Patent Application
20060229166
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a fitness equipment, and more particularly, to a swing stepper to allow its user while reciprocally twisting his/her waist, alternatively bends and pulls straight both legs to step on a pair of pedals for coordination to simultaneously achieve purpose of the swing exercise by twisting waist and simulating treading.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Generally, fitness equipment simulates the motions that would have been done outdoors so to allow the user to work out within a confined area attempting to achieve the same fitness results given outdoors. For example, a stepper allows the user to alternatively tread on a pair of pedals for achieving sports and exercise purposes.
Steppers generally available in the market share the similar basic construction as illustrated in
However, the stepper appeals to provide a general workout purpose. When compared to other types of fitness equipment such as a walker or a stationary bike the stepper giving advantages of smaller size and lower price provides sports effects only limited to both legs even though coordination of motion from other parts of the body is required. A fitness equipment having a horizontal turntable disposed to a base is also available in the market for the user to step on the turntable while twisting his waist to reciprocally turn around the turntable. However, it provides only the exercise of one's waist and is considered as fitness equipment with comparatively less functional since it is unable to work out simultaneously with other parts of one's body.
The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a swing stepper for its user to achieve at the same time the exercise results of twisting waste and simulating walk. To achieve the purpose, a stepper is disposed axially at a certain inclination to a base. Two pedals are respectively provided at two distal locations corresponding to the stepper. The user twists his/her waist to drive the stepper to reciprocally swing. Meanwhile, a handle bar is axially provided to the base that turns around in synchronous with the stepper. Whereas the swing object is disposed at a certain inclination to the base, both distal ends of the stepper swings up and down alternatively in the course of the reciprocal swing by the stepper to allow the user alternatively bends or pulls straight both legs to step on the pedals in coordination with the motion of twisting.
Referring to
Now referring to
The user by holding the handle bar 20 with both hands to secure better firm twist of his/her waist while having both legs alternatively bent and pulled straight in coordination with the swing to achieve the exercise results of twisting waist and simulating walk at the same time.
As illustrated in
Similarly as illustrated in
The connection component 40 includes a connecting rod 42 and two levers 41. Both levers 41 are pivoted to the connecting rod 42 and respectively fixed to the handle bar 20 and the spindle of the stepper 30. In the second preferred embodiment, one lever 41 is fixed to the sleeve 72′ at the center of the stepper; and another lever 41 is fixed to the inner shaft 71 at the lower end of the handle bar 20. A slot 721 is provided on the sleeve 72 inserted with the inner shaft 71 at the lower end of the handle bar 20 for the lever 41 to stick out and move therein thus to connect the stepper 30 and the handle bar 20. An resilient member 80 is each sandwiched at where both levers 41 are pivoted to the connecting rod 42 to fill up the action gap between the connecting rod 42 and both levers 41 for providing proper buffer and absorption.
Furthermore, a limiting component 50 is disposed to the base 10 to limit the amplitude of the reciprocal swing by the stepper 30. A damping member 60 is provided at where the relative action takes place between the stepper 30 and the base 10 to increase the force applied to the motion of the reciprocal swing of the stepper 30.
The limiting component 50 includes a frame 51 adapted with two sidewalls 52. A lever 32 laterally extends from the spindle of the stepper (i.e. the front of the sleeve 72′ at the center of the stepper 30) into the space between both sidewalls 52 of the frame 51 for the frame 51 to limit the lever 32 to swing therein. A resilient member 80 is provided at the tail of the lever 32 to buffer the impact force between the lever 32 and both sidewalls 52.
The bottom of the frame 51 and the base 10 are pivoted to each other. A limiting plate 53 extending between the frame 51 and the lever 32 is fixed to the base 10. A channel 531 is provided on the limiting plate 53 in the direction consistent with that of the lever 32. A bolt 54 penetrates through the channel 531 to engage with the frame 51. The bolt 54 and the limiting plate 53 to fasten the frame 51 in its position in relation to the lever 32. Depending on the age or build of the user, the relative positions between the frame 51 and the lever 32 is adjusted in time as illustrated in
The damping member 60 to increase the force applied to the stepper 30 is basically comprised of a regulation knob 61 screwed to the base 10, and a friction block 62 penetrated by the regulation knob 61 and contacting the stepper 30. As illustrated in
Of course, the damping member 60 may be summarized to a regulation knob 61 passing through the sleeve 72′ at the center of the stepper 30 and screwed to the inner shaft 71′, the resilient member 80 penetrated by the regulation knob 61 and contacting the sleeve 72′, and the clipping member 63; and two friction blocks are respectively provided on the sleeve 72′ and below the clipping member 63 to achieve the same purpose of regulating the amplitude of the force applied to the stepper 30 by turning the regulation knob 61. The bolt 54 is directly fastened above where the frame 51 of the limiting component 50 is pivoted to couple the bolt 54 to the inner shaft 71′ of the base 10 to achieve the same purpose of adjusting the amplitude of the reciprocal swing of the stepper 30 by regulating the torque of the bolt 54 to change the relative positions between the frame 51 and the lever 32.
The prevent invention provides a swing stepper for the user to achieve the exercise purpose of twisting his/her waist and simulating the walk at the same time, and the application for a utility patent is duly filed accordingly. However, it is to be noted that that the preferred embodiments disclosed in the specification and the accompanying drawings are not limiting the present invention; and that any construction, installation, or characteristics that is same or similar to that of the present invention should fall within the scope of the purposes and claims of the present invention.
