Treadmill motor having a heat dissipating device

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a treadmill, and more particularly to a treadmill having a device for cooling or for dissipating the heat generated by the motor.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical treadmills comprises an endless belt engaged around a tread base or a deck and one or more rollers, and a motor coupled to one of the rollers with such as a sprocket-and-chain or pulley-and-belt coupling mechanism for driving the endless belt. A cover is secured onto the treadmill for covering and shielding the motor and the other elements. The motor may generate a beat or a high temperature that is adverse for the motor. However, the typical treadmills have no heat dissipating device provided for cooling or for dissipating the heat generated by the motor.

[0005] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional treadmills.

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a treadmill including a device for cooling or for dissipating the heat generated by the motor, and for increasing the working life of the motor.

[0007] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a treadmill comprising a base, an endless belt provided in the base, a motor coupled to the endless belt for driving the endless belt, the motor including a spindle extended therefrom, and a fan device secured to the spindle for being driven by the motor, and including a plurality of blades for drawing air through the motor to dissipate a heat generated by the motor, and for preventing the motor from being over-heated and damaged, and for increasing the working life of the motor.

[0008] The fan device includes a peripheral wall, and the blades are extended from the peripheral wall of the fan device.

[0009] The fan device includes a plurality of casings provided therein and each having a cavity formed therein and facing toward or communicating with the a central opening of the fan device, and the blades are extended from the casings.

[0010] A wheel is further provided and secured to the spindle, the fan device is secured to the wheel and rotated in concert with the wheel, and includes an opening formed therein for receiving the spindle.

[0011] The wheel includes a peripheral depression formed therein, the blades of the fan device are extended inward of the peripheral depression of the wheel.

[0012] The motor includes a first end having a hood provided thereon and partially engaged into the opening of the fan device, the hood includes a plurality of holes formed therein for air circulating purposes and for allowing the air to be drawn to flow through the motor in order to cool and to dissipate the heat generated by the motor.

[0013] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill in accordance with the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the motor device for the treadmill;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the motor device;

[0017] FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the motor device;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fan device for cooling or for dissipating the heat that may be generated by the motor; and

[0019] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the fan device.

[0020] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a treadmill in accordance with the present invention comprises a base 10, two rollers 11, 12 rotatably engaged and supported in the base 10, an endless belt 13 engaged over the rollers 11, 12 for supporting the users thereon, and a motor 21 coupled to either of the rollers 11, 12 with such as a sprocket-and-chain or pulley-and-belt coupling mechanism 14 for driving the endless belt 13. A post 52 may be provided and extended upward from the front portion of the base 10, a handle 53 may be attached to the post 52 for supporting the upper portion of the users, a control panel 54 may be provided on top of the post 52 for controlling the operation of the treadmill, and a cover 55 may be secured onto the front portion of the base 10 for covering or shielding the motor 21 and the coupling mechanism 14 and the other elements.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a seat 15 is secured on the base 10 with such as the fasteners, and includes a bulge 16 provided thereon and having a curved recess 17 formed therein for stably supporting the motor 21 and having one or more holes 18 formed therein for receiving fasteners 19 which may secure the motor 21 to the seat 15. One or more gaskets or pads 20 may be engaged onto the fasteners 19 for cushioning the motor 21. The motor 21 includes two hoods 22, 23 secured to the ends thereof, and a rotor 24 rotatably secured therein, and a spindle 25 secured to the rotor 24 and extended outward of the hoods 22, 23. The hoods 22, 23 each includes one or more holes 26 formed therein for air circulation purposes and for heat dissipating purposes. The above described configuration is typical and will not be described in further details.

[0022] A weight or a wheel 40 includes a hub 41 having an orifice 42 formed therein for receiving the spindle 25. The hub 41 may be secured to the spindle 25 with fasteners or with a key device or the other securing or locking devices, such that the wheel 40 may be rotated in concert with the spindle 25 and may be rotated or driven by the motor 21. The wheel 40 includes a peripheral depression 43 formed therein and facing toward the motor 21, best shown in FIG. 3. A fan device 30 includes one or more holes 35 formed therein, and one or more fasteners 34 may be engaged through the holes 35 of the fan device 30 and may be secured to the wheel 40 for securing the fan device 30 to the wheel 40 and for allowing the fan device 30 and the wheel 40 to be rotated in concert with each other. The fan device 30 is preferably disposed between the motor 21 and the wheel 40.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2-6, the fan device 30 includes an opening 31 formed or defined in a peripheral wall 39, and includes a number of cavities 32 formed therein and defined by a number of casings 37 respectively and facing toward or communicating with the opening 31 of the fan device 30, and includes a number of blades 33 extended from the peripheral wall 39 or from the casings 37 respectively and each having a free edge 38 extended inward the opening 31 of the fan device 30. The blades 33 are preferably extended inward of the peripheral depression 43 of the wheel 40, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hood 23 of the motor 21 is partially engaged into the opening 31 of the fan device 30 and is spaced from the fan device 30 for a peripheral space or gap 36 which is provided for air circulation purposes, and for heat dissipating purposes.

[0024] In operation, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the motor 21 is energized, the wheel 40 and thus the fan device 30 may be rotated and driven by the spindle 25 of the motor 21. The fan device 30 is arranged to draw the air inward the motor 21 through the holes 26 of the hood 22, and through the rotor 24 and the holes 26 of the other hood 23, and to cause the air to flow out through the peripheral gap 36 formed or provided between the hood 23 and the fan device 30, such that the motor 21 may be cooled or such that the heat generated by the motor 21 may be dissipated by the air drawn through the motor 21. The motor 21 thus will not be over-heated and thus will not be damaged by over heat. The working life of the motor 21 may thus be suitably increased.

[0025] Accordingly the treadmill in accordance with the present invention includes a device for cooling or for dissipating the heat generated by the motor and for increasing the working life of the motor.

[0026] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.