Elliptical exercise apparatus

Abstract

An elliptical exercise apparatus includes: a main frame; a crank assembly mounted on a rear end of the base support; a pair of swing rods pivotally connected to a front and of the base support; a pair of couplers slidably and respectively mounted on lever portions of the swing rods; a pair of guide rails, each being pivotally connected to the respective lever portion and the crank assembly so as to perform a reciprocating movement when the lever portions are swung; a pair of footrests slidably mounted on the guide rails to be alternately moved along reciprocating routes respectively; and a pair of linkages, each being pivotally connected to a bottom end of the respective swing rod and the respective footrest such that the footrests are moved alternately and respectively along elliptical paths.

1 . An elliptical exercise apparatus comprising:
 a main frame including a base support adapted to be supported on a supporting surface and having front and rear ends opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, and an upstanding support connected to said front end of said base support;   a crank assembly including a crank pin which defines a rotating axis, and which is mounted on said rear end of said base support, and a pair of crank shafts which are disposed diametrically opposite to each other relative to the rotating axis and which extend in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction;   a pair of swing rods, each having a swing fulcrum which is pivotally connected to said upstanding support, and handle and lever portions disposed respectively at upper and lower opposite sides of the swing fulcrum, said lever portion being swung about said swing fulcrum, and having a bottom end and a positioning segment which is disposed between said bottom end and said swing fulcrum;   a pair of couplers, each of which is mounted on and which is slidable along said positioning segment of a respective one of said swing rods;   a pair of first locking units, each of which is disposed to arrest a sliding movement of a respective one of said couplers along said positioning segment of the respective one of said swing rods; and   a treadle assembly including
 a pair of guide rails, each having a rear rail end which is pivotally connected to a respective one of said crank shafts, a front rail end which is pivotally connected to a respective one of said couplers, and a middle rail portion which is interposed between said front and rear rail ends, and which performs a reciprocating movement when said lever portion of a respective one of said swing rods is swung, 
 a pair of footrests which are mounted on and which are slidable along said middle rail portions of said guide rails, respectively, such that by virtue of rotation of said crank shafts about the rotating axis, said footrests are alternately moved along reciprocating routes respectively, and 
 a pair of linkages, each having front and rear pivot ends that are respectively and pivotally connected to said bottom end of a respective one of said swing rods and a respective one of said footrests such that said footrests are moved alternately and respectively along elliptical paths. 
   
   
   
       2 . The elliptical exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said positioning segment of each of said swing rods has a plurality of adjustment holes displaced from one another along a lengthwise axis thereof, each of said couplers being in tubular shape, being sleeved on said positioning segment, and having a through hole which extends therethrough to be aligned with a selected one of said adjustment holes,
 each of said first locking units including a first nut member which has a first tapped hole and which is disposed on a respective one of said couplers so as to register said first tapped hole with said through hole, and a first locking bolt which has a first threaded segment that threadedly engages said first tapped hole, and a first latch segment that is disposed to extend from said first threaded segment such that, by virtue of screw movement of said first threaded segment in said first tapped hole, said first latch segment is movable between a locking position, where said first latch segment is inserted into a selected one of said adjustment holes, and an unlocking position, where said first latch segment is disengaged from the selected one of said adjustment holes so as to permit movement of the respective one of said couplers along the lengthwise axis.   
   
   
       3 . The elliptical exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of said linkages includes front and rear tubular pieces which respectively have said front and rear pivot ends, and first and second connected ends that are telescopically fitted to each other so as to permit adjustment of a distance between said front and rear pivot ends,
 said treadle assembly further including a pair of second locking units, each being disposed to arrest movement of said first connected end of said front tubular piece relative to said second connected end of said rear tubular piece of a respective one of said linkages.   
   
   
       4 . The elliptical exercise apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein one of said first and second connected ends of said front and rear tubular pieces of each of said linkages has a plurality of adjustment holes displaced from one another along a lengthwise axis thereof, the other one of said first and second connected ends of said front and rear tubular pieces of each of said linkages having a through hole which extends therethrough to be aligned with a selected one of said adjustment holes,
 each of said second locking units including a second nut member which has a second tapped hole that is registered with said through hole, and a second locking bolt which has a second threaded segment that threadedly engages said second tapped hole, and a second latch segment that extends from said second threaded segment such that by virtue of screw movement of said second threaded segment in said second tapped hole, said second latch segment is movable to be inserted into a selected one of said adjustment holes or to disengage from the selected one of said adjustment holes so as to permit movement of said second tubular piece along the lengthwise axis.   
   
   
       5 . The elliptical exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said crank assembly includes a wheel which has said crank pin mounted at a center thereof so as to be rotatable about the rotating axis, said crank shafts being disposed adjacent to a rim of said wheel.