Climbing exercise machine

Abstract

A climbing exercise machine includes first and second lifting assemblies, each having a pedal and a handle. The two lifting assemblies can be moved up and down linearly and driven by each other through an alternating mechanism. The alternating mechanism has a rotating member, a first link rod and a second link rod. The rotating member has a first rotating portion and a second rotating portion. The first link rod connects the first rotating portion and the first lifting assembly, and the second link rod connects the second rotating portion and the second lifting assembly, so that up-down movements of the two lifting assemblies and rotation of the rotating member are driven by each other. Additionally, the rotating member is connected to a flywheel through a transmission mechanism and is driven by each other, and the inertia of the flywheel helps reciprocating movement of the pedal and the handle.

1 . A climbing exercise machine, comprising:
 a frame;   a first lifting assembly provided for linear up-down movement on the frame, having a first pedal, a first handle and a first driving portion, and angles of the first pedal and the first handle relative to a horizontal plane remaining unchanged during the up-down movement;   a second lifting assembly provided for linear up-down movement on the frame, having a second pedal, a second handle and a second driving portion, and angles of the second pedal and the second handle relative to the horizontal plane remaining unchanged during the up-down movement;   an alternating mechanism coupled to the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly, having a rotating member pivotally connected to the frame according to a rotation axis, a first link rod and a second link rod, the rotating member having a first rotating portion and a second rotating portion, the first link rod having a first end pivotally connected to the first rotating portion of the rotating member and a second end pivotally connected to the first driving portion of the first lifting assembly, the second link rod having a first end pivotally connected to the second rotating portion of the rotating member and a second end pivotally connected to the second driving portion of the second lifting assembly, so that the up-down movements of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly and rotation of the rotating member, are driven by each other, when the rotating member rotates for a cycle, the first and second lifting assemblies are reciprocated once between an uppermost position and a lowermost position;   a flywheel pivotally coupled to the frame; and   a transmission mechanism connecting the rotating member of the alternating mechanism and the flywheel, so that rotation of the rotating member and rotation of the flywheel are operable to drive each other, wherein a rotation speed of the flywheel is higher than a rotation speed of the rotating member by a predetermined speed ratio.   
     
     
         2 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion of the rotating member are kept 180 degrees opposite to each other with respect to the rotation axis, circular movement paths of the first and second rotating portions overlapping each other, linear movement paths of the first driving portion and the second driving portion overlapping each other, and wherein the extension of each linear movement path does not pass through each circular movement path. 
     
     
         3 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein when one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly is at the uppermost position, the corresponding one of the first and second rotating portions is located at an upper dead point on the respective circular movement path; when one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly is at the lowermost position, the corresponding one of the first and second rotating portions is located at a lower dead point on the respective circular movement path, and the other one of the first and second rotating portions is located at a position opposite to the lower dead point, and the other one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly is located at a high specific position below the uppermost position; and when one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly descends from the high specific position to the lowermost position, the corresponding one of the first and second rotating portions rotates from the position opposite to the lower dead point along the respective circular movement path in a direction away from the upper dead point to the lower dead point. 
     
     
         4 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein when one of the first and second rotating portions is located at the position opposite to the lower dead point, an acute angle between a connection direction of the first and second ends of the corresponding one of the first and second link rods and a tangent direction of the position opposite to the lower dead point is less than 80 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein an angular difference between the position opposite to the lower dead point and the upper dead point is less than 45 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein a difference between the high specific position and the uppermost position is less than one tenth of a distance between the uppermost position and the lowermost position. 
     
     
         7 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein relative angles between the linear movement paths the first and second driving portions and the circular movement paths of the first and second rotating portions are adjustable, whereby lengths of the linear movement paths can be changed accordingly. 
     
     
         8 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a left lower guide rail, a right lower guide rail, a left upper guide rail and a right upper guide rail, each extending in a straight line, and extension directions of the guide rails are arranged in parallel; wherein the first lifting assembly comprises a first lower slide seat slidably coupled to the left lower guide rail, a first upper slide seat slidably coupled to the right upper guide rail, and a first connecting part connecting the first lower slide seat and the first upper slide seat, the first pedal mounted on the first lower slide seat and the first handle mounted on the first upper slide seat; and wherein the second lifting assembly comprises a second lower slide seat slidably coupled to the right lower guide rail, a second upper slide seat slidably coupled to the left upper guide rail, and a second connecting part connecting the second lower slide seat and the second upper slide seat, the second pedal mounted on the second lower slide seat and the second handle mounted on the second upper slide seat. 
     
     
         9 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein bottom ends of the left upper guide rail and the right upper guide rail are located further forward than top ends of the left lower guide rail and the right lower guide rail. 
     
     
         10 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the frame is at made up of a lower frame unit and an upper frame unit, the lower frame unit comprising the left lower guide rail and the right lower guide rail, the upper frame unit comprising the left upper guide rail and the right upper guide rail. 
     
     
         11 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the frame is at least made up of a lower frame unit and an upper frame unit, the lower frame unit comprising the left lower guide rail and the right lower guide rail, the upper frame unit comprising the left upper guide rail and the right upper guide rail. 
     
     
         12 . A climbing exercise machine, comprising:
 a frame;   a first lifting assembly provided for linear up-down movement on the frame, having a first pedal, a first handle and a first driving portion;   a second lifting assembly provided for linear up-down movement on the frame, having a second pedal, a second handle and a second driving portion;   an alternating mechanism coupled to the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly, having a rotating member pivotally connected to the frame according to a rotation axis, a first link rod and a second link rod, the rotating member having a first rotating portion and a second rotating portion, the first link rod having a first end pivotally connected to the first rotating portion of the rotating member and a second end pivotally connected to the first driving portion of the first lifting assembly, the second link rod having a first end pivotally connected to the second rotating portion of the rotating member and a second end pivotally connected to the second driving portion of the second lifting assembly, so that the up-down movements of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly and rotation of the rotating member, are driven by each other, when the rotating member rotates for a cycle, the first and second lifting assemblies are reciprocated once between an uppermost position and a lowermost position;   a flywheel pivotally coupled to the frame; and   a transmission mechanism connecting the rotating member of the alternating mechanism and the flywheel, so that rotation of the rotating member and rotation of the flywheel are operable to drive each other, wherein rotational inertia of the flywheel provides an extra inertia force to the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly during the up-down movements.   
     
     
         13 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a rotation speed of the flywheel is higher than a rotation speed of the rotating member by a predetermined speed ratio. 
     
     
         14 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein angles of the first pedal and the first handle relative to a horizontal plane remaining unchanged during the up-down movement; and wherein angles of the second pedal and the second handle relative to the horizontal plane remaining unchanged during the up-down movement. 
     
     
         15 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion of the rotating member are kept 180 degrees opposite to each other with respect to the rotation axis, circular movement paths of the first and second rotating portions overlapping each other, linear movement paths of the first driving portion and the second driving portion overlapping each other, and wherein the extension of each linear movement path does not pass through each circular movement path. 
     
     
         16 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein when one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly is at the uppermost position, the corresponding one of the first and second rotating portions is located at an upper dead point on the respective circular movement path; when one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly is at the lowermost position, the corresponding one of the first and second rotating portions is located at a lower dead point on the respective circular movement path, and the other one of the first and second rotating portions is located at a position opposite to the lower dead point, and the other one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly is located at a high specific position below the uppermost position; and when one of the first lifting assembly and the second lifting assembly descends from the high specific position to the lowermost position, the corresponding one of the first and second rotating portions rotates from the position opposite to the lower dead point along the respective circular movement path in a direction away from the upper dead point to the lower dead point. 
     
     
         17 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein an angular difference between the position opposite to the lower dead point and the upper dead point is less than 45 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the frame comprises a left lower guide rail, a right lower guide rail, a left upper guide rail and a right upper guide rail, each extending in a straight line, and extension directions of the guide rails are arranged in parallel; wherein the first lifting assembly comprises a first lower slide seat slidably coupled to the left lower guide rail, a first upper slide seat slidably coupled to the right upper guide rail, and a first connecting part connecting the first lower slide seat and the first upper slide seat, the first pedal mounted on the first lower slide seat and the first handle mounted on the first upper slide seat; and wherein the second lifting assembly comprises a second lower slide seat slidably coupled to the right lower guide rail, a second upper slide seat slidably coupled to the left upper guide rail, and a second connecting part connecting the second lower slide seat and the second upper slide seat, the second pedal mounted on the second lower slide seat and the second handle mounted on the second upper slide seat. 
     
     
         19 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein bottom ends of the left upper guide rail and the right upper guide rail are located further forward than top ends of the left lower guide rail and the right lower guide rail. 
     
     
         20 . The climbing exercise machine as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the frame is at made up of a lower frame unit and an upper frame unit, the lower frame unit comprising the left lower guide rail and the right lower guide rail, the upper frame unit comprising the left upper guide rail and the right upper guide rail.