Oval-track exerciser with selective handlebar operation mode

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to physical exercisers and, more particularly, to an oval-track exerciser with selective handlebar operation mode.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] A conventional oval-track exerciser is known comprising a machine base, the machine base having a front upright with a handle, a wheel, and two sliding rails, two handlebars, the handlebars each having a middle part respectively pivoted to the upright at two sides, two elongated pedals, the pedals each having a front end respectively coupled to the two opposite ends of the wheel axle of the wheel and a rear end respectively movably supported on the sliding rails, and two links respectively coupled between the pedals and the bottom ends of the handlebars. When pedaling the pedals, the handlebars are alternatively oscillated forwards and backwards relative to the upright.

[0005] When operating the oval-track exerciser, the user respectively alternatively pedal the pedals with the legs and alternatively push and pull the handlebars with the hands. Alternatively, the user can hold the handle at the upright with the hands when pedaling the pedals. At this time, the handlebars are still alternatively oscillated forwards and backwards at two sides of the user's body, causing oppression to the user.

[0006] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide an oval-track exerciser, which allows the user to selectively lock the handlebars, or unlock the handlebars for oscillation following the pedaling of the pedals.

[0007] To achieve this object of the present invention, the oval track exerciser comprises a machine base having a base frame and an upright upwardly extended from a front side of the base frame. The base frame includes two bearing members symmetrically disposed at two sides. Two handlebars are vertically disposed at two sides of the upright. The handlebars each have a middle part respectively fastened pivotally to the upright, a top end for the holding of a user's hand, and a bottom end. A wheel is fastened pivotally to the front side of the base frame of the machine base. Two pedals are longitudinally symmetrically disposed at two sides of the wheel. The pedals each have a front end respectively pivoted to the wheel, a rear end longitudinally movably supported on the base frame of the machine base, and a bearing member at one side. Two links are symmetrically longitudinally disposed at two sides of the base frame. The links each have a front end respectively coupled to the bottom ends of the handlebars and a rear end terminating in a coupling member for detachably coupling to the bearing members of the base frame or the bearing members of the pedals.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of an oval-track exerciser according to the present invention, showing the links coupled to the cylindrical bearing members of the machine base.

[0009] FIG. 2 is another side view of the present invention, showing the links coupled to the cylindrical bearing members at the pedals.

[0010] FIG. 3 is an exploded view in an enlarged scale of a part of the oval-track exerciser according to the present invention.

[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1˜3, an oval-track exerciser in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a machine base 10, two handlebars 20, a wheel 30, two pedals 40, and two links 50.

[0012] The machine base 10 comprises a base frame 11 horizontally placed on the floor, and an upright 12 upwardly extended from the front side of the base frame 11 on the middle. The base frame 11 is a longitudinally extended elongated, narrow, flat frame, comprising two longitudinal sliding rails 13 bilaterally arranged in parallel at the rear half, and two cylindrical bearing members 14 transversely aligned at two sides on the middle. The upright 12 comprises two pivot rods 15 transversely aligned at two sides on the middle, and a handle 16 shaped like a U-bar and disposed near the top side. The handle 16 has two ends curved upwards for the holding of the hands.

[0013] The two handlebars 20 each have a middle part respectively fastened to the pivot rods 15 at two sides of the upright 12. The top end of each handle 29 is made for comfortable gripping of the hand. The bottom end of each handle 29 has a back side fixedly provided with a U-lug 21. The U-lug 21 has two pivot holes 22 horizontally aligned at two sides.

[0014] The wheel 30 is fastened pivotally with the front side of the base frame 11 of the machine base 10, having two cranks 31 respectively connected to the two distal ends of the transversely extended wheel axle. The cranks 31 have the respective straight crank body perpendicularly extended from the wheel axle of the wheel 30.

[0015] The two pedals 40 are elongated members longitudinally suspended at two sides of the base frame 11, each having a front end respectively pivoted to the outer ends of the cranks 31, a rear end respectively provided with a roller 41, which is movably supported on one longitudinal sliding rail 13 of the base frame 11, and a cylindrical bearing member 42 transversely disposed at an outer side. The cylindrical bearing member 42 has a shank 43 disposed at the inner side, a head 45 disposed at the outer side, and a neck 44 connected between the shank 43 and the head 45. When installed, the pedals 40 can be alternatively pedaled to turn the cranks 31 about the central axis of the wheel 30. During rotary motion of the cranks 31 about the central axis of the wheel 40, the rollers 41 are alternatively moved with the pedals 40 back and forth along the sliding rails 13.

[0016] The two links 50 each have a spherical coupling member 51 at one end, a barrel-like coupling member 52 at the other end, and a locating screw 54 threaded into a transverse screw hole (not shown) at the barrel-like coupling member 52. The spherical coupling members 51 of the links 50 are respectively pivotally connected to the pivot holes 22 of the U-lugs 21 by a respective pivot pin 53. The barrel-like coupling members 52 of the links 50 can be respectively coupled to the two cylindrical bearing members 14 at the base frame 11 or the cylindrical bearing members 42 at the pedals 40. When coupling the links 50 to the cylindrical bearing members 42 at the pedals 40, the barrel-like coupling members 52 of the links 50 are respectively sleeved onto the heads 45 of the cylindrical bearing members 42 of the pedals 40, and the respective locating screws 54 are rotated inwards and engaged into the necks 44 of the cylindrical bearing members 42 to prevent axial movement of the barrel-like coupling members 52 along the cylindrical bearing members 42.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1 again, when connecting the barrel-like coupling members 52 of the links 50 to the two cylindrical bearing members 14 at the base frame 11, the handlebars 20 are simply connected to the base frame 11 and the upright 12 and vertically disposed at two sides of the upright 12. At this mode, the handlebars 20 cannot be biased.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2 again, when connecting the barrel-like coupling members 52 of the links 50 to the cylindrical bearing members 42 at the pedals 40, the handlebars 20 are pivoted to the upright 12 with the respective bottom ends coupled to the pedals 40 via the links 50, and therefore the handlebars 20 alternatively oscillated forwards and backwards during oval track motion of the pedals 40.

[0019] As indicated above, the user can decide whether to let the handlebars 20 be operative or not by coupling the links 50 to the cylindrical bearing members 14 or the cylindrical bearing members 42, i.e., to connect the barrel-like coupling members 52 of the links 50 to the cylindrical bearing members 42 at the pedals 40 when wishing to let the handlebars 20 be movable with the pedals 40, or to connect the barrel-like coupling members 52 of the links 50 to the cylindrical bearing members 14 of the machine base 10 when not wishing to operate the handlebars 20. When the handlebars 20 not linked to the pedals 40, the user can hold the handle 16 or the top ends of the handlebars 20 with the hands while pedaling the pedals 40 with the legs. At this time, the handlebars 20 are bilaterally disposed at the front side of the user and not movable without affecting the pedaling of the pedals 40 by the user.