U.S. patent application number 11/444256 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-06 for treadmill having vibration damping function for its handlebars.
This patent application is currently assigned to KENTON BICYCLE GROUP (TAIWAN) LTD.. Invention is credited to Taster Wang.
Application Number | 20070281831 11/444256 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38790977 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070281831 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Taster |
December 6, 2007 |
Treadmill having vibration damping function for its handlebars
Abstract
A treadmill includes a tread board, two uprights mounted on two
opposite sides of the tread board, two handlebars each pivotally
mounted on a respective one of the uprights, and two vibration
damping devices each mounted between a respective one of the
uprights and a respective one of the handlebars to provide a
vibration damping effect to the respective handlebar. Thus, each of
the vibration damping devices provides a vibration damping effect
to the respective handlebar to prevent vibration from being
transmitted to the user's two hands directly so as to protect the
user's two hands during the exercising process.
Inventors: |
Wang; Taster; (Taiping City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KAMRATH & ASSOCIATES P.A.
4825 OLSON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY
SUITE 245
GOLDEN VALLEY
MN
55422
US
|
Assignee: |
KENTON BICYCLE GROUP (TAIWAN)
LTD.
Taiping City
TW
|
Family ID: |
38790977 |
Appl. No.: |
11/444256 |
Filed: |
May 31, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/54 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20130101;
A63B 2071/0063 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/054 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20060101
A63B022/02 |
Claims
1. A treadmill, comprising: a tread board; two uprights mounted on
two opposite sides of the tread board; two handlebars each
pivotally mounted on a respective one of the uprights; two
vibration damping devices each mounted between a respective one of
the uprights and a respective one of the handlebars to provide a
vibration damping effect to the respective handlebar.
2. The treadmill in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the
handlebars has a front side pivotally mounted on an upper end of
the respective upright.
3. The treadmill in accordance with claim 2, wherein the front side
of each of the handlebars is provided with a downward extending
pivot ear pivotally mounted on the upper end of the respective
upright by a pivot shaft.
4. The treadmill in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the
vibration damping devices is mounted between a mediate portion of
the respective upright and a mediate portion of the respective
handlebar.
5. The treadmill in accordance with claim 4, wherein the mediate
portion of each of the uprights is provided with a forward
extending protruding ear, the mediate portion of each of the
handlebars is provided with a downward extending protruding ear,
and each of the vibration damping devices is mounted between the
protruding ear of the respective upright and the protruding ear of
the respective handlebar.
6. The treadmill in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of the
vibration damping devices includes a hydraulic cylinder retractably
mounted between the mediate portion of the respective upright and
the mediate portion of the respective handlebar.
7. The treadmill in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of the
vibration damping devices further includes an elastic member
mounted on the hydraulic cylinder.
8. The treadmill in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of the
vibration damping devices includes an elastomeric member mounted
between the mediate portion of the respective upright and the
mediate portion of the respective handlebar.
9. The treadmill in accordance with claim 8, wherein the
elastomeric member is made of rubber material.
10. The treadmill in accordance with claim 8, wherein the
elastomeric member is made of plastic material.
11. The treadmill in accordance with claim 8, wherein when a user's
two hands apply a force on the handlebars, each of the handlebars
is pivoted relative to the respective upright, so that the
handlebars are movable upward and downward to correspond to upward
and downward movement of the user's two hands.
12. The treadmill in accordance with claim 11, wherein each of the
vibration damping devices provides a vibration damping effect to
the respective handlebar to prevent vibration from being
transmitted to the user's two hands directly so as to protect the
user's two hands.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more
particularly, to a treadmill having a vibration damping function
for its handlebars.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional treadmill comprises a tread board, two
uprights mounted on two opposite sides of the tread board, and two
handlebars each secured on a respective one of the uprights. Thus,
a user's two hands can hold the handlebars during the exercising
process to prevent the user from being falling down. However, the
user's two hands have to partially support the user's weight during
movement of the user's body and are subjected to vibration
transmitted by the handlebars during the exercising process, so
that the user's two hands are easily hurt during a long-term
utilization. In addition, the handlebars are secured on the
uprights, so that the handlebars cannot be moved to correspond to
upward and downward movement of the user's two hands, thereby
easily providing an uncomfortable sensation to the user.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a treadmill, comprising a tread board, two uprights mounted on two
opposite sides of the tread board, two handlebars each pivotally
mounted on a respective one of the uprights, and two vibration
damping devices each mounted between a respective one of the
uprights and a respective one of the handlebars to provide a
vibration damping effect to the respective handlebar.
[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a treadmill having a vibration damping function for its
handlebars.
[0007] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
treadmill, wherein when a user's two hands apply a force on the
handlebars, each of the handlebars is pivoted relative to the
respective upright, so that the handlebars are movable upward and
downward to correspond to upward and downward movement of the
user's two hands, thereby providing a comfortable sensation to the
user.
[0008] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
treadmill, wherein each of the vibration damping devices provides a
vibration damping effect to the respective handlebar to prevent the
vibration from being transmitted to the user's two hands directly
so as to protect the user's two hands during the exercising
process.
[0009] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed
description with appropriate reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill in accordance
with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a partially side plan view of the treadmill as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic operational view of the treadmill as
shown in FIG. 2 in use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a
treadmill in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
present invention comprises a tread board 11, two uprights 12
mounted on two opposite sides of the tread board 11, two handlebars
13 each pivotally mounted on a respective one of the uprights 12,
and two vibration damping devices 14 each mounted between a
respective one of the uprights 12 and a respective one of the
handlebars 13 to provide a vibration damping effect to the
respective handlebar 13.
[0014] Each of the handlebars 13 has a front side pivotally mounted
on an upper end of the respective upright 12. The front side of
each of the handlebars 13 is provided with a downward extending
pivot ear 131 pivotally mounted on the upper end of the respective
upright 12 by a pivot shaft 121. Each of the vibration damping
devices 14 is mounted between a mediate portion of the respective
upright 12 and a mediate portion of the respective handlebar 13.
The mediate portion of each of the uprights 12 is provided with a
forward extending protruding ear 122, the mediate portion of each
of the handlebars 13 is provided with a downward extending
protruding ear 132, and each of the vibration damping devices 14 is
mounted between the protruding ear 122 of the respective upright 12
and the protruding ear 132 of the respective handlebar 13.
[0015] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each
of the vibration damping devices 14 includes a hydraulic cylinder
142 retractably mounted between the mediate portion of the
respective upright 12 and the mediate portion of the respective
handlebar 13, and an elastic member 141 mounted on the hydraulic
cylinder 142.
[0016] Alternatively, each of the vibration damping devices 14
includes an elastomeric member mounted between the mediate portion
of the respective upright 12 and the mediate portion of the
respective handlebar 13. Preferably, the elastomeric member is made
of rubber or plastic material.
[0017] In operation, referring to FIG. 3 with reference to FIGS. 1
and 2, when a user's two hands apply a force on the handlebars 13,
each of the handlebars 13 is pivoted relative to the respective
upright 12, so that the handlebars 13 are movable upward and
downward to correspond to upward and downward movement of the
user's two hands, thereby providing a comfortable sensation to the
user. At this time, each of the vibration damping devices 14
provides a vibration damping effect to the respective handlebar 13
to prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the user's two
hands directly so as to protect the user's two hands during the
exercising process.
[0018] Accordingly, when a user's two hands apply a force on the
handlebars 13, each of the handlebars 13 is pivoted relative to the
respective upright 12, so that the handlebars 13 are movable upward
and downward to correspond to upward and downward movement of the
user's two hands, thereby providing a comfortable sensation to the
user. In addition, each of the vibration damping devices 14
provides a vibration damping effect to the respective handlebar 13
to prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the user's two
hands directly so as to protect the user's two hands during the
exercising process.
[0019] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its
preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood
that many other possible modifications and variations can be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is,
therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will
cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true
scope of the invention.
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