Elliptical exercising device

Abstract

An elliptical exercising device includes a rotating unit mounted on a support frame, and two link rods connected to the rotating unit such that intermediate segments of the link rods are moved reciprocatively in an elliptical path. A foot support is tiltably mounted on the intermediate segment. A suspending rail is moved with the foot support to be subjected to a gradually varying urging force resulting from movement of the intermediate segment and to be continuously urged to angularly move. A rail engaging rider slidably contacts the suspending rail to be urged by the urging force to angularly move upwards or downwards. An urging force counteracting mechanism is mounted pivotally on the support frame, and is coupled with the rail engaging rider so as to impart a force to counteract an x-axis force component of the urging force to thereby keep the suspending rail in a horizontal position.

1 . An elliptical exercising device comprising:
 a support frame adapted to be supported on a supporting surface and having forward and rearward stanchions opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction;   a rotating unit mounted on and rotatable relative to said forward stanchion about a first rotating axis in a first transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction;   first and second link rods, each having a front end which is connected to said rotating unit and which is offset from the first rotating axis so as to be rotated with said rotating unit about the first rotating axis, and an intermediate segment which extends rearwards from said front end to terminate at a rear end;   first and second couplers, each coupling said rear end of a respective one of said first and second link rods to said rearward stanchion such that said intermediate segment is movable reciprocatively in an elliptical path when said rotating unit is driven to rotate about the first rotating axis;   left and right foot supports, each of which has a footrest that is elongated in the longitudinal direction to terminate at toe-side and heel-side ends, and each of which is mounted on said intermediate segment and is configured to permit tilting of one of said toe-side and heel-side ends relative to said intermediate segment about a tilting axis in the first transverse direction;   left and right suspending rails which are respectively elongated in the longitudinal direction, and which are movable with said left and right foot supports, respectively, so as to be subjected to a gradually varying urging force that is generated as a result of movement of said intermediate segment along the elliptical path, the gradually varying urging force having x-axis and y-axis force components respectively oriented in the longitudinal direction and a second transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal and first transverse directions to continuously urge a corresponding one of said left and right suspending rails to angularly move upwards or downwards; and   first and second tilt restraining units, each having
 a rail engaging rider which slidably contacts a respective one of said left and right suspending rails such that the gradually varying urging force is transmitted through the respective one of said left and right suspending rails to urge said rail engaging rider to angularly move upwards or downwards during the movement of said intermediate segment along the elliptical path, and 
 an urging force counteracting mechanism which has a proximate end unit pivotally mounted on said support frame, and a distal end unit coupled with said rail engaging rider such that, during the movement of said intermediate segment along the elliptical path, said distal end unit imparts a drawing force to counteract the x-axis force component so as to keep the respective one of said left and right suspending rails in a horizontal position while being lifted or lowered in the second transverse direction by the y-axis force component. 
   
   
   
       2 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 1 , wherein said support frame includes a base support which is interposed between said forward and rearward stanchions, which is adapted to be supported on the supporting surface, and which is spaced apart from said rail engaging rider in the second transverse direction, said urging force counteracting mechanism including a parallel linkage mechanism that has
 a mount which is disposed on said base support,
 upper and lower bars which respectively have proximate pivoted ends pivotally connected to said mount about pivoting axes parallel to the first rotating axis and serving as said proximate end unit, and which respectively have distal pivoted ends serving as said distal end unit and respectively having upper and lower centers, and 
 a linking coupler which interconnects said distal pivoted ends of said upper and lower bars so as to be pivotable about said upper and lower centers of said distal pivoted ends, 
 said linking coupler being connected to said rail engaging rider at a fixed point which is positioned such that, immediately after the urging force is transmitted through said linking coupler to bring said upper and lower bars to move angularly about the pivoting axes, the drawing force is generated as a result of pivotal movement of said linking coupler about said upper and lower centers, while the fixed point is kept unmoved relative to said upper and lower centers, thereby counteracting the x-axis force component. 
   
   
   
       3 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 2 , wherein said rail engaging rider includes a major mounting wall and two pairs of rollers which are rotatably mounted on said major mounting wall and which are spaced apart from each other to define a horizontal passage in the longitudinal direction, the respective one of said left and right suspending rails being slidably moved along said horizontal passage to be kept in slidable contact with said rail engaging rider in a horizontal position. 
   
   
       4 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said left and right foot supports has a sidewall which extends from said footrest downwards and which is pivoted at said intermediate segment at a fulcrum defining said tilting axis, so as to permit tilting of said one of said toe-side and heel-side ends. 
   
   
       5 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 4 , wherein each of said left and right suspending rails is disposed opposite to said sidewall in the first transverse direction, and extends in parallel to said footrest in the longitudinal direction. 
   
   
       6 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 1 , wherein said rotating unit has left and right flywheels which are coaxially mounted on said forward stanchion about the first rotating axis such that said front ends of said first and second link rods are connected respectively to said left and right flywheels adjacent to circumferences thereof so as to be rotatable along a circular path about the first rotating axis. 
   
   
       7 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 1 , further comprising left and right arms, each including a first rod segment which has a fulcrum region that is journalled to said forward stanchion about a second rotating axis, and upper and lower rod ends that are disposed at two opposite sides of said fulcrum region, and a second rod segment which has a front end that is pivotally connected to said lower rod end, and a rear end that is pivotally connected to said intermediate segment of a respective one of said first and second link rods. 
   
   
       8 . The elliptical exercising device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second couplers is in form of a link rod, which has an end pivotally connected to said rear end of a respective one of said first and second link rods, and an opposite end pivotally connected to said rearward stanchion.