INDOOR CYCLE MACHINE PROVIDING USER WITH VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE AND EXERCISE WITHOUT STRAINING KNEE

Abstract

Disclosed is an indoor cycle machine providing a user with virtual experience and exercise without straining knees, the indoor cycle machine comprising: a main body rotatably coupled onto a floor portion; a vertical support having one end coupled to the floor portion and an opposite end formed with a vertical through-hole; and a saddle support having one end coupled to an upper end of the main body and an opposite end formed with a saddle, in which the saddle support passes through the vertical through-hole such that the saddle support is rotatable inside the vertical through-hole, wherein the main body is rotated on the floor portion whenever the user steps on a pedal formed on the main body.

Claims

1. An indoor cycle machine providing a user with virtual experience and exercise without straining knees, the indoor cycle machine comprising: a main body rotatably coupled onto a floor portion; a vertical support having one end coupled to the floor portion and an opposite end formed with a vertical through-hole; and a saddle support having one end coupled to an upper end of the main body and an opposite end formed with a saddle, in which the saddle support passes through the vertical through-hole such that the saddle support is rotatable inside the vertical through-hole, wherein the main body is rotated on the floor portion whenever the user steps on a pedal formed on the main body.

2. The indoor cycle machine of claim 1, wherein a central shaft extends in a vertical direction of the main body, and the saddle support is coupled upward of the central shaft, so that the main body moves and rotates according to rotation of the central shaft.

3. The indoor cycle machine of claim 2, wherein the first floor arm is coupled to both sides of the floor portion and the second floor arm is received into a space inside the first floor arm, so as to reduce a space occupied by the floor surface when folded.

4. The indoor cycle machine of claim 2, further comprising a mechanical component for controlling a motion of the cycle machine, and an attraction controller for controlling the mechanical component by receiving an input from a riding device and outputting a video and an audio.

5. The indoor cycle machine of claim 2, wherein the main body includes a repositioning device formed of an elastic material, so that the main body rotates in one direction and returns back to an original position.

6. The indoor cycle machine of claim 5, wherein the first floor arm is coupled to both sides of the floor portion and the second floor arm is received into a space inside the first floor arm, so as to reduce a space occupied by the floor surface when folded.

7. The indoor cycle machine of claim 5, further comprising a mechanical component for controlling a motion of the cycle machine, and an attraction controller for controlling the mechanical component by receiving an input from a riding device and outputting a video and an audio.

8. The indoor cycle machine of claim 5, wherein: wheels are formed at both sides of the floor portion, the wheel moves by rolling in an inner part of a rail portion of a first floor arm and a second floor arm having a section of “⊏” shape, and a rail support portion is formed at an outer side of the rail portion to support the rail portion.

9. The indoor cycle machine of claim 8, further comprising a mechanical component for controlling a motion of the cycle machine, and an attraction controller for controlling the mechanical component by receiving an input from a riding device and outputting a video and an audio.

10. The indoor cycle machine of claim 8, wherein the rail support portion of each of the first floor arm and the second floor arm is rotatably coupled to a second rotating shaft.

11. The indoor cycle machine of claim 10, further comprising a mechanical component for controlling a motion of the cycle machine, and an attraction controller for controlling the mechanical component by receiving an input from a riding device and outputting a video and an audio.

12. The indoor cycle machine of claim 10, wherein: a rotary plate having a round plate shape is attached to a lower end of the central shaft, the central shaft rotates along a bearing attached to the floor portion, and a plurality of rotation support balls are formed under the rotary plate and on a bottom surface of the floor portion to support the rotary plate while allowing the rotary plate to smoothly rotate.

13. The indoor cycle machine of claim 10, wherein a control unit is formed at the main body for settings required for exercise.

14. The indoor cycle machine of claim 13, wherein: a pin hole for pin coupling is formed at an upper surface of the rail support portion, so that a pin is inserted and coupled into both a pin hole formed in the floor portion, and a pin hole formed in an upper surface of the rail support portion when an upper surface of the floor portion covers an upper surface of the rail support portion.

15. The indoor cycle machine of claim 14, further comprising a mechanical component for controlling a motion of the cycle machine, and an attraction controller for controlling the mechanical component by receiving an input from a riding device and outputting a video and an audio.

16. The indoor cycle machine of claim 1, wherein the first floor arm is coupled to both sides of the floor portion and the second floor arm is received into a space inside the first floor arm, so as to reduce a space occupied by the floor surface when folded.

17. The indoor cycle machine of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical component for controlling a motion of the cycle machine, and an attraction controller for controlling the mechanical component by receiving an input from a riding device and outputting a video and an audio.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIGS. 1 to 12 are views showing one embodiment according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention may be applied with various modifications and have various embodiments, but specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiment forms, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals have been used to designate similar components throughout the drawings.

[0026] Terms such as first, second, A, B, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the above terms. The terms may be used only for distinguishing one component from other components. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component without departing from the scope of the present invention, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as the first component. The term “and/or” includes a combination of a plurality of related described items or any one of a plurality of related described items.

[0027] When one element is described as being “connected” or “accessed” to another element, it shall be construed as being connected or accessed to the other element directly but also as possibly having another element in between. On the other hand, if one element is described as being “directly connected” or “directly accessed” to another element, it shall be construed that there is no other element in between.

[0028] The terms used in the description are intended to describe certain embodiments only, and shall by no means restrict the present invention. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless otherwise specified. Further, the terms “including” and “having” are used to designate that the features, the numbers, the steps, the elements, the components, or combinations thereof described in the specification are present, and are not to be understood as excluding the possibility that one or more other features, numbers, steps, elements, components, or combinations thereof may be present or added.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical terms and scientific terms, used herein have the same meaning as how they are generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Any term that is defined in a general dictionary shall be construed to have the same meaning in the context of the relevant art, and, unless otherwise defined explicitly, shall not be interpreted to have an idealistic or excessively formalistic meaning.

[0030] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general, attraction is a term that designates a playground equipment installed in an amusement park, etc., and in particular, is a term that refers to an apparatus for providing pleasure to a user by providing various combinations of rotational motion, tilt motion, uniform motion, accelerated movement, etc., while the user is on board. In recent years, there has been a progress of virtual reality attraction that enables the user to experience immersive virtual reality by driving a riding portion of the user in a mechanical manner, while providing the user with images according to a predetermined scenario through a display device. Furthermore, technology related to the above virtual reality attraction has expanded to various fields such as amusement equipment as well as simulators, exercise equipment, virtual experience equipment, etc., with the recent development of head-mounted display images. In particular, since users may be provided with experience similar to reality, there has been a growing consumer expectation for the field of virtual experience using attraction. In general, in the virtual experience device using attraction, it is common to program machine-driving data for operating a machine part of attraction in response to the user's manipulation separately from virtual experience background data for displaying on a display portion. Out of the above data, the virtual experience background data have been usually generated based on computer graphics, although the virtual experience background data partially include actual images.

[0031] To use the above attraction indoors, however, a cycle machine is required, but the cycle machine occupies much space, if the equipment is to be installed at home. If the equipment is used only for virtual experience, there is a problem of taking up too much space and requiring too high purchase price or maintenance costs compared to usage efficiency. To overcome the above drawbacks, the present invention may provide a system for allowing a user to do exercise without straining knees while reducing a space occupied.

[0032] Drawings show one embodiment according to the present invention. In the drawings, a main body 11 may be coupled onto a floor portion 14, and a first floor arm 17 may be attached to both sides of the floor portion 14.

[0033] The main body 11 may be rotatably coupled onto the floor portion 14, a central shaft 22 formed inside the main body 11 may have one end rotatably coupled to the floor portion 14, a saddle support 15 may be coupled to an end of the central shaft 22, the main body 11 may be formed to surround the central shaft 22, and the main body 11 and the central shaft 22 may rotate together.

[0034] A saddle support 15 may have one end coupled to the central shaft 22 inside the main body 11 and an opposite end extending by passing through a vertical through-hole 13 of the vertical support 12 such that the saddle support 15 may be rotatable within the vertical through-hole 13. In other words, the main body 11 and the saddle support 15 may rotate together. When the saddle support 15 rotates, a saddle 16 may also rotate together. The vertical support 12 may have one end coupled to the floor portion and may be formed in a curved shape, so that the vertical support 12 may extend over the main body 11 from a rear lower portion of the main body 11.

[0035] The saddle 16 may be coupled to an end of the saddle support 15, and a height of the saddle 16 may be changed depending on a user's height, and a backrest 20 branching from a lower side of the saddle 16 may be also formed to prevent the user from falling backward when the user sits on the saddle 16.

[0036] The main body 11 may have the central shaft 22 rotated together in a direction that the user steps on a pedal 21. For this purpose, the pedal 21 may be attached to a gear formed inside the main body 11. Whenever the pedal moves, the gear may be rotated to rotate a gear attached to the central shaft 22. However, when the user steps on the left pedal 21, the central shaft 22 may rotate to the left, and when the user steps on the right pedal 21, the central shaft 22 may rotate to the right. Thus, whenever the user steps on the pedal, the central shaft 22 may rotate little by little in the direction of the pedal. A rotational angle may be adjusted, but may return back to an original position when the rotation is over.

[0037] In addition, even when the rotation is not made particularly by pedaling, the rotation may be performed in such a way that force is naturally applied in a direction that the user steps on the pedal, if the main body 11 is rotatably attached to the floor portion 14. Even when riding a bicycle in reality, the user may maintain a balance by turning a handlebar against the force applied by stepping on the pedal. However, in the conventional indoor cycle, the handlebar and the pedal do not move in linkage with each other, thereby giving no actual feel of moving. However, just if the main body 11 is allowed to turn around the floor portion 14, the main body 11 may turn little by little in a direction that the user steps on the pedal, so that the user may get a feel similar to reality.

[0038] In addition, any one of the main body 11, the central shaft 22 and a rotary plate 25 may further include a repositioning device formed of an elastic material. Thus, the main body 11 may return, when force is not applied in one direction. And, other devices having elasticity may be also used.

[0039] The repositioning device may be made of an elastic material such as a spring or a rubber band, and may include a repositioning device having a known type above. If the spring is provided on both sides of the rotating central shaft 22 and a rotation is made in any one direction, the central shaft 22 may be returned to an original position by the spring.

[0040] When actually riding a bicycle, the user who rides the bicycle may maintain a balance by receiving a repulsive force against the ground and slightly shifting the user's weight to finely adjust a handlebar. However, if there is no spring, rotation may be continuously made in one direction. Thus, the spring may be provided to restore to an original state, so that the user can feel as if the user rides the bicycle in reality.

[0041] In addition, in case of making a gradual rotation in a direction that the user steps on the pedal and restoring to the original state, it is possible to reduce a load applied to knees when the knees are stretched in the direction that the user steps on the pedal and the knees are stretched when restoring to the original state.

[0042] For smooth rotation, the central shaft 22 may be coupled to a bearing 24 coupled to a rotary plate 23 inside the floor portion 14, and the rotary plate 23 may be coupled to the floor portion 14 inside the floor portion 14.

[0043] In order to easily store the indoor cycle at home, a plurality of wheels 25 may be laterally coupled to sides of the floor portion 14, and a first floor arm 17 and a second floor arm 18 may have a section of “⊏” shape and the wheel 25 may move along a rail inside the first floor arm 17 and the second floor arm 18. In other words, the floor portion 14 may move along the rail inside the first floor arm 17 and the second floor arm 18 together with the main body 11. A second rotating shaft 26 may be formed at an outer end of the first floor arm 17, and the first floor arm 17 and the second floor arm 18 may be also rotatably coupled to the second rotating shaft 26. When the cycle according to the present invention is to be folded, the main body 11 may be strongly pushed toward (forward) the second floor arm 18, after which the first floor arm 17 may be folded up. Then, a floor area occupied by the cycle may occupy only an area as much as the floor portion 14 as shown in the drawing, thereby facilitating storage.

[0044] The first floor arm 17 and the second floor arm 18 may be divided into a rail portion 31 through which the wheel 25 may pass and a rail support portion 32 formed with the second rotating shaft 26 for rotation. And the rail portion 31 may be attached to the rail support portion 32.

[0045] In addition, in order to prevent the first floor arm 17 and the second floor arm 18 from colliding with each other when rotating near the second rotating shaft 26, only one of the rail support portions 32 may protrude such that end portions of the rail support portions 32 can be offset from each other.

[0046] A handle portion 19 located at a front of the cycle machine may be connected to the second floor arm 18, so that the user holds the handle portion 19 when doing exercise and a monitor or a mobile phone may be mounted on a lower end of the handle portion 19.

[0047] The conventional indoor cycle machine needs to secure a certain floor area in order to properly keep a balance when the user does exercise. Thus, in many cases, it has been burdensome to store the equipment that occupies a certain area or more at home. As shown in the drawing, however, when the equipment according to the present invention is folded, a floor area occupied thereby may be about half a floor area when unfolded, and thus the equipment may not be burdensome to use.

[0048] A control unit may be formed in the main body 11, and if the control unit 29 is placed at the handle portion 24, a wire may need to be connected to the inside, thereby causing a rise in unit price and failure, and making it difficult to perform operations such as folding. In the present invention, the control unit 29 for settings may be placed at a part of an upper surface of the main body 11 to perform settings. Since the control unit is formed at the main body 11, there may be no need to connect an electric wire to the outside of the main body 11.

[0049] The rotary plate 23 may rotate with the central shaft 22 while rotating with the main body 11. If the main body 11 is supported only by the central shaft 22, there is a risk that the main body 11 may incline to any side. In the present invention, a rotation support ball 27 fixed to the floor portion 14 may be formed under the rotary plate 23. The rotation support ball 27 may support the rotary plate 23 while a ball or wheel comes into contact with a lower surface of the rotary plate 23. However, the rotation support ball 27 may also easily rotate when the rotary plate 23 rotates.

[0050] In addition, a pin hole may be formed in an upper surface of the rail support portion 32, and a pin hole corresponding to the pin hole formed on the upper surface of the rail support portion 32 may be also formed on an upper surface of the floor portion 14. Thus, a pin 28 may be used for fixation when the floor portion 14 moves along the rail and comes to a position desired by the user. For fixation, other fixing devices such as screws may be also used.

[0051] FIG. 10 shows an example in which an elastic material such as a long rubber band is used as a repositioning device. The elastic material may have one end fixed to a lower end of the rotary plate, and have an opposite end passed through a roller and fixed to a bottom plate. The roller may not be essential and the spring and the like may be used instead of the rubber band. In FIG. 10, the repositioning device may be installed at both sides of the rotary plate.

[0052] FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the first floor arm and the second floor arm. In FIG. 11, the second floor arm may be inserted into the first floor arm, and the floor portion may be coupled to the first floor arm, and some components may be omitted.

[0053] FIG. 12 shows an example of using attraction. The device in FIG. 1 may correspond to a riding device and may be operated in such a way that an attraction controller actuates a mechanical component. The riding device may receive an input signal, and thus the attraction controller may output a video and an audio through a video output unit and an audio output unit, and the video and the audio may be subject to change depending on the input signal from the riding device. In addition, content may be inputted from a content server through a network and used to output the video and the audio.