Compact variable path exercise apparatus

Citations

1166304 1899255 2001/0001304 2001/0001305 2001/0004623 2001/0011053 2001/0016541 2001/0031685 2001/0036886 2001/0051562 2001/0056010 2002/0019298 2002/0028731 2002/0055420 2002/0082146 2002/0094914 2002/0119867 2002/0123411 2002/0128122 2002/0142890 2002/0151411 2002/0165066 2002/0173412 2002/0198083 2002/0198084 2003/0022763 2003/0022771 2003/0027690 2003/0040404 2003/0092532 2003/0096677 2003/0166434 2004/0005960 2004/0058784 2004/0077463 2004/0097339 2004/0132583 2004/0147375 2004/0162191 2004/0192514 2004/0209741 2004/0214693 2004/0248704 2004/0248705 2004/0248707 2004/0248708 2004/0248709 2004/0248710 2004/0248711 2005/0026752 2005/0037898 2005/0043145 2005/0049117 2005/0049120 2005/0202939 2005/0209059 2005/0209060 2005/0209061 2005/0233864 2006/0003868 219439 326247 964898 2369934 2603486 2969060 3316898 3316899 3432164 3563541 3578800 3592466 3638940 3704886 3711812 3741538 3747924 3756595 3759511 3824994 3826491 3941377 3970302 3995491 4053173 4185622 4188030 4379566 4456276 4470597 4477072 4509742 4555109 4561318 4632385 4645200 4645201 4679786 4684121 4720093 4786050 4842268 4846461 4869494 4900013 4936570 4940233 4949954 4949993 4951937 4955600 4976424 4989857 5000443 5039087 5039088 5046723 5050864 5078389 5094449 5094450 5131895 5135447 5163888 5186697 5192257 5203826 5211613 5230677 5242343 5247853 5279529 5290205 5290211 5295928 5299993 5328427 5336141 5336143 5336146 5346447 5352169 5383829 5387167 5401226 5403255 5419747 5423729 5489250 5496235 5499956 5518473 5527246 5529554 5529555 5536224 5540637 5545112 5549526 5562574 5573480 5577985 5584781 5591107 5593371 5593372 5595553 5595554 5595555 5605521 5611756 5611757 5611758 5613924 5616103 5624354 5626539 5637058 5643140 5653662 5655998 5658223 5658227 5669856 5683333 5685804 5690589 5692994 5692997 5707321 5708060 5709632 5720698 5725457 5733227 5735773 5735774 5738614 5743834 5755642 5755645 5759135 5759136 5762588 5766113 5769760 5772558 5779598 5779599 5788609 5788610 5792026 5792027 5792028 5792029 5795268 5803871 5803872 5813949 5823919 5833584 5836854 5836855 5848954 5857941 5865712 5876307 5879271 5882281 5893820 5895339 5897463 5899833 5908373 5910072 5911649 5913751 5916064 5916065 5919118 5921894 5924962 5924963 5935046 5938567 5938568 5938570 5938575 5944638 5947872 5957814 5964682 5967944 5971892 5989163 5993359 5997445 5997446 6004244 6017294 6019710 6024676 6027430 6027431 6030320 6036622 6042510 6042512 6045487 6045488 6053847 6063009 6066073 6077196 6077197 6077198 6080086 6083143 6090013 6090014 6099439 6113518 6117052 6123650 6126573 6126574 6135923 6142915 6146313 6149551 6152859 6165107 6168552 6171215 6171217 6176814 6183397 6183398 6190289 6196948 6206804 6206806 6206809 6210305 6217485 6217486 6248044 6248045 6248046 6251047 6254514 6283895 6302825 6302830 6302832 6312362 6338698 6340340 6361476 6368252 6379285 6387017 6390953 6398695 6409632 6409635 6416442 6419613 6422976 6422977 6436007 6440042 6461277 6461279 6482132 6485395 6500096 6527677 6527680 6540646 6544146 6547701 6551218 6554750 6565486 6569061 6569062 6579210 6612969 6626802 6629909 6645125 6648800 6648801 6672994 6689019 6689020 6695581 6719666 6761665 6811517 6835166 6837829 6875160 D408477 D489101

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Claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A stationary exercise apparatus comprising: a frame; a crank system coupled to the frame; a left arm link member coupled to the frame; a right arm link member coupledto the frame; a left foot member having a left foot pad and coupled to the left arm link member; a right foot member having a right foot pad and coupled to the right arm link member; a left articulating cam system comprising a left pivotal cam memberhaving a left cam surface, said left articulating cam system operatively associated with the left foot member and the crank system so that said left cam surface is proximal to said left foot pad during operation of the apparatus allowing the left foot ofthe user to impart a force on the left foot member in cooperation with the left cam surface to vary the stride substantially instantaneously; and a right articulating cam system comprising a right pivotal cam member having a right cam surface, saidright articulating cam system operatively associated with the right foot member and the crank system so that said right cam surface is proximal to said right foot pad during operation of the apparatus allowing the right foot of the user to impart a forceon the right foot member in cooperation with the right cam surface to vary the stride substantially instantaneously, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the feet of the user may travel in a substantially closed path and the angularrelationships between the left foot pad and the left cam member and between the right foot pad and the right cam member may vary during operation of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the feet of the user may travel in a substantially closed elliptical path.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the feet of the user may travel in a closed orbital path.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a brake/inertia device coupled to the crank system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the brake/inertia device is coupled to a portion of the frame in front of the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the left foot member and the right foot member are cross-coupled.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a housing, wherein the housing encloses at least a portion of the brake/inertia device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the left and right cam surfaces are nonsymmetrical.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the left and right cam surfaces are symmetrical.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus has a maximum stride length that is at least about 40% of the overall length of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the crank system comprises a pulley.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the crank system comprises a left crank and a right crank coupled to the pulley.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the length of each left and right cam surface is at least two times the length of either left or right crank.

14. A stationary exercise apparatus comprising: a frame; a crank system coupled to the frame; a left arm link member coupled to the frame; a right arm link member coupled to the frame; a left movable member coupled to the crank system; aright movable member coupled to the crank system; a left pivotal member having a left cam surface and pivotally connected to the left movable member; a right pivotal member having a right cam surface and pivotally connected to the right movable member; a left foot member having a left cam follower wherein the left cam follower moves along the left cam surface during operation of the apparatus; and a right foot member having a right cam follower wherein the right cam follower moves along the right camsurface during operation of the apparatus, wherein the left and right cam members and the left and right movable members are configured so as to allow the feet of the user to impart forces on the left and right foot members to cooperate with the left andright cam members to vary the stride substantially instantaneously, and wherein the left and right portions of the apparatus are cross coupled so that the left foot member moves in opposition to the right foot member and the feet of the user may travelin a substantially closed path.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the crank system comprises a pulley.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the crank system comprises a left crank and a right crank coupled to the pulley.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the feet of the user may travel in a substantially closed elliptical path.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the feet of the user may travel in a closed orbital path.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a brake/inertia device coupled to the crank system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a housing, wherein the housing encloses at least a portion of the brake/inertia device.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the left and right cam surfaces are nonsymmetrical.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the left and right cam surfaces are symmetrical.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the left movable member and the right movable member generally distal each such end coupled to the crank system moves in a substantially closed path.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the left and right foot members and the left and right cam systems are configured to provide a force that restores the users feet to a substantially neutral position during use of the apparatus.

25. A stationary exercise apparatus comprising: a frame; a crank system coupled to the frame; a left arm link member coupled to the frame; a right arm link member coupled to the frame; a left foot member having a left foot pad and coupledto the left arm link member; a right foot member having a right foot pad and coupled to the right arm link member; a left cam member having a left cam surface, said left cam member pivotally connected to the left foot member and coupled to the cranksystem so that said left cam surface is proximal said left foot pad during operation of the apparatus so as to allow the left foot of the user to impart a force on the left foot member in cooperation with the left cam surface to vary the stridesubstantially instantaneously; and a right cam member having a right cam surface, said right cam member pivotally connected to the right foot member and coupled to the crank system so that said right cam surface is proximal said right foot pad duringoperation of the apparatus so as to allow the right foot of the user to impart a force on the right foot member in cooperation with the right cam surface to vary the stride substantially instantaneously, wherein the apparatus is configured such that thefeet of the user may travel in a substantially closed path, and the angular relationships between the left foot pad and the left cam member and between the right foot pad and the right cam member may vary during operation of the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the crank system comprises a pulley.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the crank system comprises a left crank and a right crank coupled to the pulley.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the feet of the user may travel in a substantially closed elliptical path.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the feet of the user may travel in a closed orbital path.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising a brake/inertia device coupled to the crank system.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising a housing, wherein the housing encloses at least a portion of the brake/inertia device.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the left and right cam surfaces are nonsymmetrical.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the left and right cam surfaces are symmetrical.

34. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein at least a portion of the left movable member and the right movable member generally distal each such end coupled to the crank system moves in a substantially closed path.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the left and right foot members and the left and right cam systems are configured to provide a force that restores the users feet to a substantially neutral position during use of the apparatus.

Patent number:
7169088
View patent at USPTO

Filing date:
November 26, 2003

Issue date:
January 30, 2007

Inventor:
Robert E. Rodgers, Jr. (Canyon Lake, TX)

Primary Examiner:
Stephen R. Crow

Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP

Current U.S. Classification: 482/52 482/57