U.S. patent application number 11/267604 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-10 for control mechanism of an electric treadmill.
Invention is credited to Leao Wang.
Application Number | 20070105693 11/267604 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38004500 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070105693 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Leao |
May 10, 2007 |
Control mechanism of an electric treadmill
Abstract
A control mechanism of an electric treadmill having a large area
pressure strip located on each of handles of the treadmill while a
touch switch is disposed under the pressure strip. The touch switch
is electrically connected to an electronic console either for an
easy control of the rotational speed of a running belt or for a
practical adjustment of the fold-up inclination of a tread
base.
Inventors: |
Wang; Leao; (Taiping,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
SUITE 1404
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Family ID: |
38004500 |
Appl. No.: |
11/267604 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/54 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 24/00 20130101;
A63B 22/02 20130101; A63B 22/0242 20130101; A63B 2210/56 20130101;
A63B 22/0023 20130101; H01H 9/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/054 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20060101
A63B022/02 |
Claims
1. A control mechanism of an electric treadmill, comprising at
least one large area pressure strip located on each of handles of
the treadmill, a plurality of touch switches being disposed under
the pressure strip such that the touch switches can be activated as
a result of the application of an external force on the pressure
strip, wherein the touch switches are electrically connected to an
electronic console either for an easy control of the rotation al
speed of a running belt or for a practical adjustment of the
fold-up inclination of a tread base, wherein the pressure strip
includes a T-shaped section such that both ends of the T-shaped
section are compressible to trip the touch switches.
2. The control mechanism according to claim 1 wherein a spring
element is interposed between the pressure strip and the
handle.
3. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Fields of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a control mechanism of an electric
treadmill, and more particularly, to a mechanism that ensures an
easy control of the rotational speed of a running belt as well as a
practical adjustment of the inclination of a tread base without
distracting the attention of the operator.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The electric treadmill provides an optimal simulation of
walking movement so that it becomes more and more popular and is
one of the important indoor exercise devices. Moreover, the
treadmill allows an easy control of the rotational speed of a
running belt and a practical adjustment of a tread base. The
relevant techniques belong to the prior art so that no further
descriptions thereto are given hereinafter.
[0005] The control of the rotational speed of the running belt and
the adjustment of the tread base is often done either by the
operation keys on an electronic console or by the touch switches on
handle bars. However, the operation keys and the touch switches are
often so small and far away from the operator that the operator has
to be concentrated to locate the operation keys and the touch
switches when he wants to execute the adjustment. In other words,
the operator has to avoid false input while keeping up with the
speed of the running belt during the exercise session, and this
would pose a hazard to the operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A primary object of the invention is to avoid the
above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a control mechanism of an
electric treadmill that ensures an easy control of the rotational
speed of a running belt as well as a practical adjustment of the
inclination of a tread base without distracting the attention of
the operator.
[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a large area
pressure strip is located on each of handles of the treadmill while
a touch switch is disposed under the pressure strip. The touch
switch is electrically connected to an electronic console either
for an easy control of the rotational speed of a running belt or
for a practical adjustment of the fold-up inclination of a tread
base.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The accomplishment of this and other objects of the
invention will become apparent from the following description and
its accompanying drawings of which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a handle and a pressure strip of
the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the handle and the pressure
strip of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 after a force acts on
the pressure strip;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the handle and the pressure
strip in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the
invention
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, an electric treadmill 10 in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a
support base 11, two handles 12, an electronic console 13, a tread
base 14, a running belt 15 and bottom support elements 16. The
tread base 14 can be driven by a lifting motor (not shown) to
create change of supporting inclination. The running belt 15 is
driven by another motor (not shown) for an in-place rotation. Each
of the handles 12 is provided with at least one large area pressure
strip 20 under which a touch switch 22 is disposed. The touch
switch 22 is electrically connected to the electronic console 13
either for an easy control of the rotational speed of the running
belt 15 or for a practical adjustment of the fold-up inclination of
the tread base 14.
[0014] The operation will be described by use of a simple example
as follows. For example, a command of acceleration can be given to
the motor for the running belt 15 via the electronic console 13
when the pressure strip 20 on one handle 12 is compressed to trip
the touch switch 22. Meanwhile, the corresponding elements on the
other handle 12 are designed for the deceleration command. The
pressure strip 20 occupies such a large space that the operator can
easily reach one of the pressure strips 20 for a desired action of
the treadmill.
[0015] Of course, a spring element 24 is interposed between the
pressure strip 20 and the handle 12 for resetting the pressure
strip 20 to its original position after removal of an external
force on the pressure strip 20.
[0016] Alternatively, the pressure strips 20 on the handles 12 and
the associated touch switches 22 can be designed for controlling
the lifting motor to adjust the inclination of the tread base 14.
This belongs to a prior art so that no further descriptions are
given hereinafter.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, a T-shaped pressure strip 30 can be
employed in cooperation with two touch switches 22. In this way,
the T-shaped pressure strip 30 can be compressed at both sides
thereof while both touch switches 22 are correspondingly designed
both for acceleration or deceleration and for fold-up or fold-down
action. Thus, the operator can install on both handles 12 of the
electric treadmill 10 two sets of control units for adjusting the
operation speed of the running belt 15 and the inclination of the
tread base 14. As a result, the application value of the treadmill
can be enhanced.
[0018] Many changes and modifications in the above-described
embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without
departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the
progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed
and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended
claim.
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