US20120277067A1

US20120277067A1 - Cycle Exerciser With Peddles and Ballistic Handle Bars

Info

Publication number: US20120277067A1
Application number: US13/452,903
Authority: US
Inventors: Vincent Bowman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-22
Filing date: 2012-04-22
Publication date: 2012-11-01

Abstract

The Stationary exercising machine of the present invention rotationally shifts the handle bars causing them to move upwardly and downwardly in synchronism with movement of the pedals for exercising the abdomen and obliques while simultaneously exercising the upper and lower body. The pedaling of the legs alternatively moves the knees up an down in an opposing relationship while simultaneously pivoting the handlebars such that the handlebars rotationally move in unison from the left side to the right side and back in synchronism with movement of the peddles.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/517,599 filed Apr. 22, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Static cycle exercise equipment in the nature of a bicycle except with peddles which move in a linear, vertical fashion and ballistic handle bars which rise up and down and oscillate from left to right dependent on the peddles' position.
There are static exercise bikes which exercise the lower body or the lower body and the upper body but none which exercise the lower body, the upper body and the mid-section simultaneously while specifically targeting the Internal and External Obliques, the Transverse Abdominis, and the Rectus Abdominis.
One such prior art is patent number U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,746 B2. Even though the handle bars oscillate, so too does the seat and peddles. And the user must stand on the peddles while using the unit. It was designed for the user to grip the handles bars and not rest his forearms on them as with the Cycle Exerciser with Peddles and Ballistic Handle Bars. The above mentioned patent is designed to simulate real world riding conditions on a traditional bicycle and does not create the body rotation needed to target the Obliques and Abdominis muscles that the Cycle Exerciser with Peddles and Ballistic Handle Bars does.
The object of the invention is to simulate the movement of the Bicycle Crunch abdominal exercise. The Bicycle crunch is an abdominal exercise which, according to a study done by Biomechanics Lab at San Diego University and commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), is the single most calorie burning abdominal exercise there is.
The Bicycle Crunch is performed by lying on your back with both feet up in the air—thighs perpendicular to the floor—and a 90 degree bend in your knee. Place the tips of your fingers behind your head. Move the left leg away by straightening it and your right knee towards your torso. As you bring your right knee in, bring your left elbow towards it by lifting your shoulders off the floor and twisting your body. Breathe normally as you alternate legs and shoulders, breathing in on one contraction and out on another.
The Cycle Exerciser with Peddles and Ballistic Handle Bars simulates the movement of the Bicycle Crunch abdominal exercise. The Cycle Exerciser targets the same abdominal muscles as the Bicycle Crunch and allows the user to obtain a cardiovascular workout and an upper and lower body anaerobic workout all at the same time.
The user of the Cycle Exerciser must first mount the equipment the same way they would mount a traditional stationary bicycle, Once supported by the seat they would place their feet on the peddles which are on both sides of the Cycle frame. The user would lean forward, grab hold of the handle bars and rest his/her forearms on them. The user would then push down on either the right side peddle or the left side peddle which are connected to a track in a linear, vertical configuration. The peddles are inversely proportionate to one another in that when the right peddle is depressed the left peddle is elevated and vice versa. Also, the handle bars are affixed to the peddles in such a way that when the right peddle is depressed and the left peddle is elevated the right side of the handle bar is lowered and the left is raised. The handle bars oscillate up and down from right to left dependant on the peddles as they move.
This movement creates body rotation and targets the Rectus Abdominis, the Transverse Abdominis and both the Internal and External Obliques. And since it is done as the user is being supported by the Cycle Exercisers seat and frame, it makes it a more comfortable exercise as opposed to lying on the floor on ones back performing the Bicycle Crunch exercise.
The user will also be able to do more repetitions on the Cycle Exerciser than he/she would performing the Bicycle Crunch abdominal exercise resulting in a more cardiovascular, aerobic and anaerobic workout, as well.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a study done by Biomechanics Lab at the University of San Diego it was ascertained that the Bicycle Crunch abdominal exercise is the single most calorie burning abdominal exercise there is. But one has to lie on his/her back with their legs suspended in the air to perform the exercise. Not every can take advantage of this exercise if you consider someone of elderly years or someone who may have some type of disability or even someone who may not have enough strength or conditioning. The Cycle Exerciser with Peddles and Ballistic Handle Bars allows almost anyone to take advantage of this abdominal, core strengthening, calorie burning movement no matter the age or the fitness level or the short comings of the user. And the user will receive a cardiovascular exercise by peddling enough for them to get their heart rate up to their target zone. They will receive an anaerobic lower body work out because the muscles worked from the peddling on the Cycle Exerciser. They will receive an anaerobic upper body workout from the movement of the handle bars and, of course, the muscles of the abdominal and mid-section are worked due to the body rotation created by the Cycle Exerciser. And since you do not have to lie on your back to perform the exercise the user can perform more repetitions for a longer period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 Right side view of the Cycle Exerciser with the both peddles level to one another and the handle bars level to the ground.

FIG. 2 Right side view of the Cycle Exerciser with the right peddle depressed and the handle bar is lowered on the right and raised on the left.

FIG. 3 Right side view of peddle assembly which is depressed.

FIG. 4 Right side view of Cycle Exerciser with right peddle elevated and the left peddle is depressed and the right side of handle bar is raised while the left side of the handle bar is lowered.

FIG. 5 Front view of handle bar assembly with (using the perspective of the user) the right side of the handle bar raised and the left side of the handle bar lowered.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A traditional stationary exercise bike was purchased and stripped down to its bare frame which consisted of 12, 15, [11 and 17 are one and the same]. Since the bike had a rotational peddle assembly the mount for such was cut off the frame. An aluminum I Track 16 was purchased and cut to size and screwed to the frame of the Cycle Exerciser. Weld was not used because of the special welding equipment and material needed for aluminum. The I Track 16 was manufactured to be used to build closet doors but was modified for this particular build. The original bike peddle stem was cut at the threaded end where the peddle is affixed and welded to the roller assembly 33 (also a modified closet hardware unit) and placed into the I Track. The roller assembly is a truck with four wheels. 2 on each side of the truck. Once both newly modified peddles 32 where placed in their respective I Tracks, iron plates where welded to the frame cross member 15 between and frame part 12 between the I Tracks and roller bearings were connected along with airplane wire. This was done to make the peddles dependent on one another. When one peddle is depressed the other peddle will elevate.
Now since the peddle assembly was done it was time to work on the handle bar assembly. Using an oversized rotational bearing 18 to the part of the frame which connects the handle bars was cut in two at the upper part and the rotational bearing was welded to 19. A metal plates were welded to both sides of 111/117 in ordered to screw in the rotational bearing. Stop rods were welded to the rotational bearing to limit travel of the handle bars. Now the handle bars would be ballistic and no longer static. The handle bars now have the ability to rotate up and down from right to left.
Now it was time to marry the peddle assembly to the handle bar assembly. Airplane wire 35/36 was attached to the peddle trucks and run through a series of roller bearings 40 attached to the frame as a guide. The airplane wire was run from the peddle truck and along the frame up towards the handle bars 22/24. But before the airplane wire could be connected a problem had to be solved. The peddles would have to travel vertically at 13 inches either way. The rotational bearing need only travel 3 to 5 inches either way. The peddles and the handle bars were interconnected and a 8 to 10 inch travel distance divided the two assemblies. Hence, the decision to use spring 25/26 or elastic cord to compensate for the travel distance was used and connected to handle bar plate 27. Now when the user sat on the seat 14 and pressed down on the peddle the handle bar on that same side would be pulled down while the peddle on the opposite side would be elevated and the handle bar on its side would be raised, simulating the Bicycle Crunch abdominal exercise when the user completes one full cycle or repetition.
Having the magnetic wheel 38 cut with slots on top allowed the airplane wire to be fitted into the wheel and attached to the peddle truck for variable resistance which can be controlled by the LCD panel 29. One wire 35 is routed on the bottom of the magnetic wheel 38 and the other wire 36 on top. So when a peddle is depressed it pulls on the magnetic wheel and resistance can be achieved.

Claims

1- A stationary exercise machine comprising: a stationary frame; a first support member attached to the frame for supporting a foot pedal on each opposite side thereof with each foot pedal movably engaged to the first support member for causing each foot pedal to alternately move in opposite directions upwardly and downwardly relative to the first support member; a second support member attached to the frame for supporting a set of handlebars with the set of handlebars connected to opposite ends of a shaft; a roller assembly interconnecting the shaft to the second support member; spring means connected to the shaft and to opposite sides of the roller assembly for rotationally pivoting the handlebars about the roller assembly from one side to the other in response to alternate movement of the foot pedals; an assembly of pulley rollers mounted on the frame and cable wires wound around the assembly of pulley rollers for interconnecting each foot pedal to the spring means to synchronize pedal movement with the rotational pivoting of the handlebars such that when the right pedal is pushed downwardly from an elevated position the handlebars rotationally pivot causing the spring means to move the right handlebar downwardly and the left handlebar upwardly in unison and when the left pedal is pushed downwardly from an elevated position the handlebars rotationally pivot causing the spring means to move the left handlebar downwardly and the right handlebar upwardly in unison.

2- A stationary exercise machine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a base platform 12 for supporting the exercise machine in an upright stationary position during operation of the machine.

3- A stationary exercise machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first support member is a vertically supported track to which each foot pedal is slidably engaged for moving upwardly and downwardly on the track.

4- A stationary exercise machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said vertically supported track is a bar to which the left foot pedal is slidably engaged on one side of the bar, perpendicular to the paper, and to which the right foot pedal is slidably engaged to the opposite side of the bar so that the left and right foot pedals ride, upwardly and downwardly, in opposite directions relative to one another, on the track as the pedals are alternately pushed by the feet of the rider on the machine.

5- A stationary exercise machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said roller assembly comprises a roller bearing and wherein said spring means comprises at least a first spring and a second spring with each spring connected to an opposite side of the roller assembly.

6- A stationary exercise machine as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a pulley assembly consisting of a pulley wheel mounted on the base platform interconnecting the cable wire from each foot pedal to the spring means on each side of the frame.

7- A stationary exercise machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the pulley wheel receives cable wire from he left foot pedal in one direction and cable wire form the right foot pedal in another direction to cause the pulley wheel to make a partial turn for providing variable resistance when pedaling.