Rowing Simulator

This invention relates generally to exercise machines and, more particularly, to an improved exercise rowing simulator.

Heretofore, many exercise rowing machines have been promoted. Among them are the following:

Coffey U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,011 discloses an exercise rowing machine including a flywheel and cam sector arms which are pivoted to rotate with the machine's oars.

Jones U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,378 discloses a rowing exercise machine including a flywheel and a one-way clutch connected thereto. The flywheel has a non-magnetic, conducting rim portion that passes through a magnetic field created by a stationary field piece having one or more field coils.

Jonas et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,224 discloses a rowing machine including a flywheel driven by a planetary gear system having a rotatable carrier, pinion gears mounted in the carrier, a stationary ring gear and a central gear.

Lo et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,181 discloses an exercise rowing unit including a wind-drag type flywheel with fan-type blades, and a one-way clutch with an associated horizontal handle and rope sheave.

Watterson et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,033 discloses a rowing apparatus including an axle journaled in a frame, and having a cable extending from a handle, a spiral configured spring, and a flywheel all associated with the axle.

Peterson et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,929 discloses an exercise rowing machine including two flywheels, a handle interconnected by means of a cord to the first flywheel, and a seat interconnected by means of a cord to the second flywheel.

Lo U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,573 discloses a magnetic resistance type stationary rowing unit.

Rekers U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,210 discloses a rowing simulator having a slidably mounted energy dissipating unit including a flywheel with blades or fins, a one-way clutch reduction gears, a handle and chain, and a chain take-up device encompassing an elastic cord and five pulleys associated with the chain and elastic cord.

A general object of the invention is to provide a realistic, simplified, compact, and efficient rowing simulator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rowing simulator including a pair of oar assemblies for actuating oppositely disposed drive wheels operating driven wheels connected to flywheels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rowing simulator including right and left hand oars, each connected through a pivot on an outrigger linked to one of two universal couplings with an intermediate drive shaft to a drive wheel, in turn, connected via one of a belt or chain or gear wheel to drive a driven wheel secured to a flywheel having a resistance device associated therewith.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when reference is made to the following drawings and the associated description .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rowing simulator embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the FIG. 1 rowing simulator;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane of the line 3--3 of FIG. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4, 4A, 4B and 5 are perspective views of alternate embodiments of portions of the FIGS. 1 and 2 structures; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the FIGS. 2 and 2 structure.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is illustrated a rowing simulator 10 including a framework 12 having forward and rear braces 14 extending to support bars 16. A pair of wheels 18 are secured adjacent opposite ends of the rear support bar, adapted to permit manual lifting of the forward end of the simulator 10 to thereby readily roll the simulator 10 to different location.

A seat 20 is slidably mounted on runners 22 secured along the upper surface of the framework 12. A series of upper and lower notched plates 24 are formed at the forward end of the framework 12. Parallel rods 26 are adapted to being adjustably mounted across the respective upper and lower notched plates 24. A pair of foot rests 28 are secured to the rods 26 on opposite sides of the framework 12. An electronic measuring device 30, such as a speedometer, or the like, is secured at a convenient location, such as to the upper rod 26 intermediate the pair of foot rests 28. The device 30 is adapted to interpret information generated from detection devices (not shown) on one of the flywheel, seat, or other selected device, to disclose various readouts, e.g., distance travelled, time lapsed, strokes per minute, and/or energy expended, etc.

A pair of outrigger arms 32 are pivotally connected to respective sides of the framework 12. A vertically oriented outrigger sleeve 34 is secured to the distal end of each arm 32 to form a "T" therewith. An oar 36 is pivotally connected at one end thereof to a pivot pin 37 connected to a stem 38 pivotally extended through the sleeve 34. Oppositely disposed bushings 39 are mounted between the ends of the sleeve 34 and surfaces of the stem 38. A universal coupling 40 is connected between the lower end of each sleeve 34 and a respective drive shaft 42 by virtue of a pin 41 extending through adjacent ends of the coupling 40 and the stem 38. Each drive shaft 42 extends laterally to a second universal coupling 44 connected so as to drive respective drive wheels 46. The latter are rotatably mounted suitable shafts 47 (FIG. 2) and bearings (not shown) on oppositely disposed sides of the framework 12.

A pair of flywheels 48 are rotatably mounted on a suitable shaft/bearing combination 49 (FIG. 6) on oppositely disposed sides of the framework 12 rearward of the respective drive wheels 46. A driven wheel 50 is secured to a suitable freewheel clutch, represented at 51 in FIG. 6 on the outer side of each flywheel 48. One of a V-belt or toothed belt or linked chain 52, or, as shown in FIG. 5, where the drive wheel 46 and driven wheel 50 are each formed as spur gears, an idler gear 53 in mesh with both operatively connect each drive wheel 46 to the adjacent driven wheel 50 and, hence, to the flywheel 48.

An adjustable spring tensioned roller 54 mounted on the framework 12 in engagement with the flywheel 50 to provide resistance to the free wheeling of the flywheel. Alternatively, in lieu of the roller 54, resistance could be provided by vanes 56 (FIG. 4B) formed on the flywheel and covered by a vent door 58 and an outer cover 60, an adjustable electromagnetic brake 62 (FIG. 4), or with a lapped belt 64 (FIG. 4A) around the flywheel perimeter secured to a spring 66 at one end and a tensioner 68 at the other end.

As an option, a roller 70 may be mounted on the framework 12 in engagement with the drive wheel 46 to add resistance thereto to simulate the weight of the oar on recoil, for example.

In operation, while each oar 36 may be moved in any direction about the pivot 38, when the oar is pulled toward the user, to thereby rotate the pivot pin 37 and the stem 38, the latter, through the connector pin 41 to the first universal coupling 40, serves to rotate the drive shaft 42, and, hence, the second universal coupling 44 and the associated drive wheel 46. Then, through the belt or chain 52, or idler gear 53, the driven wheel 50 and, hence, the flywheel 48 are driven against the resistance of the adjustable spring tensioned roller 54. In other words, the driven wheel 50, is driven on the oar 36 pull stroke and freewheels on the flywheel clutch 51 on the oar push stroke, while the flywheel 48 continues to freewheel.

If desired, a plurality of simulators 10 may be linked together, in line, by joining the leading and trailing ends to simulate a double scull, quad scull, or an eight scull, for example. Additionally, the linked-together simulators may be fitted on alternate sides only with the oar, drive, and flywheel components to simulate any multiple of rowing pairs.

It should be apparent that the invention provides a realistic, simplified, compact, and efficient rowing simulator.

It should also be apparent that the invention provides a machine capable of simulating all methods of rowing and sculling.

While but one general embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the following claims.