Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
SPECIFICATION
Kick Type Training Equipment
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to kick type
training equipment intended for enhancement of the
isometric muscular strength of the group of back muscles
and the group of abdominal muscles on the basis of a novel
principle of muscular exercise. More particularly, the
invention relates to kick type training equipment designed
mainly for kick motion, i.e., backward linear or circular-
arc reciprocating motion of the legs, as against
conventional stationary bicycling equipment designed mainly
for rotational motion of the legs.
BACKGROUND ART
Whereas varieties of training equipment intended
for enhancement of the cardiopulmonary function as well as
enhancement of muscles have become popular in recent years,
these varieties of equipment are targeted principally for
healthy persons. Most units of training equipment
installed in gymnasia of fitness clubs are those optimum
for currently active sportsmen to build up a stronger body.
However, major part of people who set their mind
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
N
on physical exercise after becoming a working member of
society could be said to be semi-healthy. Such people are
exemplified by those having orthopedic past histories such
as lumbago and gonalgia, those having internal past
histories such as hypertension and diabetes, and those who
worry about fatness and cholesterol level. In this sense,
there is an urgent need for development of training
equipment suited for semi-healthy people.
For the development of training equipment
targeted for semi-healthy people, it is of great importance
to have a viewpoint of enhancing the isometric muscular
strength (i.e., muscular strength for support of the
skeleton). It has been clarified medically that the
diseases typified by lumbago and gonalgia develop when the
isometric muscular strength is lowered. It is known that
a major cause of adult diseases is decreased basal
metabolic rate, which in turn is also due to lowered
isometric muscular strength.
Although a large number of units or systems of
training equipment for training the isotonic muscular
strength (i.e., muscular strength to do exercises) have
been available hitherto, equipment for training the
isometric muscular strength has been nonexistent so far.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
Therefore, a principal technical object of the
present invention is to provide novel training equipment
for enhancing isometric muscular strength, in particular,
the isometric muscular strength of the group of back
muscles and the group of abdominal muscles, which are the
major cause of the lumbago.
Another object of the invention is to provide
training equipment capable of training the isometric
muscular strength reasonably even with semi-healthy people
or those having diseases in the waist or the knees.
A further object of the invention is to provide
training equipment which allows improvement in the
cardiopulmonary function as well as improvement in the
basal metabolic rate to be achieved more efficiently than
conventional stationary bicycling equipment, and which also
allows the energy consumption to be calculated with high
accuracy.
Still another object of the invention is to
provide training equipment which allows adjustment and
enhancement of the isotonic muscular strength of the
femoral region and the lower legs, which are the major
cause of the gonalgia, to be effectively achieved in
addition to the enhancement of the isometric muscular
strength.
Still another object of the invention is to
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
improve the cooperativity between the group of muscles of
the leg region and the group of back muscles during an
exercise and, in particular, to provide training equipment
capable of improving the motional cooperativities between
the group of coxal muscles and the other groups of muscles,
i.e., between the group of coxal muscles and the group of
back muscles, between the group of coxal muscles and the
group of iliolumbar muscles, and besides between the group
of coxal muscles and the group of femoral-region muscles,
respectively.
In order to achieve the above objects, according
to the present invention, there is provided kick type
training equipment having the following constitution.
This kick type training equipment comprises a
body implemented by a frame or pedestal seat or the like,
a saddle which is fitted to the body and on which a user is
to be seated, and load generating means for, when the
user's both legs act thereon, giving a load to both legs.
The load generating means comprises a pair of stepping
means, i.e. step rods or pedals, on which the user's both
feet are placed and which are moved in an identical
direction by backward alternate kick motions of the user's
both legs, and load means such as an air cylinder or a
weight for imparting a load to backward movement of the
stepping means, i.e. generally horizontally backward
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
.
-- 5
"love-llent or obliquely downward backward movement or
generally obliquely upward backward generally linear or
circular-arc movement of the stepping means, and for, upon
cancellation of stepping force on the stepping means,
automatically returning the stepping means forward, and
preferably, promptly.
The user, seated on the saddle, simply steps in
on the stepping means alternately with the two legs to
continue the exercise for a certain time. By doing this
stepping exercise on the stepping means, the isometric
muscular strength of the group of back muscles can be
trained, while the isometric muscular strength of the group
of abdominal muscles can also be trained in conjunction
with this. That is, this muscle strength~n;ng exercise is
not an exercise that directly stresses the back muscles or
abdominal muscles but an exercise capable of indirectly
training the back muscles or abdominal muscles by
substantially linear, simple kick motion which is a back-
and-forth or up-and-down motion of the legs. Further,
there is no need of taking a forward-tilted posture, which
is a bad leg position as seen in the conventional
stationary bicycling equipment, i.e., a position in which
the trunk is bent forward with respect to the lumbar or
pelvis, so that the user is allowed to do exercise in a
good leg position. In other words, with the conventional
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
stationary bicycling equipment, because the user's upper
half of the body, i.e., the trunk portion is bent forward
as against the waist portion in the upright posture on the
saddle, the waist portion would be burdened with
unreasonable force, causing the muscles around the spine to
be excessively stressed, thus resulting in muscle fatigue.
By contrast, with the training equipment of the present
invention, when the trunk portion is bent forward, also
tilting forward the waist portion responsively, i.e.,
tilting forward the whole body allows the user to be in a
good leg position.
Also, according to the training equipment of the
present invention, the kick motion along the major axis of
a lower leg becomes substantially a pendulum motion with
the articulatio coxae taken as a fulcrum. The drive force
outputted from the user depends largely on movement of the
center of gravity of the trunk portion which is effected
while the leg muscles are kept in a certain tension
matching the load, so that the knee joint and the ankle
joint can be maintained at a substantially constant joint
angle in spite of the exercise that burdens the leg.
Therefore, muscle motions can be effected while the motions
of those joints are largely avoided. Normally, the pain on
motion occurs when the joint has excessively moved.
Accordingly, even if the back muscles and the
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
abdominal muscles are of poor power, and even if any
disease in the waist portion is involved, the kick motion
can be easily performed without burdening the waist, knees,
ankles and the like with unreasonable force, so that their
isometric muscular strength can be trained. In addition,
this training equipment is similar to the conventional
stationary bicycling equipment merely in the sense that the
user moves the legs while being seated on the saddle, but
differs from that in the motional form of the legs. For
the stationary bicycling equipment, it is impossible to
effectively train the isometric muscular strength.
In this kick motion along the major axis of the
lower legs, forces applied to the joint sites of the knees
and the feet are effectively absorbed by the groups of
muscles constituting the femoral region and the lower legs,
so that the burden applied to those joint sites is greatly
reduced. Besides, the kick motion along the major axis of
the lower legs is transferred more linearly in the transfer
of motional loads to the trunk portion than in the other
motional forms. As a result, centripetal information
transfer through nerve fibers is transferred to the central
nervous system at higher rate. This means that reflex arcs
(i.e., a state of coordinated movements of the muscles) are
formed faster, which contributes to an improvement of
inhibited coordination among the muscle groups.
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
Further, according to this training equipment,
the stepping motion on the stepping means is substantially
a linear motion, and not a rotational motion of the pedal
as seen in the conventional stationary bicycling equipment.
Therefore, the training equipment can be made to keep a
continuing load during a step on the stepping means, so
that a cardiopulmonary exercise effect can be attained
efficiently in shorter time as compared with the stationary
bicycling equipment. Further, at the same time, the
isotonic muscular strength of the femoral region and the
lower legs can be enhanced. In addition, in the case of
the conventional stationary bicycling equipment, although
the legs are burdened with a load of a specified value
during the step motion with the pedal, i.e., the first half
of a pedal rotation, the pedal puts into inertial rotation,
i.e., is burdened with extremely decreased load during the
second half of the pedal rotation, resulting in a great
exercise loss and hence insufficient exercise efficiency,
where longer exercising time would be involved to obtain
enough cardiopulmonary exercise effect.
It is noted that the kick motion of the stepping
means is a motion along the major axis of the lower legs,
which includes, needless to say, a motion along a straight
line literally, and besides motions along curves or
circular arcs which are more or less curved, naturally. In
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
short, the kick motion is only required to be one that
allows the user's legs to give a kick backward
substantially linearly.
For this training equipment, preferably, the kick
motions of the legs are perfonmed in such a way that an
angle formed by the trunk and the femoral region falls
within a range of 100~ to 220~ with the user seated on the
saddle. The smaller this angle becomes, the more the spine
is deformed linearly so that stress occurs to the back
muscles, unfavorably for those having lumbago. Although
varying among individual users, when the angle is over
approximately 100~ to 110~, almost no such stress occurs,
making the exercise reasonable. In addition, the angle of
180~ means an upright state with the body stretched to the
full, while greater angles mean a state of bent body. In
the kick motion of the legs, upon a backward kick on the
stepping means, the user's legs move to the angle of about
220~, although varying among individual users. This kick
motion of the legs is approximate to a walking motion of
the legs in the climbing on a slanted slope. In order to
make the angle within the aforementioned range, it is
preferable to provide guide means for guiding the .-love~l~ent
of the stepping means so that the conditions are satisfied.
The guide means may be either a means for guiding
the stepping means backward substantially along a line or
., . " . ,, ". ,
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
-- 10 --
a means for guiding the stepping means backward along a
circular arc.
The guide means may be a swing arm with a balance
weight coupled to its upper end, in which case the upper
end of the swing arm is pivotally fitted to the saddle or
at a substantially saddle level of the body and the
stepping means is pivotally fitted to a lower end of the
swing arm. With this arrangement, since the distance
between the user's waist portion and the stepping means is
maintained substantially constant during the stepping
motion on the stepping means, the bending angle of the
knees is kept constant accurately.
Also in order to satisfy the above conditions,
preferably, the training equipment further comprises means
for adjusting the position (back-and-forth position, up-
and-down position~ of the saddle. It is preferable that
the kick motion of the legs is performed so that the angle
formed by the trunk and the femoral region falls within a
range of 100~ to 220~ with the user seated on the saddle,
by adjusting the saddle position according to the user's
physique. The saddle position adjusting means may be,
simply, of a system that a saddle support bar is fixed to
the body by a height adjustment screw or a height
adjustment pin, or otherwise a system that the saddle
support bar is moved up and down by a hydraulic lifting
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
device.
Further, in order to satisfy the conditions,
preferably, the training equipment further comprises
handgrip means which is gripped by the user seated on the
saddle at both hands to stably support the user's trunk
portion. For backward kick motion of the legs, it is
natural that the trunk portion tends to move forward as a
reaction of the kick motion. This handgrip means serves as
one means for supporting this reactive force. This
handgrip means may comprise a grip to be gripped directly
by hand, and arms for supporting the grip in such a way
that the grip is adjustable in height position and back-
and-forth position.
In addition to this handgrip means, preferably,
the training equipment further comprises belly support
means for supporting the user's trunk portion in a forward
tilted posture. Preferably, the belly support means
comprises a belly support pad, forward tilt angle adjusting
means for adjusting a forward tilt angle of the pad, and
besides means for adjusting height of the pad. This belly
support pad is most effective in performing kick motion of
the legs while supporting the forward tilted trunk portion.
Further, in addition to this belly support pad,
even more effectively, the belly support pad also comprises
an elbow support pad for supporting the user's elbow.
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 12 -
Further, favorably, the load generating means
comprises second guide means for guiding the stepping means
so that a bending angle of knees is kept substantially
constant during a step on the stepping means. With this
arrangement, because almost no bending and stretching
exercises occur, the knees are not burdened so that even
those having diseases in the knees are allowed to do
exercises easlly.
Further, preferably, the saddle comprises a
saddle body, a saddle support base for supporting the
saddle body upward, and swing means which is placed between
the saddle body and the saddle support base and which
swings right and left in subordination to right-and-left
swinging motion of a waist portion that occurs during the
alternate kick motions of the user's legs. This swing
means may be implemented simply by a plate spring or a coil
spring, or otherwise may be provided in a hydraulic-
electric system using an air spring. Also, the saddle body
may be made from a flexible material including a gel
substance. With such an arrangement, the pedaling exercise
can be easily done without causing any unreasonable force
to occur to the waist portion. Moreover, by the waist
portion swinging along with a step with the pedal, the
bending angle of the knees can be maintained constant more
easily.
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
In order to stably support the back portion of
the user seated in the saddle, the training equipment may
comprise backrest means. This backrest means favorably
comprises a backrest pad and an arm for supporting the
backrest pad in such a way that the backrest pad is
adjustable in height position.
Preferably, the load generating means comprises
control means for making the load during a step on the
stepping means substantially constant, and for, upon a
cancellation of the pedal stepping force, automatically
returning the piston rod to an up position along with the
stepping means. However, from the viewpoint of simplicity
of the kick motion of the legs, it is preferable that the
load is gradually increased and afterwards gradually
lS decreased between initial stage and final stage of the
step, where a step initial load and a step final load are
given as small ones.
Training equipment as a preferred embodiment of
the load generating means comprises a pair of swing arms
which have the stepping means fitted at their lower ends,
respectively, and upper end~ of which are pivotally fitted
to the saddle or at a substantially saddle level of the
body, and a belt which is driven by swinging motion of the
swing arms and an end portion of which is connected to the
load means. The load means may be a pneumatic or hydraulic
CA 022429~2 l998-07-lO
- 14 -
cylinder, or further a weight which has conventionally been
used for this type of training equipment.
Further, as a preferred embodiment, the training
equipment may further comprise plate cam means which is
rotated along with rotation of the upper ends of the swing
arms, where an end of the belt is fixed to the plate cam
means and set along a cam peripheral ~urface while the
other end of the belt is led to the load means by the plate
cam means, wherein the cam peripheral surface of the plate
cam means has such a configuration as to control the load
during a step on the stepping means so that the load is
gradually increased and afterwards gradually decreased
between initial stage and final stage of the step within a
substantially fixed range, where a step initial load and a
step final load are given as small ones.
The control means preferably further comprises
means for adjusting the step load on the stepping means.
This is intended for the matching to the physical strength
of the user.
The load means is ordinarily an air cylinder.
The load means may be a coil spring or other elastic means,
a hydraulic device or a weight as described above, but is
preferably an air cylinder which uses air pressure. In the
case of an air cylinder, it is technically easy to make up
an arrangement that the piston rod is instantaneously
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 15 -
returned to the initial position along with the stepping
means when the pedal stepping force is canceled. It is
also easy to give an arrangement that while the load during
a step on the stepping means is kept at a substantially
constant value, the piston rod is cooperated with control
means which automatically and resiliently returns the
piston rod to the initial position together with the
stepping means upon a cancellation of the stepping force on
the stepping means. With an arrangement that the stepping
means is promptly returned to the initial position, the
number of steps on the stepping means per unit time can be
increased so that efficient exercise can be achieved in
terms of time, advantageously. Also, whereas continuously
applying a constant load is pointed out as one important
element of muscle strengthening exercise, the load that is
kept substantially constant during a step with the pedal
meets this condition. Furthermore, in this case, the
energy consumption of the exercise, i.e., the work load can
be calculated with high accuracy. That is, it can be
calculated accurately by a calculational expression, "load
(force) x exercised distance". For recent years' training
equipment of this type, the expression of energy
consumption per unit time has become important. In
addition, in the conventional stationary bicycling
equipment, the energy consumption could not be calculated
CA 022429~2 l998-07-lO
- 16 -
accurately because of considerably varying loads during the
pedal's rotation.
The air cylinder preferably comprises a cylinder
body, a piston and a piston rod, the cylinder body
comprising an inner cylinder for housing therein the piston
and the piston rod so as to allow them to reciprocatingly
slide, an outer cylinder which constitutes a double-wall
cylinder in combination with the inner cylinder, an upper
plate which closes upper ends of inner and outer cylinders
and through which the piston rod passes, a bottom plate
which seals lower ends of the inner and outer cylinders and
which has a freeing port for freeing a bottom portion of an
inner cylinder space, and first communicating means for
comml~n;cating the inner-and-outer cylinder space and the
inner cylinder space with each other at their upper
portions.
For maintaining a substantially constant load
with the use of the air cylinder and during the kick motion
of the legs, it is important that the cylinder's internal
pressure is not varied so much by movement of the piston.
For this purpose, according to the prior art, it would
commonly be necessary to use an air cylinder of large
capacity or to prepare a small cylinder and, separately, an
air tank communicated therewith. However, according to the
cylinder structure of the present invention, a pressure
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
chamber equivalent to the conventional air tank can be
ensured between inner and outer cylinders while the volume
of the cylinder can be reduced to a sufficiently small one.
The communicating means is ordinarily a through
hole formed in an upper portion of the inner cylinder.
For adjustment of the initial pressure of the
inner-and-outer cylinder space and the inner cylinder
space, it is necessary to further provide pressure
adjusting means. This pressure adjusting means includes
second commlln;cating means for communicating the inner-and-
outer cylinder space with outside, valve means which
connects with the second communicating means, an air
compressor which connects with the valve means, and
pressure control means for controlling the valve means and
the air compressor. With this arrangement, the initial
pressure within the cylinder can be easily controlled by
electrical control means. By contrast, with a weight used,
adjustment with the weight needs to be directly done, which
is troublesome in handling.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention
are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of kick type
training equipment according to a theoretical embodiment of
CA 022429~2 l998-07-lO
- 18 -
the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a state-of-use view showing a state in
which the training equipment of Fig. 1 is in use, where the
user is shown schematically;
Fig. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating kick
motion with the training equipment of Fig. 1, where the
user is shown schematically;
Fig. 4 is a rear view of a saddle of the training
equipment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing main part
of kick type training equipment according to a modification
of the first embodiment of the invention;
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are a front view, a right side
view and a plan view showing whole training equipment
according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 9 and 10 are a right side view and a rear
view showing main part of a saddle and positional adjusting
means therefor, respectively, in the second embodiment;
Fig. 11 is a right side view showing main part of
a belly support pad and positional adjusting means
therefor, respectively, in the second embodiment;
Fig. 12 is a sectional view of an air cylinder of
the second embodiment;
Fig. 13 is an explanatory view showing the
configuration of a cam, and a belt to be pulled up by the
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 19 --
cam in the second embodiment;
Fig. 14 is a graph showing the relationship
between the load given to the user's legs and the
rotational angle of the legs in the second embodiment; and
Fig. 15 is an explanatory view illustrating the
kick motion in the second embodiment.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Concrete embodiments of the invention will be
described in detail below with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 to 4 show whole kick type training
equipment according to a theoretical first embodiment of
the present invention. As illustrated, this equipment has
a saddle 3 provided above a pedestal-formed body 1. As
shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the user, sitting on the saddle 3,
exercises kick motions, i.e. pedaling motions, on a pair of
pedal means attached to the body 1, more specifically
pedals 2c, thus performing the training.
The saddle 3 is so constructed that a saddle body
3a is supporting on a saddle support base 3c via three coil
springs 3b. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the saddle is
viewed from the rear side, where the coil springs 3b are so
placed that one is at a front center of the saddle, the
other two are on right and left in the rear of the saddle.
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 20 -
Accordingly, the saddle body 3a can be swung back and
forth, right and left, with respect to the saddle support
base 3c.
On the right and left of the saddle 3, are
provided a pair of handgrip means 5a - 5d for supporting
the user's trunk portion H2 during the training. Each
handgrip means comprises an arm part 5a - 5c fixed on the
right and left of the saddle support base 3c, and a grip 5d
supported by the arm part. The arm part comprises an L-
shaped first arm portion 5a fixed directly to the saddlesupport base 3c, a second arm portion 5c for supporting the
grip 5d in an upright posture, and an elbow-shaped third
arm portion 5b for connecting the two arm portions 5a, 5c
so that the arm portions 5a, 5c are adjustable in height.
The arms 5b, 5c can be slidably adjusted in position in
directions of arrows Y and X, which in turn allows the grip
5d to be adjusted in height position and back-and-forth
position.
In the rear of the saddle 3, is provided backrest
means for supporting the user's trunk portion H2 from the
back side during the training. This backrest means
comprises an L-shaped backrest arm 6a which connects
directly to the saddle support base 3c, and a backrest pad
6b which is fitted to the arm so as to be adjustable in
height. The backrest arm 6a has a plurality of screw holes
. ~. . , . . .. ~ ~
CA 022429~2 l998-07-lO
- 21 -
6c for use of height adjustment, so that the pad 6b can be
fixed to a height position favorable to the user by using
a height adjustment screw 6d.
The saddle 3 is supported to the body 1 so as to
be adjustable in height position via a support rod 4. An
upper end of the support rod 4 is fixed to the bottom face
of the saddle support base 3c, while a lower end of the
support rod 4 is inserted into an insertion opening lc
formed in a front upper portion of a body cover la. A
plurality of screw holes 4a are formed in the support rod
4, and the support rod 4 is fixed so as to be adjustable in
height position at the place of the insertion opening lc
with a height adjustment screw 4b.
The body 1 has a pair of air cylinders 2 provided
on right and left of the body, the air cylinders 2 being
load generating means which supports the pedals 2c and
which allows the user's legs to perform kick motion
substantially along a line, obliquely downward and
backward. Each air cylinder 2 has a cylinder 2a and a
piston rod 2b, and the pedal 2c is rotatably attached to a
fore end of the piston rod 2b within a certain angular
range. The cylinder 2a and the piston rod 2b are installed
so as to be tilted obliquely from front upward to rear
downward as shown in the figure. This tilt angle is so set
that the user's pedal stepping motion is made
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 22 -
appropriately.
In Fig. 2, reference numeral 7 denotes a control
unit 7 schematically. This control unit itself is a known
one and the air cylinder itself equipped with this control
unit is also a known one. This control unit allows the
load during a step on the pedal to be normally maintained
substantially at a constant value, and upon cancellation of
the pedal stepping force, allows the piston rod to be
automatically returned to an up position resiliently along
with the pedal. This means that the load is substantially
constant without variations during a step on the pedal at
any position in the step stroke.
The control unit 7 connects with an outside
control panel 7a. This control panel 7a is provided on a
lower side face of the body cover la in the figure, but may
also be provided on the grip 5d or positioned in front of
the user seated with some special support means. By
operating this control panel, the load of the air cylinder
2 can be adjusted in magnitude. Further, by connecting a
device for detecting the user's heart rate (not shown) to
the control unit 7, it becomes also possible to
automatically control the load of the air cylinder
depending on the heart rate.
Now, the kick type training equipment of the
above structure is explained as to the way of use with
CA 022429~2 l998-07-lO
- 23 -
reference to Fig. 3. The user adjusts the saddle position
according to his or her own build, and besides adjusts the
load of the air cylinders according to his or her physical
strength, physical conditions and the like. After that,
the user is seated on the saddle 3 with the back against
the backrest pad 6b, and starts an alternate pedaling
exercise of the legs while gripping a pair of grips 5d by
both hands. Fig. 3 shows a step in which the legs go down
from the up position toward the down position substantially
along a straight line during the course of a step on the
pedal. In the up position, an angle ~1 formed by the trunk
portion H2 and the femoral region H3 is preferably about
100~ to 120~. Although the angle ~1 at the down position
may be 180~, the angle is set to an angle larger than 180~
in the figure (up to about 220~ iS possible). This angle
setting depends on the setting of the height position of
the saddle 3 as well as the settings of the up position and
the down position of the pedal 2c. Also, the bending angle
~2 of a knee H1 is favorably approximately 90~, and this
angle ~2 iS preferably kept unchanged during the stroke
from up position to down position. Accordingly, the tilt
angle of the cylinder 2 is set so as to satisfy this
requirement. Further, becauEe the saddle body 3a is
swingable right and left as described before, the waist is
allowed to move up and down in a vertical direction Y in
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 24 -
response to the step on the pedal, so that the bending
angle ~2 of the knees can be maintained substantially
constant.
The pedal stepping exercise is done by moving
both legs alternately. During the exercise, the user can
stably hold the trunk portion H2 by gripping the grip 5d
and by putting the back against the pad 6b. By doing pedal
stepping exercise in this way, the user is trained in the
group of back muscles and the group of abdominal muscles,
in particular, isometric muscular strength among them in
leakage with up-and-down oblique movement of the legs. Of
course, since the legs themselves are burdened with loads,
the isotonic muscular strength of the femoral region H3 and
a lower leg portion H4 is trained simultaneously.
This kick type training equipment allows the
exercise to be done while the user is in a good leg
position with the trunk portion upright on the saddle (a
posture at the angle ~1 of 90~ or more with the back
muscles free from any wasteful stress), thus easing the
exercise itself. Also, because the pedaling exercise is
basically an up and down motion with the waist portion free
from any unreasonable force, and moreover because no joint
motion of the knees is involved when the bending angle ~2
of the knees is maintained constant, even those having
waist diseases or knee diseases are enabled to do this
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 25 -
exercise easily.
The above embodiment is of the type that the
piston rods 2b of the air cylinders 2 are kicked obliquely
downward along a straight line. However, for the present
invention, the direction of kick is not necessarily
required to be along a straight line in a geometrically
strict sense. Fig. 5 shows a modification example in which
the direction of kick of the piston rod 2b could be a
substantially linear, downward and backward direction but,
in the geometrically strict sense, is an obliquely downward
and backward direction along a curve or circular arc.
This modification example is similar in basic
structure to the first embodiment but differs therefrom in
the following points. That is, each pedal 2c is pivotally
fitted to the fore end of the piston rod 2b and besides
pivotally fitted to a lower end of a swinging arm 8. An
upper end of this arm 8 is pivotally fitted to a pivot
shaft P5 at a proper place of the saddle 3. When the pedal
2c is stepped, the arm 8 entirely swings on a fulcrum of
the pivot shaft P5 along a circular arc P2 like a pendulum.
Accordingly, the pedal 2c moves this circular arc P2.
Meanwhile, the air cylinder 2 has a rear end of
a cylinder 2a pivotally fitted to the body 1 by a pivot
shaft P4 so as to follow the circular-arc movement of the
pedal 2c. Accordingly, respon~ive to the position of the
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 26 -
pedal 2c on the circular arc P2, the entire air cylinder 2
swings in a direction of arrow P3 as required.
According to the constitution of this
modification example, since the moving locus of the pedal
2c is restricted by the circular arc P2, which is the locus
of swing of the arm 8, and besides since the pivot shaft P5
of the arm 8 is pivotally fitted to the saddle 3 so as to
be close to the waist portion of the user, the distance
between the waist portion and the pedal 2c is kept
substantially constant. Therefore, this modification
example has an advantage that the bending angle ~2 of the
knee H1 is maintained more constant and unlikely to vary,
as compared with the case of the first embodiment, i.e.,
the case where a straight line P1 is the moving locus of
the pedal. Further, the movement of the pedal is smoother
in this case than when it is along a straight line.
Next, a second embodiment of the present
invention is described with reference to Figs. 6 to 15.
This second embodiment is a further improvement of the
first embodiment so as to be more convenient to use.
In this embodiment, the body 1 is implemented by
a frame. This frame comprises a pair of side face stands
ld, one central front stand lm, an upper frame and a bottom
frame. The upper frame comprises a front frame member lj,
and left and right frame members lk, li coupled to the left
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
and right of the frame member lj, respectively. Meanwhile,
the bottom frame comprises a front frame member lf, a rear
frame member lh, and left and right frame members le, lg
coupled to the left and right of these frame members lf,
lh, respectively. Upper and lower ends of the central
front stand lm connect with the front frame members lj, lf
located in an upper portion and a bottom portion,
respectively.
Reference numeral 3 in the figures denotes a
saddle. This saddle 3 is placed at a substantially center
portion of the frame body 1, and comprises a saddle body 3a
and a saddle support base 3c provided below the saddle body
3a. The saddle body 3a is made by filling urethane foam or
a gel substance or other flexible material in the surface
cover. These flexible materials fulfill functions
equivalent to those of the coil springs 3b of the first
embodiment. The saddle 3 is supported on the frame body so
as to be adjustable in height position via a support rod 4.
That is, a saddle supporting frame member ln extends from
an intermediate portion of the central front stand lm
toward the rear side, and as well shown in Figs. 9 and 10,
a saddle support bar lp is telescopically inserted into the
frame member ln. Then, the support rod 4 is in~erted from
above into a through hole of a block 4c fixed to the fore
end of the saddle support bar lp. The support rod 4 has an
, . . "
CA 022429~2 l998-07-lO
- 28 -
appropriate number of height adjustment holes 4a, while the
block 4c has an insert pin 40b for those holes 4a.
Similarly, the saddle support bar lp also has an
appropriate number of distance adjustment holes lq, while
the saddle supporting frame member ln has a pin 4d to be
inserted into these holes lq. As a result, the saddle can
be adjusted in its height position and horizontal back-and-
forth position.
On the upper front side of the upper frame, is
provided a support plate 22, on which a right-and-left pair
of grips 5d, a right-and-left pair of elbow support pads 19
and one belly support pad 18 are supported. One end of the
support plate 22 iS pivotally fitted to a guide rod 21.
This guide rod 21 iS supported by a pair of bearing blocks
20 fixed onto the side-portion supporting frame member lk.
Therefore, the support plate 22 is enabled to open by
pivoting upward about an axis of the guide rod 21, and
moreover to slide along the guide rod 21. The other end of
the support plate 22, on the other hand, is supported on
the side frame member li. A pin plate 22a is fixed to the
lower face of the other end of the support plate 22. This
pin plate 22a is a clearance adjustment plate having a pin
(not shown) projected from its lower face. This pin can be
fitted into a pin hole 22b formed in a linear shape at the
top surface of the side frame member li, and is capable of
.. .. ..
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 29 -
the back and forth positioning of the support plate 22. In
addition, each grip 5d is fixed to the support plate 22 via
the arm 5c so as to be adjustable in height.
The belly support pad and each elbow support pad
19, as well shown in Fig. 15, effectively support the trunk
portion H2 of the user seated on the saddle 3 in a forward
tilted posture. Each elbow support pad 19 is supported on
the support plate 22. Meanwhile, the belly support pad 18,
as shown in detail in Fig. 11, has a bracket 18a fixed in
a central upper portion of a rear face of the pad 18, and
an upper portion of a support stand 23 is pivotally fitted
to the bracket 18a. Then, the support stand 23 extends
vertically through the support plate 22. The support stand
23 has an appropriate number of height adjustment holes
23a, each of which is designed for insertion of a pin 24.
The pin 24 is inserted thereinto via an insertion hole
formed in the support plate 22. As a result, the belly
support pad 18 can be adjusted in height position.
Meanwhile, reference numeral 26 in the figures denotes a
pair of adjustment screws for adjusting the tilt angle of
the belly support pad 18. Each adjustment screw 26 is
screwed into a screw hole provided in the support plate 22
so that its fore end makes contact with a lower portion of
the rear face of the pad 18. By these adjustment screws 26
moving back and forth, the pad 18 is rotated about a
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 30 -
fulcrum of an upper portion of the support stand 23 so as
to be adjusted in its tilt angle. In addition, this
embodiment is designed for the user to exercise kick motion
in a forward tilted posture as stated before and therefore
the backrest means seen in the first embodiment is
excluded.
In this embodiment, a pair of step rods 30 are
adopted as the stepping means. These step rods 30 are
fixed to lower ends of the right and left pair of swing
arms 8. The step rods 30 extend horizontally inward from
the swing arms 8, left and right, respectively. Each step
rod 30 has a stopper 10. The user's feet are to be placed
inside these stoppers 10. When each rod is stepped
backward, the feet would tend to slide outward so as to be
opened outward, but are blocked from being opened by the
stoppers 10. An upper end of each swing arm 8 is fixed to
its corresponding shaft 11. These shafts 11 are rotatably
provided at upper portions of the side stands ld,
respectively. The shafts 11 extend through from inside to
outside of the stands ld, respectively. The swing arms 8
are fixed inside the shafts 11, respectively. Meanwhile,
a cam 14 and a balance weight 13 are fixed on each shaft 11
outer than the stand. This balance weight 13 serves for
weight adjustment to balance the weights of the swing arm
and the step rod so that the step load becomes
,, , , .~
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
substantially zero.
The shape of each cam 14 is shown in detail in
Fig. 13. This cam is a plate cam, which is substantially
elliptically shaped as a whole and has a base end fixed to
the shaft 11. Flanges 14a are provided on both sides of a
free end of the cam, with a cam groove formed between the
flanges 14a. An end of a belt 17 is fixed to this cam.
That is, the belt 17 is set on the free-end peripheral
surface of the cam and a fixed end 17a of the belt 17 is
fixed to the cam peripheral surface.
The belt 17 is connected to each air cylinder 2
via a pulley 16. This pulley 16 is shaft fitted to rear
portions of the side frame members li, lk and outside them.
The air cylinders 2 are arranged in a way largely different
from that of the first embodiment, and fixed vertically
onto the bottom frame. An end portion of the belt 17 is
coupled to an upper end of the piston rod 2b of each air
cylinder 2. Accordingly, if the user kicks each step rod
30 backward by the leg as shown in Fig. 15, the belt 17 is
pulled forward so that the piston rod 2b is pulled up.
How the configuration of the cam 14 gives a load
to the legs during the kick motion is described below with
reference to Figs. 13 and 14.
Fig. 13 shows a case in which the cam, the
initial position of which is at an angle of 45~ on the
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
basis of a horizontal axis, has rotated 90~
counterclockwise in the figure along with the swing arm by
kick motion. When the cam 14 has a configuration of a cam
peripheral surface as illustrated in the figure, the
relationship between the kick angle and a load applied to
the leg results in a curve as shown in the graph of Fig.
14. That is, the load is substantially constant as a
whole, but gradually increases from the initial stage of a
kick motion and thereafter gradually decreases toward the
final stage of the kick motion. This is because the
elliptical configuration of the cam causes the distance
between the cam peripheral surface and the shaft 11 to vary
so that the traveling length of the belt 17 per unit
rotational angle of the cam is varied. As a result, the
kick motion can be done smoothly. More specifically, in
the initial stage of a kick motion, the load is made
relatively small so as to allow an easy step. Then, as the
step is accelerated, the load is increased gradually. In
the final stage of the kick motion, the user would get into
a posture that the legs are bent toward the back side with
respect to the trunk portion, thus being hindered from
exerting force. On account of this, in the final stage,
the load is made relatively small.
Next, the structure of the air cylinder 2 is
described in detail with reference to Fig. 12.
,. . .~
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
The air cylinder 2 comprises a cylinder body 2a,
a piston 2f and a piston rod 2b. The cylinder body is of
a double wall structure, i.e., its cylindrical body is
composed of an inner cylinder 2m and an outer cylinder 2c.
The inner cylinder, which is equivalent to a conventional
cylinder body, houses therein the piston 2f and the piston
rod 2b, allowing them to slidably reciprocate. The outer
cylinder 2c, on the other hand, defines an inner-and-outer
cylinder space 2p against the inner cylinder 2m. In an
upper portion of the inner cylinder 2m, an appropriate
number of through holes 2n are formed so as to communicate
an inner cylinder space 2q and the inner-and-outer cylinder
space 2p with each other. Upper and lower ends of the
inner and outer cylinders are sealed by their top plates 2d
and a bottom plate 2e. The bottom plate 2e has a freeing
port 2g for freeing the bottom portion of the inner
cylinder space 2q to outside, and pressure adjusting means
for adjusting initial pressures of the inner-and-outer
cylinder space 2p and the inner cylinder space 2q. In
order to communicate the inner-and-outer cylinder space 2p
with outside, this pressure adjusting means comprises an
air-pressure adjustment port 2h formed in the bottom plate
2e, a valve 2j which connects with the port 2h, an air
compressor 2k which connects with the valve 2j, and
pressure control means, i.e. a control panel 7b, for
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
- 34 -
controlling the valve 2j and the air compressor 2k. The
control panel 7b is fixed to the front frame member lj.
The double wall structure of the cylinder body as
described above means ultimately to eliminate the air tank
and to downsize the air cylinder. This air cylinder is
made smaller in the capacity of the inner cylinder and
larger in the capacity of the outer cylinder. Assuming
that the through holes 2n are absent with the result of
closure, up and down movement of the piston caused by the
user's kick motion makes the piston move up and down within
the inner cylinder 2m so that the pressure in the inner
cylinder is varied. That is, the pressure grows larger in
proportion to increases in the stepping amount of the kick
motion. In such a case, it would be impossible to exercise
a smooth kick motion. Therefore, any extreme pressure
increase in the inner cylinder needs to be prevented.
Conventionally, this would be implemented by using an air
tank to be connected to the inner cylinder. In contrast to
this, this air cylinder employs the outer cylinder 2c
instead of an air tank. That is, because the inner
cylinder space 2q communicates with the inner-and-outer
cylinder space 2p via the through holes 2n, pressure
variation in the inner cylinder space is absorbed by fluid
present in the inner-and-outer cylinder space of large
capacity, ~o that the quantity of variation can be
CA 022429~2 1998-07-10
suppressed to a negligible level depending on the design of
the cylinder. Besides, because the through holes 2n can be
enlarged enough in their opening area and also set in their
number and configuration arbitrarily, the .air passage
resistance of the through holes 2n can be reduced to small
enough so that the variation in pressure change can be
reduced to an extremely small one, as an advantage. With
the conventional air tank used, quite a large resistance of
the pipe that connects the air tan~ and the air cylinder
with each other would cause larger pressure variations as
compared with the air cylinder of this embodiment.
