STATIONARY EXERCISE MACHINE

Abstract

Disclosed is an exercise machine of the type which have pedals or foot plates through which a person can, in use, transfer kinetic energy to the machine, which machine comprises a feature for vibrating the pedals or foot plates during exercise.

Claims

1. An exercise machine which has pedals or foot plates through which a person, in use, transfers kinetic energy to the exercise machine, wherein the exercise machine comprises a means for directly vibrating the pedals or foot plates during exercise in the form of a rotatable pedal or footplate mounting shaft of which a rotation axis and a pedal or footplate mounting point is offset to cause a wobble, vibration or oscillation of the pedals or foot plates during exercise.

2. The exercise machine as claimed in claim 1, which is selected from the group consisting of a bicycle, a stationary exercise bicycle and an elliptical exercise machine.

3. (canceled)

4. The exercise machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exercise machine is a bicycle, the bicycle comprising: at least one stationary gear mounted on each side of the bicycle and with a circumference similar to a circumference of a virtual circle created by rotating pedal shafts of the bicycle as the rotating pedal shafts complete one revolution around the at least one stationary gear; at least one crank arm rotatably mounted and connected at one end of the at least one crank arm through a bottom bracket of the bicycle; and a shaft rotatably mounted through a hole defined in a free end of the at least one crank arm with one end of the rotatably mounted shaft extending inwards towards the bicycle and provided with a coaxial gear respectively engaging the at least one stationary gear, with another end of the rotatably mounted shaft extending outwards provided with a socket for receiving a rotating pedal shaft of a bicycle pedal of the pedals or foot plates, wherein the socket is offset from an axis of the rotatably mounted shaft.

5. The exercise machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein a gear ratio of the at least one stationary gear and the coaxial gear is selected such that at a pedaling cadence range of 70 to 100 revolutions per minute (rpm) the rotating pedal shaft of the bicycle pedal will cycle at 30 to 35 Hertz.

6. The exercise machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the offset and an amplitude of the wobble, vibration or oscillation is between 3 and 5 mm.

7. The exercise machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bicycle is a stationary exercise bicycle.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] In the drawings:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a rear view of part of an exercise machine in the form of a stationary exercise bicycle, in accordance with the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the gears of the stationary exercise bicycle;

[0022] FIG. 3 shows an end view of the gears of the stationary exercise bicycle;

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a rotatable shaft of the stationary exercise bicycle;

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a first side view of a rotatable shaft of the stationary exercise bicycle;

[0025] FIG. 6 shows a second side view of the rotatable shaft of the stationary exercise bicycle; and

[0026] FIG. 7 shows an end view of a rotatable shaft of the stationary exercise bicycle.

[0027] Referring now to the drawings, the exercise machine in the form of a stationary exercise bicycle, in accordance with an example of the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

[0028] The stationary exercise bicycle 10 comprises a means for vibrating the pedals during exercise. The exercise bicycle comprises a pair of stationary gears 12 mounted on each side of the bicycle. The stationary gears 12 are bolted by means of bolts 14 onto the frame (not shown) and have a circumference similar to the circumference of rotating pedal shafts 16 of the bicycle. A pair of crank arms 18 rotatably mounted and connected at one end 20 of each crank arm through a bottom bracket 22 of the bicycle 10. A shaft 24 is rotatably mounted through a hole 26 defined in the free end 28 of each crank arm 18 with one end 30 extending inwards towards the bicycle 10 and provided with a coaxial gear 32 respectively engaging the stationary gears 12, with the other outwardly extending end 34 provided with a socket 36 for receiving the 16 shaft of a bicycle pedal 38. The socket 36 is offset from the axis of the rotatable shaft 24. A pair of bearings (not shown) are provided between the rotatable shaft 24 and the hole 26 defined in the free end 28 of each crank arm 18.

[0029] The gear ratio of the large stationary gear 12 and the small coaxial gear 32 is selected such that at a typical pedaling cadence range of 90 revolutions per minute (rpm) the pedal shaft 16 will cycle or wobble at 33.2 Hertz. The offset and therefor the amplitude of the wobble or vibration is 4 mm.

[0030] It shall be understood that the examples are provided for illustrating the invention further and to assist a person skilled in the art with understanding the invention and are not meant to be construed as unduly limiting the reasonable scope of the invention.