Information
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Patent Grant
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6723026
-
Patent Number
6,723,026
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Date Filed
Tuesday, February 12, 200222 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, April 20, 200420 years ago
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
-
International Classifications
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Abstract
A stepping exerciser includes two foot pedals rotatably secured on a base with a shaft, two actuators pivotally coupled between the foot pedals and the base, and a device for adjusting the actuators relative to the shaft, in order to adjust the resistance of the actuators applied onto the foot pedals. The base includes a curved slot formed in a housing for slidably receiving a rod. A block is slidably received in the base and has a channel for receiving the rod. An adjusting bolt is threaded to the block for moving the block and the rod relative to the base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stepping exerciser, and more particularly to a stepping exerciser having a resistance adjusting device for adjusting to different resistances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various kinds of typical stepping exercisers have been developed and used today. U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,111 to Lowth discloses one of the typical stepping exercisers having a pair of foot pedals pivotally or rotatably secured or supported on a base for being conducted or actuated by the users in order to conduct stepping or walking exercises. The resistance force applied onto the foot pedals may not be adjusted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,001 to Terauds discloses the other typical stepping exerciser having a pair of foot pedals pivotally or rotatably secured or supported on a base, and a pair of actuators or cylinders coupled to the foot pedals for applying a resistance force against the foot pedals. However, the resistance force of the actuators or the cylinders applied onto the foot pedals may not be adjusted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,470 to Wang discloses a further typical stepping exerciser having a pair of foot pedals pivotally or rotatably secured or supported on a base, and a pair of actuators or cylinders coupled to the foot pedals for applying a resistance force against the foot pedals. In addition, a valve is coupled between the actuators or cylinders for adjusting the resistance force of the actuators or the cylinders applied onto the foot pedals. However, the moving strokes of the foot pedals may not be adjusted.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional stepping exercisers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a stepping exerciser including a resistance adjusting device for adjusting and for applying different resistances against the foot pedals.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a stepping exerciser comprising a base including a front portion and a rear portion, a pair of foot pedals including a front portion rotatably secured to the front portion of the base with a shaft, for allowing the foot pedals to be rotated up and down relative to the base about the shaft, a pair of cushioning devices including a first end pivotally coupled to the foot pedals respectively, and including a second end, and means for adjusting the second ends of the cushioning devices relative to the shaft, to adjust a resistance of the cushioning devices applied onto the foot pedals.
The base includes a curved slot formed in the front portion thereof, the adjusting means includes a rod slidably received in the curved slot of the base, and means for moving the rod along the curved slot of the base.
The moving means includes a block slidably received in the base and having a channel formed therein for slidably receiving the rod, and means for actuating the block to move relative to the base and to move the rod along the curved slot of the base.
The moving means includes means for guiding the block to move relative to the base. The guiding means includes a housing having a pair of panels extended therein and having a bottom portion, a base board secured to the bottom portion of the housing and having a pair of fences extended therefrom the block includes a lower portion slidably engaged between the fences, and an upper portion slidably engaged between the panels.
The actuating means includes an adjusting bolt rotatably received in the base, the block includes a screw hole formed therein for threading with the adjusting bolt, and for allowing the adjusting bolt to move the block along the adjusting bolt when the adjusting bolt is rotated relative to the base.
The adjusting bolt includes a first end extended outward of the base, and a knob secured to the first end thereof for rotating the adjusting bolt. The cushioning devices each includes an actuator having a first end secured to the rod.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a partial exploded view of a stepping exerciser in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines
2
—
2
of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 3
is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines
3
—
3
of
FIG. 2
; and
FIG. 4
is a partial cross sectional view similar to
FIG. 3
, illustrating the operation of the stepping exerciser.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
FIGS. 1-3
, a stepping exerciser in accordance with the present invention comprises a base
20
including a housing
21
, and a base board
22
secured to the bottom of the housing
21
with such as fasteners
293
. The base board
22
includes a pair of fences
221
extended upward therefrom, and preferably parallel to each other. The housing
21
includes a pair of panels
211
(
FIG. 2
) extended downward from the upper portion thereof and extended inward and toward a chamber
23
of the housing
21
. The housing
21
includes two side walls
24
. The base
20
includes a U-shaped frame
25
secured to the rear portions of the side walls
24
and a soft or resilient covering
251
attached onto the frame
25
for engaging onto the supporting surface. The base
20
may further include one or more pads
26
attached to the front and bottom portion thereof, also for engaging onto the supporting surface, and for preventing the stepping exerciser from moving relative to the supporting surface.
The base
20
or the housing
21
includes a lateral orifice
27
formed therein (
FIG. 2
) for receiving a shaft
31
therein. A pair of foot pedals
32
,
33
each includes a front portion pivotally or rotatably secured onto the shaft
31
, for allowing the foot pedals
32
,
33
to be rotated or moved up and down relative to the base
20
about the shaft
31
. The foot pedals
32
,
33
each preferably includes a number of bulges or swellings
321
,
331
of soft or resilient materials, for comfortably supporting the feet of the users, and for preventing the users from slipping relative to the foot supports
32
,
33
. The foot supports
32
,
33
each further includes a bracket
322
,
332
attached to the bottom portion thereof, and preferably disposed or located away from the shaft
31
.
The base
20
or the housing
21
includes one or more curved slots
241
formed therein, for example, formed in the side walls
24
of the housing
21
respectively, for slidably receiving a rod
29
therein, and for allowing the rod
29
to be moved along the curved slots
241
of the side walls
24
of the housing
21
. Two damping or cushioning devices
40
,
50
are provided and coupled between the foot pedals
32
,
33
and the base
20
for applying a resistance force against the foot pedals
32
,
33
, and each includes a cylinder or an actuator
41
,
51
having one end
411
pivotally or rotatably secured to the ends of the rod
29
with such as the gaskets
291
and lock nuts
292
, for allowing the ends
411
of the actuators
41
,
51
to be moved along the curved slots
241
of the side walls
24
in concert with the rod
29
. The actuators
41
,
51
each includes a piston
42
,
52
pivotally or rotatably secured to the brackets
322
,
332
with pivot axles
421
,
521
respectively.
The base
20
or the housing
21
includes a longitudinal aperture
28
(
FIGS. 3
,
4
) formed therein for rotatably receiving an adjusting screw or bolt
61
which may be rotatably secured to the housing
21
with one or more clamping or retaining rings
613
, and which includes one end or a front end extended outward of the housing
21
. A knob
612
is secured to the front end of the adjusting bolt
61
for rotating the adjusting bolt
61
relative to the housing
21
. A block
62
includes a lower portion slidably engaged between the fences
221
of the base board
22
, and includes a projection
620
extended upward therefrom and slidably engaged between the panels
211
of the housing
21
, for allowing the block
62
to be guided to move along the fences
221
and/or the panels
211
, and/or the adjusting bolt
61
that is parallel to the fences
221
and the panels
211
. The block
62
includes a screw hole
621
formed in such as the projection
620
thereof for threading with the adjusting bolt
61
, and includes a channel
622
formed therein for slidably receiving the rod
29
therein. The rod
29
is thus slidably received in the channel
622
of the block
62
, and simultaneously slidably received in the curved slots
241
of the side walls
24
.
In operation, as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, when the adjusting bolt
61
is rotated relative to the housing
21
by the knob
612
, the block
62
and thus the rod
29
may be adjusted to move along the adjusting bolt
61
, in order to move the rod
29
along the curved slots
241
of the side walls
24
. The rod
29
and thus the ends
411
of the actuators
41
,
51
may be caused to move along the curved slots
241
of the side walls
24
, in order to adjust the distance between the rod
29
and the shaft
31
, and in order to adjust the included angle between the foot pedals
32
,
33
and the actuators
41
,
51
.
For example, as shown in
FIG. 3
, when the block
62
is moved forward toward the knob
612
, the rod
29
may be moved closer to the shaft
31
, and the included angle between the foot pedals
32
,
33
and the actuators
41
,
51
may be reduced, such that the resistance force of the actuators
41
,
51
applied onto the foot pedals
32
,
33
may be decreased. As shown in
FIG. 4
, when the block
62
is moved rearward and away from the knob
612
, the rod
29
may be moved away from the shaft
31
, and the included angle between the foot pedals
32
,
33
and the actuators
41
,
51
may be increased, such that the resistance force of the actuators
41
,
51
applied onto the foot pedals
32
,
33
may be increased. The rotational movement of the moving stroke of the foot pedals
32
,
33
may also be increased.
Accordingly, the stepping exerciser in accordance with the present invention includes a resistance adjusting device for adjusting and for applying different resistances against the foot pedals.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
- 1. A stepping exerciser comprising:a base including a front portion and a rear portion, said base including a curved slot formed in said front portion thereof, a pair of foot pedals each including a front portion rotatably secured to said front portion of said base with a shaft, for allowing said foot pedals to be rotated up and down relative to said base about said shaft, a pair of cushioning devices including a first end pivotally coupled to said foot pedals respectively, and including a second end, and means for adjusting said second ends of said cushioning devices relative to said shaft, to adjust a resistance of said cushioning devices applied onto said foot pedals, said adjusting means including a rod slidably received in said curved slot of said base, and means for moving said rod along said curved slot of said base.
- 2. The stepping exerciser according to claim 1, wherein said moving means includes a block slidably received in said base and having a channel formed therein for slidably receiving said rod, and means for actuating said block to move relative to said base and to move said rod along said curved slot of said base.
- 3. The stepping exerciser according to claim 2, wherein said moving means includes means for guiding said block to move relative to said base.
- 4. The stepping exerciser according to claim 3, wherein said guiding means includes a housing having a pair of panels extended therein and having a bottom portion, a base board secured to said bottom portion of said housing and having a pair of fences extended therefrom, said block includes a lower portion slidably engaged between said fences, and an upper portion slidably engaged between said panels.
- 5. The stepping exerciser according to claim 2, wherein said actuating means includes an adjusting bolt rotatably received in said base, said block includes a screw hole formed therein for threading with said adjusting bolt, and for allowing said adjusting bolt to move said block along said adjusting bolt when said adjusting bolt is rotated relative to said base.
- 6. The stepping exerciser according to claim 5, wherein said adjusting bolt includes a first end extended outward of said base, and a knob secured to said first end thereof for rotating said adjusting bolt.
- 7. The stepping exerciser according to claim 1, wherein said cushioning devices each includes an actuator having a first end secured to said rod.
US Referenced Citations (8)