초록 ▼

An exercise machine suitable for exercising a person's muscles contains a frame (100), a seat (102) situated over the frame, a seatback (104), a connection mechanism (106) for flexibly and adjustably connecting the seatback to the frame or/and the seat, and a pedaling mechanism (112) connectable to

An exercise machine suitable for exercising a person's muscles contains a frame (100), a seat (102) situated over the frame, a seatback (104), a connection mechanism (106) for flexibly and adjustably connecting the seatback to the frame or/and the seat, and a pedaling mechanism (112) connectable to the frame. The pedaling mechanism has a pair of movable pedals (140) that revolve generally around a pedaling axis. The seatback is capable of swiveling.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An exercise machine comprising: a frame;a seat situated over the frame;a seatback having a longitudinal centerline;a connection mechanism for flexibly connecting the seatback to the frame, the connection mechanism having a swivel axis about which the connection mechanism is turnable to enable the

1. An exercise machine comprising: a frame;a seat situated over the frame;a seatback having a longitudinal centerline;a connection mechanism for flexibly connecting the seatback to the frame, the connection mechanism having a swivel axis about which the connection mechanism is turnable to enable the seatback to swivel, the swivel axis extending generally parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the seatback; anda pedaling mechanism connectable to the frame and having a pair of movable pedals that revolve generally around a pedaling axis, each pedal having a rotational axis about which that pedal is capable of rotating, each rotational axis spaced materially apart from the pedaling axis, the seat located laterally between the pedaling and connection mechanisms. 2. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the connection mechanism also adjustably connects the seatback to the frame so that the seatback is adjustably inclinable relative to the seat. 3. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the connection mechanism comprises: a bar portion comprising a cross bar and an axial bar which extends generally along the swivel axis and meets the cross bar between its ends to divide the cross bar into a pair of cross-bar portions turnably connected to the frame; andan axial sleeve which is connected to the seatback and which receives the axial bar. 4. A machine as in claim 3 wherein the connection mechanism includes a support portion for enabling the seatback to be adjustably inclined relative to the seat, the support portion being flexibly and/or adjustably connected to the axial bar or/and the seatback and flexibly and/or adjustably connected to the frame. 5. A machine as in claim 4 wherein the support portion comprises a support rod having (a) a seatback-associated end flexibly connected to the axial bar or/and the seatback and (b) a frame-associated end adjustably and flexibly connected to an interface portion of the frame at a selected interface location along the interface portion such that selection of that interface location enables the incline of the seatback to the seat to be adjusted. 6. A machine as in claim 5 wherein the interface portion comprises a pair of laterally separated side members extending generally parallel to each other to form a channel that receives the frame-associated end of the support rod, the connection mechanism further including a pin that extends through an opening in the frame-associated end of the support rod and through a selected pair of a plurality of pairs of oppositely situated openings extending respectively through the side members. 7. A machine as in claim 1 further including a readout display for visually presenting exercise information occurring during operation of the machine. 8. A machine as in claim 7 wherein the readout display visually provides at least one of (a) instantaneous rate of cycles of the pedaling mechanism, (b) duration of an exercise period by a user pedaling the pedaling mechanism, and (c) an estimate of caloric energy expended by the user during the exercise period. 9. A machine as in claim 3 wherein the connection mechanism further includes a pair of cross-bar sleeves which are connected to the frame and which respectively receive the cross-bar portions. 10. A machine as in claim 1 further including a pair of handles connected generally symmetrically to the seat or/and to the frame in close proximity to the seat. 11. A machine as in claim 10 further including a pair of handles connected generally symmetrically to the seatback at locations remote from the seat. 12. A machine as in claim 5 wherein the support portion is flexibly connected to the interface portion at a selected one of a plurality of predefined interface locations along the interface portion. 13. An exercise machine comprising: an exercise bench comprising (a) a frame, (b) a seat situated over the frame, (c) a seatback having a longitudinal centerline, and (d) a connection mechanism for flexibly connecting the seatback to the frame or/and the seat, the connection mechanism having a swivel axis about which the connection mechanism is turnable to enable the seatback to swivel, the swivel axis extending generally parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the seatback; anda pedaling mechanism connectable to the frame and having a pair of movable pedals that revolve generally around a pedaling axis, each pedal having a rotational axis about which that pedal is capable of rotating, each rotational axis spaced materially apart from the pedaling axis, the seat located substantially laterally between the pedaling and connection mechanisms. 14. A machine as in claim 13 further including at least one pair of handles connected to the frame, the seat, the seatback or/and the connection mechanism at generally symmetrical locations on opposite sides of the frame, the seat, the seatback, or/and the connection mechanism. 15. A machine as in claim 13 wherein further including a pair of handles connected generally symmetrically to the seatback at locations remote from the seat. 16. A machine as in claim 15 wherein the seatback has (i) a first transverse edge closest to the seat and (ii) a second transverse edge opposite the first edge and thereby farthest from the seat, the handles being connected to the seatback in close proximity to its second edge. 17. A machine as in claim 13 wherein the seatback has a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface, the connection mechanism being connected to the back surface of the seatback, the front surface of the seatback being largely flat except possibly along its periphery. 18. A machine as in claim 13 wherein the connection mechanism is turnable, relative to the seat and frame, about the swivel axis for enabling the seatback to swivel substantially independently of the seat. 19. A machine as in claim 13 wherein the seat is rigidly connected to the frame. 20. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the seatback has a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface, the connection mechanism being connected to the back surface of the seatback, the front surface of the seatback being largely flat except possibly along its periphery. 21. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the connection mechanism is turnable, relative to the seat and frame, about the swivel axis for enabling the seatback to swivel substantially independently of the seat. 22. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the seat is rigidly connected to the frame. 23. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the seatback is capable of swiveling sufficiently about the swivel axis to enable a typical user to materially exercise the user's abdominal muscles when the user is sitting on the seat with the user's back facing the seatback. 24. A machine as in claim 13 wherein the seatback is capable of swiveling sufficiently about the swivel axis to enable a typical user to materially exercise the user's abdominal muscles when the user is sitting on the seat with the user's back facing the seatback. 25. An exercise machine as in claim 13 further including a readout display for visually presenting exercise information occurring during operation of the machine. 26. A machine as in claim 25 wherein the readout display visually provides at least one of (a) instantaneous rate of cycles of the pedaling mechanism, (b) duration of an exercise period by a user pedaling the pedaling mechanism, and (c) an estimate of caloric energy expended by the user during the exercise period. 27. A machine as in claim 13 wherein the connection mechanism also adjustably connects the seatback to the frame so that the seatback is adjustably inclinable relative to the seat. 28. A machine as in claim 25 wherein the seatback is capable of swiveling sufficiently about the swivel axis to enable a typical user to materially exercise the user's abdominal muscles when the user is sitting on the seat with the user's back facing the seatback.