Exercise apparatus with elliptical stepping motion
OwnerJoseph D. Mareshinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exercise apparatus includes left and right rigid connector links having first portions rotatably connected to respective cranks, second portions constrained to move in reciprocating fashion, and third portions connected to respective foot supports. Also, floating cranks are rotatably interconnected between respective cranks and respective foot supports. The resulting assembly links rotation of the cranks to movement of the foot supports through generally elliptical stepping paths. The connection points may be moved relative to one another and/or a supporting frame to adjust the size, shape, and/or orientation of the paths.
Claims8
An exercise apparatus, comprising:
- a frame designed to rest upon a floor surface;
- a left crank and a right crank, wherein each said crank is rotatably mounted on said frame;
- a left guide and a right guide, wherein each said guide is mounted on the frame for movement in oscillatory fashion relative thereto;
- a left connector link and a right connector link, wherein each said connector link has a first portion movably connected to a respective crank and a second portion movably connected to a respective guide;
- a left foot supporting link and a right foot supporting link, wherein each said foot supporting link has a first end linked to a respective connector link and a second end linked to a respective crank in a manner that links crank rotation to foot movement through adjacent, generally elliptical paths having a horizontal component and a relatively greater vertical component;
- a left floating crank is pivotally interconnected between the left foot supporting link and the left crank, and a right floating crank is pivotally interconnected between the right foot supporting link and the right crank.
An exercise apparatus, comprising:
- a frame designed to rest upon a floor surface;
- a left crank and a right crank, wherein each said crank is rotatably mounted on said frame;
- a left foot supporting link and a right foot supporting link;
- a left connector link and a right connector link, wherein each said connector link has one end constrained to move in oscillatory fashion relative to the frame, an intermediate portion pivotally connected to a respective crank, and an opposite end pivotally connected to a first end of a respective foot supporting link in a manner that constrains the first end to move through a generally elliptical path having a horizontal component and a relatively greater vertical component;
- a left linking means and a right linking means, each for linking a respective crank to an opposite, second end of a respective foot supporting link in a manner that limits angular displacement of the foot supporting link as the cranks rotate and each said linking means includes a floating crank pivotally interconnected between a respective crank and a respective foot supporting link.
An exercise apparatus, comprising:
- a frame designed to rest upon a floor surface;
- a left crank and a right crank, wherein each said crank is rotatably mounted on said frame at a common crank axis;
- a left rocker link and a right rocker link, wherein each said rocker link is pivotally connected to the frame at a common pivot axis;
- a left foot supporting link and a right foot supporting link;
- a left connector link and a right connector link, wherein each said connector link is rotatably connected to a respective crank, a respective rocker link, and a respective foot supporting link;
- and
- a left floating crank and a right floating crank, wherein each said floating crank is pivotally interconnected between a respective foot supporting link and a respective crank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.