U.S. patent application number 13/671280 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-01 for electric treadmill.
This patent application is currently assigned to DYACO INTERNATIONAL INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is DYACO INTERNATIONAL INC.. Invention is credited to Hsuan-Fu HUANG, Shih-Wei LIU.
Application Number | 20140121066 13/671280 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50547791 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140121066 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HUANG; Hsuan-Fu ; et
al. |
May 1, 2014 |
ELECTRIC TREADMILL
Abstract
An electric treadmill includes a base, vertical posts coupled to
the base, a desk with a treading belt, and a lifting and folding
device. The lifting and folding device includes a linear actuator
disposed on the desk and having a retractable lifting pipe, a
lifting unit connected to the desk, a pivotal connection point
protruding from the desk, first and second lateral panels, and a
fixing stand disposed between the second lateral panels and
connected to the lifting pipe, two movable pivotal connection
elements disposed at free ends of the first lateral panels,
respectively, two linking plates connected to the first lateral
panels and a link, two position-limiting elements disposed between
the base and the lifting unit, connected to two lateral bars of the
base by an axle, and having a slot each, and two guide rods coupled
to the first lateral panels and inserted into the slots.
Inventors: |
HUANG; Hsuan-Fu; (Hemei
Town, TW) ; LIU; Shih-Wei; (Hemei Town, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DYACO INTERNATIONAL INC. |
Taipei City |
|
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
DYACO INTERNATIONAL INC.
Taipei City
TW
|
Family ID: |
50547791 |
Appl. No.: |
13/671280 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/54 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20130101;
A63B 2210/56 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/54 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20060101
A63B022/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 25, 2012 |
TW |
101139530 |
Claims
1. An electric treadmill, comprising: a base having two lateral
bars spaced apart from each other and each having a first end
portion and a second end portion which are disposed oppositely, and
two positioning units fixedly disposed at the front ends of two
lateral bars, respectively, and having an axial hole each; vertical
posts coupled to the base and extending upward; a desk comprising
two lateral panels, at least one fixing rod, and a treading belt,
the lateral panels being spaced apart from each other and each
having a first section portion and a second section portion which
are disposed oppositely, the at least one fixing rod being fixedly
coupled between the lateral panels to form a frame, and the
treading belt having front and rear ends positioned within the
frame and moving along a closed path; and a lifting and folding
device comprising a linear actuator, a lifting unit, two movable
pivotal connection elements, two linking plates, a link, two
position-limiting elements, and two guide rods, the linear actuator
being disposed on the desk and having a lifting pipe capable of
extending and retracting lengthwise, the lifting unit having a
front end pivotally connected to the desk, a pivotal connection
point protruding from the front of the desk, a first lateral panel
and a second lateral panel which are spaced apart from each other,
and a fixing stand fixedly disposed between the second lateral
panels and connected to the lifting pipe of the linear actuator
such that the lifting unit is guided by the lifting pipe of the
linear actuator to perform gradient-related and elevation
angle-related motion, the two movable pivotal connection elements
being disposed at free ends at terminal sections of the first
lateral panels of the lifting unit, respectively, the two linking
plates each having an end connected to a corresponding one of the
first lateral panels and positioned proximate to the movable
pivotal connection elements, the two linking plates each having
another end fixedly connected to the free end of the link, the two
position-limiting elements being disposed between an inner side of
the base and the lifting unit, the position-limiting elements each
having an end pivotally connected to two lateral bars of the base
by means of an axle, the position-limiting elements having a slot
each, and the two guide rods each having an end fixedly coupled to
a point of a corresponding one of the first lateral panels and each
having another end inserted into the slot of a corresponding one of
the position-limiting elements such that the guide rods slide
axially relative to the slots under an applied force.
2. The electric treadmill of claim 1, wherein the slot of each of
the position-limiting elements has an upper starting point and a
lower starting point, such that each of the guide rods can undergo
position-limited motion between the upper starting point and the
lower starting point of the slot.
3. The electric treadmill of claim 1, wherein the link provided in
form of an elongate rod, having a top surface with two pads
thereon.
4. The electric treadmill of claim 3, the link is flanked by and
connected to two positioning elements, an end of each of the
positioning elements is fixedly connected to the free end of the
link, another end of each of the positioning elements is pivotally
connected to the axial hole of each of the positioning units.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to treadmills, and more
particularly, to an electric treadmill which has a desk capable of
lifting steadily and can be folded easily.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] A conventional electric treadmill in wide use comprises a
base, a desk, a power unit, an elevation unit, a stand, and a
dashboard disposed on the stand. When the conventional electric
treadmill is in use, the desk not only enables a user to walk
thereon, but also allow the user to control the dashboard as
needed, for example, to adjust the gradient (angular) lift of the
desk. An angular lifting and folding structure of the desk operates
while the desk is directly connected to the base. As a result, once
a lifting unit lifts, an impact and vibrating force will be
generated by the user and directly conveyed to the base, and in
consequence the dashboard on the stand vibrates. Hence, users
always complain about the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.
[0005] Furthermore, to allow a treadmill to be stored easily, a
desk of a commercially available treadmill is usually capable of
folding. Referring to, Take a typical case as an example, FIG. 1
and FIG. 2 are schematic views of a folding structure disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,453, wherein a treadmill 10 comprises a base 11
disposed on a floor, two vertical posts 12 extending upward from
the base 11, and a desk 14 pivotally connected to the inner sides
of the two vertical posts 12 by means of two pivotal connection
elements 13. The desk 14 has a first section portion 14A and a
second section portion 14B which are arranged oppositely.
[0006] To fold the desk 14, the user exerts an upward force on the
second section portion 14B to cause the first section portion 14A
of the desk 14 to rotate about the two pivotal connection elements
13. Hence, the desks is lifted and turned from an operating
position to a folded position. Although the treadmill 10 has the
desk 14 which is capable of folding and stacking, it has the
following drawbacks:
[0007] 1. The desk 14 can only be pivotally connected when it is
positioned proximate to the end surface 14C. Also, there is no
connection element between the desk 14 and the base 11. As a
result, once the desk 14 is lifted and turned, it will exert an
inertial force on the vertical posts 12 and the base 11, and thus
the base 11 will shake readily.
[0008] 2. With a user running on the desk 14, the two pivotal
connection elements 13 bear the total weight of the user and the
desk 14, and thus the two pivotal connection elements 13 are likely
to fatigue and deform, thereby compromising the turning and folding
capability of the desk 14 in the long term.
[0009] Afterward, although Taiwan patent 1234471 improves on U.S.
Pat. No. 5,674,453 in terms of the aforesaid drawbacks thereof, its
folding structure is flawed with a plethora of constituent elements
and a complicated assembly process, and thus it adds to the
manufacturing costs to the detriment of commercial competition.
This leaves much room for improvement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is an objective of the present invention to provide an
electric treadmill which has a stable desk and has a simple and
practical folding mechanism.
[0011] In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the
present invention provides an electric treadmill, comprising: a
base having two lateral bars spaced apart from each other and each
having a first end portion and a second end portion which are
disposed oppositely; vertical posts coupled to the base and
extending upward; a desk comprising two lateral panels, at least
one fixing rod, and a treading belt, the lateral panels being
spaced apart from each other and each having a first section
portion and a second section portion which are disposed oppositely,
the at least one fixing rod being fixedly coupled between the
lateral panels to form a frame, and the treading belt having front
and rear ends positioned within the frame and moving along a closed
path; and a lifting and folding device comprising a linear
actuator, a lifting unit, two movable pivotal connection elements,
two linking plates, two position-limiting elements, and two guide
rods, the linear actuator being disposed on the desk and having a
lifting pipe capable of extending and retracting lengthwise, the
lifting unit having a front end pivotally connected to the desk, a
pivotal connection point protruding from the front of the desk, a
first lateral panel and a second lateral panel which are spaced
apart from each other, and a fixing stand fixedly disposed between
the second lateral panels and connected to the lifting pipe of the
linear actuator such that the lifting unit is guided by the lifting
pipe of the linear actuator to perform gradient-related and
elevation angle-related motion, the two movable pivotal connection
elements being disposed at free ends at terminal sections of the
first lateral panels of the lifting unit, respectively, the two
linking plates each having an end connected to a corresponding one
of the first lateral panels and positioned proximate to the movable
pivotal connection elements, the two linking plates each having
another end fixedly connected to the free end of the link, the two
position-limiting elements being disposed between an inner side of
the base and the lifting unit, the position-limiting elements each
having an end pivotally connected to two lateral bars of the base
by means of an axle, the position-limiting elements having a slot
each, and the two guide rods each having an end fixedly coupled to
a point of a corresponding one of the first lateral panels and each
having another end inserted into the slot of a corresponding one of
the position-limiting elements such that the guide rods slide
axially relative to the slots under an applied force.
[0012] Accordingly, the electric treadmill of the present invention
is advantageously characterized by a desk that manifests a high
degree of stability and a treadmill folding mechanism that is
simple and practical.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 (PRIOR ART) is a perspective view of the state of
operation of a treadmill disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,453;
[0014] FIG. 2 (PRIOR ART) is a lateral view of the folded treadmill
of U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,453;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an electric
treadmill according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic lateral view of the electric treadmill
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of folding the electric
treadmill according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are schematic views of lifting the
electric treadmill according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 8 through FIG. 10 are schematic views of folding the
electric treadmill according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The aforesaid and other technical contents, features, and
advantages of the electric treadmill of the present invention are
illustrated herein with preferred embodiments and the accompany
drawings. Words pertaining to relative positions and used herein,
such as "top" and "bottom", are interpreted from a user's view of
angle. Like elements described herein are denoted with the same
reference numeral.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 3 through FIG. 5, in a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the electric treadmill 2
comprises: a base 20 which rests on a supporting surface (such as
the floor); vertical posts 30 disposed at the front end of the base
20 and extending upward; gauge units 32 disposed at the top ends of
the vertical posts 30, respectively; a desk 40; and a treading
board 50 and a lifting and folding device 60 which are connected to
the desk 40, wherein the lifting and folding device 60 is coupled
between the base 20 and the desk 40.
[0022] The base 20 comprises two lateral bars 21 spaced apart from
each other, two connection bars 22 connected between the two
lateral bars 21, and two positioning units 23 fixedly disposed at
the front ends of two lateral bars 21, respectively, and having an
axial hole 231 each. Furthermore, conventional components (not
shown), such as a pneumatic cylinder and an extendable/retractable
rod assembly, are disposed at the rear end of the base 20. Also,
the base 20 defines a receiving space.
[0023] A link 28 is provided in the form of an elongate rod and has
a top surface with two pads 281 thereon. The link 28 is flanked by
and connected to two positioning elements 29. An end of each of the
positioning elements 29 is fixedly connected to the free end of the
link 28. Another end of each of the positioning elements 29 is
pivotally connected to the axial hole 231 of each of the
positioning units 23.
[0024] The front section of the desk 40 is disposed deep in the
receiving space of the base 20 and connected to the treading board
50. The desk 40 comprises two lateral panels 41, a plurality of
fixing rods 42, and a treading belt 44. The lateral panels 41 are
spaced apart by a predetermined distance and are parallel to each
other. The plurality of fixing rods 42 is fixedly disposed between
the two lateral panels 41 to form a frame. The front and rear ends
of the treading belt 44 are positioned within the frame. The
treading belt 44 moves along a closed path.
[0025] In practice, the electric treadmill of the present invention
further comprises an electric motor (not shown) disposed at the
front end of the desk 40 and adapted to drive the treading belt 44
to operate.
[0026] The lifting and folding device 60 comprises a linear
actuator 61 (also known as "elevation motor") which is disposed on
the desk 40 and has a lifting pipe 611 capable of extending and
retracting lengthwise, a lifting unit 63 with a front end pivotally
connected to the desk 40, a pivotal connection point P protruding
from the front of the desk 40, a first lateral panel 631 and a
second lateral panel which are spaced apart from each other, and a
fixing stand 633 fixedly disposed between the second lateral
panels. The fixing stand 633 is connected to the lifting pipe 611
of the linear actuator 61, such that the lifting unit 63 is guided
by the lifting pipe 611 of the linear actuator 61 to perform
gradient-related (elevation angle-related) motion. Two movable
pivotal connection elements (rollers) 65 are disposed at free ends
at the terminal sections of the first lateral panels 631 of the
lifting unit 63, respectively. One end of each of two linking
plates 67 is connected to the middle section of a corresponding one
of the first lateral panels 631, and thus is positioned proximate
to the rollers 65. The other end of each of the linking plates 67
is fixedly connected to the free end of the link 28. Two
position-limiting elements 70 are disposed between the inner side
of the base 20 and the lifting unit 63. The position-limiting
elements 70 are slender and each have one end pivotally connected
to two lateral bars 21 of the base 20 by means of an axle 71. The
position-limiting elements 70 have a slot 72 each. Two guide rods
75 each have one end fixedly coupled to a point of a corresponding
one of the first lateral panels 631, and each have the other end
inserted into the slot 72 of a corresponding one of the
position-limiting elements 70, such that the guide rods 75 slide
axially relative to the slots 72 under an applied force.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, in the first embodiment, at
the point in time when the desk 40 or the treading board 50 starts
to perform angular lift-related motion, the pivotal connection
point p protruding from the front of the desk 40 functions as a
pivotal point, such that the downward force applied by the linear
actuator 61 to the lifting unit 63 is directly conveyed to the two
rollers 65. The two rollers 65 abut directly against a supporting
surface, such as the floor, and are not linked to the base 20, and
thus the stability and security of the angular (gradient)
adjustment performed by the lifting unit 63 is enhanced greatly.
Referring to FIG. 6, at this point in time, the linear actuator 61
gives a thrust to bring about an included angle between the lifting
unit 63 and the base 20 and thereby effectuate a change of
gradient. The two linking plates 67 and the two guide rods 75 move
relative to the link 28 and the slots 72 of the position-limiting
elements 70 under the downward thrust of the linear actuator 61,
such that the link 28 slide forward slightly, whereas the
position-limiting elements 70 rotate and move upward gradually.
FIG. 7 shows the upper limit of the gradient of the lifting unit
63.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 8 through FIG. 10, in the first
embodiment, at the point in time when the desk 40 or the treading
board 50 starts to perform folding motion, the axial hole 231 of
each of the positioning units 23 of the base 20 functions as the
rotational point for folding. In a folding process, the center of
mass of the linear actuator 61 switches from the front in FIG. 8
and FIG. 9 to the rear of the pivotal point, as shown in FIG. 10.
The slots 72 of the position-limiting elements 70 prevent the desk
40 from overrunning forward or upward. Hence, the slots 72 of the
position-limiting elements 70 ensure that the desk 40 folds
safely.
[0029] In conclusion, the electric treadmill of the present
invention is advantageously characterized by the lifting unit 63 of
the lifting and folding device 60, the two rollers 65 operating in
conjunction with the linking plates 67, and the position-limiting
elements 70 operating in conjunction with the guide rods 75, to
thereby provide a desk that manifests a high degree of stability
and a folding mechanism that is simple and practical.
[0030] The present invention is disclosed above by two preferred
embodiments. However, persons skilled in the art should understand
that the preferred embodiments are illustrative of the present
invention only, but should not be interpreted as restrictive of the
scope of the present invention. Hence, all equivalent changes and
modifications made to the aforesaid embodiments should fall within
the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *