U.S. patent application number 12/966107 was filed with the patent office on 2011-06-23 for shock/impact absorbing structure of a treadmill.
This patent application is currently assigned to YEONG-HAW TSOU. Invention is credited to YEONG-HAW TSOU, CHUN-LIANG WU.
Application Number | 20110152037 12/966107 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44151898 |
Filed Date | 2011-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110152037 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WU; CHUN-LIANG ; et
al. |
June 23, 2011 |
SHOCK/IMPACT ABSORBING STRUCTURE OF A TREADMILL
Abstract
A shock/impact absorbing structure of a treadmill wherein a
second roller set is positioned correspondingly at the internal
side of the first roller set and includes a front and a rear roller
disposed at the front and rear ends of the supporting board. A
shock/impact absorber is positioned around the second roller set.
The top side of the shock/impact absorber is directed to the
internal side of the running belt. When the operator steps on the
running belt, the shock/impact absorber is forced to be moved in
rotation by the running belt such that the shock/impact absorber
has a certain region in constant contact with the supporting board,
thereby providing a direct shock/impact absorbing interface for the
running belt. In this way, the noise can be reduced and the
injuries during the exercise sessions can be avoided.
Inventors: |
WU; CHUN-LIANG; (TAOYUAN
COUNTY, TW) ; TSOU; YEONG-HAW; (ARCADIA, CA) |
Assignee: |
TSOU; YEONG-HAW
ARCADIA
CA
|
Family ID: |
44151898 |
Appl. No.: |
12/966107 |
Filed: |
December 13, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/54 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20130101;
A63B 22/0207 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/54 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20060101
A63B022/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 18, 2009 |
TW |
098223747 |
Claims
1. A shock/impact absorbing structure of a treadmill, comprising:
a) a machine body; b) a base frame positioned on the main body and
having longitudinal bars at both sides thereof; c) a supporting
board interposed between both of the longitudinal bars, a first
roller set being positioned correspondingly at the front and rear
ends of the longitudinal bars; and d) a running belt positioned
around the first roller set, wherein a second roller set is
positioned correspondingly at the internal side of the first roller
set and includes a front and a rear roller disposed at the front
and rear ends of the supporting board; and wherein a shock/impact
absorber is in the shape of a conveyor belt and is positioned
around the second roller set, and wherein the top side of the
shock/impact absorber is directed to the internal side of the
running belt, whereby, when the operator steps on the running belt,
the shock/impact absorber is forced to be moved in rotation by the
running belt such that the shock/impact absorber has a certain
region in constant contact with the supporting board, thereby
providing a direct shock/impact absorbing interface for the running
belt.
2. The shock/impact absorbing structure of a treadmill as recited
in claim 1 wherein the shock/impact absorber is made of material
selected from rubber, EVA foaming material, PU foaming material or
combinations thereof.
3. The shock/impact absorbing structure of a treadmill as recited
in claim 2 wherein a wear-resistant layer is positioned at the
internal side of the shock/impact absorber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a treadmill, and more particularly
to a treadmill with a rotatably movable shock/impact absorber under
the running belt for reducing the noise and avoiding the injuries
during the exercise sessions.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Due to the change of the current social structure, most
people have a hectic life. Therefore, the exercise time is much
reduced. Meanwhile, indoor sport (fitness) apparatuses become more
and more popular. The treadmill is regarded as one of the most
popular fitness apparatuses.
[0005] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional treadmill includes
a machine body 11, a base frame 12 positioned on the machine body
11, a front and a rear roller 13, 14 attached to the base frame 12,
and a deck 16 for supporting an running belt 15 around the front
and rear rollers 13, 14. The deck 16 is made of hard material like
wood that does not achieve the shock/impact absorbing effect when
the user walks or runs in place on the treadmill. In other words,
the user walks or runs uncomfortably on the treadmill as if he
stands on a concrete ground. Moreover, the noise of vibration is
loud. Meanwhile, the reactive force created easily causes
unexpected sport injuries.
[0006] Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a treadmill with the
shock/impact absorbing structure. As shown in FIG. 3, a
shock/impact absorber 17 is fitted to the top side of the deck 16
for fulfilling the shock/impact absorbing function. Such a
treadmill is disclosed, for example, in PCT WO 03/031664 A1. The
shock/impact absorber 17 is fixed to the top side of the deck 16
and positioned at the bottom side of the running belt 15. When
moving around the front and rear rollers 13, 14, the running belt
15 is constantly in contact with the stationary shock/impact
absorber 17, thereby creating an extremely great frictional
resistance that results in a problematic operation of the running
belt 15. What is more important is the fact that the shock/impact
absorber 17 will be worn out gradually and downward by the
frictional force from the surface, thereby considerably reducing
the service life. This is the greatest disadvantage of the
above-mentioned structure.
[0007] As shown in FIG. 4, another treadmill according to U.S. Pat.
No. 6,077,200 includes a plurality of rubber pads 18 between the
deck 16 and the base frame 12 or cushioning/elastic elements 19 at
the bottom of the base frame 12. Besides, further treadmills of
prior arts are provided with air bag or hydraulic cylinder for
achieving the shock/impact absorbing effect. However, the
above-mentioned conventional components are not capable of
counteracting the reactive force of the deck directly and
effectively. Especially when the running speed increases, there is
not enough time to counteract the reactive force. As a result,
further improvements are required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An object of the invention is to eliminate the
above-mentioned drawbacks of traditional treadmills during exercise
sessions and to provide a shock/impact absorbing structure of a
treadmill that permits a direct shock/impact absorption and
achieves a comfortable and noiseless operation. Moreover, the
operator is not susceptible to exercise injuries to ankles and
knees.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a shock/impact
absorbing structure of a treadmill with a shock/impact absorber
that is inactively and simultaneously moved by the running belt.
Therefore, the contact surface won't create the sliding friction so
that a smooth operation of the running belt is ensured. Moreover,
the service life of the shock/impact absorber can be prolonged.
[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the
invention includes a shock/impact absorbing structure of a
treadmill that includes:
[0011] a) a machine body;
[0012] b) a base frame positioned on the machine body and having
longitudinal bars at both sides thereof;
[0013] c) a supporting board interposed between both of the
longitudinal bars, a first roller set being positioned at the front
and rear ends of the longitudinal bars; and
[0014] d) a running belt positioned around the first roller
set,
wherein a second roller set is positioned correspondingly at the
internal side of the first roller set and includes a front and a
rear roller disposed at the front and rear ends of the supporting
board; and wherein a shock/impact absorber is in the shape of a
conveyor belt and is positioned around the second roller set, and
wherein the top side of the shock/impact absorber is directed to
the internal side of the running belt, whereby, when the operator
steps on the running belt, the shock/impact absorber is forced to
be moved in rotation by the running belt such that the shock/impact
absorber has a certain region in constant contact with the
supporting board, thereby providing a direct shock/impact absorbing
interface for the running belt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The accomplishment of this and other objects of the
invention will become apparent from the following descriptions and
its accompanying figures of which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional
treadmill;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in
FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another conventional
treadmill;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a side view of a further conventional
treadmill;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the treadmill in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main structure of the
invention;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in
FIG. 6 wherein the feet of the operator do not step on the running
belt;
[0023] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a circled portion of FIG.
7;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in
FIG. 6 wherein the shock/impact absorber is moved by the running
belt; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a circled portion of FIG.
9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] First of all, referring to FIGS. 5 through 8, a treadmill 20
in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention includes
a machine body 21, a base frame 22, a supporting board 26, and a
running belt 25.
[0027] The machine body 21 can be motorized or non-motorized. Or it
can be a machine used for rehabilitation by walking exercise. The
types of the treadmill are not restricted thereto and won't be
described more hereinafter.
[0028] The base frame 22 is fitted to the machine body 21 and
includes longitudinal bars 221 at both sides thereof.
[0029] The supporting board 26 can be wooden board or composite
board and is interposed between the longitudinal bars 221. A first
roller set 23 is positioned correspondingly at the front and rear
ends of the longitudinal bars 221. The first roller set 23 includes
a front roller 231 and a rear roller 232. If the treadmill is
motorized, the front roller 231 is connected via transmission
elements to a motor (not shown in the drawings) within the machine
body 21 so as to be driven by the motor.
[0030] The running belt 25 is positioned around the first roller
set 23.
[0031] The above-mentioned structure belongs to the prior art and
is necessary for the conventional treadmill. It is not the object
of the invention so that no further descriptions thereto are given
hereinafter. The features of the invention are detailed as
follows:
[0032] A second roller set 24 is positioned correspondingly at the
internal side of the first roller set 23 and includes a front and a
rear roller 241, 242 disposed at the front and rear ends of the
supporting board 26; and
[0033] A shock/impact absorber 27 is in the shape of a conveyor
belt and is positioned around the second roller set 24. The
shock/impact absorber 27 is made of material selected from rubber,
EVA foaming material, PU foaming material, or combinations thereof,
but should not be limited thereto. The equivalent material is
applicable as well.
[0034] The connection of the above-mentioned shock/impact absorber
27 to the second roller set 24 is identical to the connection of
the running belt 25 to the first roller set 23. Unlike the
conventional shock/impact absorber 17 that is unmovably mounted on
the surface of the supporting deck, the shock/impact absorber 27 is
movably mounted around the second roller set 24 such that the top
side of the shock/impact absorber 27 is directed to the internal
side of the running belt 25. When the running belt 25 is actuated
as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, it is moved around in the clockwise
direction. The shock/impact absorber 27 remains unmoved when the
feet of the operator do not step thereon. At that time, the running
belt 25 is operated in an idle state. Moreover, a gap S is created
between the running belt 25 and the shock/impact absorber 27 such
that the bottom of the running belt 25 won't rub against by the
shock/impact absorber 27. When the operator steps on the running
belt 25, the bottom of the running belt 25 is forced by the weight
of the operator to be in contact with the top of the shock/impact
absorber 27. In this way, a pushing interface 28 is created between
the active running belt 25 and the inactive shock/impact absorber
27 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. As a result, the shock/impact
absorber 27 can be moved by the running belt 25 in the clockwise
direction when the operator steps thereon. In this way, the
internal side of the running belt 25 does not rub against the top
side of the shock/impact absorber 27 such that the wear is avoided
for prolonging the service life.
[0035] In addition, the shock/impact absorber 27 is movable in
operation. Therefore, it is avoidable that a cavity is created at a
certain position where the operator stands. In this way, a
comfortable and stable running and stepping is ensured.
[0036] The shock/impact absorber 27 is made of flexible and tough
material and formed in a shape of a conveyor belt. The material is
selected from a group consisting of rubber, EVA foaming material,
PU foaming material, etc., but it should not be limited thereto. In
other words, any material or form having the shock/impact absorbing
function is applicable. According to another embodiment in FIGS. 8
and 10, a wear-resistant layer 271 is disposed at the internal side
of the shock/impact absorber 27. The wear-resistant layer 271 is
made of flexible material such as resin, high strength canvas, PVC
or reinforced plastic so that the friction acting on the top side
of the supporting board 26 can be reduced when the shock/impact
absorber 27 is moved.
[0037] By use of the above-mentioned technical features, the
shock/impact can be directly absorbed when the treadmill is
operated. Accordingly, the operator will feel more comfortable in
use and becomes less susceptible to injuries at the same time.
Moreover, a smooth operation of the running belt is ensured due to
the reduction of the friction, thereby prolonging the service life
of the entire treadmill.
[0038] Many changes and modifications in the above-described
embodiments 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
claims.
* * * * *