The present invention relates to walking training machines and more particularly, to a walking trainer, which enables the user to accurately simulate the walking gait path.
Walking must rely on the coordination of the nerves, muscles and bones of the body so that the body can move forward. Achieving steady walking needs to have enough attention, muscle strength and appropriate action control. Decline in physical function is a common feature of older age and has important outcomes in terms of walking disorder, falls, and decline in physical health-related quality of life.
In order to help the elderly implement rehabilitation training, various training machines have been created. For example, JP2002325860 discloses a walking machine, which provides a first leg-part mounting device and a second leg-part mounting device for back-and-forth motion in an alternative manner to achieve leg training. JP2001309993 discloses a training machine in which track sliding is implemented for causing the pedal to move alternatively back and forth. CN105167959 discloses a multi-function gait rehabilitation trainer, which utilizes sliding blocks to carry the pedals alternatively back and forth, provides pins for enabling the pedals to achieve biasing. However, the aforesaid various prior art designs cannot enable the pedals to accurately simulate the motion trajectory in walking, resulting in reduced training effects.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a walking trainer, which enables the user to effectively simulate the walking gait path, enhancing the effectiveness of rehabilitation training.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a walking trainer comprises a linear transmission unit and two pedal units. The linear transmission unit comprises a support base, a drive source mounted in the support base, two screw rods mounted in the support base in a substantially parallel manner and coupled to and rotatable by the drive source, and two carriages respectively threaded onto the two screw rods and alternatively movable back and forth along the respective screw rods one after the other upon rotation of the screw rods. The two pedal units each comprise a pedal holder, a rotary shaft and a pedal. The pedal holder comprises a bottom frame, a top block and a plurality of upright posts. The bottom frame has a bottom wall thereof fastened to one respective carriage of the linear transmission unit. The upright posts are mounted at a top side of the bottom frame and spaced out. The top block is mounted on the upright posts and movable up and down along the upright posts. The rotary shaft is rotatably mounted on the top block in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the upright posts. The pedal is mounted on the rotary shaft and biasable with the rotary shaft relative to the pedal holder.
Thus, subject to the connection relationship between the pedal holders and the respective carriages, the pedals can be alternatively and horizontally moved back and forth. Further, during horizontal movement of the pedals, the pedals can be moved up and down with the top blocks of the respective pedal holders and biased relative to the respective pedal holders to mate with action changes of the soles of the user's feet in walking, so that the user can effectively simulate the walking gait path, enhancing the effectiveness of rehabilitation training.
Preferably, the top block of the pedal holder of each pedal unit is movable up and down along the associating upright posts relative to the associating bottom frame within a distance of 5 centimeters, and, the pedal of each pedal unit is biasable relative to the associating pedal holder within a 10-degree angle.
Preferably, the walking trainer further comprises a lifting unit. The lifting unit comprises a base frame adapted to be positioned on the ground, a platform base fastened to a bottom wall of the support base of the linear transmission unit and having a rear end thereof supported on the ground, a lifting base having opposing front and rear ends thereof respectively pivotally connected to a front end of the base frame and an opposing front end of the platform base, and a lifting actuator coupled between the front end of the lifting base and the opposing front end of the platform base. Thus, the lifting base can utilize the lifting actuator to lift the platform base and the linear transmission unit to a predetermined tilt angle, showing an effect of walking in a slope.
Preferably, the lifting unit further comprises a storage actuator coupled between the base frame and the platform base and spaced from the lifting actuator at a predetermined distance, and adapted for lifting the rear end of the platform base from the ground to achieve a storage effect.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure.
Referring to
Referring
Referring to
The pedal holder 31 comprises a bottom frame 32, two top blocks 33 and four upright posts 34. The bottom frame 32 is fastened with a bottom wall thereof to a top wall of one respective carriage 24 of the linear transmission unit 20. The four upright posts 34 are arranged in two pairs and bilaterally mounted at a top side of the bottom frame 32. The two top blocks 33 are respectively and vertically movably mounted on the two pairs of upright posts 34. Thus, the pedal holder 31 can be moved synchronously with the respective carriage 24, and, the top blocks 33 of the pedal holder 31 can be moved up and down relative to the bottom frame 32 of the pedal holder 31, as illustrated in
The first buffer members 35 are mounted on the pedal holder 31 between the bottom frame 32 and the top blocks 33 to exert a buffering effect against the vertical displacement of the two top blocks 33, as illustrated in
The rotary shaft 36 is rotatably mounted between the two top blocks 33 of the pedal holder 31. Further, the axial direction of the rotary shaft 36 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the upright posts 34.
The pedal 37 is mounted on the associating rotary shaft 36 so that the pedal 37 can be biased relative to the pedal holder 31 by means of the associating rotary shaft 36, as illustrated in
The second buffer member 38 is mounted between the bottom frame 32 of the pedal holder 31 and the pedal 37, and to exert a buffering effect against the biasing of the pedal 37, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
On the other hand, in order to simulate the effect of walking in a slope, the invention further provides a lifting unit 40, as illustrated in
Further, the lifting unit 40 comprises a handrail 46 to be grasped by the user's hands so as to provide support. The handrail 46 has a bottom side thereof fastened to the base frame 41, and an opposing top side thereof provided with a human-machine interface 50. The user can operate the human-machine interface 50 to control the operation of the linear transmission unit 20, such as setting the training time, adjusting the running speed and the length of the pace, etc., and also to display the elated physiological information such as walking distance, heart rate, consumption of calories and etc.
Referring to
In conclusion, the walking trainer 10 of the present invention provides four different operation modes, i.e., the linear sliding mode, the straight walking mode, the slope sliding mode and the slope walking mode, enabling the user to accurately simulate gait changes under different conditions. Further, first and second buffer members 35,38 are provided to the pedals 37 to avoid ankle injuries. Further, the walking trainer 10 is collapsible to enhance storage convenience.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6572514 | Calafato | Jun 2003 | B1 |
7955225 | James | Jun 2011 | B1 |
20110152036 | Halver | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20140100491 | Hu | Apr 2014 | A1 |
20140371640 | Schorgendorfer | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20160213972 | Waldner | Jul 2016 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
105167959 | Dec 2015 | CN |
2001-309993 | Nov 2001 | JP |
2002-325860 | Nov 2002 | JP |