and the vertical distance between the steps (i.e., the step height SH) is substantially zero, up to a maximum incline angle, for example an incline of about 55 degrees from horizontal, or more. In some embodiments, the maximum incline angle may be up to about 50 degrees or up to 45 degrees. In some embodiments, the stepmill 600 may be adjustable up to a 60 degree incline. The incline may be adjustable to virtually any incline angle between the minimum and maximum incline. In other embodiments, the incline may be adjustable in predetermined increments, such as in 5 degree increments, 2 degree increments, 1 degree increments or other. One or more lift mechanisms 660 may be used for raising or lowering the moving frame 640. In some embodiments, a single lift mechanism 860 may apply, a force, for example to one of the left or right frame portions 640a and 640b or to the cross-member 643. In some embodiments, separate lift mechanism may apply a force to each of the respective sides of the upright frame 640. In some such embodiments, the plurality of lift mechanisms 860 may be timed or otherwise synchronized to move the two sides of the upright frame 640 together.
The plurality of steps 650 are movably coupled to the frame 610 such that they traverse a closed loop path. In some embodiments, the steps 650 are caused to move along their closed loop path, by constraining the movement of at least two locations along the depth (e.g., the toe end and the heel end) of each step. The toe ends 651 of the step 650 may be substantially constrained to traverse a first closed loop path and the heel ends 653 of the steps 650 may traverse a second closed loop path, which, in some embodiments, may have a different shape than the first closed loop path. The first and second closed loop paths of the toe ends and heel ends, respectively, may together define the overall closed loop path traversed by each step (e.g., the closed loop path of a central location of the step like the center of gravity or geometric center of the step).
The steps 650 may be movably coupled to the frame by a drive system 630. The drive system 630 operatively couples the movement of one step 650 to that of the remaining steps 650 such that when a force applied to one step 650, e.g., a downward force applied by a user's foot, all of the steps 650 move in a synchronized manner along the closed loop path. The drive system 630 is configured to flip each of the steps 650 at the transition from the front (or user-facing) side 611 to the rear side 615 of the stepmill 650, whereby the steps 650 remain oriented substantially toward the user-facing side of the machine while traversing the rear side of the closed loop path. The drive system 630 is further configured to flip each of the steps 650 at the transition from the rear side 615 to the front side 611 of the stepmill 650 to position each step 650 in a position suitable to support the user's foot (e.g., a substantially horizontal position) as each step 650 advances toward the front side 611 of the stepmill 600.
The toe ends 651 of the steps are constrained, by the drive system 630, to follow a first closed loop path, and the heel ends 653 of the steps are constrained, by the drive system 630 to follow a second closed loop path. The first closed loop path may be defined by a flexible member (e.g., a chain, belt, cable, or other) wrapped around a pair of spaced apart rotating members (e.g., a sprocket, drum, wheel, roller, or other type of rotatable member configured to engage through interlocking anion friction with the flexible member). The second loop path may be defined, at least in part by a track system
Focusing now on
Each step 650 is operatively engaged with (e.g., mounted to or supported on) the drive system 630 at three support locations on each of its left and right sides, not all of which support a given step at all times along the steps' closed loop path. At any given time along the steps' closed loop path, each step 650 is supported on the drive system by at least two support locations. Referring specifically to
In some embodiments, the toe end 651 of each step 650 is mounted to a flexible member 636 (e.g., a chain, belt, cable, rope, etc.), which is wrapped around a set of disks (e.g., sprockets, drums, rollers, pulleys, or the like depending on the choice of flexible member) that includes an upper disk 632 and a lower disk 634, to define the closed loop path 638. As such, the toe ends 651 of the steps 650 are constrained to traverse a closed loop path 638 that corresponds to the shape of the continuous loop formed by flexible member 636. The toe ends 651 are coupled to the flexible member 636 at fixed locations along the path 638. The toe ends 651 may be pivotally coupled to the flexible member 636 to enable the orientation of the user-support surface 652 of the steps 650 relative to the flexible member 636 to vary as the step traverses the closed loop path 638. The first support structure 656-1 may include any suitable structure for pivotally coupling the toe end 651 of the step to the flexible member 636. For example, the first support structures 656-1 may each include a pin 657 rigidly coupled to extend from a respective lateral side of the step 650, e.g., via first mounts 659-1, such that the pins 657 extend substantially transversely to the step 650 (e.g., perpendicular to the depth D direction) toward the left and right upright frame 640a and 640b, respectively. The pins 657 may be pivotally received in corresponding couplings fixed to the flexible member 636.
The heel ends 653 of each step 650 may be substantially constrained to move along a closed loop path defined by a track system 670. As such, the second support structures 656-2 may include any suitable structure for rollably or slidably engaging a track. For example, the second support structures 656-2 may include one or more rollers 655-2 rotatably mounted to each side of the step platform 654, e.g., via a mount which may include a shaft that rotatably supports the roller(s) 655-2. The roller(s) 655-2 may be mounted such that their rotation axes is in-plane with the axes of the pins 657. As such, the first and second support structures 656-1 and 656-2 may lie in a same plane 658-1, which may be located below the user-support surface 652 of the step 650. The third support 656-3 may also be configured to engage the track system 670 and may, thus, include any suitable structure for rollably or slidably engaging a track, such as one or more rollers 655-3, which may be mounted to extend from the lateral sides of the step such as via respective mounts 659-3.
The first, second, and third supports 656-1, 656-2, 656-3, respectively, define three different planes of engagement, which are parallel to but offset from one another, as seen e.g., in
With reference now also to
The second (e.g., lower) track 674 may be provided by one or a plurality of separate track members. In the present example, the second (e.g., lower) track 674 includes a first lower track member 674-1, a second lower track member 674-2, and a third lower track member 674-3, each of which provides a portion of the support or track surface of the second (e.g., lower) track 674. The heel ends 653 of each step 650 are provided to the second track 674 through a second track entrance 675-1 located near the lower disk 634, the steps 650 exiting the second track 674 at the second track exit 675-2 located near the upper disk 632. Two adjacent track members (e.g., two adjacent ones of the lower track members) may have track surfaces that are substantially continuous so as to provide a smooth transition for the heel ends 653 from one track member to another. By continuous, it is meant that the second support (e.g., rollers) of a step traverse a substantially smooth or continuous path as they pass across an interface between two track members. A substantially continuous path (i.e., a path without any substantial discontinuities) may be provided the adjacent track surfaces of two adjacent tracks being substantially co-planar (although not necessarily flat). Co-planar surfaces may be curved surfaces as long as there are no substantial discontinuities between the two surfaces. For example, as shown in
The track system 670 may include a secondary track 681, also referred to as assist track 681, which may include one or more assist track members (e.g., first assist track member 681-1, and second assist track member 681-2). The track member(s) of the secondary track 681 may be suitably arranged for engagement with the third support 656-3 of the steps 650 to intermittently support the steps 650 across discontinuities in the primary track 671 and/or to operatively position the second support 656-2 into engagement with the primary track 671. As such, the secondary track 681 defines a path in the third engagement plane 688-8, which is inwardly offset from the second engagement plane 608-2 in which the primary track 671 resides (see e.g.,
The lifting of the heel ends 653 may be achieved through engagement, at the appropriate time, of the third support 656-3 with a portion of the assist track 681. For example, a first assist track member 681-1 may be positioned between the second and third lower track members 674-2 and 674-3 such that a leading portion of the first assist track member 681-1 overlaps with the second lower track member 674-2 and a trailing portion of the first as member 681-1 overlaps with a portion of the third lower track member 674-3. The first assist track member 681-1 may be operatively positioned vertically above the track surfaces of both the second and third lower track members 674-2 and 674-3 to engage the third support 656-3, which in the present example is vertically above the second support 656-2. The first assist track member 681-1 may define a path (e.g., via its track surface) that inclines away from the second lower track member 674-2 to lift the step 650 off the second lower track member 674-2. As the heel end 653 of a step 650 approaches the entrance 683-1 of the first track assist member 681-1, the third support 656-3 of that step engages the assist track member 681-1 and the heel end 653 of the step is lifted off the primary track as the toe end 651 of the step continues to pull (via the flexible member 636) the step along the travel direction. The heel end 653 is then deposited onto the third lower track member 674-3 to re-engage the primary track 671.
In a similar manner, the assist track 681, and more specifically a second assist track member 681-2 temporarily lifts the heel end 653 of each step 650 to transfer the heel end 653 from the second (e.g., lower) track 674 to the first upper) track 672 at the location 677-2 near the upper disk 632. Six steps 650 are shown in
In accordance with some examples, the drive system 630 is configured to flip each step 650 twice along their closed loop path, once at the lower end of the path with the assistance of a guide wheel 635 that supports the heel ends 653 of the steps 650 during the lower transition (e.g., during the flipping of the step), and once at the upper end of the path with the assistance of the secondary track 681 which acts as a step flipper to temporarily lift the heel ends 653 off the primary track and re-position the heel ends on a separate, discontinuous track member of the primary track 671. In some embodiments, one or more auxiliary track members 685 may extend along portions of the primary track 671 to engage the third support 656-3 of a step while the second support 656-2 engages the primary track 671. This may provide a n ore robust coupling of the step 650 to the track system 670.
In some embodiments, the stepmill 600 may be incline-adjustable so as to change the angle between a plane defined by the base 621 and a plane defined by the upright frame 640. By changing this angle, also referred to as the incline angle, the incline of the closed loop path of the steps 650 may be varied, resulting in a change in the vertical distance, or step-height HS, between adjacent steps 650 when positioned on the front side 811 of the stepmill 600. The stepmill 600 may be configured to be incline-adjustable by supporting components of the drive system 630, such as the one or more flexible members and or one or more tracks that guide the steps, on a moving upright frame 640. Similar to the stepmill 100, the upright frame 640 of stepmill 600 may define a four-bar linkage, e.g., a quadrilateral four-bar linkage. Such a four-bar linkage 41 may include three links movably coupled to a fixed or ground link 48, which may be defined by two fixed points on the frame 620 (see
In embodiments in which the stepmill 600 is incline adjustable, one or more track members of the track system 670 may need to move relative to one another without creating discontinuities in the track surfaces or path provided by the multiple track members. In some such examples, two adjacent track members may overlap at least partially to allow one of the track members to be repositioned without introducing a gap or discontinuity at the interface 678 of the two track members. For example, as the stepmill 600 is adjusted from a first inclined position (as shown in
In some embodiments, the movement of the steps 650 may be resisted by any suitable resistance mechanism 698. In some embodiments, the stepmill 600 may be operable in a powered (or power-assist) mode in which the movement of the steps is driven or powered by a power source, such as an electrical, hydraulic or other type of motor, so as to set a speed (or cadence) for the user to exercise to. In some embodiments, the movement of the steps along the closed loop path may be driven solely by user-applied force(s) and/or gravity. Referring to FIG. 34, the resistance mechanism 698 may include a brake disk 699 rotatably coupled to the frame 620 (e.g., to the base 621 or elsewhere on the frame 620). The brake disk 699 may be operatively associated with a brake 697, for example a friction brake or a magnetic brake. The rotation of the components of the drive system 630 (e.g., the rotation of the one or more guide disks) may be coupled to the resistance mechanism 698 via a transmission assembly 690. The transmission assembly 690 may include one or more stages that coupled the rotation of the drive system 30 to the brake disk 699 such that this rotation can be resisted by an appropriate retarding force (e.g., a frictional, magnetic, and/or air-based, resistance). As shown in
The foregoing description has broad application. The discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be explanatory and is not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to these examples. In other words, while illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail herein, the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations, except as limited by the prior art.
The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. For example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. However, various features of the certain aspects, embodiments, or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, or configurations. Moreover, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.
All directional references (e.g., proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, longitudinal, front, back, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, radial, axial, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for illustration purposes to aid the readers understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use. Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and joined) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a collection of elements and relative movement between elements unless otherwise indicated. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other, unless so stated. Identification references (e.g., primary, secondary, first, second, third, fourth, etc.) are not intended to connote importance or priority, but are used to distinguish one feature from another. The drawings are for purposes of illustration only and the dimensions, positions, order and relative sizes reflected in the drawings attached hereto may not be to scale or may vary in other embodiments.