Stair-climbing machine and resistance controlling device thereof

Abstract

A resistance controlling device includes a flywheel and a damper unit. The damper unit includes a damper rack and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on the damper rack. The damper rack is movable between a high-resistance position, where the damper rack is proximate to the flywheel, and a low-resistance position, where the damper rack is distal from the flywheel. When the flywheel is driven to rotate as the damper rack is in the high-resistance position, the permanent magnets exert a first resistance force on the flywheel. When the flywheel is driven to rotate as the damper rack is in the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets exert a second resistance force weaker than the first resistance force on the flywheel. A stair-climbing machine includes a base frame unit, a transmission device, a control device and the abovementioned resistance controlling device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Taiwanese Invention patent application Ser. No. 11 / 310,8402, filed on Mar. 7, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates to fitness equipment and a resistance device thereof, and more particularly to a stair-climbing machine and a resistance device thereof.BACKGROUND

[0003] A conventional stair-climbing machine is a type of fitness equipment that allows a user to simulate stair climbing. The conventional stair-climbing machine is popular fitness equipment, which enhances cardiopulmonary functions, increases stamina, and strengthens leg muscles and gluteal muscles.

[0004] The conventional stair-climbing machine includes a plurality of stairs and a motor. When a user steps on the stairs, the motor provides a resistance force that opposes movement of the stairs. The magnitude of the resistance force can be changed by altering the electric current or rotation speed of the motor using a motor controlling system. However, the structures of the motor and the motor controlling system are complicated, large, heavy, and cost lots of money to build. Hence, there is room for improvement.SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a resistance controlling device and a stair-climbing machine that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0006] According to one aspect of the disclosure, the resistance controlling device is adapted to be installed to a base frame unit of a stair-climbing machine. The resistance controlling device includes a flywheel and a damper unit. The flywheel is made of metal, and includes an axle extending in an axial direction along an axis and adapted to be mounted in the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine. The flywheel is rotatable about the axis. The damper unit is adapted to be mounted in the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, and includes a damper rack and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on the damper rack. The damper rack is movable between a high-resistance position, where the damper rack is proximate to the flywheel, and a low-resistance position, where the damper rack is distal from the flywheel. When the flywheel is driven to rotate as the damper rack is in the high-resistance position, the permanent magnets exert a first resistance force on the flywheel. When the flywheel is driven to rotate as the damper rack is in the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets exert a second resistance force on the flywheel. The second resistance force is weaker than the first resistance force.

[0007] Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide a stair-climbing machine including a base frame unit, a transmission device, a control device, and the abovementioned resistance controlling device.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that various features may not be drawn to scale.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a stair-climbing machine according to the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a resistance controlling device of the embodiment.

[0012] FIGS. 4 to 6 are side views of the resistance controlling device, illustrating a damper rack of the embodiment moving from a high-resistance position to a low-resistance position.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,”“on,”“above,”“over,”“downwardly,”“upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a stair-climbing machine according to the disclosure is for simulating stair climbing, and includes a base frame unit 2, a transmission device 3, a control device 4, and a resistance controlling device 5.

[0015] The base frame unit 2 includes a bottom frame 21 that has a mounting portion 211, a base frame 22 that is mounted to the bottom frame 21, and two handrails 23 that are respectively disposed on a right side and a left side of the base frame 22. The resistance controlling device 5 is mounted to the mounting portion 211. The handrails 23 are adapted for a user to grip when they are using the stair-climbing machine to exercise.

[0016] The transmission device 3 includes a transmission unit 31 mounted to the base frame unit 2, and a stair unit 32 disposed around the transmission unit 31. The stair unit 32 is movable relative to the base frame unit 2. The transmission unit 31 includes a plurality of transmission shafts 311 extending in an axial direction, a plurality of gears 312 respectively mounted to the transmission shafts 311, and a plurality of connection belts 313 connected to the gears 312. The connection belts 313 may be chains or belts. The stair unit 32 is operable for driving operation of the transmission unit 31 through the connection between the gears 312 and the connection belts 313. Since the transmission device 3 is well known in the art, further description thereof will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0017] The control device 4 is mounted to the base frame unit 2, and includes a control panel 41. The resistance controlling device 5 is signally connected to the control device 4. The control panel 41 is operable for outputting a control signal to control and adjust output of a resistance force from the resistance controlling device 5.

[0018] The resistance controlling device 5 is installed to the base frame unit 2. The resistance controlling device 5 includes a flywheel 6 and a damper unit 7. The flywheel 6 is electrically conductive and made of metal, and includes an axle 61 extending in the axial direction along an axis and adapted to be mounted in the stair-climbing machine. The flywheel 6 is rotatable about the axis. The axle 61 is connected to one of the connection belts 313, and the stair unit 32 is operable for driving the flywheel 6 to rotate via the transmission unit 31. That is to say, when the stair unit 32 is driven to move, the stair unit 32 drives the transmission unit 31 to operate, which in turn drives the flywheel 6 to rotate.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the damper unit 7 is mounted to the base frame unit 2 and is signally connected to the control device 4. The damper unit 7 includes a damper rack 71, a plurality of permanent magnets 72 that are disposed on the damper rack 71, a motor 73 that is fixed to the damper rack 71, a fixed member 74 that is mounted to the mounting portion 211, and a screw rod 75 that interconnects the motor 73 and the fixed member 74.

[0020] The damper rack 71 has a fixed end 712 and a pivot end 713 that are opposite to each other. The damper rack 71 includes a pivot shaft 711 that is disposed at the fixed end 712, and that is mounted to the base frame unit 2, so that the pivot end 713 is pivotable relative to the base frame unit 2 with the pivot shaft 711 serving as a pivot.

[0021] The damper rack 71 further includes a rack body 714 that extends from the fixed end 712 to the pivot end 713, and two magnet mount plates 715 that are disposed at the pivot end 713 and that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. The flywheel 6 is disposed between the magnet mount plates 715. The permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the magnet mount plates 715. The pivot shaft 711 extends through the rack body 714 so that the rack body 714 is pivotable about the pivot shaft 711.

[0022] Each of the magnet mount plates 715 has a surface facing the flywheel 6, and the permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the surfaces of the magnet mount plates 715. Each of the permanent magnets 72 is spaced apart from the flywheel 6 (i.e., the permanent magnets 72 are not in contact with the flywheel 6). In this embodiment, the damper unit 7 has six permanent magnets 72 (only four are shown in FIG. 3). Three of the permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the surface of one of the magnet mount plates 715, and the remaining permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the surface of the other one of the magnet mount plates 715. When the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate relative to the damper rack 71, the relative movement between the permanent magnets 72 and the flywheel 6 results in electromagnetic induction and develops eddy currents on the flywheel 6, causing the flywheel 6 to experience a resistance force that is generated by the permanent magnets 72 and that opposes the rotation of the flywheel 6, which is similar to the principle of an eddy current brake (ECB), the principle of ECB stopping items from moving using electromagnetism. In other embodiments, the number of the permanent magnets 72 may be changed in accordance to the magnetic strength of the permanent magnets 72 and / or in order to meet a required resistance force.

[0023] The motor 73 is fixed to the pivot end 713, and may be a step motor. The fixed member 74 is pivotably mounted to the mounting portion 211. The motor 73 is operable for driving the screw rod 75 to spin and drive the motor 73 to move towards or away from the fixed member 74.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the damper rack 71 is movable between a high-resistance position (see FIG. 4), where the pivot end 713 of the damper rack 71 is proximate to the flywheel 6, and a low-resistance position (see FIG. 6), where the pivot end 713 of the damper rack 71 is distal from the flywheel 6. When the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate as the damper rack 71 is in the high-resistance position, the permanent magnets 72 exert a first resistance force on the flywheel 6. When the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate as the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets 72 exert a second resistance force on the flywheel 6. A portion of the flywheel 6 that overlaps the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction when the damper rack 71 is in the high-resistance position is larger than a portion of the flywheel 6 that overlaps the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction when the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position, therefore the second resistance force being weaker than the first resistance force. When the damper rack 71 is moved from the high-resistance position to the low-resistance position, the resistance force from the permanent magnets 72 is reduced. When the damper rack 71 is moved from the low-resistance position to the high-resistance position, the resistance force from the permanent magnets 72 is increased. It should be noted that, when the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position, the flywheel 6 may not overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, no portions of the flywheel 6 overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction when the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position. Furthermore, by virtue of the configurations of the motor 73, the fixed member 74 and the screw rod 75, when the motor 73 is driven to move towards the fixed member 74, the damper rack 71 is driven to move to the low-resistance position; and when the motor 73 is driven to move away from the fixed member 74, the damper rack 71 is driven to move to the high-resistance position.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, a process of using the stair-climbing machine is as follows. A user operates the control panel 41 and outputs a control signal to adjust output of the resistance force from the resistance controlling device 5. Then, the damper unit 7 receives the control signal, and moves the damper rack 71 of the damper unit 7 between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position in accordance to the control signal to respectively output the first resistance force and the second resistance force.

[0026] Specifically, the control panel 41 is operable for outputting a control signal for high resistance output and another control signal for low resistance output. When the control panel 41 is operated to output the control signal for high resistance output, the damper unit 7 receives the control signal, and drives the motor 73 to drive the screw rod 75 to spin and drive the motor 73 to move away from the fixed member 74, which drives the damper rack 71 to move to the high-resistance position, and increases portions of the flywheel 6 that overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction. At this time, when the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate, the permanent magnets 72 exert the first resistance force onto the flywheel 6 to oppose rotation of the flywheel 6. By virtue of the configurations of the flywheel 6 and the stair unit 32, a resistance force opposing movement of the stair unit 32 is increased.

[0027] When the control panel 41 is operated to output the another control signal for low resistance output, the damper unit 7 receives the another control signal, and drives the motor 73 to drive the screw rod 75 to spin and drive the motor 73 to move towards the fixed member 74, which drives the damper rack 71 to move to the low-resistance position, and which decreases portions of the flywheel 6 that overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction. At this time, when the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate, the permanent magnets 72 exert the second resistance force onto the flywheel 6 to oppose rotation of the flywheel 6.

[0028] By virtue of the configurations of the flywheel 6 and the stair unit 32, a resistance force opposing movement of the stair unit 32 is decreased. In conclusion, advantages of the disclosure are as follows.

[0029] The flywheel 6 is made of metal, and the permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the damper rack 71; since the damper rack 71 is movable relative to the flywheel 6, when the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate, by moving the damper rack 71 to the high-resistance position or the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets 72 can respectively exert the first resistance force or the second resistance force on the flywheel 6. In comparison to the aforementioned conventional stair-climbing machine, the structure of the stair-climbing machine is simpler, and the size, the weight and the manufacturing costs of the stair-climbing machine are reduced, while the resistance output of the stair-climbing machine can still be adjusted.

[0030] Through the small structure of the damper rack 71, by pivoting the rack body 714 relative to the pivot shaft 711, portions of the flywheel 6 that overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction can be adjusted. Hence, the size and the weight of the stair-climbing machine are reduced compared to the conventional stair-climbing machine.

[0031] Through the simple structure of the motor 73, the screw rod 75 and the fixed member 74, the damper rack 71 can be moved between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position. Furthermore, the simple structure is easy to maintain, which reduces costs.

[0032] In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,”“an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects; such does not mean that every one of these features needs to be practiced with the presence of all the other features. In other words, in any described embodiment, when implementation of one or more features or specific details does not affect implementation of another one or more features or specific details, said one or more features may be singled out and practiced alone without said another one or more features or specific details. It should be further noted that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

[0033] While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is(are) considered the exemplary embodiment(s), it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s) but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0013]It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,”“on,”“above,”“over,”“downwardly,”“upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0014]Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a stair-climbing machine according to the disclosure is for simulating stair climbing, and includes a base frame unit 2, a transmission device 3, a control device 4, and a resistance controlling device 5.

[0015]The base frame unit 2 includes a bottom frame 21 that has a mounting portion 211, a base frame 22 that is mounted to the bottom frame 21, and two handrails 23 that are respectively disposed on a right side and a left side of the base frame 22. The resistance controlling d...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Taiwanese Invention patent application Ser. No. 11 / 310,8402, filed on Mar. 7, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates to fitness equipment and a resistance device thereof, and more particularly to a stair-climbing machine and a resistance device thereof.BACKGROUND

[0003] A conventional stair-climbing machine is a type of fitness equipment that allows a user to simulate stair climbing. The conventional stair-climbing machine is popular fitness equipment, which enhances cardiopulmonary functions, increases stamina, and strengthens leg muscles and gluteal muscles.

[0004] The conventional stair-climbing machine includes a plurality of stairs and a motor. When a user steps on the stairs, the motor provides a resistance force that opposes movement of the stairs. The magnitude of the resistance force can be changed by altering the electric current or rotation speed of the motor using a motor controlling system. However, the structures of the motor and the motor controlling system are complicated, large, heavy, and cost lots of money to build. Hence, there is room for improvement.SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a resistance controlling device and a stair-climbing machine that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0006] According to one aspect of the disclosure, the resistance controlling device is adapted to be installed to a base frame unit of a stair-climbing machine. The resistance controlling device includes a flywheel and a damper unit. The flywheel is made of metal, and includes an axle extending in an axial direction along an axis and adapted to be mounted in the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine. The flywheel is rotatable about the axis. The damper unit is adapted to be mounted in the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, and includes a damper rack and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on the damper rack. The damper rack is movable between a high-resistance position, where the damper rack is proximate to the flywheel, and a low-resistance position, where the damper rack is distal from the flywheel. When the flywheel is driven to rotate as the damper rack is in the high-resistance position, the permanent magnets exert a first resistance force on the flywheel. When the flywheel is driven to rotate as the damper rack is in the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets exert a second resistance force on the flywheel. The second resistance force is weaker than the first resistance force.

[0007] Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide a stair-climbing machine including a base frame unit, a transmission device, a control device, and the abovementioned resistance controlling device.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that various features may not be drawn to scale.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a stair-climbing machine according to the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a resistance controlling device of the embodiment.

[0012] FIGS. 4 to 6 are side views of the resistance controlling device, illustrating a damper rack of the embodiment moving from a high-resistance position to a low-resistance position.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,”“on,”“above,”“over,”“downwardly,”“upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a stair-climbing machine according to the disclosure is for simulating stair climbing, and includes a base frame unit 2, a transmission device 3, a control device 4, and a resistance controlling device 5.

[0015] The base frame unit 2 includes a bottom frame 21 that has a mounting portion 211, a base frame 22 that is mounted to the bottom frame 21, and two handrails 23 that are respectively disposed on a right side and a left side of the base frame 22. The resistance controlling device 5 is mounted to the mounting portion 211. The handrails 23 are adapted for a user to grip when they are using the stair-climbing machine to exercise.

[0016] The transmission device 3 includes a transmission unit 31 mounted to the base frame unit 2, and a stair unit 32 disposed around the transmission unit 31. The stair unit 32 is movable relative to the base frame unit 2. The transmission unit 31 includes a plurality of transmission shafts 311 extending in an axial direction, a plurality of gears 312 respectively mounted to the transmission shafts 311, and a plurality of connection belts 313 connected to the gears 312. The connection belts 313 may be chains or belts. The stair unit 32 is operable for driving operation of the transmission unit 31 through the connection between the gears 312 and the connection belts 313. Since the transmission device 3 is well known in the art, further description thereof will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0017] The control device 4 is mounted to the base frame unit 2, and includes a control panel 41. The resistance controlling device 5 is signally connected to the control device 4. The control panel 41 is operable for outputting a control signal to control and adjust output of a resistance force from the resistance controlling device 5.

[0018] The resistance controlling device 5 is installed to the base frame unit 2. The resistance controlling device 5 includes a flywheel 6 and a damper unit 7. The flywheel 6 is electrically conductive and made of metal, and includes an axle 61 extending in the axial direction along an axis and adapted to be mounted in the stair-climbing machine. The flywheel 6 is rotatable about the axis. The axle 61 is connected to one of the connection belts 313, and the stair unit 32 is operable for driving the flywheel 6 to rotate via the transmission unit 31. That is to say, when the stair unit 32 is driven to move, the stair unit 32 drives the transmission unit 31 to operate, which in turn drives the flywheel 6 to rotate.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the damper unit 7 is mounted to the base frame unit 2 and is signally connected to the control device 4. The damper unit 7 includes a damper rack 71, a plurality of permanent magnets 72 that are disposed on the damper rack 71, a motor 73 that is fixed to the damper rack 71, a fixed member 74 that is mounted to the mounting portion 211, and a screw rod 75 that interconnects the motor 73 and the fixed member 74.

[0020] The damper rack 71 has a fixed end 712 and a pivot end 713 that are opposite to each other. The damper rack 71 includes a pivot shaft 711 that is disposed at the fixed end 712, and that is mounted to the base frame unit 2, so that the pivot end 713 is pivotable relative to the base frame unit 2 with the pivot shaft 711 serving as a pivot.

[0021] The damper rack 71 further includes a rack body 714 that extends from the fixed end 712 to the pivot end 713, and two magnet mount plates 715 that are disposed at the pivot end 713 and that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. The flywheel 6 is disposed between the magnet mount plates 715. The permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the magnet mount plates 715. The pivot shaft 711 extends through the rack body 714 so that the rack body 714 is pivotable about the pivot shaft 711.

[0022] Each of the magnet mount plates 715 has a surface facing the flywheel 6, and the permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the surfaces of the magnet mount plates 715. Each of the permanent magnets 72 is spaced apart from the flywheel 6 (i.e., the permanent magnets 72 are not in contact with the flywheel 6). In this embodiment, the damper unit 7 has six permanent magnets 72 (only four are shown in FIG. 3). Three of the permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the surface of one of the magnet mount plates 715, and the remaining permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the surface of the other one of the magnet mount plates 715. When the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate relative to the damper rack 71, the relative movement between the permanent magnets 72 and the flywheel 6 results in electromagnetic induction and develops eddy currents on the flywheel 6, causing the flywheel 6 to experience a resistance force that is generated by the permanent magnets 72 and that opposes the rotation of the flywheel 6, which is similar to the principle of an eddy current brake (ECB), the principle of ECB stopping items from moving using electromagnetism. In other embodiments, the number of the permanent magnets 72 may be changed in accordance to the magnetic strength of the permanent magnets 72 and / or in order to meet a required resistance force.

[0023] The motor 73 is fixed to the pivot end 713, and may be a step motor. The fixed member 74 is pivotably mounted to the mounting portion 211. The motor 73 is operable for driving the screw rod 75 to spin and drive the motor 73 to move towards or away from the fixed member 74.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the damper rack 71 is movable between a high-resistance position (see FIG. 4), where the pivot end 713 of the damper rack 71 is proximate to the flywheel 6, and a low-resistance position (see FIG. 6), where the pivot end 713 of the damper rack 71 is distal from the flywheel 6. When the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate as the damper rack 71 is in the high-resistance position, the permanent magnets 72 exert a first resistance force on the flywheel 6. When the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate as the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets 72 exert a second resistance force on the flywheel 6. A portion of the flywheel 6 that overlaps the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction when the damper rack 71 is in the high-resistance position is larger than a portion of the flywheel 6 that overlaps the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction when the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position, therefore the second resistance force being weaker than the first resistance force. When the damper rack 71 is moved from the high-resistance position to the low-resistance position, the resistance force from the permanent magnets 72 is reduced. When the damper rack 71 is moved from the low-resistance position to the high-resistance position, the resistance force from the permanent magnets 72 is increased. It should be noted that, when the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position, the flywheel 6 may not overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, no portions of the flywheel 6 overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction when the damper rack 71 is in the low-resistance position. Furthermore, by virtue of the configurations of the motor 73, the fixed member 74 and the screw rod 75, when the motor 73 is driven to move towards the fixed member 74, the damper rack 71 is driven to move to the low-resistance position; and when the motor 73 is driven to move away from the fixed member 74, the damper rack 71 is driven to move to the high-resistance position.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, a process of using the stair-climbing machine is as follows. A user operates the control panel 41 and outputs a control signal to adjust output of the resistance force from the resistance controlling device 5. Then, the damper unit 7 receives the control signal, and moves the damper rack 71 of the damper unit 7 between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position in accordance to the control signal to respectively output the first resistance force and the second resistance force.

[0026] Specifically, the control panel 41 is operable for outputting a control signal for high resistance output and another control signal for low resistance output. When the control panel 41 is operated to output the control signal for high resistance output, the damper unit 7 receives the control signal, and drives the motor 73 to drive the screw rod 75 to spin and drive the motor 73 to move away from the fixed member 74, which drives the damper rack 71 to move to the high-resistance position, and increases portions of the flywheel 6 that overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction. At this time, when the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate, the permanent magnets 72 exert the first resistance force onto the flywheel 6 to oppose rotation of the flywheel 6. By virtue of the configurations of the flywheel 6 and the stair unit 32, a resistance force opposing movement of the stair unit 32 is increased.

[0027] When the control panel 41 is operated to output the another control signal for low resistance output, the damper unit 7 receives the another control signal, and drives the motor 73 to drive the screw rod 75 to spin and drive the motor 73 to move towards the fixed member 74, which drives the damper rack 71 to move to the low-resistance position, and which decreases portions of the flywheel 6 that overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction. At this time, when the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate, the permanent magnets 72 exert the second resistance force onto the flywheel 6 to oppose rotation of the flywheel 6.

[0028] By virtue of the configurations of the flywheel 6 and the stair unit 32, a resistance force opposing movement of the stair unit 32 is decreased. In conclusion, advantages of the disclosure are as follows.

[0029] The flywheel 6 is made of metal, and the permanent magnets 72 are disposed on the damper rack 71; since the damper rack 71 is movable relative to the flywheel 6, when the flywheel 6 is driven to rotate, by moving the damper rack 71 to the high-resistance position or the low-resistance position, the permanent magnets 72 can respectively exert the first resistance force or the second resistance force on the flywheel 6. In comparison to the aforementioned conventional stair-climbing machine, the structure of the stair-climbing machine is simpler, and the size, the weight and the manufacturing costs of the stair-climbing machine are reduced, while the resistance output of the stair-climbing machine can still be adjusted.

[0030] Through the small structure of the damper rack 71, by pivoting the rack body 714 relative to the pivot shaft 711, portions of the flywheel 6 that overlap the permanent magnets 72 in the axial direction can be adjusted. Hence, the size and the weight of the stair-climbing machine are reduced compared to the conventional stair-climbing machine.

[0031] Through the simple structure of the motor 73, the screw rod 75 and the fixed member 74, the damper rack 71 can be moved between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position. Furthermore, the simple structure is easy to maintain, which reduces costs.

[0032] In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,”“an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects; such does not mean that every one of these features needs to be practiced with the presence of all the other features. In other words, in any described embodiment, when implementation of one or more features or specific details does not affect implementation of another one or more features or specific details, said one or more features may be singled out and practiced alone without said another one or more features or specific details. It should be further noted that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

[0033] While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is(are) considered the exemplary embodiment(s), it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s) but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0013]It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,”“on,”“above,”“over,”“downwardly,”“upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0014]Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a stair-climbing machine according to the disclosure is for simulating stair climbing, and includes a base frame unit 2, a transmission device 3, a control device 4, and a resistance controlling device 5.

[0015]The base frame unit 2 includes a bottom frame 21 that has a mounting portion 211, a base frame 22 that is mounted to the bottom frame 21, and two handrails 23 that are respectively disposed on a right side and a left side of the base frame 22. The resistance controlling d...

Claims

1. A resistance controlling device being adapted to be installed to a base frame unit of a stair-climbing machine, said resistance controlling device comprising:a flywheel that is made of metal, that includes an axle extending in an axial direction along an axis and adapted to be mounted in the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, and that is rotatable about the axis; anda damper unit that is adapted to be mounted in the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, and that includes a damper rack and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on said damper rack;wherein, said damper rack is movable between a high-resistance position, where said damper rack is proximate to said flywheel, and a low-resistance position, where said damper rack is distal from said flywheel;wherein, when said flywheel is driven to rotate as said damper rack is in the high-resistance position, said plurality of permanent magnets exert a first resistance force on said flywheel; andwherein, when said flywheel is driven to rotate as said damper rack is in the low-resistance position, said plurality of permanent magnets exert a second resistance force on said flywheel, the second resistance force being weaker than the first resistance force.

2. The resistance controlling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said damper rack has a fixed end and a pivot end that are opposite to each other;said damper rack includes a pivot shaft that is disposed at said fixed end, and that is adapted to be mounted to the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, so that said pivot end is adapted to be pivotable relative to the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, with said pivot shaft serving as a pivot, to convert said damper rack between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position;when said damper rack is in the high-resistance position, said pivot end is proximate to said flywheel;when said damper rack is in the low-resistance position, said pivot end is distal from said flywheel; anda portion of said flywheel that overlaps said plurality of permanent magnets in the axial direction when said damper rack is in the high-resistance position is larger than a portion of said flywheel that overlaps said plurality of permanent magnets in the axial direction when said damper rack is in the low-resistance position.

3. The resistance controlling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:said damper rack further includes a rack body that extends from said fixed end to said pivot end, said pivot shaft extending through said rack body so that said rack body is pivotable about said pivot shaft; andsaid damper rack further includes two magnet mount plates that are disposed at said pivot end and that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, said flywheel being disposed between said magnet mount plates, said plurality of permanent magnets being disposed on said magnet mount plates.

4. The resistance controlling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said magnet mount plates has a surface facing said flywheel, said plurality of permanent magnets being disposed on said surfaces of said magnet mount plates.

5. The resistance controlling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:said damper unit further includes a motor that is fixed to said pivot end of said damper rack, a fixed member that is adapted to be mounted to the base frame unit of the stair-climbing machine, and a screw rod that interconnects said motor and said fixed member;said motor is operable for driving said screw rod to spin and drive said motor to move towards or away from said fixed member;when said motor is driven to move towards said fixed member, said damper rack is driven to move to the low-resistance position; andwhen said motor is driven to move away from said fixed member, said damper rack is driven to move to the high-resistance position.

6. A stair-climbing machine comprising:a base frame unit;a transmission device that includesa transmission unit mounted to said base frame unit, anda stair unit disposed around said transmission unit, being movable relative to said base frame unit, and being operable for driving operation of said transmission unit;a control device that is mounted to said base frame unit and that is operable for outputting a control signal; andsaid resistance controlling device as claimed in claim 1, said flywheel of said resistance controlling device being connected to said transmission unit, said damper unit of said resistance controlling device being mounted to said base frame unit and being signally connected to said control device;wherein said damper unit receives the control signal, and moves said damper rack of said damper unit between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position in accordance to the control signal; andwherein, said stair unit is operable for driving, via said transmission unit, said flywheel to rotate.

7. The stair-climbing machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein:said damper rack hasa fixed end and a pivot end that are opposite to each other;said damper rack includes a pivot shaft that is disposed at said fixed end, and that is mounted to said base frame unit, so that said pivot end is pivotable relative to said base frame unit, with said pivot shaft serving as a pivot, to convert said damper rack between the high-resistance position and the low-resistance position;when said damper rack is in the high-resistance position, said pivot end is proximate to said flywheel;when said damper rack is in the low-resistance position, said pivot end is distal from said flywheel; anda portion of said flywheel that overlaps said plurality of permanent magnets in the axial direction when said damper rack is in the high-resistance position is larger than a portion of said flywheel that overlaps said plurality of permanent magnets in the axial direction when said damper rack is in the low-resistance position.

8. The stair-climbing machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein:said damper rack further includes a rack body that extends from said fixed end to said pivot end, said pivot shaft extending through said rack body so that said rack body is pivotable about said pivot shaft; andsaid damper rack further includes two magnet mount plates that are disposed at said pivot end and that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, said flywheel being disposed between said magnet mount plates, said plurality of permanent magnets being disposed on said magnet mount plates.

9. The stair-climbing machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said magnet mount plates has a surface facing said flywheel, said plurality of permanent magnets being disposed on said surfaces of said magnet mount plates.

10. The stair-climbing machine as claimed in claim 7, whereinsaid damper unit further includes a motor that is fixed to said pivot end of said damper rack, a fixed member that is mounted to said base frame unit, and a screw rod that interconnects said motor and said fixed member;said motor is operable for driving said screw rod to spin and drive said motor to move towards or away from said fixed member;when said motor is driven to move towards said fixed member, said damper rack is driven to move to the low-resistance position; andwhen said motor is driven to move away from said fixed member, said damper rack is driven to move to the high-resistance position.

Images