Stepmill
OwnerMarcus L. Marjama, Todd D. Anderson +3inventors
InventorsMarcus L. Marjama, Todd D. Anderson, Brian Venturella, Nathan R. Luger, Brad H. Grossmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stair climbing machine includes a plurality of steps connected, via a drive assembly, to, the frame of the machine to move in a closed loop path which brings each step to a position near the ground to provide a low step-on height. The drive assembly may optionally be supported on a movable portion of the frame to allow the incline of the closed loop path to be selectively varied to adjust the vertical distance between adjacent steps of the machine.
Claims20
A stair climbing machine comprising:
- a frame including a base and an upright frame movably coupled to the base;
- a plurality of steps movably coupled to the upright frame to move in a closed loop path;
- a lift mechanism 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.
A stair climbing machine comprising:
- a frame comprising a base and an upright frame;
- a plurality of steps movably coupled to the upright frame to move in a closed loop path, wherein 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, and wherein each of the plurality of steps comprises 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.
A stair climbing machine comprising:
- a base;
- first and second upright frames coupled to opposite sides of the base;
- a plurality of steps 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, wherein 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.