Exercise assemblies having crank members with limited rotation

1. An exercise assembly, the assembly comprising:

a frame;

a pair of elongated foot pedal members, each food pedal member having a front portion and a rear portion;

a pair of elongated coupler arms, each coupler arm having a lower portion and having an upper portion that is pivotally connected to the frame;

a pair of crank members, each crank member having a first portion that is pivotally connected to the front portion of one of the pair of foot pedal members and having a second portion that is pivotally connected to the lower portion of one of the pair of coupler arms, such that each crank member is rotatable in a circular path;

a pair of elongated rocker arms, each rocker arm having a lower portion that is pivotally connected to one of the pair of foot pedal members in between the foot pad and the crank member and having an upper portion that is pivotally connected to the frame;

wherein the pair of foot pedal members are each movable along user-defined paths of different dimensions; and

a front cross-shaft, wherein the pair of crank members are operatively connected to the front cross-shaft such that movement of each of the pair of crank members along the circular path causes rotation of the front cross-shaft;

wherein the pair of crank members are freely rotatable along the circular path in a first direction and restrained from rotation along the circular path in a second, opposite direction.

2. The exercise assembly according to claim 1 , comprising an arm that is connected to the front cross-shaft so that the front cross-shaft is free to rotate in the first direction with respect to the arm, and so that the arm rotates with the front cross-shaft in the second direction.

3. The exercise assembly according to claim 2 , comprising a one-way clutch connecting the arm to the front cross-shaft, wherein the arm is rotatably fixed to the one-way clutch.

4. The exercise assembly according to claim 3 , comprising a spring located in a path of rotation of the arm, wherein the spring and frame prevent rotation of the arm in the second direction.

5. The exercise assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the spring is sandwiched between the frame and the arm when the arm rotates in the second direction.

6. The exercise assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the spring is attached to the frame.

7. The exercise assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction is counter-clockwise and wherein the second direction is clockwise.

8. The exercise assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a pair of timing belts, each timing belt being connected to the second portion of one of the pair of crank members, such that movement of each of the pair of crank members along the circular path causes rotation of the respective timing belt.

9. The exercise assembly according to claim 8 , comprising a pair of lower timing pulleys, each lower timing pulley being connected to one of the pair of crank members and transferring rotational movement of the respective crank member to the timing belt.

10. The exercise assembly according to claim 9 : wherein each timing belt is connected to an opposite end of the front cross-shaft such that rotation of each timing belt causes rotation of the front cross-shaft.

11. The exercise assembly according to claim 10 , comprising a pair of upper timing pulleys, each upper timing pulley being connected to one end of the front cross-shaft and transferring rotational movement of a respective timing belt to the front cross-shaft.

12. The exercise assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the front cross-shaft connects the upper portions of the pair of coupler arms to the frame.

13. The exercise assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a pair of foot pads, each foot pad being disposed on the rear portion of the one of the pair of foot pedal members.

14. An exercise assembly, the assembly comprising:

a frame;

a pair of elongated foot pedal members, each food pedal member having a front portion and a rear portion;

a pair of elongated coupler arms, each coupler arm having a lower portion and having an upper portion that is pivotally connected to the frame;

a pair of crank members, each crank member having a first portion that is pivotally connected to the front portion of one of the pair of foot pedal members and having a second portion that is pivotally connected to the lower portion of one of the pair of coupler arms, such that each crank member is rotatable in a circular path;

a pair of elongated rocker arms, each rocker arm having a lower portion that is pivotally connected to one of the pair of foot pedal members in between the foot pad and the crank member and having an upper portion that is pivotally connected to the frame;

wherein the pair of foot pedal members are each movable along user-defined paths of different dimensions;

a front cross-shaft, wherein the pair of crank members are operatively connected to the front cross-shaft such that movement of each of the pair of crank members along the circular path causes rotation of the front cross-shaft; and

at least one clutch preventing rotation of at least one of the crank members in at least one of a first direction along the circular path and an opposite, second direction along the circular path.

15. The exercise assembly according to claim 14 , comprising an input device that inputs a user-intended exercise motion about the user-defined paths, and control circuit that controls the at least one clutch to prevent and allow rotation in the first direction and second direction, respectively.

16. An exercise assembly, the assembly comprising:

a frame;

a pair of elongated foot pedal members, each food pedal member having a front portion and a rear portion;

a pair of elongated coupler arms, each coupler arm having a lower portion and having an upper portion that is pivotally connected to the frame;

a pair of crank members, each crank member having a first portion that is pivotally connected to the front portion of one of the pair of foot pedal members and having a second portion that is pivotally connected to the lower portion of one of the pair of coupler arms, such that each crank member is rotatable in a circular path;

a pair of elongated rocker arms, each rocker arm having a lower portion that is pivotally connected to one of the pair of foot pedal members in between the foot pad and the crank member and having an upper portion that is pivotally connected to the frame;

wherein the pair of foot pedal members are each movable along user-defined paths of different dimensions;

a front cross-shaft, wherein the pair of crank members are operatively connected to the front cross-shaft such that movement of each of the pair of crank members along the circular path causes rotation of the front cross-shaft;

means for controlling movement of the pair of crank members such that the pair of crank members are freely rotatable along the circular path in a first direction and restrained from rotation along the circular path in a second, opposite direction.

17. The exercise assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the means comprises an arm that is connected to the front cross-shaft so that the front cross-shaft freely rotates in the first direction with respect to the arm, and such that the arm rotates with the front cross-shaft in the second direction.

18. The exercise assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the means comprises a one-way clutch connecting the arm to the front cross-shaft, wherein the arm is rotatably fixed to the one-way clutch.

19. The exercise assembly according to claim 18 wherein the means comprises a spring located in a path of rotation of the arm, wherein the spring and frame prevents rotation of the arm in the second direction.

20. The exercise assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the means comprises spring is sandwiched between the frame and the arm when the arm rotates in the second direction.