Elliptical exercise device

摘要

An elliptical exercise device has a frame supporting guide links and foot support links. A cam system has a horizontal control cam portion with a first and second offset horizontal drive portion. Horizontal control followers are pivotally connected to a horizontal follower support and each has a control portion and a cam engagement portion engaging a horizontal drive portion. Horizontal control couplings couple the guide links to the control portions of the horizontal control followers. A vertical drive system is coupled to the foot support links. A foot receiving area of each foot support link moves in a generally elliptical path when the cam portion rotates about the cam axis.

主权项

1. An elliptical exercise device comprising:
a frame configured to be supported on a horizontal surface, the frame having a first pivot axis defined thereon; a first and a second guide link each having a first and a second attachment point defined thereon, each guide link being pivotally attached, through its first attachment point, to the frame at the first pivot axis thereof; a first and a second foot support link each having a foot receiving area configured to support a user's foot thereupon, each foot support link being pivotally connected to the second attachment point of a respective one of the guide links so that when the guide links pivot relative to the frame, they each cause the respective foot receiving area to move in a path of travel having a horizontal component of motion; a cam system having a horizontal control cam portion supported for rotation about a cam axis, the horizontal control cam portion having a first and second offset horizontal drive portion; a horizontal follower support disposed on the frame, the horizontal follower support having a horizontal follower pivot axis defined thereon; a first and a second horizontal control follower each pivotally connected to the horizontal follower support at the horizontal follower pivot axis, each horizontal control follower further having a control portion and a cam engagement portion, the cam engagement portion having a cam engagement surface engaging a respective one of the offset horizontal drive portions of the horizontal cam portion such that as the horizontal cam portion rotates about the cam axis, the offset horizontal drive portions cause the horizontal control followers to pivot back and forth about the horizontal follower pivot axis thereby causing the control portions to oscillate back and forth; a first and a second mechanical horizontal control coupling each coupling a respective one of the guide links to the control portion of a respective one of the horizontal control followers such that as the horizontal cam portion rotates about the cam axis, the mechanical horizontal control couplings pivot the guide links about the first pivot axis, thereby moving the foot receiving areas of the foot support links in a path of travel having a horizontal component of motion; and a vertical drive system mechanically coupled to the foot support links so as to move the foot receiving areas of the foot support links in a path of travel having a vertical component of motion, movement of each foot receiving area in the path of travel having a vertical component of motion being generally out of phase with the movement in the path of travel having a horizontal component of motion such that when the horizontal component of motion of each foot receiving area is at its forwardmost or rearwardmost limit, the vertical component of motion of the same foot receiving area is approximately midway between its uppermost and lowermost limit; whereby the foot receiving area of each foot support link moves in a generally elliptical path when the cam portion rotates about the cam axis.