Foldable exerciser

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to an exerciser, more particularly to a foldable exerciser.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Conventional stationary exercise bicycles and horse-riding exercisers are generally designed to have a non-retractable structure with a relatively large size. It is desirable to design a foldable exerciser with a combined function of the conventional stationary exercise bicycle and horse-riding exerciser.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foldable exerciser that can function as a stationary exercise bicycle and a horse-riding exerciser and that has a minimized size when in a fully folded state.

[0006] According to the present invention, a foldable exerciser comprises:

[0007] an elongate front support member having a bottom end portion, a top end portion opposite to the bottom end portion, and an intermediate portion interconnecting fixedly the top and bottom end portions of the front support member;

[0008] an elongate rear support member having a bottom end portion, a top end portion opposite to the bottom end portion, and an intermediate portion interconnecting fixedly the top and bottom end portions of the rear support member and connected pivotally to the top end portion of the front support member, the rear support member being pivotable relative to the front support member about a first axis;

[0009] a driving unit mounted on the intermediate portion of the front support member and including parallel first and second rotating shafts journalled on the intermediate portion of the front support member and parallel to the first axis, a resistance wheel mounted fixedly on the first rotating shaft, a driving wheel mounted fixedly on the second rotating shaft, a V-belt trained on the resistance wheel and the driving wheel, and two pedal members connected respectively and fixedly to opposite ends of the second rotating shaft;

[0010] an operating member including an upper handle section, a lower coupling section opposite to the upper handle section, and an interconnecting section connected pivotally to the top end portion of the rear support member and interconnecting fixedly the upper handle section and the lower coupling section, the operating member being pivotable relative to the top end portion of the rear support member about a second axis parallel to the first axis;

[0011] a saddle-mounting member having a front end portion connected pivotally to the intermediate portion of the rear support member, and a bottom surface, the saddle-mounting member being pivotable relative to the second intermediate portion of the rear support member about a third axis parallel to the first axis;

[0012] a saddle mounted on the saddle-mounting member;

[0013] a saddle-supporting member disposed under the saddle mounting-member and having a lower end portion connected pivotally to the intermediate portion of the rear support member, and an upper end portion movable on the bottom surface of the saddle-mounting member, the saddle-supporting member being pivotable relative to the intermediate portion of the rear support member about a fourth axis parallel to the first axis; and

[0014] a coupling member connected to and disposed between the lower coupling section of the operating member and the saddle-supporting member such that rearward pivoting movement of the operating member about the second axis results in upward pivoting movement of the saddle about the third axis so as to simulate a horse-riding action, the coupling member being removable from the saddle-supporting member so as to allow the saddle-mounting member, the saddle and the saddle-supporting member to be all folded on the rear support member; and

[0015] a positioning unit interconnecting the front and rear support members so as to prevent relative rotation between the front and rear support members.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a foldable exerciser according to the present invention is shown to include an elongate front support member 10, an elongate rear support member 20, a driving unit 30, an operating member 40, a saddle-mounting member 50, a saddle 60, a saddle-supporting member 70, a coupling member 80, and a positioning unit 90.

[0024] The front support member 10 has a bottom end portion 11, a top end portion 12 opposite to the bottom end portion 11, and an intermediate portion 13 interconnecting fixedly the top and bottom end portions 12, 11 of the front support member 10. In this embodiment, the bottom end portion 11 is provided with an elongate rod 14 that extends along a direction (X).

[0025] The rear support member 20 has a bottom end portion 21 provided with an elongate rod 24 that extends along the direction (X), a top end portion 22 opposite to the bottom end portion 21, and an intermediate portion 23 interconnecting fixedly the top and bottom end portions 22, 21 of the rear support member 20 and connected pivotally to the top end portion 12 of the front support member 10. The rear support member 20 is pivotable relative to the front support member 10 about a first axis (a1) parallel to the direction (X).

[0026] The driving unit 30 is mounted on the intermediate portion 13 of the front support member 10, and includes parallel first and second rotating shafts 35, 36, a resistance wheel 31, a driving wheel 32, a V-belt 33, and two pedal members 34, as shown in FIG. 1. The first and second rotating shafts 35, 36 are journalled on the intermediate portion 13 of the front member 10, and extend along the direction (X). The resistance wheel 31 is mounted fixedly on the first rotating shaft 35. The driving wheel 32 is mounted fixedly on the second rotating shaft 36. The V-belt 33 is trained on the resistance wheel 31 and the driving wheel 32. The pedal members 34 are connected respectively and fixedly to opposite ends of the second rotating shaft 36.

[0027] The operating member 40 includes an upper handle section 41, a lower coupling section 42 opposite to the upper handle section 41, and an interconnecting section 43 connected pivotally to the top end portion 22 of the rear support member 20 and interconnecting fixedly the upper handle section 41 and the lower coupling section 42. The operating member 40 is pivotable relative to the top end portion 22 of the rear support member 20 about a second axis (a2) parallel to the first axis (a1). In this embodiment, the upper handle section 41 has a free end 411 provided with two handle rods 44 that extend away from each other along the direction (X), and a coupling end 412 opposite to the free end 411 and formed with a through hole 4121 (see FIG. 2). The interconnecting section 43 is formed with a pair of parallel vertical coupling plates 431 that are interconnected fixedly. Each of the coupling plates 431 is formed with a through hole 4311 (see FIG. 2). The coupling end 412 of the handle section 41 is coupled pivotally between the coupling plates 431 of the interconnecting section 43. The operating member 40 further includes a positioning pin 401 extending through the through holes 4311 in the coupling plates 431 of the interconnecting section 43 and the through hole 4121 in the coupling end 412 of the upper handle section 41 so as to prevent rotation of the upper handle section 41 relative to the interconnecting section 43. On the other hand, the positioning pin 401 is connected removably to the coupling plates 431 of the interconnecting section 43 and the coupling end 412 of the upper handle section 41, and is removable therefrom so as to allow the upper handle section 41 to be folded on the lower coupling section 42. It is noted that each of the coupling plates 431 of the interconnecting section 43 is pressed to form a projection 43 on an inner surface thereof such that the upper handle section 41 contacts frictionally the projections 432 when the upper handle section 41 is in a folded state, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0028] The saddle-mounting member 50 has a front end portion 52 connected pivotally to the intermediate portion 23 of the rear support member 20, and a bottom surface 53. The saddle-mounting member 50 is pivotable relative to the second intermediate portion 23 of the rear support member 20 about a third axis (a3) parallel to the first axis (a1). In this embodiment, the saddle-mounting member 50 is formed with a plurality of positioning holes 51, as best shown in FIG. 2.

[0029] The saddle 60 is mounted on the saddle-mounting member 50. In this embodiment, the saddle 60 has a bottom surface 602 that is formed two parallel vertical mounting plates 61, each of which is formed with a through hole 62. The saddle-mounting member 50 extends between the mounting plates 61. The saddle 60 further has a positioning pin 601 that extends through the holes 62 in the mounting plates 61 of the saddle 60 and a selected one of the positioning holes 51 in the saddle-mounting member 50.

[0030] The saddle-supporting member 70 is disposed under the saddle-mounting member 50, and has a lower end portion 73 connected pivotally to the intermediate portion 23 of the rear support member 20, and an upper end portion 71 movable on the bottom surface 53 of the saddle-mounting member 50. The saddle-supporting member 70 is pivotable relative to the intermediate portion 23 of the rear support member 20 about a fourth axis (a4) parallel to the first axis (a1). In this embodiment, the upper end portion 71 is provided with a rotatable pulley 711 movable on the bottom surface 53 of the saddle-mounting member 50. The saddle-supporting member 70 is formed with two positioning holes 72. The lower end portion 73 is formed with a through hole 731. The saddle-supporting member 70 further has a stop pin 701 that extends through the through hole 731 in the lower end portion 73 so as to prevent rearward pivoting movement of the saddle-supporting member about the fourth axis (a4).

[0031] The coupling member 80 is connected to and is disposed between the lower coupling section 42 of the operating member 40 and the saddle-supporting member 70 such that rearward pivoting movement of the operating member 40 about the second axis (a2) results in upward pivoting movement of the saddle-mounting member 50 about the third axis (a3) due to forward pivoting movement of the saddle-supporting member 70 about the fourth axis (a4) so as to simulate a horse-riding action, as shown in FIG. 4. The coupling member 80 is removable from the saddle-supporting member 70 so as to allow the saddle-mounting member 50, the saddle 60 and the saddle-supporting member 70 to be all folded on the rear support member 20, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0032] In this embodiment, the coupling member 80 includes a U-shaped plate 81, a pulley 82, and a rope 83. The U-shaped plate 81 has two side plate portions 812 flanking the saddle-supporting member 70. The pulley 82 is mounted on and is disposed in front of the U-shaped plate 81. The rope 83 extends around the pulley 82, and has two ends fastened to a lower end 421 of the lower coupling section 42 of the operating member 40. The coupling member 80 further includes a pivot pin 801 extending through and connected removably to the side plate portions 812 of the U-shaped plate 81 and the saddle-supporting member 70. The pivot pin 801 also extends through a selected one of the positioning holes 72 in the saddle-supporting member 70.

[0033] The positioning unit 90 interconnects the front and rear support members 10, 20 so as to prevent relative rotation between the front and rear support members 10, 20. In this embodiment, the positioning unit 90 includes two horizontal links 91 connected respectively to the front and rear support members 10, 20 and disposed below the first axis (a1). Each of the links 91 has an inner end 911 and an outer end 912. The inner ends 911 are interconnected pivotally. The outer ends 912 are connected respectively and pivotally to the front 10 and rear support members 10, 20.

[0034] In use, the foldable exerciser of the present invention can be operated as a stationary exercise bicycle, as shown in FIG. 3, or a horse-riding exerciser, as shown in FIG. 4. On the other hand, when the positioning pin 401, the stop pin 701 and the pivot pin 801 are removed, the foldable exerciser can be changed to a partly folded state shown in FIG. 5. In the partly folded state, the upper handle section 41 is folded on the lower coupling section 42, and the saddle-mounting member 50 and the saddle-supporting member 70 are folded on the rear support member 20. Subsequently, the positioning unit 90 is folded so as to enable the front and rear support members 10, 20 to move toward each other. As a result, the foldable exerciser is in a fully folded state, as shown in FIG. 6. It is noted that, due to the presence of the pulley 711, the foldable exerciser of this invention can be easily moved on the ground when in the fully folded state.

[0035] While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.