US20070219060A1

US20070219060A1 - Sewing machine type stepping foot trainer

Info

Publication number: US20070219060A1
Application number: US11/377,597
Authority: US
Inventors: Yung-Jen Liang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-17
Filing date: 2006-03-17
Publication date: 2007-09-20

Abstract

A sewing machine type stepping foot trainer includes a base frame, a pivot frame pivotally mounted on the base frame, two spaced pedals mounted on the pivot frame to pivot with the pivot frame simultaneously, and a damping mechanism mounted between the base frame and the pivot frame to provide a damping effect to the pivot frame. Thus, the user's two feet step on the pedals to move the pedals simultaneously and to exert a force to overcome the damping force of the damping mechanism so as to exercise the muscle of the user's two feet and legs, thereby achieving the exercising effect.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stepping foot trainer and, more particularly, to a sewing machine type stepping foot trainer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional mini stepper comprises a support base, two pedals pivotally mounted on the support base, and a damping mechanism mounted between the support base and each of the two pedals to provide a damping effect to each of the two pedals. Thus, a user's two feet step on the two pedals to move the two pedals upward and downward respectively so as to exercise the user's two feet. However, the exercising effect of the conventional mini stepper is limited.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a stepping foot trainer, comprising a base frame, a pivot frame pivotally mounted on the base frame, and two spaced pedals mounted on the pivot frame to pivot with the pivot frame simultaneously.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine type stepping foot trainer.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a stepping foot trainer, wherein the user's two feet step on the pedals to move the pedals simultaneously and to exert a force to overcome the damping force of the hydraulic damping mechanism so as to exercise the muscle of the user's two feet and legs, thereby achieving the exercising effect.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a stepping foot trainer, wherein when the pivot frame is pivoted forward and downward, the bumper is movable to abut the front section of the base frame to provide a buffering effect to the pivot frame, and when the pivot frame is pivoted backward and downward, the catch rod is movable to abut the limit pin to prevent an excessive movement of the pivot frame, thereby providing a safety effect to the user when stepping the pedals.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a stepping foot trainer, wherein the upright handlebar can be held by the user's one hand to provide a balance effect to the user when stepping the pedals.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a stepping foot trainer, wherein the handlebar is detachably mounted on the base frame, thereby facilitating packaging, storage and transportation of the stepping foot trainer.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stepping foot trainer in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the stepping foot trainer as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the stepping foot trainer as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic operational view of the stepping foot trainer as shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a schematic operational view of the stepping foot trainer as shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a stepping foot trainer in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base frame 10, a pivot frame 20 pivotally mounted on the base frame 10, two spaced pedals 40 mounted on the pivot frame 20 to pivot with the pivot frame 20 simultaneously, a hydraulic damping mechanism 30 mounted between the base frame 10 and the pivot frame 20 to provide a damping effect to the pivot frame 20, and an upright handlebar 50 mounted on the base frame 10 to facilitate a user holding the handlebar 50.
The base frame 10 has a substantially U-shaped configuration. The base frame 10 has a front section having a side provided with a support tube 16.
The pivot frame 20 has a substantially U-shaped configuration. The pivot frame 20 has a rear section formed with two transverse pivot holes 23. The pivot frame 20 has a plurality of upright bolt holes 21 for mounting the two pedals 40 by a plurality of locking bolts 22. The bolt holes 21 and the pivot holes 23 of the pivot frame 20 are formed in two side bars of the pivot frame 20.
The stepping foot trainer further comprises a transverse support seat 11 mounted on a rear section of the base frame 10, two spaced pivot seats 12 mounted on the support seat 11 for pivoting the pivot frame 20, two pivot bolts 25 each extended through a respective one of the pivot seats 12 and a respective one of the pivot holes 23 of the pivot frame 20 so that the rear section of the pivot frame 20 is pivotally mounted on the pivot seats 12, a transverse limit pin 14 mounted on a first one of the pivot seats 12, an upright catch rod 29 mounted on a bottom of the rear section of the pivot frame 20 and movable to abut the limit pin 14 to prevent an excessive movement of the pivot frame 20, a magnet 122 mounted on a side of the first one of the pivot seats 12, a magnetic detection member 28 mounted on the bottom of the rear section of the pivot frame 20 and movable to pass by the magnet. 122 to count a number of pivot of the pivot frame 20, a first support bracket 15 mounted on the support seat 11, a second support bracket 26 mounted on a front section of the pivot frame 20, and a bumper 27 mounted on a bottom of the front section of the pivot frame 20 and movable to abut the front section of the base frame 10 to provide a buffering effect to the pivot frame 20.
Each of the pivot holes 23 of the pivot frame 20 is provided with two spaced bushings 24 mounted on the respective pivot bolt 25. The first one of the pivot seats 12 is formed with a plurality of transversely arranged adjusting holes 13, and the limit pin 14 is adjustably mounted in either one of the adjusting holes 13 of the pivot seats 12 to adjust a backward inclined angle of the pivot frame 20. The support seat 11 straddles two side rods of the base frame 10. The support seat 11 is formed with a substantially T-shaped recess 18 located between the pivot seats 12 to receive the first support bracket 15. The side of the first one of the pivot seats 12 is formed with an outwardly extending ear 121 for mounting the magnet 122. The second support bracket 26 is provided with a mounting plate 261 for mounting an electronic indicator 60 which is electrically connected to the magnetic detection member 28 to indicate the number of pivot of the pivot frame 20.
The hydraulic damping mechanism 30 includes a hydraulic cylinder 31 having a distal end pivotally mounted on the first support bracket 15, and a movable rod 32 retractably mounted in the hydraulic cylinder 31 and having a distal end pivotally mounted on the second support bracket 26.
The handlebar 50 is detachably mounted on the base frame 10 and includes an outer tube 52 having a lower end detachably mounted on the support tube 16 of the base frame 10 by a fastening bolt 17, and an inner tube 51 retractably mounted in the outer tube 52 and fastened by a clamping member 53.
In operation, referring to FIGS. 1-4, a user's two feet are placed onto the pedals 40 and exert a force on the pedals 40 to overcome the damping force of the hydraulic damping mechanism 30 so as to drive the pivot frame 20 to pivot relative to the base frame 10 so that the pivot frame 20 is pivoted forward and downward as shown in FIG. 3, or pivoted backward and downward as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the user's two feet stepping the pedals 40 have to exert a force to overcome the damping force of the hydraulic damping mechanism 30 so as to exercise the muscle of the user's two feet and legs, thereby achieving the exercising effect.
When the pivot frame 20 is pivoted forward and downward as shown in FIG. 3, the bumper 27 is movable to abut the front section of the base frame 10 to provide a buffering effect to the pivot frame 20, and when the pivot frame 20 is pivoted backward and downward as shown in FIG. 4, the catch rod 29 is movable to abut the limit pin 14 to prevent an excessive movement of the pivot frame 20.
As shown in FIG. 1, the upright handlebar 50 can be held by the user's one hand to provide a balance effect to the user when stepping the pedals 40.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the limit pin 14 is adjustably mounted in either one of the adjusting holes 13 of the pivot seats 12 to adjust the backward inclined angle of the pivot frame 20.
Accordingly, the user's two feet step on the pedals 40 to move the pedals 40 simultaneously and to exert a force to overcome the damping force ol the hydraulic damping mechanism 30 so as to exercise the muscle of the user's two feet and legs, thereby achieving the exercising effect. In addition, when the pivot frame 20 is pivoted forward and downward, the bumper 27 is movable to abut the front section of the base frame 10 to provide a buffering effect to the pivot frame 20, and when the pivot frame 20 is pivoted backward and downward, the catch rod 29 is movable to abut the limit pin 14 to prevent an excessive movement of the pivot frame 20, thereby providing a safety effect to the user when stepping the pedals 40. Further, the upright handlebar 50 can be held by the user's one hand to provide a balance effect to the user when stepping the pedals 40. Further, the handlebar 50 is detachably mounted on the base frame 10, thereby facilitating packaging, storage and transportation of the stepping foot trainer.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A stepping foot trainer, comprising:

a base frame;

a pivot frame pivotally mounted on the base frame;

two spaced pedals mounted on the pivot frame to pivot with the pivot frame simultaneously.

2. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a transverse support seat mounted on a rear section of the base frame.

3. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 2, further comprising two spaced pivot seats mounted on the support seat for pivoting the pivot frame.

4. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pivot frame has a rear section formed with two transverse pivot holes, and the stepping foot trainer further comprises two pivot bolts each extended through a respective one of the pivot seats and a respective one of the pivot holes of the pivot frame so that the rear section of the pivot frame is pivotally mounted on the pivot seats.

5. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 3, further comprising a transverse limit pin mounted on one of the pivot seats, and an upright catch rod mounted on a bottom of a rear section of the pivot frame and movable to abut the limit pin to prevent an excessive movement of the pivot frame.

6. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 3, further comprising a magnet mounted on a side of one of the pivot seats, and a magnetic detection member mounted on a bottom of a rear section of the pivot frame and movable to pass by the magnet to count a number of pivot of the pivot frame.

7. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 6, wherein the side of the one of the pivot seats is formed with an outwardly extending ear for mounting the magnet.

8. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a hydraulic damping mechanism mounted between the base frame and the pivot frame to provide a damping effect to the pivot frame.

9. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a first support bracket mounted on the support seat, and a second support bracket mounted on a front section of the pivot frame, wherein the hydraulic damping mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder having a distal end pivotally mounted on the first support bracket, and a movable rod retractably mounted in the hydraulic cylinder and having a distal end pivotally mounted on the second support bracket.

10. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a bumper mounted on a bottom of a front section of the pivot frame and movable to abut a front section of the base frame to provide a buffering effect to the pivot frame.

11. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of the pivot holes of the pivot frame is provided with two spaced bushings mounted on the respective pivot bolt.

12. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 5, wherein the one of the pivot seats is formed with a plurality of transversely arranged adjusting holes, and the limit pin is adjustably mounted in either one of the adjusting holes of the pivot seats to adjust a backward inclined angle of the pivot frame.

13. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 2, wherein the support seat straddles two side rods of the base frame.

14. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 9, wherein the support seat is formed with a recess to receive the first support bracket.

15. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 14, wherein the recess of the support seat is substantially T-shaped.

16. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 9, wherein the second support bracket is provided with a mounting plate for mounting an electronic indicator which is electrically connected to the magnetic detection member to indicate the number of pivot of the pivot frame.

17. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an upright handlebar mounted on the base frame to facilitate a user holding the handlebar.

18. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 17, wherein the base frame has a front section having a side provided with a support tube, and the handlebar is detachably mounted on the base frame and includes an outer tube having a lower end detachably mounted on the support tube of the base frame by a fastening bolt, and an inner tube retractably mounted in the outer tube and fastened by a clamping member.

19. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pivot frame has a plurality of upright bolt holes for mounting the two pedals by a plurality of locking bolts.

20. The stepping foot trainer in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pivot frame has a substantially U-shaped configuration, and the base frame has a substantially U-shaped configuration.