DE69703086T2 - STATIONARY EXERCISE DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

Invention area

The present invention relates to exercise equipment and in particular to a stationary exercise equipment for simulating a range of running movements such as skiing, walking, jogging, running and climbing. A exercise equipment of this type is known from UA-A-5 242 343.

Basis of the invention

The benefits of regular aerobic exercise are well known and accepted. Due to bad weather, time constraints and other reasons, it is not always possible to go for a walk, jog, run or swim in the fresh air. Therefore, various types of aerobic exercise machines have been developed. For example, cross-country skiing exercise machines simulate the sliding motion of cross-country skiing. Such machines provide a good range of motion for the leg muscles. Many people also use treadmills to walk, jog or possibly run. A disadvantage of most treadmills is that during jogging or running, heavy loads can be placed on the hips, knees, ankles and other joints of the body. Another type of exercise machine simulates stair climbing. Such machines may consist of foot pedals, the front end of which is pivotally attached to a frame and the rear end of which has treads. The user presses his/her feet down on the foot pedals to simulate climbing stairs. The resistance to the Downward movement of the foot pedals is ensured by springs, shock absorbers and/or other elements.

The aforementioned equipment can be used to train various muscles in the legs and other parts of the user's body. Therefore, to train all of these muscles, three different pieces of exercise equipment are required. Not only is this expensive, but many people do not have the space to accommodate all of these pieces of equipment. Moreover, if only one of these pieces of equipment is purchased, the user may become bored of using only one piece of equipment and may therefore want to use other pieces of equipment as well.

With the present invention it is possible to simulate various exercises such as cross-country skiing, walking, jogging, running and climbing using a single device. In addition, jogging and running are performed without the shock loads on the joints of the user's body that are generated when using treadmills.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings and the following description.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, a training device is proposed as disclosed in claim 1.

The training device according to the invention has a frame that stands on a floor. This frame has a rear pivot axis, to which first and second foot connections are hinged, which move in a path opposite to the pivot axis. The foot connections on which the feet of the user's feet have front ends that engage a guide that is attached to the frame so that the foot links can move back and forth in a specific path. The angular pitch of the guide and/or the elevation of the guide relative to the frame can be selectively changed to change the path followed by the foot pedal of the first and second links, thereby simulating different types of walking movements.

According to a particular aspect of the present invention, the guide includes rails to receive and guide the front ends of the foot connections. The rails can be raised or lowered relative to the frame. For example, the rails can be pivotally attached to the frame and the angle of inclination of the guides can be optionally changed.

According to a more specific aspect of the present invention, the guides may be in the form of rails which engage the front ends of the foot links. The slope and/or the angular position of the rails relative to the frame may be optionally varied in order to vary the walking movements felt by the user.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the guide of the front ends of the foot links may include one or more toggle levers pivotally attached to the frame, the lower end of these toggle levers being pivotally attached to the front end of the foot links. The length of the toggle levers may be extended or shortened to thereby raise or lower the connection point between the toggle levers and the front ends of the foot links to thereby changing the type of running movement perceived by the user.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, flywheels are arranged on a rear part of the frame and can rotate about the pivot axis of the frame. The rear ends of the foot links are pivotally arranged on the flywheel at a location that can be selected with respect to the pivot axis of the frame. The flywheel serves not only as a connection between the rear ends of the foot links and the pivot axis of the frame, but also as a momentary storage for simulating a memory impulse to thereby simulate the impulse of the body during the various running movements.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, resistance can be applied to the rotation of the flywheel to make it easier or more difficult to achieve the desired running motion. This resistance can be coordinated with the level of physical activity desired by the user, such as a desired cardiac load for optimal calorie expenditure. A cardiac load monitor or other sensor can be used to sense the desired physical parameters to be optimized during exercise.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the rear ends of the foot connections are connected to the pivot axis by means of a connection system which enables relative pivoting movement between the pivot axis and the foot connections about two axes, both perpendicular (transverse) to the length of the foot connections This allows the front ends of the foot connections to move or shift freely relative to the rear ends in a lateral direction, i.e. transverse to the length of the foot connections.

Short description of the drawings

The foregoing aspects and numerous advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a training device according to the invention, seen from the back to the front of the device;

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1 with a cover placed over the rear end of the device, this perspective view being shown between the rear end and the front end of the device;

Fig. 8 shows a similar view to Fig. 7, but seen between the front and the back of the device;

Fig. 9 shows a similar view to Fig. 8, but with the front and rear hoods removed;

Fig. 10 shows an enlarged partial perspective view of the front part of the device shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 shows an enlarged partial perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 9, in which one of the flywheels has been omitted;

Fig. 12 shows a view similar to Fig. 11, but from the opposite side of the device, where the nearest flywheel has been omitted;

Fig. 13 shows a side view of the device according to the invention in a schematic representation of the movement paths of the user's feet at different angles of inclination of the guide of the foot connections;

Figure 14 shows a schematic view of the system used in the present invention to change the level of physical activity using the device according to the invention; and

Fig. 15 shows a side view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 16 shows an enlarged partial perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred design

Referring to Figures 1 to 9, the device 18 of the invention includes a ground-based frame 20 having a front post 22 extending first upwards and then diagonally forwards. A pair of flywheels 24a and 24b are mounted at the rear of the frame 20 for rotation about a horizontal axial axis 26. The flywheels 24a and 24b may be covered by a rear hood 28. The rear ends of the foot links 28a and 28b are pivotally mounted to the respective flywheels 24a and 24b for movement in a circular orbit about an axis 26 as the flywheels rotate. Rollers 32a and 32b are pivotally mounted on the front ends of the foot links 30a and 30b so that they can move on tubular rails 34a and 34b of a guide 36. The front ends of the foot links 30a and 30b move back and forth on the rails 34a and 34b while the rear ends of the foot links 30a and 30b rotate about the axis 26, thus causing the pedals 27 carried by the foot links to move in various elliptical paths, as will be described in more detail later.

A lifting mechanism 38 mounted on the post 22 is operated to vary the inclination of the guide 36 so as to vary the walking motion of the user of the device according to the invention. At a low angle of inclination, the device enables the movements of cross-country skiing, and as the angle of inclination gradually increases, the type of movement changes from walking to running or climbing. A front hood 39 largely covers the lifting mechanism.

As can be clearly seen in Figures 11 and 12, the device according to the invention also includes a braking mechanism 40 for applying a certain degree of resistance to the rotation of the flywheels 24a and 24b and thereby determining the force that the user of the device 18 must exert. The following description explains in more detail the foregoing and other aspects of the present invention.

The frame 20 includes a central longitudinal member 42 which terminates at front and rear relatively shorter cross members 44 and 46. Conveniently, but not necessarily, the frame 20 is made of rectangular tubes which are relatively lightweight but have high strength. End caps 48 are inserted into the open ends of the cross members 44 and 46 to close these members.

The structure of the post 22 includes a substantially vertical lower section 52 and an upper section 54 extending diagonally upward and forward from the lower section. Conveniently, but not necessarily, the lower and upper sections 52 and 54 may also be made of rectangular tubes. An end cap 48 is also inserted into the upper section 54 of the post to close the opening thereof.

A continuous closed handle is mounted on top of the upper portion 54 for gripping by a user of the device of the invention. The handle includes an upper cross member 58 which is secured to the upper end of the upper portion 54 of the post by means of a bracket 60 which is placed around the upper portion of the handle and secured to the upper portion of the post by means of two screws 62. The handle also includes side portions 62a and 62b each consisting of an upper diagonal, a central and a substantially vertical portion, and lower diagonal portions 68a and 68b extending downwardly and extending from the central side portions. The handle 56 also includes a lower cross portion 70 having a central portion which is secured to the upper portion 54 of the post by means of a bracket 60 held by a pair of screws 62. Although not shown, the handle may be wholly or partially covered with a gripping material or gripping surface such as a tape, foamed synthetic rubber, etc.

A display 74 is attached to the upper portion 54 of the post at a location between the upper and lower cross members 58 and 70 of the handle 56. The display includes a central screen 76 and several smaller screens 78, as well as a keypad with a number of "buttons" 80, which are described in more detail below.

The flywheels 24a and 24b are secured to the outer opposite ends of a drive shaft 84 extending transversely through the upper end of a rear post 86 extending upwardly from a rear end of the central member 42 of the frame. A roller bearing 88 serves to frictionlessly secure the drive shaft 84 to the rear post 86. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flywheels 24a and 24b are keyed or otherwise secured to the drive shaft 84 so that the flywheels can rotate with the drive shaft. It will be noted that the center portion of the drive shaft 84 coincides with the position of the transverse axis 26. A belt drive 90 is also mounted on the drive shaft 84 between the flywheel 24a and the adjacent side of the rear post 86.

The rear post 86 may be secured to a longitudinal member 42 of the frame in any suitable manner, such as by welding or bolting. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an angle iron 92 is attached to the junction between the front lower portion of the rear post 86 and the surface of the longitudinal member 42 to provide reinforcement between these parts. Of course, other types of bracing or reinforcement may be selected.

The flywheels 24a and 24b include spokes 94 extending radially outward from a central hub 95 and intersecting a circumferential flange 96. The flywheels 24a and 24b may also have a different construction, such as a substantially solid disk shape, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

The rear hood 28 encloses the flywheels 24a and 24b, the braking system 40 and the rear portions of the foot links 30a and 30b. The hood 28 rests on the rear cross member 46 of the frame and also on a pair of additional longitudinal members 97 which project forwardly from the cross member 46 and intersect the outer ends of additional cross members 98. The surfaces of the support members 97 and 98 conform to the surfaces of the frame members 42 and 46. In addition, a plurality of mounting brackets 99 are secured to the surfaces of the additional support members 97 and 98 and to the frame members 42 and 46. The brackets 99 are provided with internal threads for the insertion of screws to secure the hood 28 thereto. As is clearly shown in Fig. 11 and 12, the cross-section of the height of the support elements 97 and 98 of the hood is smaller than the cross-section of the height of the Height of frame parts 42 and 46 so that they do not rest on the floor below.

The illustrated foot joints 30a and 30b are made of elongated tubular members, but may be of other construction and may, for example, be made of solid rods. The rear ends of the foot joints 30a and 30b are pivotally attached to the outer periphery of the flywheels 24a and 24b by means of screws 100 which are inserted through collars 102 formed on the rear ends of the foot joints and which engage openings 104 provided in the outer periphery of the flywheels. As best shown in Fig. 12, opening 104 is located at the junction between the flywheel spoke 94 and the outer flange rim 96. This portion of the flywheel has been thickened to produce a hub bead 106. The foot connections 30a and 30b extend on the outside of the front of the cover 28 through vertical openings 108 formed on the front of the cover.

As also shown in Fig. 12, a second hub bead 110 is formed on the spoke diametrically opposite the spoke on which the hub bead 106 is located, but at a location closer to the axis 26 than the hub bead 106. The collars 102 at the rear ends of the foot links can be located on the flywheels on the hub beads 110 rather than on the hub beads 106 so as to reduce the diameter of the orbits traversed by the rear ends of the foot links as the flywheels rotate, and thereby correspondingly shorten the length of the elliptical path traversed by the pedals 27. It will be noted that by attaching the collars 102 to the Hub beads 110 a shorter stroke of the foot connections and thus a shorter stride length of the trainee is achieved compared to the stride length required when the frames are attached to the flywheels at the position of the hub beads 106.

Concave rollers 32a and 32b are rotatably mounted to the front ends of the foot links 30a and 30b by means of cross shafts 114. The concave curvature of the rollers matches the diameter of the rails 34a and 34b of the guide 36. In this way, the rollers 32a and 32b keep the front ends of the foot links in secure engagement with the guide 36 during use of the device according to the invention. Foot pedals 27 are mounted on the surface of the foot links 30 so that they can receive and hold the feet of the user. The pedals 27 are equipped with a plurality of transverse ribs which not only improve the structural integrity of the foot levers, but also serve as a non-slip surface between the sole of the shoe or the foot of the user and the foot pedals. Although not shown, the foot pedals may be designed to be positioned in the longitudinal direction of the foot joints to accommodate different body sizes and in particular different leg lengths of the user.

The guide 36 is U-shaped and its rear free ends are hinged in a central region in the longitudinal direction of the central element 42 of the frame. The free ends of the guide 36 can be pivotally attached to the central element 42 of the frame by any suitable method, including their bearing on the outer ends of a cross tube 118. The guide consists of parallel tubular rails 34a and 34b which are axially aligned with the foot connections 30a and 30b. The front ends of the rails 34a and 34b are connected by means of a curved part 119 which crosses the post 22 at its front.

The front of the guide 36 is supported by a lifting mechanism 38, shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10. The lifting mechanism 38 includes a cross beam 120 supported by the lower end of a substantially U-shaped vertically movable carriage 122. Tube sections 124 for the rollers engage the outer ends of the cross beam 120 so as to rest directly under the bottom of the rails 34a and 34b. The movement of the carriage 122 is limited in the vertical direction above the height of a central guide beam 126 which is securely attached to the front of the lower sections 54 of the post by suitable means such as screws 128. The cross-section of the guide beam 126 is T-shaped and has a central web which abuts the lower section 52 of the post and has side flange portions spaced from the front of the lower section of the post. A pair of Z-shaped brackets 130 hold the carriage 122 in engagement with the guide beam 126. The brackets each include a first side flange which is secured to the rear flange surface of the carriage, a central web which extends along the outer sides of the guide beam and a second side flange which is disposed in a gap formed by the front of the lower section 52 of the post and the opposite side of the flange of the guide beam. It will be appreciated that due to this construction the carriage can move vertically relative to the guide beam 126 but is held in engagement with the guide beam.

The carriage 122 is raised and lowered by means of an electric switch 136. The lift switch 136 includes an upper threaded member 138 which is operated by means of an electric motor 140 attached to the upper end of the threaded member. The top of the threaded member is in rotatable engagement with a sleeve 142 attached to a U-shaped bracket 144 provided on the front of the post 22 near the junction between the lower portion 52 and the upper portion 54 of the post. A cross pin 146 is seated in axial openings formed in the flanges of the bracket 144 and in diametrically opposed axial openings in the sleeve 142. The sleeve 142 allows the screw 138 to rotate relative to the sleeve while remaining in vertical engagement with the bezel.

The lower part of the threaded member 138 is screwed into a lower tubular housing 147, the bottom and end portion of which are securely attached to the crossbar 120. It will be appreciated that the motor 140 can be operated to rotate the threaded member 138 in one direction so that the carriage 122 can be lowered or raised in the opposite direction as desired. As the carriage is lowered or raised, the angle of inclination of the guide 36 is changed, which in turn changes the stepping motion felt by the user of the device 18. The engagement of the threaded member 138 in the housing 120 and hence the angle of inclination of the guide 36 can be easily achieved using standard techniques such as a rotating potentiometer 147 shown in Figure 14.

The front cover 39 largely covers the lifting mechanism 38. The cover 39 extends in the front direction from the side walls of the lower sections 52 and upper sections 54 and encompass the carriage 122, the guide beam 126, the lift switches 136 and other components of the lifting mechanism. Only the free ends of the cross beam 120 and the corresponding portions 124 of the rollers protrude from vertical slots 148 formed in the side walls of the cover 39. A plurality of screws 149 are provided to removably attach the cover 39 to the side walls of the post 22.

The present invention includes a system for applying a braking force or retardation to the rotation of the flywheels by means of an eddy current braking system 40. The braking system 40 includes the larger belt drive 90 mentioned above which drives a smaller belt drive 150 by means of a V-shaped V-belt 152. The driven belt drive 150 is attached to the free end of a rotatable flanged shaft 154 which extends outwardly from a lever arm 156 which is pivotally attached to the rear end of the rear post 86 by means of a U-shaped bracket 158 and a pivot pin 160 which traverses axial openings formed in the bracket and which also traverses axial openings formed in the side walls of the pivot pin 156. A tension spring 161 is located between the bottom of the free end of the lever arm 156 and the top of the frame member 42 to maintain sufficient tension on the V-belt 152 to prevent slippage between the V-belt and the pivots 90 and 150. The relative dimensions of the pivots 90 and 150 are such that a stepping speed is achieved which is six to ten times, and advantageously about eight times, greater. In other words, the drive shaft 154 rotates six to ten times faster than the drive shaft 84.

A compact metal disk 162 is mounted on a flange shaft 154 on the inside of the belt drive 150 so that it can rotate together with the driven belt drive. Advantageously, an annular face plate 164 made of a highly electrically conductive material, such as copper, is mounted on the front of the compact disk 162 in the vicinity of the driven belt drive 150. Two magnets 168 are mounted in close proximity to the front of the compact disk opposite the annular plate 164. The magnets 168 each contain a central core in the form of a rod-shaped magnet 170 which is surrounded by a coil 172. The magnets 168 are attached to a support rod by means of screws 176 which are inserted through axial holes in the support rod and the magnet cores. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the magnets 168 are arranged on the outer periphery 162 axially of the annular plate 164. The position of the magnets can be adjusted relative to the adjacent surface of the disk 162 so that they are as close to the disk as possible without touching it or affecting the rotation of the disk. The positioning of the magnets 168 is achieved by adjusting the position of the support rod 174 relative to a support plate 178 mounted on the rear free end of the lever arm 156. Two horizontal slots (not shown) are formed in the support plate 178 into which threaded screws 179 are inserted, which then engage threaded holes made in the front of the support rod 174.

As already mentioned above, the significant difference in size between the diameters of the pulley 90 and the driven belt drive 150 results in a significant increase in the rotational speed of the pulley 62 compared to the rotational speed of the flywheels 24a and 24b. The rotational speed of the pulley 62 ranges therefore sufficient to generate a relatively large braking torque with the help of the eddy current brake 40.

As will be explained in more detail below, the speed of the flywheels 24a and 24b should be controlled to measure the distance traveled by the user of the device of the invention and also to monitor the level of workout achieved by the user. Any standard method may be used to measure the rotational speed of the flywheels. For example, an optical or magnetic timing pulse wheel may be mounted on the disk 162, the pulley 90 or on another rotating element of the device. The rotational speed of the timing pulse wheel may be controlled by an optical or magnetic sensor 180 (Fig. 14) to produce an electrical signal related to the rotational speed.

To use the device according to the invention, the user places his feet on the foot levers 27 and holds on to the handle 56 to achieve the necessary stability. The user exerts a downward running force on the foot levers and thereby causes the flywheels 24a and 24b to rotate about the axis 26. As a result, the rear ends of the foot links rotate about the axis 26 and at the same time the front ends move up and down on the rails 34a and 34b. The front end of the foot link moves downward along its rail as the connection point of the foot link to the flywheel moves from a position very close to the post 22 (maximum extended position of the foot link) to a position furthest from the post, that is, the maximum retracted position of the foot link. From this point of maximum retracted position of the foot link, further rotation of the flywheel causes the foot link to move upwards and forwards along the rail 34a back to the maximum extended position of the foot link. These two positions are shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 13 also shows the trajectory of the center of the foot levers 27 and thus the trajectory of the user's feet. As shown in Fig. 13, this trajectory largely has the shape of an ellipse rotated forwards and upwards.

Fig. 13 shows the movement path of the foot lever 27 in three different angular positions of the guide 36, which correspond to different standing heights of the lifting mechanism 38. In the smallest angular position shown in Fig. 13 (about 10º above the horizontal), the corresponding movement path 181 of the foot lever is shown. This largely corresponds to the movements during cross-country skiing. The guide 36 is also shown in a second orientation at a steeper angle (about 20º) to the horizontal, and the corresponding movement path of the foot lever 116 is shown by the ellipse 182. This movement path largely corresponds to the movements during walking. Fig. 13 also shows a third, even steeper angular position of the guide 36, that is, about 30º to the horizontal. The corresponding elliptical movement path of the foot lever 27 is marked with the reference number 183 in Fig. 13. This movement path corresponds to the movements when climbing. By regulating the angle of the guide 36, different types of movement can be achieved with the help of the present invention. Therefore, the device according to the invention can be used to achieve different types of physical activity, such as skiing, walking, running or climbing. In order to achieve these different movements, different training devices had to be used up to now.

It should be noted that a common relationship arises in each of the aforementioned trajectories of the foot lever and thus of the user's feet. For example, when the rear end of a foot link moves forward from the rearmost position shown in Fig. 13, the user's heel initially rises faster than his toes. Then, when the rear end of the foot link moves backward from the frontmost position, the user's heel initially lowers faster than his toes. The same relationship also applies when the front end of the foot link moves from a position at the lower end of the guide 36 to a position at the upper end of the guide 36. In other words, when the front end of a foot link moves forward and upward from a lower rearmost point along the guide 36, the user's heel initially rises faster than his toes. This largely corresponds to the relative movement of the user’s heels and toes during cross-country skiing, walking, running, climbing and other stepping movements.

The system 184 according to the invention for controlling and coordinating the angle of inclination of the guide 36 and the resistance applied to the rotation of the flywheels 24a and 24b to achieve the desired exercise is shown schematically in Fig. 14. As shown in Fig. 14, the parameters of the exercise, i.e. the heart rate of the exerciser, are monitored by a sensor 186. An electrical signal is generated which is usually an analog signal corresponding to the heart rate. There are various monitors for the heart rate, such as monitors worn on the chest, earlobe or finger. The output of the monitor 186 is passed through an analog or digital interface 188 and a controller 190 to a central processor (CPU) 192 which is conveniently incorporated in a display 74. In addition to or instead of the user's heart rate, other physical parameters of the exerciser can also be used, such as breathing, age, weight, gender, etc.

In Figure 14, the control system 184 of the present invention includes an AC power connector 194 that can be connected to a standard 110 VA AC power connector. The power connector 194 is fed to a transformer 196 and then to the braking system 40 and the display 74. The lifting mechanism 38 is powered by AC power and is therefore not connected to the transformer 196.

As mentioned above, the lifting mechanism 38 contains a sensor 147, with the help of which the extended and retracted position of the lifting mechanism and thus the angle of inclination of the guide 36 is controlled. This information is passed through the analog to the digital interface 188 through the controller 190 and to the CPU 192. The rotational speed of the flywheels 24a and 24b is also monitored by a sensor 180 as already mentioned above, this information being passed through the analog to the digital interface 188, to the CPU and the controller 190. Thus, when using the device 18 according to the invention, the CPU is fed with the heart rate or other physical parameters of the exerciser, which are detected by the sensor 186, as well as the angle of inclination of the guide 36 and the rotational speed of the flywheels 24a and 24b. This information or related information may be presented to the user on the screen 76.

In addition, with the aid of the present invention, a desired level of physical activity can be obtained using the control system 184.

For example, certain parameters can be entered by the user using the keyboard 80, such as age, height, gender, in order to achieve a desired heart rate during exercise. Alternatively, the desired heart rate can be entered directly by the exerciser. The user can also enter other parameters as desired, such as the desired rotational speed of the flywheels, which corresponds to the cycles per minute of the foot links and/or the angle of inclination of the guide 36. With this information, the control system according to the invention regulates the braking system 40 and/or the lifting mechanism 38 so that the desired level of physical activity is achieved.

It will be understood that various routines or exercises may be programmed into the CPU 192 or selected by the user to reflect various parameters including cardiovascular data, type of stepping motion, etc. The control system 184, braking system 40 and lifting mechanism 38 are then controlled to correspond to the desired level of exercise.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 16. The device 18' shown in Fig. 15 is constructed similarly to the device 18 shown in the previous figures. Therefore, those components of the device 18' which are the same or similar to the components of the device 18 are designated by the same reference numerals, but supplemented by the prime number ('"').

The device 18' includes a single flywheel 24' which is rotatably mounted on the rear of the frame 20'. A pair of crank discs 200a and 200b extend axially in diametrically opposite directions from the ends of the drive shaft 84' and are pivotally connected to the rear end of the foot links 201a and 201b. It will be seen that the crank discs 200a and 200b support the rear ends of the foot links 201a and 201b during their movement in the fore and aft directions. To this end, the length of the crank disc can be varied to vary the "stroke" of the foot links to accommodate different leg or stride lengths.

The front ends of the foot links 201a and 201b are pivotally attached to the lower ends of toggle levers 200a and 220b at pivot joints 202. The toggle levers preferably have a tubular curved construction with the upper ends pivoted to the post 22' at the axis 204' at the intersection between the lower section 52' and the upper section 54' of the post. The toggle levers include an upper tubular portion 206 and a lower tubular portion 208. The upper end of the lower section 208 is in sliding engagement with the lower end of the corresponding upper section 206 to allow the length of the toggle levers to be selectively varied. The upper and lower sections of the toggle levers may be held in engagement by any means, such as a cross pin 210 inserted into diametrically opposed axial openings in the upper section of the toggle levers and into another set of diametrically opposed axial openings in the lower sections.

Although not shown, a tension spring or other device may be disposed inside the upper and lower portions of the toggle lever to engage the upper and lower portions. Alternatively, the engagement of the upper and lower Sections of the toggle lever can be controlled "automatically" by incorporating a linear switch or other actuation into the design of the toggle lever.

The toggle levers 200a and 200b support the front ends of the foot links 201a and 201b so that they can move in an arcuate path 212 formed by the pivot axis 204 of the upper ends of the toggle levers about the post 22' and the radial length between this axis 204 and the pivot pin 202 which forms the connection point between the front end of the foot link and the lower end of the toggle lever. It will be understood that the path 212 can be changed if the relative engagement between the upper portion 206 and the lower portion 208 of the toggle lever is changed. This results in a change in the stepping motion perceived by the user, which stepping motion can be changed in a similar way to that achieved by changing the angle of inclination of the guide 36, as already explained above. Therefore, device 18' offers the same advantages as device 18 described above.

A band brake 220 can be used to selectively apply rotational resistance to the flywheel 24'. The band brake includes a brake band 222 that is placed around the outer edge of the flywheel 24' and around a smaller diameter winding roller 224 that is rotatably attached to the outer/free end of the linear switch 226. The opposite end of the linear switch is pivotally connected to a mounting bracket 226 that is attached to a frame 42'. Of course, the linear switch can be mechanically, electrically or in some other way selectively controlled by the user to exert a desired frictional force on the flywheel 24'. It is also possible to other methods may be used to apply a desired degree of resistance to the rotation of the flywheel 24'. For example, a snubber brake (not shown) may be employed which bears against the upper outer edge of the flywheel itself or against a disk (not shown) which rotates with the flywheel.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 16. Here, a plurality of pivot connections are provided between the foot connections 30a' and 30b' and the flywheels 24a and 24b. A rail pivot block 230 is pivotally attached to the flywheels 24a and 24b at openings 104 by means of a screw 232 and a nut 234. The rail pivot blocks 230 move in a plane that is approximately parallel to the plane of the corresponding flywheel. The foot connections 30a' and 30b' are hollow at the rear ends to accommodate the rail pivot blocks 230. A mounting pin 231 is inserted into opposite openings on the top and bottom of the rear end of the foot links 30a' and 30b' and is a close fit into a hole in the pivot block to secure the pivot block 230 to the rear end of the foot links. Longitudinal slots 236 are provided between the rear ends of the foot links 30a and 30b into which the screws 232 and 234 are inserted.

Conveniently, the pivot blocks are substantially rectangular in shape and are dimensioned to fit between the upper and lower flange walls of the hollow foot joints. However, the inner width of the flange portions of the foot joints is greater than the thickness of the rail pivot blocks 230 to thereby allow angular displacement of the foot joints relative to the pivot block about the mounting pin. 231 which serves as a pivot pin. This design provides a connection of the foot joints between the flywheels 24a and 24b and the guides 36 which compensates for any deviations in the alignment of the flywheels 24a and 24b and the guide 36, particularly axially to the length of the foot joints 30a and 30b. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that varying the thickness of the rail pivot blocks 230 and the position of the mounting pins 231 will allow those skilled in the art to refine the design based on the expected tolerances that may occur in the alignment of the other components of the present invention.

Claims (18)

1. Training device for simulating various types of step movements, comprising: a frame (20) with a pivot axis (26) formed thereon; a first foot connection (30a) and a second foot connection (30b) having a first end, a second end and a foot pedal (27) arranged therebetween; a coupling system (100, 102, 104, 106, 110) connected to the first end of the foot connections (30a, 30b) to connect the first end of the foot connections (30a, 30b) to the pivot axis (26) so that the first end moves in a curved path relative to the pivot axis (26); a guide (36) which engages and guides the second ends of the foot connections (30a, 30b) in preselected reciprocating paths of movement while the first ends of the foot connections (30a, 30b) move in curved paths; and a control system (38) for selectively changing the height and/or the angular position of the guide (36) relative to the frame (20) so as to change the paths traveled by the foot pedals (27) of the first and second foot connections (30a, 30b). 2. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling system (100, 102, 104, 106, 110) comprises first and second flywheels (24a, 24b) which are rotatably mounted on the frame (20) about the Pivot axis (26) of the frame are articulated, and that the coupling system connects the first and second ends (28a, 28b) of the foot connections to the first and second flywheels. 3. Training device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first ends of the first and second foot connections (28a, 28b) can be pivotally attached to flywheels (24a, 24b) at selected positions (106, 110) on the pivot axis (26) of the frame. 4. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling system (100, 102, 104, 106, 110) which connects the first ends of the foot connections at selected distances from the pivot axis (26) in order to change the curved path of movement of the first ends of the foot connections so that they can move relative to the pivot axis of the frame. 5. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling system (100, 102, 104, 106, 110) includes pivot pins (230, 231, 232, 234) for rotatably connecting the first ends of the first foot connection (28a) and the second foot connection (28b) to the pivot axis (26) to thereby enable angular displacement of the foot connections at the connections between the first ends of the foot connections and the pivot axis (26). 6. Training device according to claim 5, characterized in that the coupling system (100, 102, 104, 106, 110) comprises first crank discs (200a) and second crank discs (200b), one end of these crank discs being pivotally connected to the pivot axis (26') and the other end of the crank discs being pivotally connected to the first end of a corresponding first foot connection (201a) and a second foot connection (201b). 7. Training device according to claim 6, characterized in that the pivot means (230, 231, 232, 234) are arranged between the ends of the crank discs (200a, 200b) opposite the pivot axis (26') and the first ends of the first foot connection (201a) and the second foot connection (201b), and that the pivot means are connected to the crank discs so as to be rotatable about a first axis (232) and pivotable about a second axis (231) to the first and second foot connections, and that the first and second axes of the pivot means are arranged largely at right angles to one another. 8. Training device according to claim 5, characterized in that the pivoting means (230, 231, 232, 234) have two vertical axes of rotation (232, 231). 9. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide (36) is designed to guide the second ends of the foot connections (28a, 28b) in an alternating movement path when the first ends of the foot connections move about the pivot axis (26), so that when using the training device and when the second ends of the foot links move from a point at the rear end of the alternating trajectory forward in that trajectory, the user's heel at the foot link initially rises faster than the user's toes, and when the second end of the foot link moves in the alternating trajectory from the front end to the rear end, the user's heel initially lowers faster than his toes. 10. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide (36) is arranged inclined relative to the ground, and that the control system (38) can change the angle of inclination of the guide relative to the ground. 11. Training device according to claim 10, characterized in that the guide (36) is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the frame (20) and axially to the first foot connections (28a) and the second foot connections (28b), and that the guide has means (118) for arranging the guide on the frame so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis, and that the control system (38) has means for changing the orientation of the guide relative to the frame about the pivot axis. 12. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control system (39) has means (136) for raising or lowering the guide relative to the frame. 13. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide (36) has first rails (34a) and second rails (34b), and that the control system (38) engages the rails during operation in order to change the orientation of the rails relative to the frame (20). 14. Training device according to claim 13, characterized in that the control system (38) engages with the rails (34a, 34b) in order to change the angular position of the rails relative to the frame (20). 15. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide (200a, 220b) is pivotally connected to the frame (421) and that the control system (208, 210) is engaged with the guide in order to raise or lower this guide relative to the frame. 16. Training device according to claim 15, characterized in that the guide (200a, 200b) contains at least one knee lever (200a, 200b) which is hinged to the frame (421) and pivotably arranged at the second end of the first (201a) and the second (201b) foot connections. 17. Training device according to claim 16, characterized in that the control system (208, 210) engages the knee levers (200a, 200b) in order to raise or lower this knee lever relative to the frame. 18. Training device according to claim 16, characterized in that the control system comprises means (208, 210) for changing the length of the knee lever to thereby regulate the lifting of the guide (200a, 200b).