Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Handlebar mechanism

Handlebar mechanism description/claims

The present disclosure relates to handles for use with an exercise apparatus, and more particularly to handles that move with pedals.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

In certain elliptical step type exercise machines arm handles are connected to the machine's pedals such that the handles move in synchronism with the pedals to provide a total body workout. When connected for motion with the pedals, the handles generally travel back and forth along an arcuate path as the pedals move. However, in some cases this motion of the handles can be bothersome or distracting to a user when he does not desire to use the moving handles.

One approach to this problem has been to provide a mechanism to allow the user to selectively fix the handles to the frame of the apparatus to prevent movement of the handles. Examples of this approach are provide by the Star Trac Elite Cross Trainer and as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,272.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elliptical type exercise machine showing one handle assembly described in this disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear plan view of a handle assembly of the exercise machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an additional fragmentary rear plan view of the handle assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side plan view of another handle assembly described in the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an additional fragmentary side plan view of the handle assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side plan view of another handle assembly described in the disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is an additional fragmentary side plan view of the handle assembly of FIG. 6.

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an elliptical type cross-trainer exercise apparatus 10 that is used as a representative environment for the handle mechanisms described in this disclosure. It will be appreciated that handle mechanisms of the type described herein can be used in a wide variety of exercise machines such as climbing machines where the movement of arm handles is coordinated with foot pedals. In this example, which is the type of elliptical apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,272, the apparatus 10 includes a main body portion 12, a right and a left foot pedal assembly indicated respectively at 14 and 16, a pair of rocker members 18 and 20, and a pair of right and left handle assemblies 22 and 24. The main body portion 12 includes a base 26, a resistance mechanism 28 secure to a rear portion of the base 26, and a support assembly indicated generally at 30 secured to a front portion of the base 26. Here, the support assembly 30 includes a generally upright structure 32 having a horizontal portion 34 that serves as a pivot axel.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws