Adjustable foot plate for rowing machines

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to equipment for rowing machines, and, in particular to a laterally adjustable foot plate.

[0002] Rowing machines include a foot plate for the user to place their feet on when using the machine. The foot plate is typically fixed to a frame of the rowing machine at a position forward of a seat. Some rowing machines have a foot plate that is a single platform spanning a seat rail of the rowing machine. Other rowing machines have two separate platforms (each platform for placing one foot of the user thereon) straddling the seat rail of the rowing machine.

[0003] Foot plates often includes straps and heel counters for securing the user's foot to the foot plate. The foot plate is inclined to allow the user to brace themselves, during the drive phase of a rowing stroke, and for leverage during the recovery phase of a rowing stroke. Generally, it is preferred for the user to keep their feet close together to generate maximum power and range of motion. However, for some users, keeping their feet together while rowing for long durations is uncomfortable.

[0004] Some rowing machines have a foot plate that is adjustable to accommodate different size feet/shoes. Such foot plates can be lengthened or shortened, to better fit the foot plate to the user's foot/shoe, (see for example, U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/103,740 and China Patent No. 206434773).

[0005] Lateral adjustment (i.e., widening) of the foot plate, typically is not possible given that the foot plate is fixed to the frame of the rowing machine. In addition, the straps for securing the user's foot to the foot plate are themselves fixed at one position on the foot plate. This may make it difficult or uncomfortable for certain users to use the rowing machine since, their feet when secured to the foot plate, may be spaced too close together, or spaced too far apart, depending on the size/weight, hip width and hip flexibility of the user.

[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for a foot plate for rowing machines which can be adjusted laterally to better accommodate users of varying size/height, hip width and hip flexibility.

[0007] According an embodiment, there is an adjustable foot plate for a rowing machine. The foot plate includes a plurality of mounting points for attaching the foot plate to the rowing machine and a pair of parallel guide rails. A left foot platform and a right foot platform are mounted on the guide rails.

[0008] Each foot platform includes a strap for securing a user's foot to the foot platform, a locking member and a lengthening member. The lengthening member includes a heel counter and a front end, the front end passing under the strap and through the locking member. The front end is moveable through the locking member to vary a distance between the heel counter and the strap. The locking member fixedly holds the front end to fix a distance between the strap and the heel counter.

[0009] The adjustable foot plate further includes a linear drive mechanism for moving the foot platforms laterally along the guide rails to vary a distance between the foot platforms. The linear drive mechanism includes a first-handed fixed nut on the left foot platform, a second-handed fixed nut on the right foot platform and a screw shaft having a first-handed segment passing through the first-handed fixed nut and a second-handed threaded segment passing through the second-handed fixed nut. A crank is connected to the screw shaft.

[0010] When the crank is turned, the fixed nuts on each platform move in opposite directions along the screw shaft, thereby causing the platforms to travel laterally in opposite directions along the guide rails. According to some embodiments, the screw shaft is connected to a motor or an actuator for rotating the screw shaft.

[0011] The foot plate further includes a support member disposed on the frame between the platforms at an equidistant point between the fixed nuts for holding the screw shaft in parallel with the guide rails.

[0012] According to another embodiment, there is a rowing machine comprising an adjustable foot plate. The foot plate is mounted to a frame of the rowing machine and straddles a seat rail of the rowing machine.

[0013] Other aspects and features will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of some exemplary embodiments.

[0022] Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide an example of each claimed embodiment. No embodiment described below limits any claimed embodiment and any claimed embodiment may cover processes or apparatuses that differ from those described below. The claimed embodiments are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 2A shown therein is an adjustable foot plate 100, shown in a wide configuration, according to an embodiment. The foot plate 100 includes a pair of platforms 102a, 102b; a left platform 102a for placing a user's left foot thereon, and a right platform 102b for placing the user's right foot thereon. Each platform 102a, 102b includes at least one strap 104 for securing the user's respective foot to the platform.

[0024] Each platform 102a, 102b includes a lengthening member 108 having a front end 110 and a heel counter 112. When the user's foot is placed on the platform 102a, 102b, the user's heel is cradled by the heel counter 112 and the strap 104 is passed over/around the widest part of the user's foot, typically the region of the metatarsophalangeal joints (toe knuckles). To align the widest part of the user's foot with the strap 104, the front end 110 of the lengthening member 108 is passed under the strap 104 and through a locking member 106, to lengthen or shorten a distance, d, between the heel counter 112 and the strap 104.

[0025] The locking member 106 includes locking lugs 107 to engage corresponding apertures 114 in the front end 110 of the lengthening member 108 to lock the lengthening member 108 in place. The apertures 114 may be numbered according to shoe sizes to aid in adjusting the lengthening member 108 to the appropriate position prior to locking in place.

[0026] Preferably, the locking member 106 is biased to allow travel of the lengthening member 108, to shorten d, and prevent travel of the lengthening member 108 to lengthen d, unless the bias is overcome by the user. For example, to overcome the bias, the user pulls/lifts a tab on the locking member 106 to disengage the locking lugs 107 from the apertures 114 to allow the lengthening member 108 to travel freely through the locking member 106 to lengthen, or shorten d.

[0027] According to other embodiments, the locking member 106 may include a spring-biased ratcheting mechanism, or other locking mechanism to lock the lengthening member 108 in place.

[0028] The foot plate 100 includes a frame 130 for supporting the platforms 102a, 102b. The frame 130 further provides for the platforms 102a, 102b to be adjusted laterally to vary a distance, w, between the platforms 102a, 102b. Generally, the distance w, is less than or equal to a maximum distance, W_max, corresponding to the wide configuration (FIGS. 1A and 2A), and greater than or equal to a minimum distance, W_min, corresponding to the narrow configuration (FIGS. 1B and 2B).

[0029] The frame 130 includes a pair of parallel guide rails 132 on which the platforms 102a, 102b are mounted. Lateral movement of the platforms 102a, 102b along the guide rails 132, is driven by a crank 122 connected to a screw shaft 120 of a linear drive mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the crank 122 into linear motion of the platforms 102a, 102b as described below. The screw shaft 120 and the guide rails 132 may substantially lie in a plane.

[0030] According to various embodiments, the linear drive mechanism may be a screw-and-nut drive, a leadscrew, a ball screw, or the like. Referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B, each platform 102a, 102b includes a fixed nut 124a, 124b. The fixed nuts 124a, 124b may be fixed nut plates, T-nuts, leadscrew nuts or balls crew nuts. The fixed nuts 124a, 124b are threaded to receive the screw shaft 120, thereby forming the linear drive mechanism for moving the platforms 102a, 102b laterally.

[0031] The screw shaft 120 includes a first threaded segment 120a and a second threaded segment 120b. The threaded segments 120a, 120b have threading with opposite handedness. For example, the first threaded segment 120a includes right-handed threads running clockwise and the second threaded segment 120b includes left-handed threads running counterclockwise. The fixed nuts 124a, 124b are similarly threaded to have opposite handedness to engage the respective threaded segments 120a, 120b. For example, a first fixed nut 124a includes a right-handed thread to engage the right-handed thread of the first threaded segment 120a, and a second fixed nut 124b includes a left-handed thread to engage the left-handed thread of the second threaded segment 120b.

[0032] According to some embodiments, a support member 136 is disposed on the frame 130 between the platforms 102a, 120b at an equidistant point between the fixed nuts 124a, 124b for holding the screw shaft 120 in parallel with the guide rails 132. The fixed nuts 124a, 124b align with a collar in the support member 136. The screw shaft 120 is passed through the fixed nuts 124a, 124b and the collar in the support member 136 therebetween.

[0033] When the crank 122 is turned in a first direction (e.g., clockwise) the screw shaft 120 is wound through the fixed nuts 124a, 124b causing the fixed nuts 124a, 124b to travel in opposite directions along the screw shaft 120, thereby causing the platforms 102a, 102b to move laterally in opposite directions along the guide rails 132 toward one another, decreasing the distance between the platforms 102a, 102b. When the crank 122 is rotated in the opposite direction (e.g., counterclockwise) the screw shaft 120 is wound through the fixed nuts 124a, 124b, causing the fixed nuts to travel in opposite directions along the screw shaft 120, thereby causing the platforms 102a, 102b to separate laterally along the guide rails 132 increasing the distance between the platforms 102a, 102b. The screw shaft 120, the fixed nuts 124a, 124b and the guide rails 132 should be sufficiently lubricated to allow smooth travel of the platforms 102a, 102b when the crank 122 is rotated.

[0034] Use of the fixed nuts 124a, 124b with the screw shaft 120 provides a relatively simple leadscrew for translating rotation of the crank 122 into linear motion of the platforms 102a, 102b. According to other embodiments, other translational mechanisms may be employed. For example, each platform 102a, 102b may include a fixed ball nut assembly (i.e., for a ball screw), a worm gear, or similar mechanical means for converting rotation of the crank 122 and screw shaft 120 into linear motion of the platforms 102a, 102b.

[0035] To prevent overtravel of the platforms 102a, 102b, or unthreading of the screw shaft 120 from the fixed nuts 124a, 124b the frame 130 and the platforms 102a, 102b include points of contact that function as hard stops. Further outward lateral travel of the platforms 102a, 102b beyond W_max, is prevented by sides 131 of the frame 130 contacting a center rib 135 on each platform 102a, 102b. Further inward lateral travel of the platforms 102a, 102b past W_min is prevented by ends 133 of the guide rails 132 contacting a lip 116 on each of the platforms 102a, 102b. According to some embodiments, in the narrow configuration, the platforms 102a, 102b contact each other as a hard stop (i.e., W_min is zero).

[0036] The crank 122 is shown disposed on the right platform 102b and connected to the screw shaft 120 therefrom. According to an embodiment, the crank 122 is disposed on the left platform 102a and connected to the screw shaft 120. According to other embodiments, the screw shaft 120 may be connected to a motor or an actuator for turning the shaft in either direction, the motor or actuator being electronically controlled by user input. According to some embodiments, the screw shaft 120 may be connected to a motor or actuator and also connected to the crank 122 such that the shaft may be turned in either direction by the motor/actuator or the crank 122 as a backup.

[0037] The adjustable foot plate 100 shown in FIGS. 1-4 may be provided as accessory equipment for retrofitting existing rowing machines. According to some embodiments, a rowing machine having the adjustable foot plate 100 attached thereto is provided. The foot plate may be removably attached to a rowing machine by one or more mounting points 134. The mounting points 134 may include screws or other fasteners. According to other embodiments, the adjustable foot place 100 is permanently attached to the rowing machine by fasteners or by welding/bonding the frame of the adjustable foot plate 100 to a frame of the rowing machine.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, shown therein is the adjustable foot plate 100 shown attached to a rowing machine 200, according to an embodiment. The foot plate 100 is attached to a frame 202 and straddles a seat rail 204 of the rowing machine 200. The foot plate 100 is attached to the frame 202 at a position forward of a seat 206.

[0039] A benefit of adjusting the lateral position of the platforms 102a, 102b is that it may provide for different users of varying height/size, hip width and hip flexibility, to comfortably use the rowing machine for prolonged periods of time by laterally adjusting the platforms 102a, 102b, as needed, for a comfortable rowing stroke. For example, using the rowing machine with the foot plate 100 in the wide configuration (FIGS. 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A) may be beneficial for larger/taller users having wider hips; whereas using the rowing machine with the foot plate 100 in the narrow configuration (FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B) may be beneficial for smaller/shorter users having narrower hips. Lateral adjustment of the platforms may also provide for the user to exercise different muscle groups as part of an exercise regime.

[0040] While the above description provides examples of one or more apparatus, methods, or systems, it will be appreciated that other apparatus, methods, or systems may be within the scope of the claims as interpreted by one of skill in the art.