Exercise vehicle with cable steering system

A steering system for effecting direction of travel of an exercise vehicle, wherein the exercise vehicle includes a frame having right and left arm levers, the steering system comprising:

• a guidance wheel pivotally coupled with the frame to turn left or right to effect a directional change in vehicle travel;
• an elongate steering crank operatively connected to the guidance wheel so that the guidance wheel turns when the steering crank pivots about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of said steering crank;
• a right hand lever pivotally attached to the right arm lever and having a freely rotatable end, and a left hand lever pivotally attached to the left arm lever and having a freely rotatable end;
• and
• first and second push/pull cabling assemblies having first ends attached to opposite ends of said steering crank, the first push/pull cabling assembly having a second end attached to the right hand lever and the second push/pull cabling assembly having a second end attached to the left hand lever so that when one hand lever pivots, steering crank rotates, causing the other hand lever to pivot in the same direction of rotation while the freely rotatable ends of the first and second hand levers move in opposite translational directions, respectively, and causing guidance wheel to turn, thereby effecting a directional change in vehicle travel.

An exercise vehicle having a frame which is steered and propelled by a rider and having at least one drive wheel rotatably coupled with the frame, the vehicle comprising:

• a drive system attached to the frame, the drive system for propelling the vehicle by rotating the drive wheel, the drive system further including right and left arm levers which project generally upwardly from the frame within reach of the rider, the right and left arm levers being pivotal in counter-reciprocal fashion such that when one arm lever moves toward the rider the other arm lever moves away from the rider, the drive system being configured to translate counter-reciprocal motion of the right and left arm levers into rotational motion of the drive wheel, thereby propelling the vehicle;
• and
• a steering system including (a) a guidance wheel rotatably coupled with the frame, wherein the guidance wheel is configured to roll on a surface and to rotate left or right to effect a directional change in vehicle travel;
• (b) an elongate steering crank operatively coupled with the guidance wheel so that the guidance wheel turns when the steering crank rotates about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the steering crank;
• (c) a right hand lever pivotally attached to the right arm lever and having a freely rotatable end, and a left hand lever pivotally attached to the left arm lever and having a freely rotatable end;
• and (d) first and second stretch-resistant, force-communicative push/pull cabling assemblies having first ends attached to opposite ends of the steering crank, respectively the first push/pull cabling assembly having a second end which is attached to the right hand lever, and the second push/pull cabling assembly having a second end which is attached to the left hand lever so that when one hand lever pivots, the other hand lever pivots in the same direction of rotation while the freely rotatable ends of the first and second hand levers move in opposite translational directions, respectively, and the steering crank rotates, causing the guidance wheel to rotate left or right, thereby effecting a directional change in vehicle travel.

An exercise vehicle having a frame which is steered and propelled by a rider and having at least one drive wheel rotatably coupled with the frame, the vehicle comprising:

• a drive system attached to the frame, the drive system for propelling the vehicle by rotating the drive wheel, the drive system further including right and left arm levers which project generally upwardly from the frame within reach of the rider, the right and left arm levers being pivotal in counter-reciprocal fashion such that when one of the arm levers moves toward the rider, another of the arm levers moves away from the rider, the drive system being configured to translate counter-reciprocal motion of the right and left arm levers into rotational motion of the drive wheel, thereby propelling the vehicle;
• and
• a steering system including (a) a guidance wheel rotatably coupled with the frame, wherein the guidance wheel is configured to roll on a surface and to rotate left or right to effect a directional change in vehicle travel;
• (b) an elongate steering crank operatively coupled with the guidance wheel so that the guidance wheel turns when the steering crank rotates about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the steering crank;
• (c) a right hand lever pivotally attached to the right arm lever and a left hand lever pivotally attached to the left arm lever;
• and (d) first and second force-communicative push/pull cabling assemblies having first ends attached to opposite ends of the steering crank, respectively, the first push/pull cabling assembly having a second end which is attached to the right hand lever, and the second push/pull cabling assembly having a second end which is attached to the left hand lever, pivoting of at least one of the hand levers rotating the steering crank, causing the guidance wheel to turn, thereby effecting a directional change in vehicle travel.

An exercise vehicle having a frame which is steered and propelled by a rider and having at least one drive wheel rotatably coupled with the frame, the vehicle comprising:

• a drive system attached to the frame and for propelling the vehicle by rotating the drive wheel, the drive system including right and left arm levers which project generally upwardly from the frame within reach of the rider, the right and left arm levers being pivotal in counter-reciprocal fashion such that when one of the arm levers moves toward the rider, another of the arm levers moves away from the rider, the drive system further including right and left foot platforms pivotally attached to the right and left arm levers, respectively, the right and left foot pedals moving in counter-reciprocal fashion with respect to each other, the drive system being configured to translate counter-reciprocal motion of the right and left arm levers and the right and left foot platforms into rotational motion of the drive wheel, thereby propelling the vehicle;
• and
• a steering system including (a) a guidance wheel rotatably coupled with the frame, wherein the guidance wheel is configured to roll on a surface and to rotate left or right to effect a directional change in vehicle travel;
• (b) an elongate steering crank operatively coupled with the guidance wheel so that the guidance wheel turns when the steering crank rotates about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the steering crank;
• (c) a right hand lever pivotally attached to the right arm lever and having a freely rotatable end, and a left hand lever pivotally attached to the left arm lever and having a freely rotatable end;
• and (d) first and second force-communicative push/pull cabling assemblies having first ends attached to opposite ends of the steering crank, respectively, the first push/pull cabling assembly having a second end which is attached to the right hand lever, and the second push/pull cabling assembly having a second end which is attached to the left hand lever so that when one hand lever pivots, the other hand lever pivots in the same direction of rotation while the freely rotatable ends of the first and second hand levers move in opposite translational directions, respectively, and the steering crank rotates, causing the guidance wheel to rotate left or right, thereby effecting a directional change in vehicle travel;
• wherein the rider operates the vehicle primarily from a standing position;
• and
• wherein the first hand lever pivots about a first hand-lever axis which is normal to the first arm lever and the second hand lever pivots about a second hand-lever axis which is normal to the second aim lever such that when the vehicle is traveling in a straight direction, the rider's right shoulder and right hand are in a first vertical plane and the rider's left shoulder and left hand are in a second vertical plane, and further wherein the rider's shoulders and hands remain substantially in the same first and second vertical planes, respectively, while traveling through a left or right turn.