US Patent 6875160 Elliptical exercise device with leaf spring supports

An elliptical exercise apparatus including a frame, a crank, a pair of guide tracks, and a pair of flexibly resilient foot supports that provide elliptical exercises. Each foot support comprises a leaf spring and a foot engagement pad configured to receive the foot of a user. The foot engagement pads rotate in elliptical paths and the leaf springs flex in varying degree to accommodate for varying forces and gaits of different users. The leaf springs provide upward biasing forces in direct response to sudden and irregular downward forces, thereby flexing to improve the feel of the exercise.