JP7708042B2 - Pedal exercise equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a foot-pedaling exercise device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a foot-pedaling exercise device equipped with a pair of foot-pedaling pedals on the left and right. This foot-pedaling exercise device realizes a foot-pedaling exercise in which both feet step out alternately.

JP 2018-171421 A

However, the stroke of the foot in the forward and backward directions is limited to the length of the crank arm.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide technology that increases the stroke of the foot in the forward and backward directions.

In view of the present disclosure,
A crank arm,
a pedal base rotatable relative to the crank arm;
a pedal slider on which a user places his/her foot and which is movable in a front-rear direction relative to the pedal base;
an interlocking member that interlocks the movement of the pedal base with the movement of the pedal slider relative to the pedal base such that the pedal slider moves forward relative to the pedal base during at least a portion of a period during which the pedal base moves forward, and the pedal slider moves rearward relative to the pedal base during at least a portion of a period during which the pedal base moves rearward;
Including,
According to the above-mentioned configuration, the foot stroke in the forward and backward directions can be increased.
the interlocking member includes a base rotating member that is rotatably provided on the pedal base, rotates in a first rotation direction when the pedal base moves forward, and rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction when the pedal base moves backward,
The interlocking member may link the rotation of the base rotating member with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base, thereby linking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
The interlocking member is
a slider rack provided on the pedal slider;
a pinion rotatably provided on the pedal base and meshing with the slider rack;
Further comprising:
The interlocking member may interlock the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pinion, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
The interlocking member may interlock the rotation of the base rotating member and the rotation of the pinion via at least one gear.
The interlocking member may interlock the rotation of the base rotating member and the rotation of the pinion via at least one belt.
the pedal base supports the pedal slider so that the pedal slider is movable between a first position and a second position different from the first position;
The slider rack includes:
a fixed rack fixed to the pedal slider;
a floating rack provided at an end of the fixed rack and movable relative to the fixed rack;
A biasing member that biases the floating rack in a direction away from the fixed rack;
Including,
When the pedal slider reaches the first position, the pinion meshes with the floating rack, and the rotation of the pinion brings the floating rack closer to the fixed rack, thereby releasing the meshing between the pinion and the floating rack, thereby causing the pinion to begin to rotate freely relative to the floating rack.
The interlocking member is
A pair of pulleys provided on the pedal base;
a slider belt that is hung on the pair of pulleys and fixed to the pedal slider;
Further comprising:
The interlocking member may interlock the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pair of pulleys, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
The interlocking member may interlock the rotation of the base rotating member and the rotation of the pair of pulleys via at least one gear.
The interlocking member may interlock the rotation of the base rotating member and the rotation of the pair of pulleys via at least one belt.
The interlocking member may link the rotation of the crank arm relative to the pedal base and the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base, thereby linking the movement of the pedal base and the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
The interlocking member is
A cam groove provided in the pedal slider;
a swing arm that is rotatably supported by the pedal base, has a contact that is constrained by the cam groove, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the crank arm relative to the pedal base;
may include:
A rotation axis of the swing arm relative to the pedal base may be disposed above a rotation axis of the crank arm relative to the pedal base.

This disclosure allows for an increased stroke in the forward and backward directions of the foot.

1 is a side view of a pedaling exercise device according to a first embodiment; 1 is a front view of a pedaling exercise device according to a first embodiment; 1 is a side view of a pedal unit according to a first embodiment; 1 is a side view of a pedal unit according to a first embodiment; 11 is a side view of the pedal unit according to the second embodiment. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit according to the third embodiment. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit according to the fourth embodiment. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit according to the fifth embodiment. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit according to the sixth embodiment. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view of the pedal unit according to the seventh embodiment; FIG. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit (modification); 13 is a side view of the pedal unit (eighth embodiment); FIG. 13 is a side view of the pedal unit (modification);

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a state in which a user U is performing a pedaling exercise using a pedaling exercise device 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, a user U sits on a chair 2 and performs desk work using a laptop computer (not shown) placed on a desk 3. A foot-pedaling exercise device 1 is placed under the desk 3, so that the user U can perform foot-pedaling exercise using the foot-pedaling exercise device 1 while performing desk work.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pedaling exercise device 1 includes an exercise device main body 4, a pair of pedal units 5, and a crankshaft 6. The pair of pedal units 5 are connected to each other via the crankshaft 6, which is rotatably supported by the exercise device main body 4. The user U performs pedaling exercise by stepping forward alternately with both feet while placing both feet on the pair of pedal units 5. The exercise device main body 4 is equipped with a load device (not shown) that applies a load to the rotation of the crankshaft 6. The load device is typically an electromagnetic brake. The pair of pedal units 5 includes a left pedal unit 5L and a right pedal unit 5R. The left pedal unit 5L and the right pedal unit 5R have the same shape, so the left pedal unit 5L will be described in detail below, and the right pedal unit 5R will not be described in detail.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the left pedal unit 5L. The exercise equipment main body 4 is located at the front of the paper in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the left pedal unit 5L includes a crank arm 10, a pedal base 11, a pedal slider 12, and an interlocking member 13.

The crank arm 10 is fixed to the end of the horizontally extending crankshaft 6 as shown in FIG. 2, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the crankshaft 6. The crank arm 10 has a shaft side end 10a and a base side end 10b. The shaft side end 10a of the crank arm 10 is fixed to the crankshaft 6.

The pedal base 11 extends in the front-rear direction and is connected to the base end 10b of the crank arm 10 so as to be rotatable (pitch rotatable) relative to the base end 10b of the crank arm 10. The pedal base 11 has a base front end 11a and a base rear end 11b. The base end 10b of the crank arm 10 is connected to the base front end 11a of the pedal base 11.

The pedal slider 12 is the portion on which the user U places his/her left foot, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the pedal base 11. The pedal slider 12 is supported by the pedal base 11 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction relative to the pedal base 11. In other words, the pedal slider 12 is supported by the pedal base 11 so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the pedal base 11. The pedal slider 12 is typically supported movably on the pedal base 11 via a linear guide (not shown).

The interlocking member 13 interlocks the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 so that when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11, and when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11. In other words, if the pedal base 11 does not move forward or backward, the pedal slider 12 cannot move forward or backward relative to the pedal base 11. In this specification, "interlock" means "multiple parts move in unison."

The interlocking member 13 includes a base rack 14, a slider rack 15, wheels 16, a plurality of intermediate gears 17, and a pinion 18.

The base rack 14 is installed on the installation floor F of the foot-pedaling exercise equipment 1 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The base rack 14 is installed so that its position relative to the exercise equipment body 4 does not change. Typically, the base rack 14 is fixed to the exercise equipment body 4. Alternatively, the base rack 14 may be fixed to the installation floor F.

The slider rack 15 is fixed to the pedal slider 12 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the pedal slider 12.

The wheel 16 is a specific example of a base rotating member, and is rotatably mounted on the base rear end 11b of the pedal base 11. Thus, the pedal base 11 is supported by the crank arm 10 and the wheel 16. In this embodiment, the wheel 16 is a gear and meshes with the base rack 14. The wheel 16 rotates in a forward direction (first rotation direction) when the pedal base 11 moves forward, and rotates in a reverse direction (second rotation direction) opposite to the forward direction when the pedal base 11 moves backward. In other words, the wheel 16 rotates in a forward direction when the pedal base 11 moves forward, and rotates in a reverse direction when the pedal base 11 moves backward.

The multiple intermediate gears 17 include three intermediate gears 17. The three intermediate gears 17 are rotatably mounted on the pedal base 11. The three intermediate gears 17 include a first intermediate gear 17a, a second intermediate gear 17b, and a third intermediate gear 17c. The first intermediate gear 17a meshes with the wheel 16. The second intermediate gear 17b is disposed between the first intermediate gear 17a and the third intermediate gear 17c, and meshes with the first intermediate gear 17a and the third intermediate gear 17c. The third intermediate gear 17c meshes with the pinion 18.

The pinion 18 is rotatably mounted on the pedal base 11 and engages with the slider rack 15 of the pedal slider 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the wheel 16 rotates forward. When the wheel 16 rotates forward, the first intermediate gear 17a rotates reversely, the second intermediate gear 17b rotates forward, the third intermediate gear 17c rotates reversely, and the pinion 18 rotates forward. As the pinion 18 rotates forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11. In short, when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11.

Conversely, when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the wheel 16 rotates in the reverse direction. When the wheel 16 rotates in the reverse direction, the first intermediate gear 17a rotates forward, the second intermediate gear 17b rotates in the reverse direction, the third intermediate gear 17c rotates forward, and the pinion 18 rotates in the reverse direction. As the pinion 18 rotates in the reverse direction, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11. In short, when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11.

Therefore, by providing the linking member 13, the pedaling exercise device 1 can increase the stroke of the feet in the forward and backward directions during pedaling exercise.

The first embodiment has been described above, and the above embodiment has the following features:

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the pedaling exercise device 1 includes a crank arm 10, a pedal base 11 that is rotatable relative to the crank arm 10, a pedal slider 12 that is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the pedal base 11 and on which the user U places his/her foot, and an interlocking member 13. The interlocking member 13 interlocks the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 so that when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11, and when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11. With the above configuration, the stroke of the foot in the front-rear direction during pedaling can be expanded. Therefore, the knee joint and the ankle joint can be greatly extended and flexed while pedaling, so that the pedaling can be performed with high exercise efficiency.

The interlocking member 13 also includes wheels 16 (base rotation members) that are rotatably mounted on the pedal base 11 and rotate forward when the pedal base 11 moves forward and rotate reversely when the pedal base 11 moves backward. The interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the wheels 16 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 with a simple configuration.

The interlocking member 13 further includes a slider rack 15 provided on the pedal slider 12, and a pinion 18 rotatably provided on the pedal base 11 and meshing with the slider rack 15. The interlocking member 13 interlocks the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 by interlocking the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 with a simple configuration.

The interlocking member 13 also interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18 via three intermediate gears 17. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18 with a simple configuration.

The interlocking member 13 may interlock the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18 via a single intermediate gear 17.

The interlocking member 13 can interlock the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18 via an odd number of intermediate gears 17, for example five or seven.

Alternatively, the multiple intermediate gears 17 and pinions 18 may be omitted, and the wheels 16 may be made to mesh with the base rack 14 and the slider rack 15 simultaneously.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Below, differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the wheels 16 and the pinion 18 are linked via multiple intermediate gears 17.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the multiple intermediate gears 17 are omitted. Instead, the interlocking member 13 includes a wheel-side pulley 19 provided on the wheel 16, a pinion-side pulley 20 provided on the pinion 18, and a belt 21 wound around the wheel-side pulley 19 and the pinion-side pulley 20. The interlocking member 13 then interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18 via the belt 21. With the above configuration, the rotation of the wheel 16 and the rotation of the pinion 18 can be interlocked with a simple configuration.

The wheel side pulley 19 and the pinion side pulley 20 are typically timing pulleys. The belt 21 is typically a timing belt.

The interlocking member 13 may also interlock the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pinion 18 via multiple belts.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Below, differences between the present embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the wheels 16 are gears that mesh with the base rack 14.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the base rack 14 is omitted. When the pedal base 11 moves forward, the wheels 16 rotate forward due to friction with the installation floor F, and when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the wheels 16 rotate backward due to friction with the installation floor F.

The wheel 16 is provided with a gear 16a that has a smaller diameter than the wheel 16 and meshes with the first intermediate gear 17a. The gear 16a is fixed to the wheel 16.

With the above configuration, the base rack 14 is omitted, making it possible to realize the foot-pedaling exercise device 1 at low cost.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Below, differences between this embodiment and the third embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a possibility that the wheels 16 may slip relative to the installation floor F. For example, if the wheels 16 slip relative to the installation floor F when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the pedal slider 12 is prevented from moving forward relative to the pedal base 11, and the center of the stroke of the pedal slider 12's relative movement relative to the pedal base 11 shifts backward. In this case, the pedaling motion will be performed with the knee joint largely bent, which will reduce the efficiency of the exercise.

Conversely, if the wheels 16 slip against the installation floor F when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the pedal slider 12 is prevented from moving backward relative to the pedal base 11, and the center of the stroke of the pedal slider 12's relative movement with respect to the pedal base 11 shifts forward. In this case, the pedaling motion will be performed with the knee joint largely extended, which will reduce the efficiency of the exercise.

7, the pedal base 11 supports the pedal slider 12 so that the pedal slider 12 can move between a front position 12a (first position) where the pedal slider 12 is located at the most forward position, and a rear position 12b (second position) which is different from the front position 12a and located at the most rear position. Specifically, the pedal base 11 is provided with a front slider stopper 22a provided at the base front end portion 11a against which the pedal slider 12 abuts when the pedal slider 12 reaches the front position 12a, and a rear slider stopper 22b provided at the base rear end portion 11b against which the pedal slider 12 abuts when the pedal slider 12 reaches the rear position 12b. In other words, the front slider stopper 22a prohibits the pedal slider 12 from moving further forward when the pedal slider 12 reaches the front position 12a. In addition, the rear slider stopper 22b prevents the pedal slider 12 from moving further backward when the pedal slider 12 reaches the rear position 12b. Therefore, the front slider stopper 22a and the rear slider stopper 22b define the range of movement of the pedal slider 12 relative to the pedal base 11.

The slider rack 15 includes a fixed rack 23 fixed to the pedal slider 12, two floating racks 24 provided at the ends of the fixed rack 23 and movable relative to the fixed rack 23, and two compression coil springs 25 (biasing members) that bias the two floating racks 24 in a direction away from the fixed rack 23. The two floating racks 24 include a front floating rack 24a that is disposed forward of the fixed rack 23, and a rear floating rack 24b that is disposed rearward of the fixed rack 23. The slider rack 15 further includes a front rack stopper 26a and a rear rack stopper 26b. The front rack stopper 26a is disposed further forward than the front floating rack 24a. The rear rack stopper 26b is disposed further rearward than the rear floating rack 24b. The front floating rack 24a is biased by the corresponding compression coil spring 25 to be pressed against the front rack stopper 26a. Similarly, the rear floating rack 24b is pressed against the rear rack stopper 26b by the corresponding compression coil spring 25.

In this configuration, when the pedal slider 12 reaches the front position 12a due to the pinion 18 rotating forward as shown in FIG. 7, the pinion 18 meshes with the rear floating rack 24b, and the rotation of the pinion 18 causes the rear floating rack 24b to approach the fixed rack 23. As the rear floating rack 24b approaches the fixed rack 23, the meshing between the pinion 18 and the rear floating rack 24b is released, and the pinion 18 begins to rotate freely relative to the rear floating rack 24b.

After that, when the pedal slider 12 reaches the front position 12a, the pedal base 11 starts to move backwards and the pinion 18 rotates in the reverse direction. The rear floating rack 24b moves away from the fixed rack 23 due to the spring restoring force of the corresponding compression coil spring 25, and the pinion 18 meshes with the rear floating rack 24b, causing the rear floating rack 24b to abut against the rear rack stopper 26b. As a result, the rotation of the pinion 18 is received by the rear rack stopper 26b, and the pedal slider 12 starts to move backwards relative to the pedal base 11. At this time, the pinion 18 goes from being meshed only with the rear floating rack 24b to being meshed simultaneously with the rear floating rack 24b and the fixed rack 23, and then meshes only with the fixed rack 23.

When the pinion 18 continues to rotate in the reverse direction and the pedal slider 12 reaches the rear position 12b, the pinion 18 similarly begins to rotate freely relative to the front floating rack 24a.

With the above configuration, even if the wheel 16 slips on the installation floor F, the center of the stroke of the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 does not change. Therefore, the pedaling exercise can be performed while appropriately extending and bending the knee joint, so that the pedaling exercise can be performed with high exercise efficiency.

The fourth embodiment has been described above, and has the following features:

That is, the pedal base 11 supports the pedal slider 12 so that the pedal slider 12 can move freely between a front position 12a (first position) and a rear position 12b (second position) different from the front position 12a. The slider rack 15 includes a fixed rack 23 fixed to the pedal slider 12, a rear floating rack 24b provided at the end of the fixed rack 23 and movable relatively to the fixed rack 23, and a compression coil spring 25 (biasing member) that biases the rear floating rack 24b in a direction away from the fixed rack 23. When the pedal slider 12 reaches the front position 12a, the pinion 18 meshes with the rear floating rack 24b, and the rotation of the pinion 18 causes the rear floating rack 24b to approach the fixed rack 23, disengaging the pinion 18 from the rear floating rack 24b, causing the pinion 18 to begin to rotate freely relative to the rear floating rack 24b. With the above configuration, even if the movement of the pedal base 11 and the rotation of the wheel 16 are not properly linked, the center of the stroke of the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 does not change.

Fifth Embodiment
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Below, differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the interlocking member 13 includes a pair of slider pulleys 30, a slider belt 31, a wheel-side pulley 32, and a drive belt 33.

The pair of slider pulleys 30 are rotatably mounted on the pedal base 11. The pair of slider pulleys 30 are arranged apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the pedal base 11. The pair of slider pulleys 30 includes a front slider pulley 30a arranged relatively forward and a rear slider pulley 30b arranged relatively rearward. The pair of slider pulleys 30 are typically timing pulleys.

The slider belt 31 is looped around a pair of slider pulleys 30. The slider belt 31 is fixed to the pedal slider 12. As a result, when the slider belt 31 runs, the pedal slider 12 moves relative to the pedal base 11 at the same speed. The slider belt 31 is typically a timing belt.

The wheel side pulley 32 is fixed to the wheel 16. The wheel side pulley 32 is typically a timing pulley.

The drive belt 33 is looped around the wheel side pulley 32 and the rear slider pulley 30b. The drive belt 33 is typically a timing belt.

With the above configuration, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11.

That is, when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the wheel 16 rotates forward together with the wheel-side pulley 32. When the wheel-side pulley 32 rotates forward, the pair of slider pulleys 30 rotate forward in conjunction with the movement of the drive belt 33. When the pair of slider pulleys 30 rotate forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11 in conjunction with the movement of the slider belt 31.

Conversely, when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the wheel 16 rotates in the reverse direction together with the wheel-side pulley 32. When the wheel-side pulley 32 rotates in the reverse direction, the pair of slider pulleys 30 rotate in the reverse direction accompanied by the movement of the drive belt 33. When the pair of slider pulleys 30 rotate in the reverse direction, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11 accompanied by the movement of the slider belt 31.

The fifth embodiment has been described above, and has the following features:

That is, the interlocking member 13 further includes a pair of slider pulleys 30 (front slider pulley 30a, rear slider pulley 30b) provided on the pedal base 11, and a slider belt 31 that is hung on the pair of slider pulleys 30 and fixed to the pedal slider 12. The interlocking member 13 interlocks the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 by interlocking the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 with a simple configuration.

The interlocking member 13 also interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30 via the drive belt 33. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30 with a simple configuration. The interlocking member 13 may also interlock the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30 via multiple belts.

Sixth Embodiment
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Below, differences between this embodiment and the fifth embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30 via the drive belt 33.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the wheels 16 with the rotation of a pair of slider pulleys 30 via an intermediate gear 34.

The intermediate gear 34 is rotatably mounted on the pedal base 11. The intermediate gear 34 meshes with the wheel 16 and the rear slider pulley 30b.

Therefore, when the pedal base 11 moves forward and the wheel 16 rotates forward, the intermediate gear 34 rotates in the reverse direction and the rear slider pulley 30b rotates forward. When the rear slider pulley 30b rotates forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11 as the slider belt 31 moves.

Conversely, when the pedal base 11 moves backward and the wheel 16 rotates in the reverse direction, the intermediate gear 34 rotates forward and the rear slider pulley 30b rotates in the reverse direction. When the rear slider pulley 30b rotates in the reverse direction, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11 as the slider belt 31 moves.

The sixth embodiment has been described above, and the above embodiment has the following features:

That is, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30 via the intermediate gear 34. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 with a simple configuration.

The interlocking member 13 may also interlock the rotation of the wheels 16 with the rotation of the pair of slider pulleys 30 via an odd number of intermediate gears 34, for example three.

Seventh Embodiment
Next, a seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Below, the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

Figure 10 shows a side view of the right pedal unit 5R. Figure 11 shows a front view of the right pedal unit 5R shown in Figure 10, observed along the arrow X.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the wheel 16 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the crank arm 10 with respect to the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11. The details are as follows.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the interlocking member 13 has a cam groove holder 40 and a swing arm 41.

As shown in FIG. 11, the cam groove holder 40 includes a holder horizontal portion 40a that protrudes parallel to the longitudinal direction of the crankshaft 6 from the slider front end portion 12f of the pedal slider 12, and a holder vertical portion 40b that extends downward from the tip of the holder horizontal portion 40a. The holder horizontal portion 40a protrudes away from the exercise equipment main body 4. As shown in FIG. 10, a cam groove 42 is formed in the holder vertical portion 40b. The cam groove 42 typically extends along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pedal slider 12.

As shown in FIG. 11, the arm shaft 43 extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the crankshaft 6 is supported on the pedal base 11 so as to be rotatable relative to the pedal base 11. The swing arm 41 is disposed between the pedal base 11 and the holder vertical portion 40b of the cam groove holder 40. The swing arm 41 extends straight in a direction perpendicular to the arm shaft 43. In the side view shown in FIG. 10, the longitudinal direction of the swing arm 41 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the crank arm 10. As shown in FIG. 11, the swing arm 41 is fixed to the base side end portion 10b of the crank arm 10 via the arm shaft 43. As a result, the swing arm 41 is supported rotatably relative to the pedal base 11. When the crank arm 10 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, the swing arm 41 also rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11 at the same rotational speed. Conversely, when the crank arm 10 rotates in the reverse direction relative to the pedal base 11, the swing arm 41 also rotates in the reverse direction relative to the pedal base 11 at the same rotation speed. That is, the swing arm 41 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the crank arm 10 relative to the pedal base 11. As shown in FIG. 10, the swing arm 41 has a swing arm rotation shaft 41c as a rotation shaft of the swing arm 41 relative to the pedal base 11. The swing arm rotation shaft 41c of the swing arm 41 is coaxial with the crank arm rotation shaft 10c as a rotation shaft of the crank arm 10 relative to the pedal base 11. The swing arm 41 has a tip 41a and a terminal end 41b. The swing arm rotation shaft 41c of the swing arm 41 is disposed at the terminal end 41b of the swing arm 41. A roller 44 as a contactor that is constrained by the cam groove 42 is rotatably provided at the tip 41a of the swing arm 41. The roller 44 is contained within the cam groove 42 and is constrained to the cam groove 42, and moves along the longitudinal direction of the cam groove 42.

When the pedal base 11 moves forward with the crank arm 10 rotating forward relative to the pedal base 11, the swing arm 41 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, causing the roller 44 to move forward relative to the swing arm rotation shaft 41c. As a result, the cam groove holder 40 having the cam groove 42 that restrains the roller 44 moves forward relative to the swing arm rotation shaft 41c and therefore the pedal base 11. In other words, when the crank arm 10 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11.

In addition, when the pedal base 11 moves rearward with the crank arm 10 rotating forward relative to the pedal base 11, the swing arm 41 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, causing the roller 44 to move rearward relative to the swing arm rotation shaft 41c. As a result, the cam groove holder 40 having the cam groove 42 that restrains the roller 44 moves rearward relative to the swing arm rotation shaft 41c and therefore the pedal base 11. In other words, when the crank arm 10 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves rearward relative to the pedal base 11.

In other words, depending on the relative position of the crank arm 10 to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves forward or backward relative to the pedal base 11.

The seventh embodiment has been described above, and the above embodiment has the following features:

In other words, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the rotation of the crank arm 10 with respect to the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11. With the above configuration, it is possible to interlock the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 with a simple configuration.

The interlocking member 13 also includes a cam groove 42 and a swing arm 41. The cam groove 42 is provided in the pedal slider 12. The swing arm 41 is rotatably supported by the pedal base 11. The swing arm 41 is provided with a roller 44 as a contact that is constrained by the cam groove 42. The swing arm 41 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the crank arm 10 relative to the pedal base 11. With the above-mentioned configuration, the rotational motion of the crank arm 10 can be converted into a linear motion of the pedal slider 12 relative to the pedal base 11 with a simple configuration.

In addition, interlocking the rotation of the crank arm 10 with respect to the pedal base 11 and the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 specifically corresponds to interlocking the relative circular movement of the roller 44 with respect to the swing arm rotation shaft 41c and the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Below, the differences between this modified example and the seventh embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

The swing arm 41 of this modified example shown in FIG. 12 is longer than the swing arm 41 of the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 10. That is, the arm length D1 of the swing arm 41 of this modified example shown in FIG. 12 is longer than the arm length D1 of the swing arm 41 of the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 10. The arm length D1 of the swing arm 41 is typically defined as the distance between the swing arm rotation axis 41c and the roller 44 in a side view. According to this modified example, the relative movement distance of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 is increased, so that the stroke of the foot in the front-rear direction during pedaling can be further increased. Therefore, the pedaling can be performed with a high degree of movement efficiency because the knee joint and the ankle joint can be greatly extended and flexed.

The swing arm 41 may be made extendable so that the stroke of the foot in the forward and backward directions during pedaling can be flexibly adjusted at any time.

In addition, in the seventh embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the swing arm 41 and the crank arm 10 are connected to each other so that their longitudinal directions are parallel in a side view. Therefore, when the pedal base 11 moves to its most forward position, the pedal slider 12 moves to its most forward position relative to the pedal base 11. Conversely, when the pedal base 11 moves to its most rearward position, the pedal slider 12 moves to its most rearward position relative to the pedal base 11.

In contrast, in this modified example, as shown in FIG. 12, the swing arm 41 and the crank arm 10 are connected to each other so that the angle between their longitudinal directions is approximately 160 degrees in a side view. Therefore, the pedal slider 12 moves to the most forward position relative to the pedal base 11 before the pedal base 11 moves to the most forward position. Conversely, the pedal slider 12 moves to the most rearward position relative to the pedal base 11 before the pedal base 11 moves to the most rearward position.

In this way, depending on the angle between the longitudinal direction of the swing arm 41 and the longitudinal direction of the crank arm 10, it is possible to adjust the relationship on the time axis between the timing at which the pedal base 11 moves furthest forward or rearward and the timing at which the pedal slider 12 moves furthest forward or rearward relative to the pedal base 11.

Eighth embodiment
Next, an eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Below, differences between the eighth embodiment and the seventh embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. Fig. 13 shows a side view of the right pedal unit 5R.

In the seventh embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the swing arm 41 and the crank arm 10 are connected via an arm shaft 43. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, in a side view, the swing arm rotation axis 41c of the swing arm 41 coincides with the crank arm rotation axis 10c of the crank arm 10.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the swing arm rotation shaft 41c of the swing arm 41 is positioned above the crank arm rotation shaft 10c of the crank arm 10.

A crank arm side pulley 50 is fixed to the base side end 10b of the crank arm 10. The crank arm side pulley 50 is typically a timing pulley. A swing arm side pulley 51 is fixed to the end 41b of the swing arm 41. The swing arm side pulley 51 is typically a timing pulley. A swing belt 52 is hung between the crank arm side pulley 50 and the swing arm side pulley 51. The swing belt 52 is typically a timing belt.

In the above configuration, when the crank arm 10 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, the swing arm 41 rotates forward around the swing arm rotation shaft 41c in conjunction with the movement of the swing belt 52. When the swing arm 41 rotates forward around the swing arm rotation shaft 41c, the roller 44 moves along a circular path 44a indicated by a two-dot chain line. When the roller 44 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11. Conversely, when the roller 44 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11.

Here, we explain the technical significance of this embodiment.

For example, referring to FIG. 10, in the seventh embodiment, when the roller 44 passes under the swing arm rotation shaft 41c, the arm length D1 must be made small so that the path of the roller 44 does not interfere with the installation floor F. Therefore, the distance that the roller 44 can move forward and backward relative to the pedal base 11 is inevitably small, and therefore the stroke of the pedal slider 12 relative to the pedal base 11 cannot be made large.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the swing arm rotation axis 41c, which is the center of the circular orbit 44a of the roller 44, is positioned above the crank arm rotation axis 10c, so that even if the radius of the circular orbit 44a is increased, the circular orbit 44a of the roller 44 is less likely to interfere with the installation floor F. Therefore, in this embodiment, the distance that the roller 44 can move back and forth relative to the pedal base 11 can be effectively secured, so that the relative stroke of the pedal slider 12 to the pedal base 11 can be effectively secured. In other words, the pedaling exercise can be performed with a high degree of exercise efficiency because the knee joint can be greatly extended and flexed while pedaling.

The eighth embodiment has been described above, and has the following features:

That is, the swing arm rotation axis 41c of the swing arm 41 relative to the pedal base 11 is disposed above the crank arm rotation axis 10c of the crank arm 10 relative to the pedal base 11. With the above configuration, the distance that the roller 44 can move back and forth relative to the pedal base 11 can be effectively secured, so that the stroke of the pedal slider 12 relative to the pedal base 11 can be effectively secured. In other words, the pedaling motion can be performed with a high degree of motion efficiency because the knee joint can be greatly extended and flexed while pedaling.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Below, the differences between this modified example and the eighth embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. Fig. 14 shows a side view of the right pedal unit 5R.

In the eighth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotation of the crank arm 10 and the rotation of the swing arm 41 are linked via the swing belt 52.

In contrast, in this modified example, as shown in FIG. 14, the rotation of the crank arm 10 and the rotation of the swing arm 41 are linked via a plurality of intermediate gears 56. All of the plurality of intermediate gears 56 are rotatably mounted on the pedal base 11. The plurality of intermediate gears 56 include a first intermediate gear 56a, a second intermediate gear 56b, and a third intermediate gear 56c. The first intermediate gear 56a is engaged with a crank gear 57 that is provided on the crank arm rotation shaft 10c of the crank arm 10 and rotates together with the crank arm 10. The third intermediate gear 56c is engaged with a swing gear 58 that is provided on the swing arm rotation shaft 41c of the swing arm 41 and rotates together with the swing arm 41. The second intermediate gear 56b is engaged with the first intermediate gear 56a and the third intermediate gear 56c. With the above configuration, when the crank arm 10 rotates forward relative to the pedal base 11, the swing arm 41 rotates forward around the swing arm rotation shaft 41c in conjunction with the rotation of the multiple intermediate gears 56. This causes the roller 44 to move along the circular orbit 44a indicated by the two-dot chain line. When the roller 44 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11. Conversely, when the roller 44 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11.

With the above configuration, as in the eighth embodiment, the relative stroke of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 can be effectively ensured.

In the seventh and eighth embodiments, the components that come into contact with the installation floor F do not necessarily have to be the wheels 16. For example, the base rear end 11b of the pedal base 11 may be in direct contact with the installation floor F. Alternatively, the base rear end 11b of the pedal base 11 may be supported by a cart that runs on the installation floor F.

In the first to eighth embodiments, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11, so that when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11, and when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11, as shown in FIG. 4, for example. In detail, the interlocking member 13 interlocks the movement of the pedal base 11 with the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11, so that during the entire period when the pedal base 11 moves forward, the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11, and during the entire period when the pedal base 11 moves backward, the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11.

However, instead of this, the interlocking member 13 may interlock the movement of the pedal base 11 and the relative movement of the pedal slider 12 with respect to the pedal base 11 so that the pedal slider 12 moves forward relative to the pedal base 11 during at least a part of the period during which the pedal base 11 moves forward, and the pedal slider 12 moves backward relative to the pedal base 11 during at least a part of the period during which the pedal base 11 moves backward. Such interlocking can typically be achieved by a mechanism in which the pinion 18 rotates idly, as described in the fourth embodiment with reference to FIG. 7. Specifically, it is conceivable to simultaneously shorten the distance between the front slider stopper 22a and the rear slider stopper 22b, the distance between the front rack stopper 26a and the rear rack stopper 26b, and the length of the fixed rack 23 in FIG. 7 to actively rotate the pinion 18 idly. Also, such interlocking can typically be achieved by changing the shape of the cam groove 42, as described in the seventh embodiment with reference to FIG. 10. Specifically, it is conceivable to curve a portion of the cam groove 42 along an arc centered on the swing arm rotation axis 41c.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Foot pedal exercise machine 2 Chair 3 Desk 4 Exercise machine body 5 Pedal unit 5L Left pedal unit 5R Right pedal unit 6 Crankshaft 10 Crank arm 10a Shaft side end 10b Base side end 10c Crank arm rotation shaft 11 Pedal base 11a Base front end 11b Base rear end 12 Pedal slider 12a Front part 12b Rear part 12f Slider front end 13 Interlocking member 14 Base rack 15 Slider rack 16 Wheel 16a Gear 17 Intermediate gear 17a First intermediate gear 17b Second intermediate gear 17c Third intermediate gear 18 Pinion 19 Wheel side pulley 20 Pinion side pulley 21 Belt 22a Front slider stopper 22b Rear slider stopper 23 Fixed rack 24 Floating rack 24a Front floating rack 24b Rear floating rack 25 Compression coil spring 26a Front rack stopper 26b Rear rack stopper 30 Slider pulley 30a Front slider pulley 30b Rear slider pulley 31 Slider belt 32 Wheel side pulley 33 Drive belt 34 Intermediate gear 40 Cam groove holder 40a Holder horizontal portion 40b Holder vertical portion 41 Swing arm 41a Tip 41b End 41c Swing arm rotation shaft 42 Cam groove 43 Arm shaft 44 Roller 44a Circular orbit 50 Crank arm side pulley 51 Swing arm side pulley 52 Swing belt 56 Intermediate gear 56a First intermediate gear 56b Second intermediate gear 56c Third intermediate gear 57 Crank gear 58 Swing gear D1 Arm length F Installation floor U User

Claims (10)

A crank arm,
a pedal base rotatable relative to the crank arm;
a pedal slider on which a user places his/her foot and which is movable in a front-rear direction relative to the pedal base;
an interlocking member that interlocks the movement of the pedal base with the movement of the pedal slider relative to the pedal base such that the pedal slider moves forward relative to the pedal base during at least a portion of a period during which the pedal base moves forward, and the pedal slider moves rearward relative to the pedal base during at least a portion of a period during which the pedal base moves rearward;
Including,
the interlocking member includes a base rotating member that is rotatably provided on the pedal base, rotates in a first rotation direction when the pedal base moves forward, and rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction when the pedal base moves backward,
the interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotation member with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 1 ,
The interlocking member is
a slider rack provided on the pedal slider;
a pinion rotatably provided on the pedal base and meshing with the slider rack;
Further comprising:
The interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pinion, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 2 ,
The interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pinion via at least one gear.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 2 ,
The interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pinion via at least one belt.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 2 ,
the pedal base supports the pedal slider so that the pedal slider is movable between a first position and a second position different from the first position;
The slider rack includes:
a fixed rack fixed to the pedal slider;
a floating rack provided at an end of the fixed rack and movable relative to the fixed rack;
A biasing member that biases the floating rack in a direction away from the fixed rack;
Including,
When the pedal slider reaches the first position, the pinion meshes with the floating rack, and the floating rack approaches the fixed rack due to the rotation of the pinion, whereby the meshing between the pinion and the floating rack is released, and the pinion starts to rotate freely relative to the floating rack.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 1 ,
The interlocking member is
A pair of pulleys provided on the pedal base;
a slider belt that is hung on the pair of pulleys and fixed to the pedal slider;
Further comprising:
The interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pair of pulleys, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 6 ,
The interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pair of pulleys via at least one gear.
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 6 ,
The interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the base rotating member with the rotation of the pair of pulleys via at least one belt.
Foot pedaling equipment. A crank arm,
a pedal base rotatable relative to the crank arm;
a pedal slider on which a user places his/her foot and which is movable in a front-rear direction relative to the pedal base;
an interlocking member that interlocks the movement of the pedal base with the movement of the pedal slider relative to the pedal base such that the pedal slider moves forward relative to the pedal base during at least a portion of a period during which the pedal base moves forward, and the pedal slider moves rearward relative to the pedal base during at least a portion of a period during which the pedal base moves rearward;
Including,
the interlocking member interlocks the rotation of the crank arm with respect to the pedal base and the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base, thereby interlocking the movement of the pedal base with the relative movement of the pedal slider with respect to the pedal base,
The interlocking member is
A cam groove provided in the pedal slider;
a swing arm that is rotatably supported by the pedal base, has a contact that is constrained by the cam groove, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the crank arm relative to the pedal base;
Including,
Foot pedaling equipment. The pedaling exercise device according to claim 9 ,
A rotation axis of the swing arm relative to the pedal base is disposed above a rotation axis of the crank arm relative to the pedal base.
Foot pedaling equipment.