The present invention relates to athletic apparatus, and particular to an athletic apparatus with a non-linear sliding track and provides complicated exercise for user's hands and feet.

A plenty of athletic apparatuss are developed for the purposes of body fitness or rehabilitation. Athletic apparatuss such as a stair climber can provide an exercise for a user's feet by treading up and down on pedals only. Athletic apparatuss such as an elliptical trainer can provide an exercise for both hands and feet. Pedals of the elliptical trainer fixed to a linking rod can not be moved alone. Although the stair climber and the elliptical trainer are well developed and improved, the exercise style of the stair climber is still an upwards and downwards exercise and the style of the elliptical trainer is still an elliptical movement and the pedals still can not be slid on the supporting linking rod.

European patent application EP 183 674 describes an exercise apparatus to simulate climbing that includes such features as arm handles that move in synchronism with the motion of foot pedals to provide a total body workout; side handrails; a mounting step; linear foot movement at a simulated climbing angle; a three point support structure using a vertical support column; pedal track covers; a mechanism to provide constant resistance to pedal motion; and pedal impact absorption.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a non-straight track which means an athletic apparatus with curved tracks according to claim 1. The athletic apparatus provides exercise for a user's hands and feet, especially a curved slide of good athletic effect for the user's feet.

To achieve above object, the present invention provides an athletic apparatus comprising: a frame placed on a level ground; a pair of left and right tracks of the same structure fixed to the frame at a predetermined angle to the ground; the tracks being formed curved but not straight; a pair of left and right pedal mechanisms of the same structure including pedals for treading by a user's feet and being installed to the left and right tracks respectively; the pedal mechanisms further being moved up and down along the curved tracks; a pair of left and right rocker arm mechanisms of the same structure being movably installed to the frame and the left and right pedal mechanisms so as to be moved identically with the pedal mechanisms; wherein by the curved tracks, the users experiences the most natural feet exercise and an ergonomic design capable of protecting user's heels from being hurt.

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing.

• Fig. 1 is a pictorial drawing of an embodiment of an athletic apparatus of the present invention.
• Fig. 2 is a pictorial drawing of the embodiment of the present invention viewing from a side.
• Fig. 3 is a pictorial drawing of the embodiment of the present invention viewing from another side to the Fig. 2.
• Fig. 4 is a top view showing pedal mechanisms at a back and front positions of tracks.
• Fig. 5 is a front view showing the pedal mechanisms at the back and front positions of the tracks.
• Fig. 6 shows drawing of the Fig. 5 from a side.
• Fig. 7 shows the curved tracks oppositely installed to a center line.
• Fig. 8 is a pictorial drawing of the athletic apparatus viewing from a back side.

In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be provided in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8, an athletic apparatus 1 according to the present invention is illustrated. The athletic apparatus 1 includes a frame 10, a pair of separated tracks 3 and 4, a pair of pedal mechanisms, a pair of separated rocker arm mechanisms, two transmitting mechanisms, and a damping mechanism.

The frame 10 has a base 18 which includes a front bottom rod 11 and a rear bottom rod 13 separated from each other. The front bottom rod 11 is formed as a standing rod 12, a control panel 121 is installed to a top of the standing rod 12. The users can operate the athletic apparatus 1 through the control panel 121. An axle rod 14 is formed near an upper end of the standing rod 12, handles 15 for holding by the users are formed respectively between two ends of the axle rod 14 and a middle bottom rod 19 of the base 18. Installation portions 131 and 132 are formed separately to the rear bottom rod 13.

The tracks 3 and 4 of the same structure are arranged to a left and right side of the athletic apparatus 1 respectively. Bottom ends of track 3 and 4 are fixed to the installation portions 131 and 132 respectively, while upper ends of the tracks 3 and 4 are fixed to an inclined supporting rod 16 of the frame 10 so that the left and right tracks are at an predetermined angle to the ground. A main characteristic of the tracks is that the tracks are made as curved but not straight. The design of the tracks will have the users experienced the most natural exercise for feet, it is also an ergonomic design capable of protecting user's heels from being hurt.

The left and right pedal mechanisms of the same structure have pedal bases 5 and 6, supporters 51 and 61 linked to the pedal bases 5 and 6, and pedals 52 and 62 for treading by the users respectively. The pedal bases 5 and 6 are slidably installed to the inclined tracks 3 and 4 respectively and capable of being slid up and down along the tracks.

The left and right rocker arm mechanisms of the same structure have rocker arms 7 and 8 respectively. Upper ends 71 and 81 of the rocker arms 7 and 8 respectively are pivoted to the axle rod 14, and handles 70 and 80 are arranged to the rocker arms 7 and 8 respectively for holding by the users. Lower ends 72 and 82 of the rocker arms 7 and 8 are pivoted to linking rods 73 and 83 through universal connectors 74 and 84 (which are capable of rotating in Y and Z axes) respectively. Another ends of the linking rods 73 and 83 are also pivoted to the pedal bases 5 and 6 through universal connectors 75 and 85. Therefore, the left and right rocker arm mechanisms and the left and right pedal mechanisms can be moved identically.

A first transmitting mechanism has a pulley 91 which is rotatably installed to the inclined supporting rod 16, said pulley 91 is positioned near to the upper ends of the tracks below. Said first transmitting mechanism further comprises a steel rope 92 which is wound on said pulley 91. Two ends of the steel rope 92 are connected to the left and right pedal bases 5 and 6 respectively so that the pedal bases 5 and 6 can be slid back and forth, up and down against each other alternately.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a second transmitting mechanism is illustrated. The second transmitting mechanism has two timing belts 21, 22 and an elastic belt 23 linking the two timing belts 21, 22. Outer ends of the timing belts 21, 22 are connected to the lower ends 72, 82 of the rocker arms 7 and 8 respectively so that the left and right rocker arm mechanisms can be swung back and forth alternately with an axle center of the axle rod 14. A shaft rod 24 is installed to the frame 10. A belt wheel 25 is installed to a middle position of the shaft rod 24, and two gear wheels 26, 27 are installed to two ends of the shaft rod 24. The gear wheels 26, 27 have single direction bearing. The timing belts 21, 22 clench the teeth of the gear wheels 26 and 27 respectively. Two wheels 28, 29 are pivoted to two ends of the front bottom rod 11. The elastic belt 23 linking the timing belts 21, 22 also winds the wheels 28 and 29. By the second transmitting mechanism, the left and right rocker arms 7 and 8 can be moved back and forth against each other alternately.

The damping mechanism includes a load wheel 101 and an electro-magnetic brake 102. By the link of a transmitting belt 103, the load wheel 101 is linked to the belt wheel 25. When the handles 70 and 80 are swung back and forth alternately, the damping mechanism can provide a resistance. The resistance can be pre-selected on the control panel 121.

With reference to Figs. 4 to 6, the main characteristic of the left and right tracks 3 and 4 is made of at least one curved track. The tracks 3 and 4 of the embodiment of the present invention are made of two parallel curved pipes 31, 32 and 41, 42 and combined by linking bodies 33, 43 respectively. The upper ends of the curved pipes are all fixed to a common linking unit 161 which is fixed to an upper end of the inclined supporting rod 16. The linking bodies 33 and 43 and the lower ends of the tracks are fixed to the installation portions 131 and 132 so that the tracks are installed to the frame 10 at an angle B to the ground as shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 7, a center line 17 illustrated between the oppositely installed tracks 3 and 4 indicates a longitudinal direction of the base 18 of the present invention. A first track, which is the left track 3 is an arc of a length L1 based on a virtual radius r1 and a center of circuit O1 The second track 4 is an arc of a length L2 based on a virtual radius r2 and a center of circuit 02. The radii and lengths of the arcs of the two tracks 3 and 4 are equal. The two curved tracks installed between the rear bottom rod 13 and the inclined supporting rod 16 are gradually away from each other from the upper ends to the lower ends thereof. That is, the upper ends 30 and 40 of the tracks 3 and 4 are near to the center line 17 and the lower ends 39 and 49 of the tracks 3 and 4 are away from the center line 17 so that the concaves of the arcs of the tracks face outwards respectively.

When operating the athletic apparatus 1 according to the present invention, a user (not illustrated) stands on the pedals 52 and 62 with both feet respectively and holds the handles 70 and 80 with both hands respectively. While the user overcomes the resistance of the load wheel 101, the rocker arm mechanisms are pulled back and forth and the pedals mechanisms are moved back and forth, up and down against each other alternately in the same time.

The athletic apparatus 1 according to the present invention can provide a composite body exercise for hands and feet of the users. Also, by the design of the curved tracks 3 and 4, the pedals bases 5 and 6 will be moved along the curved tracks so that feet of the user can exercise smoothly by moving outwards and downwards together and moving forth and upwards together.

The pedals 52 and 62 are parallel to the ground on the tracks 3 and 4 at a static status. For the balance of the users operating the athletic apparatus 1, as shown in Fig. 5, the pedals 52 and 62 can tilt towards each other with a small angle A so that the upwards and downwards movement along the arcs are smooth and safe.

The athletic apparatus 1 according to the present invention has a simple structure and provides a physical training on muscles of user's arms and feet. Especially to the design of the tracks 3 and 4, the users can exercise inwards and outwards curved slides. Moreover, the rocker arm mechanisms can drive the load wheel 101 through the belt wheel 25 by the link of two timing belts on the same axis to the belt wheel 25. On the other hand, the rocker arm mechanisms can drive the corresponding pedal mechanisms on the left and right tracks 3, 4 synchronously by the link of linking rods 73 and 83 so that the athletic apparatus 1 can archive an anticipated purpose and effect.