Granted Patent B2

US 7,766,797 · App. 11/155,328 · Granted Aug 3, 2010

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. An elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion, a rear portion, and a pivot joint comprising a pivot mechanism configured to pivotally connect said front and rear portions, said front and rear portions being adapted to be positioned on a support surface during exercise, said pivot mechanism being configured to facilitate an upward rotation of said rear portion with respect to said front portion, thereby enabling said elliptical exercise machine to fold into a compact configuration, said front portion being adapted to be positioned on the support surface to support the elliptical exercise machine on the support surface when in said compact configuration;

an upright support structure extending upward with respect to said base support structure;

a drive assembly operably supported on said rear portion of said base support structure and comprising a drive component configured to rotate about a pivot axis; and

a reciprocating foot support operable with said drive assembly and configured to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the elliptical exercise machine.

2. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein said reciprocating foot support is releasably coupled to said drive component to further facilitate said breakaway of said base support structure.

3. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein said reciprocating foot support is pivotally coupled to an extension bracket of a swing arm pivotally supported about an anchor of said upright support, said extension bracket being configured to enable said reciprocating foot support to rotate upward and releasably engage said anchor of said upright support.

4. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 3 , wherein said anchor further comprises a magnet supported thereon for releasably coupling said reciprocating foot support to said upright support.

5. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein said reciprocating foot support comprises a clasp configured to releasably couple to a portion of a rotating collar of a strut of said drive component, said clasp comprising a substantially half circle design oriented in a downward orientation.

6. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 5 , wherein said reciprocating foot support further comprises a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock said reciprocating foot support to said drive component.

7. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 6 , wherein said locking mechanism comprises a hinged member having a releasable latch, said hinged member comprising a half-circle design and being configured to engage a portion of said rotating collar of said strut opposite said portion engaged by said clasp upon attachment of said reciprocating foot support to said strut.

8. An elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion, a rear portion, and a pivot joint comprising a pivot mechanism configured to pivotally connect said front and rear portions, said pivot mechanism being configured to facilitate an upward rotation of said rear portion with respect to said front portion, thereby enabling said elliptical exercise machine to fold into a compact configuration;

an upright support structure extending upward with respect to said base support structure;

a drive assembly operably supported on said rear portion of said base support structure and comprising a drive component configured to rotate about a pivot axis;

a reciprocating foot support operable with said drive assembly and configured to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the elliptical exercise machine, wherein said reciprocating foot support comprises a clasp configured to releasably couple to a portion of a rotating collar of a strut of said drive component, said clasp comprising a substantially half-circle design oriented in a downward orientation; and

a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock said reciprocating foot support to said drive component, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a biased member supported on a support plate extending downward from a portion of said clasp proximate said reciprocating foot support, said biased member comprising a curved surface configured to mate with a surface of said rotating collar of said strut.

9. An elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion, a rear portion, and a pivot joint comprising a pivot mechanism configured to pivotally connect said front and rear portions, said pivot mechanism being configured to facilitate an upward rotation of said rear portion with respect to said front portion, thereby enabling said elliptical exercise machine to fold into a compact configuration, said pivot mechanism comprising:

a pivot pin supported within a pin support member formed within a front piece of a longitudinal support beam, said front piece making up a portion of said front portion of said base support structure; and

a channel formed at an end of a rear piece of said longitudinal support beam and configured to receive said front piece and said pivot pin to pivotally couple said front and rear pieces together, said rear piece making up a portion of said rear portion of said base support structure;

an upright support structure extending upward with respect to said base support structure;

a drive assembly operably supported on said rear portion of said base support structure and comprising a drive component configured to rotate about a pivot axis; and

a reciprocating foot support operable with said drive assembly and configured to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the elliptical exercise machine.

10. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein said pivot mechanism further comprises a limiting system configured to limit said upward rotation of said rear portion.

11. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 10 , wherein said limiting system comprises:

a stop member supported within said channel of said rear piece; and

a protrusion extending from said stop member; and

a slot formed within said pin support member and configured to define a range of available rotation for said rear portion, said protrusion configured to engage and slide within said slot upon rotation of said rear portion to limit said rotation of said rear portion.

12. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein said upright support comprises a spline configuration having a concave portion configured to receive said drive assembly, as supported on said rear portion, in a nesting relationship upon said upward rotation of said rear portion.

13. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , further comprising a handle supported about at least one of said drive assembly and said base support structure for assisting a user in folding the elliptical exercise machine into said compact configuration.

14. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , further comprising an assist mechanism configured to assist a user in folding the elliptical exercise machine into said compact configuration, as well as an interim folded position.

15. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 14 , wherein said assist mechanism comprises a hydraulic actuator coupled at one end to said front portion and at an opposite end to said rear portion.

16. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 15 , wherein said hydraulic actuator is coupled in an offset position from a pivot point of said pivot mechanism in order to induce a moment within said rear portion to assist said user in folding the elliptical exercise machine.

17. An exercise machine comprising:

a rear base support configured to be positioned on a support surface during exercise, wherein at least a portion of said rear base support is positioned behind a user when a user is exercising on the exercise machine;

a drive assembly supported on said rear base support;

a reciprocating foot support releasably coupled to a drive component of said drive assembly wherein said reciprocating foot support is adapted to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the exercise machine; and

a front base support also configured to be positioned on a support surface during exercise, wherein said front base support and said rear base support are adapted to be positioned on the support surface to provide support for a user positioned on the exercise machine during exercise, said front base support being pivotally coupled to said rear base support via a pivot mechanism located at a pivot joint positioned between first and second ends of a base support structure formed by said front and rear base supports, said rear base support being configured to pivot upward away from the surface to enable the exercise machine to fold into an upright compact configuration.

18. A method for transitioning an elliptical exercise machine from an operational state to a folded, compact configuration, said method comprising:

facilitating the construction of an elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion, a rear portion, and a pivot joint comprising a pivot mechanism configured to pivotally connect said front and rear portions, said front and rear portions being adapted to be positioned on a support surface during exercise;

an upright support structure extending upward with respect to said base support structure;

a drive assembly operably supported about said rear portion of said base support structure and comprising a drive component configured to rotate about a pivot axis; and a reciprocating foot support releasably coupled to said drive assembly and configured to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the elliptical exercise machine;

facilitating the release of said reciprocating foot support from said drive component; and

facilitating an upward rotation of said rear portion with respect to said front portion to fold the elliptical exercise machine into said compact configuration, wherein the elliptical exercise machine has a smaller footprint when said rear portions is rotated into said compact configuration than when in said operational state.

19. An elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion, a rear portion, and a pivot joint comprising a pivot mechanism configured to pivotally connect said front and rear portions, said pivot mechanism being configured to facilitate an upward rotation of said rear portion with respect to said front portion, thereby enabling said elliptical exercise machine to fold into a compact configuration;

an upright support structure extending upward with respect to said base support structure;

a drive assembly operably supported on said rear portion of said base support structure and comprising a drive component configured to rotate about a pivot axis;

a reciprocating foot support operable with said drive assembly and configured to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the elliptical exercise machine;

an assist mechanism configured to assist a user in folding the elliptical exercise machine into said compact configuration, as well as an interim folded position; and

a trigger located within a handle and operably coupled to said assist mechanism, said trigger being configured to selectively actuate and deactivate said assist mechanism to position said rear portion in an interim folded position, and to prevent inadvertent downward rotation of said rear portion when folding and unfolding the elliptical exercise machine.

20. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock the base support in any one of a plurality of interim positions, as well as in said compact configuration.

21. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 19 , further comprising a release mechanism operable with said locking mechanism to provide selective actuatable release of said locking mechanism, thereby enabling said rear portion to rotate.

22. The elliptical exercise machine of claim 20 , wherein said release mechanism comprises a button configured to trigger the release of the locking mechanism when depressed.

23. A folding elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the front portion and rear portion are configured to be positioned on a support surface to provide support for a user positioned on the folding elliptical exercise machine during exercise, and wherein the rear portion is rotatably attached to the front portion thereby enabling the folding elliptical exercise machine to be selectively moveable between an operating position and a storage position, and wherein at least a portion of said rear base support is positioned behind a user when a user is exercising on the exercise machine; and

first and second reciprocating foot supports, each foot support having a first end and a second end, and

a drive assembly situated on the rear portion of the base support structure, the first end of each foot support being coupled to the drive assembly, wherein the first end of each foot support is movably linked to the base support structure, wherein the folding elliptical exercise machine is configured to be selectively moved from the operating position to the storage position by moving an end of the rear portion away from the support surface and thereby moving the drive assembly toward the front portion, such that the folding elliptical exercise machine is in a compact storage position, wherein the folding elliptical exercise machine has a smaller footprint when said rear portion is rotated to said storage position than when in said operating position.

24. The folding elliptical exercise machine of claim 23 , wherein in the operating position, the respective first ends of the first and second foot supports are releasably coupled to the drive assembly.

25. An elliptical exercise machine comprising:

a base support structure having a front portion and a rear portion pivotally connected to said front portion, wherein said rear portion can be selectively folded into a compact configuration, wherein said front and rear portions are adapted to be positioned on a support surface during exercise to provide support to the elliptical exercise machine;

an upright support structure coupled to said front portion of said base support structure and extending upward with respect to said support structure;

a drive assembly operably supported on said rear portion of said base support structure and comprising a drive component configured to move about a path of rotation; and

first and second reciprocating foot supports each having a first end releasably coupled to said drive assembly, wherein said first and second reciprocating foot supports are configured to travel about a closed path upon rotation of said drive component and operation of the elliptical exercise machine, wherein when said rear portion is folded into said compact configuration said first ends of said first and second foot supports are selectively disengaged from said drive assembly and are secured in an upright manner.

Assignments (28)