Elliptical Trainer Variable Stride Constraining Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elliptical trainers suffer from mechanical damage due to overswinging, which causes high stress on the rockers and affects their lifespan, and compromises user safety.
Innovation Solution
An elliptical trainer with a variable stride design that includes a constraining unit with upper cranks and coupling members to restrict the travel distance of the swing arms and stepping bars, combined with an elastic device to store and release energy, providing controlled movement and damping resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rockers are mounted at the rear side of the base frame to create back and forth swinging motion, then the exercise function is achieved, but the rockers bear high stress and are prone to mechanical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the constraining function from the rocker assembly and places it in a separate constraining unit with upper cranks and coupling members. This separation removes the harmful braking force generation from the rockers while maintaining the swinging motion function, thereby solving the contradiction between operational ease and component reliability.
2Power
If the user heavily moves the swinging rods during operation, then the exercise intensity is increased, but the rockers produce braking force and bear high stress
Solution Approach 1:
The constraining unit acts as an intermediary between the swing unit and the base frame. It provides the necessary constraint to prevent overswinging and control the swinging range, while isolating the rockers from the harmful braking forces generated during intense exercise, thus allowing high power output without excessive rocker stress.
3Length of moving object
If the travel distance of the swing unit is not restricted, then the range of motion is increased, but mechanical damage occurs due to overswinging
Solution Approach 1:
The constraining unit with upper cranks and coupling members applies preliminary constraint to the swing unit, preventing overswinging before it can cause mechanical damage. The constraint is built into the mechanism itself, automatically limiting the travel distance to a safe range while still allowing sufficient motion for effective exercise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents mechanical damage from overswinging, enhances user safety, and prolongs the lifespan of the trainer by limiting excessive movement while allowing for adjustable operation modes to suit different user needs.
Implementation Method 1
The damping unit is adapted for providing swing damping to the stepping bars
Implementation Method 2
a pair of coupling members respectively pivotally coupled between the respective upper cranks and the tubular pivot connection portions of the respective swing arm
Data Source
AI summary
An elliptical trainer with variable stride includes a base frame, a swing unit axially mounted at the base frame, a pedal unit axially mounted at the swing unit, a damping unit for providing damping resistance to the swing unit, and a constraining unit including an axle axially mounted at the base frame, a pair of upper cranks respectively affixed to two opposite ends of the axle and a pair of coupling members respectively pivotally coupled between the upper cranks and the swing unit. Mating the constraining unit with the swing unit prevents the swing unit from overswinging, enhancing user safety.