FR2536664A1 - Stationary exercise cycle - Google Patents

Abstract

Cycle consists of a frame with a saddle, handlebars and two hinged pedals. A nylon fibre belt is attached with its ends to the two pedals; inside the frame, the belt runs over a friction drum. A counter which can be reset to zero, indicates the number of pedal motions. The friction can be altered by the bolt. This permits people to match their exercises at any weather to their own taste.

Description

 The present invention relates to exercise machines.

 It has long been recognized that exercise, performed at a moderate level, can improve health and this has resulted in an increase in exercise activities such as walking, running, swimming, etc. however, it may be preferable to perform exercises in an indoor environment rather than in an outdoor environment may be due to inclement weather or unpleasant environmental conditions in the case of large city dwellers, especially those living in places with high traffic density. In addition, it may not be convenient to go to a gym or exercise center and so there is a need for positives that allow you to exercise at home. exercise regularly with a minimum of inconvenience and disruption of daily routines, which results in improved health, increased life expectancy and a general feeling of well-being.

 It has been estimated in some circles that violent exercise can actually be disruptive to long-term health, quite apart from the short-term risks of accidents, heart failure, etc. Consequently, it would be desirable to have a device which allows the user to perform exercises at his pace without imposing great fatigue on the body. Such an apparatus could possibly oppose in the most advantageous manner an essentially constant resistance which has to be overcome either continuously or repeatedly by the user performing the exercise.

 A known form of such an exercise machine is the exercise bicycle where the user sits on a seat and operates pedals to exercise his legs. However, this device tends to be quite bulky and generally requires a substantial flywheel to offer uniform resistance equal to the efforts of the user. This tends to make it heavy and inconvenient to move.

 The invention aims to create a relatively light and simple exercise machine which can nevertheless offer substantial resistance to the user. The invention also aims to create a machine of this kind which can be folded up.

 According to the present invention, an exercise machine comprises a frame, a seat mounted on the frame, a pair of pedals mounted so that they can be moved relative to the body, an elongate and flexible friction element which is functionally coupled. to each of the pedals and a guide system comprising a guide element on which the elongate and flexible friction element slides with friction.

 Preferably, the machine comprises a handlebar assembly which is mounted on the frame. Preferably, the frame is installed on front and rear crutches which may each include a single bar provided with a transverse leg. Any or all of the elements consisting of the seat, the handlebars and the crutches can be pivotally mounted relative to the frame.

 Preferably, the pedals are pivotally mounted relative to the frame. and, more advantageously, they are arranged so that they can be moved alternately over a limited arc. Such an arrangement provides an advantage over a rotary pedal device in that it does not have to have a top dead center position for the pedals. This means that no flywheel is necessary and that it there is no position where the user exerts pressure but cannot perform any work, as would be the case with a device with rotating pedals If the user exerted a pressure directed downwards on a pedal placed in the top dead center position .

 Preferably, the elongate and flexible friction element is a band, for example a nylon fabric, and it is preferably connected by each end to one of the pedals. The seat height can be adjusted for adaptation to users of different sizes.

 Preferably, the handlebar device is pivotally mounted and is provided with means allowing the handlebar to be locked in one of several positions.

 Preferably, the frame comprises two stamped halves which are preferably provided with stiffening ribs. In a preferred construction, the seat is mounted on a support having a curved part and stiffening ribs placed in the appropriate position are modified so as to have a corresponding curved section so as to receive the support.

 Preferably, the friction effect of the guide system is adjustable and a counting device can be provided to indicate the amount of exercise performed. The length of the band can also be adjustable.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be highlighted in the following description, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of an exercise machine according to the invention
Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the exercise machine of Figure 1, shown in the folded condition
Figure 3 is a partial schematic section of the handlebar support
Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view showing the mounting of the stands and the seat support
Ea Figure 5 is a detail showing the mounting of a pedal, and
Figure 6 is a schematic elevational view showing the arrangement of the friction element and its guide system.

 As shown in Figure 1, the exercise machine includes a frame it formed of two stamped halves 12 and 13, a front stand 14, a rear stand 15, a handlebar device 16, a seat 17 and two pedals 18 and 19 These components 14 to 19 are all mounted so that they can pivot relative to the frame so that they can be folded down from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2.

 The front stand 14 comprises a bar 21 formed by a tube of square section which has been welded at its lower end to a foot 22 in the form of a horizontal crosspiece. The foot may have rubber pads (not shown) at each end.

The bar is pivotally mounted on the frame in the position of a screw 23. The pivoting assembly is shown in more detail in Figure 4.

 At its upper end, the bar 21 has a sleeve 24 passing through it and welded to it so that its ends project beyond the bar. A threaded tube 25 is freely mounted inside the sleeve 24, this threaded tube 25 protruding from the ends of the sleeve 24. The screws 23 are screwed into the threaded tube through suitable holes made in the stamped halves 12 and 13, in thus blocking the stamped halves 12 and 13 on the threaded tube while allowing the sleeve 24 and consequently the bar 21, to rotate relative to the frame 11.

 The rear stand 15 is pivotally mounted in precisely the same way by means of screws 26 which are equivalent to the screws 23.

 Returning to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the seat 17 comprises a saddle 27 mounted on a square section tube 28 which is engaged in a lower square section tube of larger dimensions. The height of the saddle 27 can be adjusted by sliding the square section tube 28 up and down inside the lower square section tube 29. The position of the saddle is locked by means of a locking device. 31. The locking device 31 comprises a folded plate 32 of which a part is placed between the two tubes of square section and the other of which is placed outside the lower tube of square section 29. A threaded poi gonze 33 passes freely through an opening in the outside of the folded plate, through a threaded sleeve (not shown) which is fixed to a wall of the lower tube of square section 29, through this wall of the tube 29 and it then comes to rest against the lower section of the folded plate. Consequently, by actuation of the handle 33, the inner part of the folded plate can be applied against the inner tube of square section 28.

The lower end of the lower square section tube 29 is bent by about 90 as shown at 34. The end of the folded part is pivotally mounted relative to the frame in the same way as the two crutches 14,15 by means of screws 35. The two stamped halves 12 and 13 are provided at intervals with stiffening ribs (not shown) In the area where the folded part 34 of the tube 29 is located inside the frame 11 in the vertical position as indicated on the
Figure 1, the stiffening ribs are provided with a curved shape corresponding to that of the folded part 34 so as to constitute an effective support and to distribute the weight of the occupant of the saddle.

 The handlebar device comprises two L-shaped tubes 36,37 which are joined together by a welded rod 38. At their upper ends D the tubes 36 and 37 can be provided with handles (not shown).

The lower part of the tubes 36, 37 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3.

 The lower end of the tube 36 (and of the tube 37 which is identical) has a bent and flattened part 39.

A sleeve 41 is welded into a suitable opening made in the bent part 39 and at the end of the bent part 39, the tube is straightened and is provided with a hole 42.

The handlebar device 17 is pivotally mounted on the frame 11 by means of a threaded tube 43 which is welded to one of the stamped halves 12 of the frame. A bolt 44 is inserted into the threaded tube 43 through a suitable hole made in the stamped half 12 and through the hole 42 provided at the base of the tube 36. The bolt 44 has a shoulder which comes into contact with the half frame 12 so that the bolt 44 can be tightened relative to the tube 43 without rigidly blocking the tube 36. To prevent excessive movement between the tube 36 of the handlebar and the bolt 44, an elastic washer 45 is interposed between the tube 36 and half of frame 12.

 On the other side, the handlebar tube 37 is mounted in a similar manner using another shoulder bolt 44.

 To allow the handlebars to be locked in any desired position between a fully open position and a folded position, a locking mechanism 46 is provided. The locking mechanism 46 comprises a bolt 47 which passes through the two sleeves 41 and engages by means diary of suitable slots 48 in the frame halves 12,13. At one end, the bolt is provided with a head 49 while the other end, which is threaded, cooperates with a nut 50 comprising a handle 51. Felt pads 52 are placed between the sleeves 41 and the frame halves 12.13 to avoid scratching the frame 11 in the area of the slots 48.

 To prevent the bolt 47 from "turning freely" when the handle 51 is turned, this bolt 47 is provided at its head end with a pin 53 which is arranged to cooperate with a slot 54 formed in the corresponding sleeve 41. For that the frame halves 12 and 13 are not deformed when the handlebar 16 is locked in position, a nylon spacer 55 is positioned on the bolt 47 inside the frame 11.

 A pedal element 18 (and a pedal element 19 which is similar) comprises a lever arm 56 and a footrest 57. A pedal (not shown) can be rotatably mounted on the footrest 57. The arm of lever 56 comprises a section of tube 58 which is welded perpendicularly to its rear end. The tube section 58 is coated with an anti-friction material in phosphorous bronze.

 At its lower rear end, the frame 11 is provided with a pedal mounting plate 59. As shown more clearly in FIG. 5, a rod 61 passes through two wings of the mounting plate 59 and it is welded in position so as to exceed two two sides, effectively forming two pins 62. The pedal element 18 is pivotally mounted relative to the body 11 by engagement of the coated tube 58 on the pin 62. The pin 62 is arranged to protrude from the tube 58 and it is provided with a tapped hole 53 so that a bolt can be inserted at its end to hold the pedal element in position while allowing it to pivot.

 To oppose a certain resistance to the movements of the pedal elements 18,19, a friction system is provided. This will now be described with reference to Figures 1 and 6. A length of a flat ribbon of nylon fabric 64 is fixed by one end to each of the two pedal elements 18,19. Between its two ends, the ribbon 64 passes through a friction device 65. The friction device 65 is housed inside the frame 11 and it comprises a fixed frame 66 which is rigidly connected to the frame 11 and on which are mounted four rotating pulleys 67,68,69,71. A large fixed pulley 72 is also mounted on the fixed plate 66 and the strip 64 follows a wavy path around said pulleys 67 to 72. A stirrup 73 overlaps the fixed frame 66 and its pulleys and it can execute a relative sliding in the vertical direction .At its lower end, the bracket 73 has two fixed pulleys 74.75. These pulleys 74.75 are arranged below the large fixed pulley 72 and they serve to deflect the ribbon 64 around the large pulley 72.

 In another simpler construction of the friction system (not shown), the tape 64 passes only over a bar or similar curved surface such as the fixed pulley 72. In this case or in the preferred embodiment, the tape 24 can be fixed to the pedal element 18,19 so that the width of the tape 24 extends from the front to the rear of the machine instead of extending transversely.

 The stirrup 73 is fixed in an adjustable manner on the frame 11 by means of two clamping blocks, the upper clamping block 76 being placed above the frame 11 and the lower clamping block 77 being housed inside the frame 11. A bolt 78 passes through the two blocks 76,77 and cooperates with a nut 79 which is fixed on the stirrup 73. The bolt 78 is fixed vertically with respect to the blocks 76,77 so that, when it is rotated, it acts on the nut 79 to raise or lower the stirrup 73. In this way, the fixed pulleys 74 and 75 can be moved towards or away from the large fixed pulley 72, thereby varying the effect friction on the ribbon 64. The clamping blocks 76, 77 are kept assembled and in position by four bolts (not shown) which are screwed into four threaded holes made in the lower block 77.

 It should be noted that, when a user is seated on the saddle 97 and actuates the pedal elements 18, 19, the ribbon 64 is forced to execute an alternating movement around the pulleys. To obtain an indication of the quantity of exercise performed, a counting device 81 is provided. This counting device 81 is actuated by a first belt 82 which passes around the rotating pulley '71 and also around a wheel 83 relatively large. A second belt 84 passes around the axis of the wheel 83 and also around a gear 85 connected to a counter 86. The wheel 83 and the counter 86 are mounted on a plate 87 which is itself rigidly fixed on the fixed frame 66. The counter 86 is operated in combination with a latching mechanism so as to record movements that only take place in one direction and is also provided with a zero adjustment. Naturally, a suitable opening (not shown) is made in the frame 11 so that the counter 86 can be observed and so that the zero adjustment can be carried out.

 As can be seen, in the position of use shown in FIG. 1, the crutches 14, 15 are slightly divergent so as to form a stable base. It has been found that no rigid locking mechanism is necessary to ensure stability but, to prevent the crutches from moving relative to the frame 11 when the machine is transported, the frame it is provided at each end with a nylon loop with square section in the form of C, in which the crutches via, pass when they are in the fully deployed condition.

 When the machine is in the fully folded position shown in Figure 2, it should be noted that the crosspiece 38 of the handlebars rests on the frame 1 so as to avoid the application of excessive stress at the ends of the slots 48. Again , no locking mechanism is provided for the various folding elements (other than the handlebars). However, in a variant, a strap (not shown) can be fixed on the front stand 14, for example by means of a press button, and it can be wrapped vertically around all the components. It can then be locked in position either by means of a buckle or by means of a fixing device such as that known under the trade designation "VELCRO".

 When pedals are provided, these can be fitted with toe clips.

Claims (12)

 1.- Exercise machine comprising a frame (11), a seat (17) mounted on the frame and two pedals (-18,19), mounted so as to be able to move relative to the frame, characterized in that there is provided an elongate and flexible friction element (64) which is connected to each of the pedals (18,19) and a guide system (65) comprising a guide element (72) on which the elongate friction element and flexible slides with friction when the pedals are moved.  2.- Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a handlebar device (16) is mounted on the frame (11).  3.- Machine according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame is mounted on front and rear stands (14,15).  4.- Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that any or all of the elements constituted by the seat (17), the handlebars (16) and the crutches (14,15) are pivotally mounted relative to the frame (11).  5.- Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the pedals (18; 19) are pivotally mounted relative to the frame (11).  6.- Machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the pedals are arranged to execute a reciprocating movement on a limited arc.  7.- Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the friction element (64) is a nylon canvas tape, fixed by each end on one of the pedals.  8.- Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the frame is provided with internal stiffening ribs and in that the seat is mounted on a support (29) comprising a curved portion (34) , the stiffening ribs which are in the appropriate position have a curved section to receive the support.  9.- Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the friction effect of the guide system is adjustable  10.- Exercise machine arranged to receive a user in a seated position, characterized in that it comprises a pair of pedal elements (18,19) forced to move alternately on a limited arc and a means arranged for to oppose resistance to movements of said pedal elements on said limited arc.  11.- Exercise machine, characterized in that it comprises a frame (11), a saddle (17), a handlebar (16), front and rear crutches (14 and 15) and a pair of elements to pedals (18,19), said saddle, said handlebars, said stands and said pedal elements are all pivotally mounted with respect to said frame (11) between a deployment position and a folded position.  12.- Exercise machine, characterized in that it comprises  - a frame (11) comprising a front end and a rear end,  - front load-bearing elements foldably connected to said frame for supporting said frame at said front end and rear support elements foldably connected to said frame;  - a handlebar foldably connected to said frame at said front end;  - a user support foldably connected to said frame at said rear end;  - a first and a second actuation element by the foot which are pivotally mounted relative to said frame; ;  - a resistance generation means operatively coupled to said first and second foot actuating elements and comprising an elongated and flexible friction element (64) connected to and extending between said first and second foot actuating elements , and a guide system which is fixed relative to said frame over which said friction element passes, so that said actuating elements by the foot are forced to execute reciprocating movements over a limited arc, said reciprocating movements making so that said friction element slides with friction on said guide element.