Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Having common force transmitting support frame for user and...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-19
2003-04-08
Richman, Glenn E. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Having common force transmitting support frame for user and...
C482S127000, C482S132000, C482S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06544153
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise wheel that prevents damage to the torsion springs resulting from operation of the exercise wheel in the wrong direction and that prevents excessive travel thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 12 and 13
of the drawings illustrates a conventional exercise wheel that includes a housing
1
′, two grip rods
2
′, a main gear
3
′, two roller pairs
4
′, and two torsion springs
5
′. The housing
1
′ includes a compartment with a downwardly facing opening and aligned holes
11
′ on two sides thereof into which the grip rods
2
′ are mounted. Two stop rods
12
′ are mounted inside the housing
1
′ . The main gear
3
′ is mounted to the grip rods
2
′ and includes a hole
32
′ on each side thereof. Each roller pair
4
′ includes two rollers
41
′ connected by a shaft
42
′ that has teeth
421
′ formed on an outer periphery thereof for meshing with teeth
31
′ of the main gear
3
′. Each torsion spring
5
′ includes two ends
51
′ and
52
′ that are attached to an associated hole
32
′ of the main gear
3
′ and an associated stop rod
12
′, respectively.
When in use, the user bends downward and grasps the grip rods
2
′ to make the roller pairs
4
′ to roll on the ground. During rolling of the roller pairs
4
′, the torsion springs
5
′ are tensioned by the main gear
3
′ via transmission of the teeth
421
′ and
31
′. When the main gear
3
′ is turned for one turn, the end
52
′ of the torsion spring
51
′ bears against the stop rod
12
′ and thus stops the main gear
3
′ and the roller pairs
4
′. The torsion springs
51
′ may return the exercise wheel to its initial position.
Nevertheless, when the user operates the main gear
3
′ in the wrong direction, the torsion springs
5
′ might be damaged, as the torsion springs are twisted in the wrong direction and thus expand radially outward, as shown in FIG.
14
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise wheel that may prevent damage to the torsion springs when the exercise wheel is operated in the wrong direction and that prevents excessive travel thereof.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention the invention, an exercise wheel comprises:
a housing having two sides;
two grip rods secured to the two sides of the housing, respectively;
a chassis housed by the housing;
a main shaft supported by the chassis;
a main gear mounted around the main shaft;
two wheel assemblies rotatably mounted to the chassis and each including a shaft with a toothed portion for meshing with the main gear; and
two torsion springs mounted around the main shaft and respectively located on both sides of the main gear, each said torsion spring including a first end securely attached to the housing and a second end securely attached to the main gear;
the main gear comprising a peripheral stop surrounding at least one of the torsion springs to thereby avoid radial outward expansion of the torsion springs resulting from movements of the wheel assemblies in a rearward direction.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, an exercise wheel comprises:
a housing having two sides;
two grip rods secured to the two sides of the housing, respectively;
a chassis housed by the housing;
a main shaft supported by the chassis;
a main gear mounted around the main shaft;
two wheel assemblies rotatably mounted to the chassis and each including a shaft with a toothed portion for meshing with the main gear; and
two torsion springs mounted around the main shaft and respectively located on both sides of the main gear, each said torsion spring including a first end securely attached to the housing and a second end securely attached to the main gear;
the main gear comprising two free rotating sections such that the main gear rotates freely when the toothed portions of the shafts of the wheel assemblies respectively come in contact with the free rotating sections of the main gear.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, an exercise wheel comprises:
a housing having two sides;
two grip rods secured to the two sides of the housing, respectively;
a chassis housed by the housing;
a main shaft supported by the chassis;
a main gear mounted around the main shaft;
two wheel assemblies rotatably mounted to the chassis and each including a shaft with a toothed portion for meshing with the main gear; and
two torsion springs mounted around the main shaft and respectively located on both sides of the main gear, each said torsion spring including a first end securely attached to the housing and a second end securely attached to the main gear;
the main gear comprising two stops that respectively come in contact with the toothed portions of the wheel assemblies for preventing further forward movement of the wheel assemblies after the wheel assemblies have been moved forwardly for a distance.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, an exercise wheel comprises:
a housing having two sides;
two grip rods secured to the two sides of the housing, respectively;
a chassis housed by the housing;
a main shaft supported by the chassis;
a main gear mounted around the main shaft;
two wheel assemblies rotatably mounted to the chassis and each including a shaft with a toothed portion for meshing with the main gear;
two torsion springs mounted around the main shaft and respectively located on both sides of the main gear, each said torsion spring including a first end securely attached to the housing, a coil portion, and a second end securely attached to the main gear; and
two sleeves respectively mounted around the coil portions of the torsion springs and securely attached to the main gear, each said sleeve comprising a notch through which the second end of a respective said torsion spring extends;
wherein when the exercise wheel moves in a rearward direction, an end edge defining the notch restrains movement of the second end of the respective torsion spring and the sleeve restrains radially outward expansion of the coil portion of the respective torsion spring, thereby preventing damage to the torsion springs.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6146318 (2000-11-01), Kuo
patent: 6196995 (2001-03-01), Chuang
patent: 6254518 (2001-07-01), Yu
Baxley Charles E.
Richman Glenn E.
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