Exerciser having a tiltable and adjustable structure

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an exerciser, and more particularly to an exerciser having a tiltable seat support and having an adjustable resistive device.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Various kinds of typical exercisers have been developed for simulating cycle exercising, and include a resistive device for applying a resistive force against the foot pedals or the like. Some of the exercisers may include a resistive device that may be changed to different resistive forces. However, a complicated configuration or a number of parts or elements are required for applying the resistive force to the foot pedals or the like and for adjusting to different resistive forces, and may not be easily manufactured and assembled.

[0005] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional exercisers.

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an exerciser including a tiltable seat support for simulating the upward climbing and/or the down hill riding exercising.

[0007] The other objective of the present invention is to provide an exerciser including an adjustable resistive device for applying different resistive forces against the foot pedal devices or the like.

[0008] The further objective of the present invention is to provide an exerciser including an adjustable resistive device for applying a greater resistive force against the foot pedal devices or the like while simulating the upward climbing exercising, and/or for applying a less resistive force against the foot pedal devices or the like while simulating the down hill riding exercising.

[0009] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an exerciser comprising a base, a post including a lower portion pivotally secured on the base with a pivot axle, for allowing the post to move either forward or rearward to simulate a down hill riding exercising or an upward climbing exercising, a seat cushion supported on the post, and means for rotating the post forward and rearward about the pivot axle, to simulate the down hill riding exercising and the upward climbing exercising.

[0010] A barrel is further provided and secured to the post for supporting the seat cushion. The seat cushion includes a seat tube secured in the barrel, for supporting the seat cushion on the barrel of the post.

[0011] The post includes a rearward extended shank, the barrel is secured on the shank. The post includes a handle for supporting an upper portion of a user.

[0012] The rotating means includes a lever having a first end pivotally secured to the post, and having a second end, and means for actuating the second end of the lever to rotate the post about the pivot axle.

[0013] The actuating means includes a spindle rotatably supported on the base, means for coupling the spindle to the second end of the lever, and means for forcing the spindle to actuate the second end of the lever to rotate the post about the pivot axle.

[0014] The forcing means includes a pair of cranks secured to the spindle, and a pair of foot supports secured to the cranks for rotating the spindle. The coupling means includes a gear transmission coupled between the spindle and the second end of the lever.

[0015] The gear transmission includes a pinion secured on the spindle and rotated in concert with the spindle, a gear rotatably supported on the base with a pivot shaft and coupled to the pinion, the second end of the lever is rotatably secured to the gear and offset from the pivot shaft. The gear transmission further includes at least one pair of pinion and gear rotatably supported on the base with a pivot rod and engaged with the gear and the pinion respectively.

[0016] The base includes a base frame disposed thereon for supporting the gear transmission. The lower portion of the post is rotatably secured on the base frame with the pivot axle.

[0017] A device is further provided for applying a resistive force or an changeable resistive force against the post. The resistive force applying means includes a flywheel rotatably supported on the base, and a resistive strap partially engaged over the flywheel and having a first end secured to the base and a second end secured to the post, for allowing the resistive strap to be released from and to be further forced against the flywheel when the post is rotated forward and rearward about the pivot axle to simulate the down hill riding exercising and the upward climbing exercising.

[0018] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exerciser in accordance with the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view illustrating a gearing transmission of the exerciser;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the exerciser; and

[0022] FIG. 4 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the exerciser.

[0023] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, an exerciser in accordance with the present invention comprises a base 10 including a base frame 11 which includes a housing shaped configuration having a pair of side walls 12 and having a pair of ears 13 extended upward therefrom. A spindle 15 is laterally and rotatably secured in the base frame 11, and an axle 16 is rotatably secured in the ears 13. The base 10 further includes a pair of columns 14 extended upward therefrom, such as located in front of the base frame 11. A pair of foot pedals 3 are coupled to the spindle 15 with a pair of cranks 31, for allowing the foot pedals 3 to be stepped or actuated to rotate the spindle 15 and to simulate the typical cycling exercises.

[0024] A weight or a paddle wheel, or a flywheel 5 is rotatably secured and supported on the columns 14 with a pivot pole 50. A transmission device 4 includes a pulley or a sprocket 41 secured on the spindle 15 and rotated in concert with the spindle 15, another pulley or sprocket 42 secured on the pivot rod 50 and rotated in concert with the pivot rod 50, and a coupling belt or a coupling chain 43 is engaged over the pulleys or the sprockets 41, 42 for coupling the spindle 15 to the flywheel 5, and for allowing the flywheel 5 to be rotated and driven by the foot pedals 3 via the cranks 31 and the spindle 15 and the transmission device 4.

[0025] A gearing transmission 2 is provided for coupling to the spindle 15 and for allowing the spindle 15 to be transmitted or coupled to the other members or devices. For example, the gearing transmission 2 includes a pinion 21 secured on the spindle 15 and rotated in concert with the spindle 15, a gear 22 rotatably secured to the base frame 11 with a pivot rod 23 and engaged with the pinion 21 so as to be rotated and driven by the spindle 15 via the pinion 21, another pinion 24 secured on the pivot rod 23 and rotated in concert with the gear 22, another gear 27 and a further pinion 25 rotatably secured on the base frame 11 with a pivot rod 26, in which the gear 27 is engaged with the pinion 24, and another gear 28 rotatably secured to the base frame 11 with a pivot shaft 29 and engaged with the pinion 25, such that the gear 28 may also be rotated and driven by the spindle 15 via the gears 22, 27 and the pinions 21, 25.

[0026] A seat support 6 includes a post 62 having a lower or a bottom portion pivotally or rotatably secured on the base frame 11 of the base 10 with the pivot axle 16 and the ears 13, for allowing the post 62 to be rotated forward or rearward relative to the base 10 about the pivot axle 16. Alternatively, the post 62 may also be directly and pivotally or rotatably secured on the base 10 with the pivot axle 16. A handle 63 is provided and secured on top of the post 62 for supporting the upper portion of the users, a barrel 64 is secured to the post 62 with such as a shank 67 and disposed or located rearward of the post 62 and preferably located above the spindle 15 and the foot pedals 3. A seat cushion 65 is provided for supporting the riders or the exercisers and has a seat tube 66 extended downward therefrom and engaged into and secured to the barrel 64. The seat tube 66 is preferably adjustable up and down relative to the barrel 64 according to the height of the users, for example.

[0027] The post 62 includes an extension 68 extended therefrom, such as extended rearward from the lower portion thereof. A lever 17 includes one end pivotally secured to the extension 68 of the post 62 with a pivot pin 18, and the other end pivotally secured to the gear 28 with a pivot pin 19 which is disengaged from or offset from the shaft 29, such that the other end of the lever 17 or the pivot pin 19 may be caused to rotate about the pivot shaft 29 by the gear 28 and such that the the post 62 of the seat support 6 may be forced and caused to rotate or to move forward and rearward in a reciprocating action by the lever 17. The exerciser may be used to simulate the upward climbing exercising when the post 62 is rotated or moved rearward, and may be used to simulate the down hill riding exercising when the post 62 is rotated or moved forward.

[0028] A resistive device, such as a resistive strap 51 is partially engaged over the flywheel 5 and includes one end secured to the base 10, and the other end secured to the post 62, such as secured to the lower portion or the lower end of the post 62. In operation, as shown in FIG. 4, when the post 62 is rotated or moved forward relative to the base 10 and the flywheel 5 to simulate the down hill riding exercising, the resistive strap 51 may be slightly released from the flywheel 5 and may apply a less force against the flywheel 5 similar to the down hill riding exercising of the cycles. On the contrary, when the post 62 is rotated or moved rearward relative to the base 10 and the flywheel 5 to simulate the upward climbing exercising, the resistive strap 51 may further be forced to move toward or against the flywheel 5 and may thus apply a greater force against the flywheel 5 similar to the upward climbing exercising of the cycles.

[0029] It is to be noted that the typical exercisers include a seat post 62 that may not be tilted or moved relative to the supporting base 10. The post 62 for supporting the seat cushion 65 may be caused to rotate or to move forward and rearward relative to the base 10 by the lever 17 and the gear transmission 2, in order to simulate the down hill riding exercising and/or the upward climbing exercising of the cycles. The additional provision and the arrangement of the resistive strap 51 may apply a greater force against the flywheel 5 when the post 62 is rotated or moved rearward to simulate the upward climbing exercising, and may apply a less force against the flywheel 5 when the post 62 is rotated or moved rearward to simulate the down hill riding exercising.

[0030] Accordingly, the exerciser in accordance with the present invention includes a tiltable seat support for simulating the upward climbing and/or the down hill riding exercising, and including an adjustable resistive device for applying different resistive forces against the foot pedal devices or the like. The adjustable resistive device may apply a greater resistive force against the foot pedal devices or the like while simulating the upward climbing exercising, and/or for applying a less resistive force against the foot pedal devices or the like while simulating the down hill riding exercising.

[0031] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.