Exercise apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10722751-B2
Application number	US-201815905838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A power operated exercise apparatus includes two drive mechanisms configured to drive a left pedal and a right pedal, and a position measuring device, force measuring devices for measuring positions and force conditions of the pedals. A control unit is configured to control the drive mechanism and receive measurement content of the measuring devices, and storing a plurality of exercise programs for being selected by the user. During at least one specific operation period, the control unit repeatedly determines in which directions the left pedal and the right pedal should be moved according to information of positions and force conditions of the pedals so as to meet the displacement path and the correlation of a selected one of the exercise programs and to immediately control the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism to respectively drive the left pedal and the right pedal to move in a determined direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exercise apparatus, comprising:
a frame;
a left pedal configured to support a left foot of a user;
a right pedal configured to support a right foot of the user;
a left drive mechanism connected between the frame and the left pedal, the left drive mechanism configured to drive the left pedal to move with respect to the frame and to control at least vertical position and horizontal position of the left pedal;
a right drive mechanism connected between the frame and the right pedal, the right drive mechanism configured to drive the right pedal to move with respect to the frame and to control at least vertical position and horizontal position of the right pedal;
a position measuring device configured to measure a position of at least one of the left and right pedals with respect to the frame;
a left force measuring device configured to measure magnitude of forces applied to a front half region and a rear half region of the left pedal;
a right force measuring device configured to measure magnitude of forces applied to a front half region and a rear half region of the right pedal;
an interface device configured for allowing the user to input information; and
a control unit electrically connected to the left drive mechanism, the right drive mechanism, the position measuring device, the left force measuring device, the right force measuring device and the interface device; the control unit configured for controlling actions of the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism, receiving measurement content of the measuring devices, and receiving the information input by the user via the interface device; the control unit storing a plurality of exercise programs for being selected by the user, each of the exercise programs being provided with a displacement path of the left pedal and the right pedal and a correlation between the left pedal and the right pedal on the displacement path;
wherein, the control unit is operable to obtain a direction and magnitude of a net force as a force acting on a middle portion of the left pedal based on a measurement content of the left force measuring device, and to obtain a direction and magnitude of a net force as a force acting on a middle portion of the right pedal based on a measurement content of the right force measuring device;
wherein, the exercise apparatus is provided for allowing the user to perform leg exercises; during at least one specific operation period, the control unit is operable to determine in which directions the left pedal and the right pedal should be respectively moved according to information of a current position of at least one of the left pedal and the right pedal and current force conditions of the left pedal and the right pedal so as to meet the displacement path and the correlation of a selected one of the exercise programs and to immediately control the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism to respectively drive the left pedal and the right pedal to move in a determined direction.

2. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the left drive mechanism is operable to drive the left pedal to change its angle relative to the frame; the right mechanism is operable to drive the right pedal to change its angle relative to the frame; each of the exercise programs further includes angular variations of the left pedal and the right pedal on the corresponding displacement path; and the control unit is operable to control the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism to respectively drive the left pedal and the right pedal to present predetermined angles at predetermined positions according to the selected exercise program.

3. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the exercise programs sets the displacement path as a closed path with vertical displacement and horizontal displacement, and the left pedal and the right pedal are kept opposite to each other on the closed path; the closed path defines a positive circulation direction and a reverse circulation direction; and when the force applied to one of the left pedal and the right pedal corresponding to the positive circulation direction exceeds the force applied to the other pedal corresponding to the reverse circulation direction by more than a preset resistance value, the control unit controls the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism to respectively drive the left pedal and the right pedal to move in the positive circulation direction.

4. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein when the more the force applied to one of the left pedal and the right pedal corresponding to the positive circulation direction exceeds the force applied to the other pedal corresponding to the reverse circulation direction by more than the preset resistance value, the faster the speed of displacement of the left pedal and the right pedal driven by the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism.

5. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the exercise programs sets the displacement path as a non-closed path with two opposite ends, when one of the left pedal and the right pedal is located at a first end of the non-closed path, the other pedal is located at a second end of the non-closed path, and the first end of the non-closed path is higher than the second end and defines a descending direction from the first end to the second end and a rising direction from the second end to the first end; when the force applied to the left pedal corresponding to the descending direction exceeds the force applied to the right pedal corresponding to the descending direction by more than a preset resistance value, the control unit controls the left drive mechanism to drive the left pedal to move in the descending direction and controls the right drive mechanism to drive the right pedal to move in the rising direction at the same time; in contrast, when the force applied to the right pedal corresponding to the descending direction exceeds the force applied to the left pedal corresponding to the descending direction by more than the preset resistance value, the control unit controls the right drive mechanism to drive the right pedal to move in the descending direction and controls the left drive mechanism to drive the left pedal to move in the rising direction at the same time.

6. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein when the more the force applied to one of the left pedal and the right pedal corresponding to the descending direction exceeds the force applied to the other pedal corresponding to the descending direction by more than the preset resistance value, the faster the speed of displacement of the left pedal and the right pedal driven by the left drive mechanism and the right drive mechanism.

7. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the interface device has a setting interface for allowing the user to set the resistance value.

8. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the interface device has a setting interface for allowing the user to set the resistance value.

9. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the interface device has a setting interface for allowing the user to set the resistance value.

10. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the interface device has a setting interface for allowing the user to set the resistance value.

11. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a displacement measuring device for measuring a displacement velocity or acceleration of at least one of the left pedal and the right pedal; wherein, the control unit is electrically connected to the di

Assignees

• Liao Hung Mao
• Johnson Health Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Hung-Mao

Classifications

• A63B2230/01

  User's weight · CPC title

• A63B2071/065

  Visualisation of specific exercise parameters · CPC title

• A63B2220/20

  Distances or displacements · CPC title

• A63B2220/40

  Acceleration · CPC title

• A63B2220/50

  Force related parameters · CPC title