Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for simulating mobility of a human

US5580249A · kind A · utility

427Cited by
10References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 1994
Grant dateDec 3, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA63B2225/30
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An individual person mobility simulator includes a base for placement on a support surface, a steering post extending upwardly from the base to terminate in an upper end, a seat mounted on the upper end of the steering post on which a human operator may sit, a torque/position sensor disposed between the seat and the steering post to sense changes in seat position caused by the operator, and foot stirrups into which the operator may place his feet, the foot stirrups being movably mounted on the steering post. A power source is provided to supply a resistive force to movement of the foot stirrups in response to and dependent upon resistance signals. A control unit supplies resistance signals to the power source to determine the amount of resistance to be applied to movement of the foot stirrups. The amount of resistance is geared to simulate the steepness of terrain over which the operator is moving, with greater resistance being applied when the terrain is uphill and less resistance being applied when the terrain is level or downhill, for example.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.