Exercise devices – Involving user translation or physical simulation thereof – Bicycling
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-06
2003-12-30
Crow, Stephen R. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Involving user translation or physical simulation thereof
Bicycling
C482S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669604
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission device for an electric cycling exerciser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Besides poor blood circulation, the body of a person that has sat for hours would become stiff and the person would feel tired. An electric cycling exerciser is provided to exercise the user's legs while the user is sitting or lying down on the floor, thereby improving the blood circulation.
FIG. 11
of the drawings illustrates a conventional electric cycling exerciser comprising a motor
1
′ having an output shaft
11
′, a gear
2
′ meshed with the output shaft
11
′ of the motor
1
′, and two pedals
3
′ operably connected to the gear
2
′. When the motor
1
′ is turned on, the pedals
3
′ are turned. Nevertheless, such an electric cycling exerciser has the following drawbacks. First, when the user's foot has not yet firmly stepped on the respective pedal
3
′, the user's foot would fall and thus be injured by the turning pedal
3
′. The injury is more serious if the foot is stuck, as the motor
1
′ keeps running. Secondly, if the user's foot steps on the respective pedal
3
′ with a greater force or drives the respective pedal
3
′ in a reverse direction, this would feed back to the motor
1
′ such that the motor
1
′ could not drive the gear
2
′ and the respective pedal
3
′ in a normal condition. As a result, the temperature of the motor
1
′ would rise and thus cause damage to the motor
1
′.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a transmission device for an electric cycling exerciser, the transmission device having a safety member to avoid injury to the user's foot.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, an electric cycling exerciser comprises:
a housing;
a shaft rotatably mounted to the housing;
two pedals respectively operably attached to two ends of the shaft;
a motor; and
a gear rotatably mounted on the shaft and driven by the motor, the gear including a safety member rotatably mounted therein, the safety member being fixed to the shaft to turn therewith, one of the gear and the safety member including at least one groove for receiving an elastic element and an insert, the other of the gear and the safety member including at least one insertion groove for receiving the insert, the insert being biased by the elastic element into said at least one groove, thereby allowing joint rotation of the gear and the shaft;
wherein when a user's foot is stuck between a respective pedal and the housing or the respective pedal is subject to a force greater than an engaging force between said at least one insertion groove and the insert, the insert is disengaged from said at least one insertion groove such that the shaft and the safety member are not turned while the gear is being turned.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, an electric cycling exerciser comprises:
a housing;
a first shaft rotatably mounted to the housing;
a second shaft rotatably mounted to the housing;
two pedals respectively operably attached to two ends of one of the first shaft and the second shaft;
a motor; and
a gear train including at least a first gear mounted to the first shaft and a second gear mounted to the second shaft, the first gear being meshed with the second gear, one of the first gear and the second gear being driven by the motor;
one of the first gear and the second gear including a safety member rotatably mounted therein, the safety member being fixed to an associated one of the first shaft and the second shaft to turn therewith, one of said one of the first gear and the second gear and the safety member including at least one groove for receiving an elastic element and an insert, the other of said one of the first gear and the second gear and the safety member including at least one insertion groove for receiving the insert, the insert being biased by the elastic element into said at least one groove, thereby allowing joint rotation of said one of the first gear and the second gear and an associated one of the first shaft and the second shaft;
wherein when a user's foot is stuck between a respective pedal and the housing or the respective pedal is subject to a force greater than an engaging force between said at least one insertion groove and the insert, the insert is disengaged from said at least one insertion groove such that the safety member and an associated one of the first shaft and the second shaft to which the pedals are mounted are not turned.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4477072 (1984-10-01), DeCloux
patent: 4550906 (1985-11-01), Im
patent: 5580337 (1996-12-01), Habing et al.
patent: 5902215 (1999-05-01), Kuo
patent: 5944638 (1999-08-01), Maresh et al.
patent: 6132341 (2000-10-01), Lin
Baxley Charles E.
Crow Stephen R.
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