Recumbent stepper with independently movable upper and lower body lever arrangements

In a recumbent stepper having a frame, a seat mounted on the frame, lower body and upper body lever arrangements pivotally coupled to the frame to move in first and second directions and resistance structure for resisting movement of the lever arrangements in one of the first and second directions, the improvement comprising:

• a generator pulley mounted for rotation about a shaft passing through the frame and operably connected to the resistance structure;
• a driven pulley mounted for rotation on the shaft on each side of the generator pulley and provided with a one-way clutch therein, each driven pulley being operably connected with one of the lower body lever arrangements;
• a driven gear mounted for rotation on the shaft on each side of the generator pulley between the generator pulley and one of the driven pulleys, and provided with a one-way clutch therein, each driven gear being operably connected with one of the upper body lever arrangements,
• whereby movement of each lower body lever arrangement in the first direction causes the driven pulley to rotate on the shaft such that the one-way clutch inside the driven pulley will cause the shaft to rotate turning the generator pulley which is attached to the resistance structure, and movement of the lower body lever arrangement in the second direction prevents rotation of the shaft due to the one-way clutch in the driven pulley, and
• whereby movement of each upper body lever arrangement in the first direction causes rotation of the driven gear on the shaft such that the one way clutch inside the driven gear will cause the shaft to rotate turning the generator pulley which is attached to the resistance structure, and movement of the upper body lever arrangement in the second direction prevents rotation of the shaft due to the one-way clutch inside the driven gear.

A recumbent stepper comprising:

• a frame;
• a seat attached to the frame;
• first and second lower body lever arrangements pivotally coupled to the frame about respective spaced apart, first and second pivot axes located forwardly of the seat to move in first and second directions;
• first and second upper body lever arrangements pivotally coupled to the frame about a third pivot axis beneath the seat to move in the first and second directions;
• a pair of main pulleys, each mounted for rotation about the first pivot axis at a forward end of the frame;
• a generator pulley mounted for rotation about a fourth pivot axis located upwardly and rearwardly of the third pivot axis;
• a pair of driven pulleys, one being mounted on each side of the generator pulley about the fourth pivot axis, each driven pulley having a one-way clutch installed therein;
• a pair of drive belts, each entrained about one of the main pulleys and one of the driven pulleys on each side of the generator pulley for transferring motion from the lower body lever arrangements to the generator pulley;
• a pair of driven gears, each being mounted for rotation about the fourth pivot axis between the generator pulley and one of the driven pulleys, each of the driven gears having a one-way clutch installed therein;
• each of the upper body lever arrangements including a main drive gear mounted for rotation about the third pivot axis and a meshing engagement with one of the driven gears;
• resistance structure for resisting pivoting movement of each of the lever arrangements in one of the first and second directions;
• and
• a generator belt wrapped around the generator pulley and the resistance structure,
• whereby each of the lever arrangements is enabled to be moved independently or in any combination with the remaining lever arrangements.