Recumbent bike system and method

Abstract

A recumbent bike is disclosed that has a larger portion of its crank cycle, compared with conventional approaches, in which a relatively high level of power can be inputted. Consequently, potential exists for a user to experience a high cardiovascular load with less fatigue or other muscular difficulties. Improvements over conventional approaches are achieved, among other things, through enhanced seat positioning relative to the crank axis of the bike.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a base portion including a rail and pedals, the pedals rotatable about a crank axis; and    a seat moveably coupled to the rail, the seat including a bottom and a back, the intersection of the bottom and the back forming a seat reference location, the seat spaced from the crank axis so that when a first illustrative line is extended from the crank axis, and a second illustrative line is extended from the seat reference location, the second illustrative line being parallel to the first illustrative line, the first illustrative line and the second illustrative line are spaced from one another between 4 inches and 6 inches.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the seat is spaced from the crank axis so that when a third illustrative line is extended perpendicular to the first illustrative line from the crank axis to an intersection point of the third illustrative line and the second illustrative line, the seat reference location is spaced from the intersection point between 27.4 inches and 33.5 inches.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the seat is sufficiently deformable to allow for differences in location of the seat reference location between when the seat is unoccupied and occupied by a user with the first illustrative line and the second illustrative line spaced from one another between 4 inches and 6 inches.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the back of the seat and the bottom of the seat are positioned with respect to each other at an angle of approximately 113°.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the first illustrative line and the second illustrative line are spaced from one another between 4.5 inches and 5.5 inches.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the rail is positioned at an approximate 3° angle from the first illustrative line.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the rail is positioned at an approximate 3° angle from a floor surface.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the bottom of the seat is positioned at an approximate 5° angle from the second illustrative line.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  for a user with a hip joint and a thigh link, the seat being positioned with respect to the crank axis 
 so that when the user is seated in the seat adjacent the bottom and back of the seat with the user's foot contacting the pedal, the user has an initial power stroke leg position with the pedal at a first pedal position and a final power stroke leg position with the pedal at a second pedal position, the first pedal position being substantially in-line between the hip joint of the user and the second pedal position,    when a fourth illustrative line is extended from the hip joint of the user, the fourth illustrative line being parallel to the first illustrative line, and    when the pedal is at the second pedal position, an angle between the thigh link and the fourth illustrative line is between 170° and 176°.    
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the seat is positioned with respect to the crank axis so that when the pedal is in the second pedal position, the angle between the thigh link and the fourth illustrative line is approximately 173°.  
   
   
       11 . A system for a human user having a knee joint, a hip joint, a back link extending from the hip joint, a thigh link extending between the hip joint and the knee joint, a lower leg link extending from the knee joint, a hip angle being at the hip joint between the back link and the thigh link, a knee angle being at the knee joint between the thigh link and the lower leg link, and a foot, the system comprising: 
 a base portion including a pedal and a crank axis, the pedal rotatable about the crank axis; and    a seat coupled to the base portion, the seat including a bottom, a back, and being spaced a distance from the crank axis 
 so that when the user is seated in the seat adjacent the bottom and back of the seat with the user's foot contacting the pedal, the user has an initial power stroke leg position with the pedal at a first pedal position and a final power stroke leg position with the pedal at a second pedal position, the first pedal position being substantially in-line between the hip joint of the user and the second pedal position,  
 so that the knee angle of user is substantially between a range of 150° and 160° when the pedal is in the second pedal position, and  
 so that the hip angle of the user is between a range of 100° and 120° during at least 75% of a direction of travel of the pedal between the first pedal position and the second pedal position.  
   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the seat is spaced the distance from the crank axis so that the hip angle of the user is between a range of 100° and 120° during at least 85% of a direction of travel of the pedal between the first pedal position and the second pedal position.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising a rail with the seat being coupled thereto.  
   
   
       14 . A method comprising: 
 providing a seat with a bottom and back intersecting to form a seat reference location;    providing pedals;    providing a crank axis about which the pedals rotate; and    positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis so that when a first illustrative line is extended from the crank axis, and a second illustrative line is extended from the seat reference location, with the second illustrative line parallel to the first illustrative line, the first illustrative line and the second illustrative line are spaced from one another between 4 inches and 6 inches.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis further includes positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis so that when a third illustrative line is extended perpendicular to the first illustrative line from the crank axis to an intersection point of the third illustrative line and the second illustrative line, the seat reference location is spaced from the intersection point between 27.4 inches and 33.5 inches.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis further includes positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis to allow for differences in location of the seat reference location when the seat is unoccupied and occupied by a user so that the first illustrative line and the second illustrative line are spaced from one another between 4 inches and 6 inches.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14  further including positioning the back of the seat and the bottom of the seat with respect to each other at an angle of approximately 113°.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis further includes positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis so that the first illustrative line and the second illustrative line are spaced from one another between 4.5 inches and 5.5 inches.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14  further including positioning a rail slidably engaged with the seat at an approximate 3° angle from the first illustrative line.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein positioning the rail includes positioning the rail at an approximate 3° angle from a floor surface.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 14  further including positioning the bottom of the seat at an approximate 5° angle from the second illustrative line.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 14  for a user with a hip joint and a thigh link, wherein positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis further includes positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis 
 so that when the user is seated in the seat adjacent the bottom and back of the seat with the user's foot contacting the pedal, the user has an initial power stroke leg position with the pedal at a first pedal position and a final power stroke leg position with the pedal at a second pedal position, the first pedal position being substantially in-line between the hip joint of the user and the second pedal position,    when a fourth illustrative line is extended from the hip joint of the user, the fourth illustrative line being parallel to the first illustrative line, and    when the pedal is at the second pedal position, an angle between the thigh link and the fourth illustrative line is between 170° and 176°.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis further includes positioning the seat with respect to the crank axis so that when the pedal is in the second pedal position, the angle between the thigh link and the fourth illustrative line is approximately 173°.  
   
   
       24 . A method for a human user having a knee joint, a hip joint, a back link extending from the hip joint, a thigh link extending between the hip joint and the knee joint, a lower leg link extending from the knee joint, a hip angle being at the hip joint between the back link and the thigh link, a knee angle being at the knee joint between the thigh link and the lower leg link, and a foot, the method comprising: 
 providing a base portion including a pedal and a crank axis, the pedal rotatable about the crank axis;    providing a seat coupled to the base portion, the seat including a bottom and a back, and    locating the seat a distance from the crank axis 
 so that when the user is seated in the seat adjacent the bottom and back of the seat with the user's foot contacting the pedal, the user has an initial power stroke leg position with the pedal at a first pedal position and a final power stroke leg position with the pedal at a second pedal position, the first pedal position being substantially in-line between the hip joint of the user and the second pedal position,  
 so that the knee angle of user is substantially between a range of 150° and 160° when the pedal is in the second pedal position, and  
 so that the hip angle of the user is between a range of 100° and 120° during at least 75% of a direction of travel of the pedal between the first pedal position and the second pedal position.  
   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein locating the seat includes locating the seat the distance from the crank axis so that the hip angle of the user is between a range of 100° and 120° during at least 85% of a direction of travel of the pedal between the first pedal position and the second pedal position.