US20050272563A1

US20050272563A1 - Lower muscle training device

Info

Publication number: US20050272563A1
Application number: US10/851,559
Authority: US
Inventors: Yung Liang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-22
Filing date: 2004-05-22
Publication date: 2005-12-08

Abstract

A lower muscle training device includes a base, and a foot support having an intermediate portion pivotally coupled to the base with a pivot shaft and having one or more foot pedals for supporting users. The foot pedals and the foot support may be rotatable relative to the base about the pivot shaft by the users, to train and exercise lower muscle groups of the users. The base includes a front pad and a rear stop to cushion the foot support. The stop may be used to adjust an inclination or tilting angle of the foot support relative to the base. A resistive device may be coupled between the foot support and the base, to apply a resistive force against the foot support and to the users.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lower muscle training device, and more particularly to a lower muscle training device for suitably training or exercising lower muscle groups of users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For training or exercising lower muscle groups of users, various kinds of typical lower muscle training devices, such as treadmills, stepping exercisers, or the like have been developed for jogging or ladder climbing exercises.
However, the typical treadmills are primarily provided for training the hearts and the lungs of the users, but may not be provided for training or exercising the lower muscle groups of the users.
Similarly, the typical stepping exercisers are also primarily provided for training the hearts and the lungs of the users, but also may not be provided for training or exercising the lower muscle groups of the users.
Actually, while operating or exercising the typical treadmills and the typical stepping exercisers, the legs of the users are normally elevated by the muscle groups of the thigh portions only, the foot portion may not be suitably moved or exercised or rotated relative to the tibia, such that the lower muscle groups of the users also may not be suitably trained or exercised.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional lower muscle training devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a lower muscle training device for suitably training or exercising lower muscle groups of users.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a lower muscle training device comprising a base, and a foot support including an intermediate portion pivotally coupled to the base with a pivot shaft, and including at least one foot pedal for supporting users thereon. The foot pedal and the foot support may be rotatable relative to the base about the pivot shaft by the users, to train and exercise lower muscle groups of the users.
The base includes a front portion having a pad provided thereon, for engaging with a front portion of the foot support, and for cushioning the foot support. The base includes a protrusion extended from the front portion thereof, to support the pad thereon.
The base includes a rear portion having a stop provided thereon, for engaging with a rear portion of the foot support, and for cushioning the foot support. The base includes a socket provided thereon, the stop includes an arm extended therefrom and engaged into the socket of the base.
The arm of the stop includes a plurality of apertures formed therein, and a latch engaged with the socket of the base, and engaged with either of the apertures of the arm, to adjustably secure the stop to the base, and to adjust an inclination or tilting angle of the foot support relative to the base.
A resistive device may further be provided and coupled between the foot support and the base, to apply a resistive force against the foot support and to the users. It is preferable that the resistive device may be selectively adjusted to different resistive force for applying different resistive forces against the foot support and the users.
The base includes a pair of beams each having an extension extended outwardly and rearwardly therefrom, to increase a ground contacting area and a stability of the base. The base may further include a handle attached to the base, to support upper portions of users.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a lower muscle training device in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower muscle training device;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower muscle training device, similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the lower muscle training device;
FIG. 4 is a side plan view of the lower muscle training device;
FIGS. 5, 6 are side plan views similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the operation of the lower muscle training device; and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower muscle training device, similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, illustrating the other arrangement or application of the lower muscle training device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a lower muscle training device in accordance with the present invention comprises a base 10 including a pair of side beams 11 which are preferably parallel to each other, and a lateral beam 12 coupled between the side beams 11 at the front portion 13 of the base 10. Each of the side beams 11 includes an extension 14 extended outwardly and rearwardly therefrom, to increase the ground contacting area and the stability of the base 10.
The base 10 includes a bar 15 disposed or provided in the middle portion 16 thereof, and straddled or secured between the side beams 11, and includes one or more, such as two brackets 17 extended or provided on the bar 15, and includes a socket 18 attached or secured to the bar 15 and having an orifice 19 formed therein. The base 10 further includes a protrusion 20 attached to the front beam 12, and a soft or resilient or rubber pad 21 attached or disposed on the protrusion 20.
A foot support 30 includes a pair of poles 31, preferably parallel to each other, and each having an intermediate portion 32 pivotally coupled to the base 10 with the brackets 17 and one or more shafts 33. The foot support 30 further includes a rod 34 coupled between the poles 31 at the front portion 35 of the foot support 30, and a coupler 36 attached to the rod 34. One or more, such as two foot pedals 37 are secured on the poles 31 with fasteners 38 respectively, and rotated in concert with the foot support 30, for supporting users thereon (FIGS. 3-6).
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, the user may step on the foot pedals 37, and may step or rotate the foot pedals 37 and/or the foot support 30 relative to the base 10 about the pivot shafts 33, with the lower muscle groups of the users, in order to train or exercise the lower muscle groups of the users. The pad 21 of the base 10 may be engaged with the front portion 35 of the foot support 30 (FIG. 4), to cushion the foot support 30, and to reduce noises that may be generated when the foot support 30 is hit or impacted onto the base 10.
A resistive device 40, such as rubber strap or spring (not shown), pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or actuator 40, or the like, may further be provided and coupled between the foot support 30 and the base 10, to apply a resistive force against the foot support 30, and thus to apply a resistive force against the feet of the users, in order to further train or exercise the lower muscle groups of the users.
For example, the resistive device 40 includes one end 41 pivotally coupled to the coupler 36 of the foot support 30, and another end 42 pivotally coupled to another coupler 43 of the base 10, in order to apply the resistive force against the foot support 30 and the users. It is preferable that the resistive device 40 includes an adjustable device (not shown) to selectively adjust the resistive force thereof applied against the foot support 30 and the users.
A stop 50 may further be provided and attached to the base 10, to engage with the rear portion 39 of the foot support 30 (FIGS. 5, 6), and to cushion the foot support 30, and to reduce noises that may be generated when the foot support 30 is hit or impacted onto the base 10. The stop 50 includes an arm 51 extended therefrom and slidably engaged into the socket 18 of the base 10.
The arm 51 includes one or more apertures 52 (FIG. 1) formed therein, and adjustably aligned with the orifice 19 of the socket 18, to selectively receive or engage with a fastener or a latch 53 which may be engaged through the orifice 19 of the socket 18 and either of the apertures 52 of the arm 51, to adjustably secure the stop 50 to the base 10, and to adjust the relative position between the foot support 30 and the base 10, and thus to adjust the inclination or the tilting angle of the foot support 30 relative to the base 10.
When the stop 50 of the base 10 is adjusted relative to the foot support 30 to different position, in order to adjust to different inclination or tilting angle between the foot support 30 and the base 10, the resistive force of the resistive device 40 applied against the foot support 30 and the users may also be adjusted, to allow the users to spend different energy to operate or to exercise the lower muscle training device.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, the user may step on or rotate the foot pedals 37 and/or the foot support 30 relative to the base 10 about the pivot shafts 33, with the lower muscle groups of the users, in order to train or exercise the lower muscle groups of the users. The front portion 35 of the foot support 30 may be engaged with the pad 21 of the base 10, and the rear portion 39 of the foot support 30 may be engaged with the stop 50 of the base 10, to cushion the foot support 30, and to reduce noises that may be generated when the foot support 30 is hit or impacted onto the base 10.
As shown in FIG. 7, a handle 23 may be selectively or optionally attached to the base 10, to support the upper portions of the users, and to allow new beginners or children or elders to easily and safely operate or exercise the lower muscle training device without falling down from the lower muscle training device.
Accordingly, the lower muscle training device in accordance with the present invention may be used for suitably and safely training or exercising lower muscle groups of users.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A lower muscle training device comprising:

a base, and

a foot support including an intermediate portion pivotally coupled to said base with a pivot shaft, and including at least one foot pedal for supporting users thereon,

said at least one foot pedal and said foot support being rotatable relative to said base about said pivot shaft by the users, to train and exercise lower muscle groups of the users.

2. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a front portion having a pad provided thereon, for engaging with a front portion of said foot support, and for cushioning said foot support.

3. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said base includes a protrusion extended from said front portion thereof, to support said pad thereon.

4. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a rear portion having a stop provided thereon, for engaging with a rear portion of said foot support, and for cushioning said foot support.

5. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said base includes a socket provided thereon, said stop includes an arm extended therefrom and engaged into said socket of said base.

6. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said arm of said stop includes a plurality of apertures formed therein, and a latch engaged with said socket of said base, and engaged with either of said apertures of said arm, to adjustably secure said stop to said base.

7. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a resistive device coupled between said foot support and said base, to apply a resistive force against said foot support and to the users.

8. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a pair of beams each having an extension extended outwardly and rearwardly therefrom, to increase a ground contacting area and a stability of said base.

9. The lower muscle training device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a handle attached thereto to support upper portions of users.