Treadmill having an adjustable cushioning device

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a treadmill, and more particularly to a treadmill including an adjustable cushioning device.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical treadmills may include a tread base or a deck supported on a frame with cushioning pads or the like. The pads are solidly provided between the tread base or the deck and the frame and may not be adjusted to different pads or to the other different cushioning devices, such that the treadmill may not be adjusted to different cushioning effects. In addition, once the cushioning pads have been cured or have become aged, the treadmill may include a bad cushioning effect.

[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 an adjustable cushioning device for adjusting the treadmill to different cushioning effects.

[0007] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a treadmill comprising a base, an endless belt provided in the base, means for driving the endless belt, and a cushioning device engaged in the endless belt, and rotatably secured in the base with a shaft, and including an outer peripheral surface having at least one pad extended therefrom, the pad being selectively rotatable toward the endless belt to cushion the endless belt by rotating the shaft relative to the base.

[0008] The cushioning device includes an outer peripheral portion having a first and at least one second longitudinal areas provided therein, the pad is supported on the first longitudinal area of the cushioning device. The cushioning device includes at least one second pad supported on the second longitudinal area of the cushioning device. For example, the cushioning device may include the pads of different cushioning or resilient materials or may include different number of pads disposed on different longitudinal areas of the cushioning device, which may be selectively rotated or adjusted toward and to support the endless belt, for providing different cushioning effects to the endless belt.

[0009] A device is further provided for rotating the shaft relative to the base to selectively rotate the pad toward and to cushion the endless belt and includes a ferrule, and means for coupling the ferrule to the shaft and to rotate the shaft relative to the base.

[0010] The coupling means includes a rod secured to the ferrule and having a first end having a notch and a leg formed therein, the shaft includes a first end having an extension and a notch formed thereon for engaging with the notch and the leg of the rod respectively, and for allowing the rod to be slided and movable relative to the shaft and to be rotated by the rod.

[0011] The base includes a duct secured therein and having a bore formed therein for slidably and rotatably receiving the rod.

[0012] A device is further provided for positioning the ferrule to the base at different selected angular positions, and includes a pin provided on the base, and at least one cavity formed in the ferrule for selectively receiving the pin to position the ferrule to the base.

[0013] A spring biasing device may further be provided for biasing the ferrule toward the base and to engage the pin into the cavity of the ferrule.

[0014] The rotating device may include a gear secured on the shaft and rotated in concert with the shaft, and means for driving the gear to rotate the rod. The driving means includes a motor coupled to the gear for driving the gear to rotate the rod.

[0015] 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.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a treadmill in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view showing an adjusting device for the treadmill;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cushioning device of the treadmill;

[0019] FIG. 4 is an expanded plan view of the cushioning device of the treadmill;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the treadmill and

[0021] FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view illustrating the operation of the treadmill.

[0022] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a treadmill in accordance with the present invention comprises a base 10 including a pair of longitudinal and parallel side beams 12, and including one or more foot members 14 attached to the bottom thereof, and including one or more bars 21 secured between the beams 12. The bars 21 may each include a soft or resilient or cushioning pad 22 thereon. A deck or a board 23 may be engaged on the bars 21, or on the pads 22. Two rollers 41, 42 are rotatably secured between the beams 12 and located on the opposite ends of the board 23. An endless belt 43 is engaged around the rollers 41, 42 and engaged on the board 23 for supporting the users.

[0023] Alternatively, if the endless belt 43 includes a suitable thickness, the endless belt 43 may also be directly engaged on the pads 22 of the bars 21, instead of being supported on the board 23. A number of rollers may be engaged between the bars 21 for supporting the upper portion of the endless belt 43 in a planer structure. One of the rollers 41 includes a sprocket or a gear or a pulley 44 secured thereon and rotated in concert therewith. A motor 46 is secured in the base 10 and coupled to the pulley 44 or to the roller 41 with a sprocket-and-chain coupling mechanism, or a pulley and belt coupling device 47, for driving the roller 41 to actuate or to drive the endless belt 43.

[0024] The treadmill in accordance with the present invention further includes an adjustable cushioning device 3 rotatably secured between the beams 12 with a shaft 30. The adjustable cushioning device 3 includes a cylindrical structure or member 300 secured on the shaft 30, and includes an outer peripheral surface separated into two or more longitudinal areas 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 that are parallel to the shaft 30 and that may be rotated around a longitudinal axis of the shaft 30 one by one or alternatively. The longitudinal areas 31-36 of the cushioning device 3 include different numbers of cushioning pads 37 extended or provided thereon.

[0025] For example, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first longitudinal area 31 of the cushioning device 3 includes one, two or three cushioning pads 37 extended or provided thereon; the second longitudinal area 32 of the cushioning device 3 includes four cushioning pads 37 extended or provided thereon; and the third and the fourth and the fifth and the sixth longitudinal areas 33-36 of the cushioning device 3 each includes four, five, six, seven, eight cushioning pads 37 extended or provided thereon respectively. The cushioning pads 37 may be engaged with the board 23 or may be directly engaged with the endless belt 43 for cushioning the endless belt 43. The cushioning device 3 may also include one of the longitudinal areas having no cushioning pads 37 provided thereon, or may include one pad 37 provided on each of the longitudinal areas of the cushioning device 3 and made of different cushioning or resilient materials.

[0026] In operation, either of the longitudinal areas 31-36 of the cushioning device 3 may be rotated or adjusted and faced upward toward the endless belt 43, such that the different numbers of cushioning pads 37 provided on the different longitudinal areas 31-36 of the cushioning device 3 may be adjusted and selectively rotated to engage with the endless belt 43 for providing different cushioning effects to the endless belt 43. For example, when three pads 37 are engaged with the endless belt 43, a greater resilience may be applied onto the endless belt 43. When four or more pads 37 are engaged with the endless belt 43, a less resilience may be applied onto the endless belt 43.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a duct 52 is secured in one of the beams 12 and includes a bore 521 and an aperture 523 formed therein and having different diameters for forming or defining a peripheral shoulder 524 therebetween. For example, the bore 521 of the duct 52 includes an inner diameter greater than that of the aperture 523 of the duct 52. The duct 52 includes a screw hole 522 formed in the outer end thereof and facing outward of the base 10. Alternatively, the bore 521 and the screw hole 522 and the aperture 523 may be directly formed in the beam 12 instead of being formed in the duct 52. A positioning pin 53 is extended outward of the base 10 and includes a threaded end 531 threaded with the screw hole 522 of the duct 52.

[0028] One end of the shaft 30 includes a cut off portion or a notch 38 formed therein for forming or defining an extension 39 thereon. A rod 55 is slidably received in the bore 521 of the duct 52 and includes a cut off portion or a notch 550 formed therein for forming or defining a leg 553 thereon and for slidably engaging with the corresponding extension 39 and the notch 38 of the shaft 30 respectively. The rod 55 may thus be slidably received in the bore 521 of the duct 52 and slidable relative to or toward and away from the shaft 30, and may be rotated by the shaft 30 by the engagement of the extension 39 and the leg 553. The rod 55 includes a pole 551 extended outward through the aperture 523 of the duct 52 and includes a threaded end 554. A spring 54 is engaged between the shoulder 524 of the duct 52 and the rod 55 for biasing the rod 55 toward the shaft 30.

[0029] A ferrule 51 includes a screw hole 511 formed in the center thereof, a fastener 57 is threaded to the screw hole 511 of the ferrule 51 and includes a screw hole 571 formed therein for threading with the threaded end 554 of the pole 551 of the rod 55 and for securing the ferrule 51 to the rod 55. The ferrule 51 includes one or more cavities 512 formed therein and formed around the center screw hole 511 thereof for selectively receiving the pin 53 and for positioning the ferrule 51 and thus the rod 55 and the shaft 30 to the base 10. The spring 54 may bias the rod 55 and the ferrule 51 toward the shaft 30, and may thus bias the pin 53 to engage into either of or the selected cavities 512 of the ferrule 51, for positioning the ferrule 51 and the shaft 30 relative to the base 10 at the selected angular position.

[0030] In operation, the ferrule 51 may be pulled away from the base 10 and the duct 52 against the spring 54 to disengage the pin 53 from the cavities 512 of the ferrule 51. At this moment, the leg 553 of the rod 55 is still engaged with the extension 39 of the shaft 30 and may still be rotated by the shaft 30. When the pin 53 is disengaged from the ferrule 51, the ferrule 51 may be rotated relative to the base 10, in order to rotate the shaft 30 and the cushioning device 3 relative to the base 10, and in order to adjust or to rotate different number of pads 37 upward to engage with and to support the endless belt 43. The cushioning force against the endless belt 43 may thus be adjusted by rotating or adjusting the ferrule 51 relative to the base 10.

[0031] Referring next to FIGS. 5 and 6, the shaft 30 includes a worm or a gear 64 secured thereon. A motor 61 is secured to the base 10 and includes a reduction gearing 62 attached thereto, and a worm 63 attached or extended from the reduction gearing and engaged with the gear 64 for allowing the motor 61 to rotate the shaft 30, and thus to adjust or to rotate different number of pads 37 upward to engage with and to support the endless belt 43. The cushioning force against the endless belt 43 may thus also be adjusted by the motor 61.

[0032] In operation, the shaft 30 may be rotated manually with the ferrule 51, or may be rotated by the motor 61, in order to adjust cushioning force against the endless belt 43. The treadmill may include one or more cushioning devices 3 secured between the beams 12 for uniformly supporting or cushioning the endless belt.

[0033] Accordingly, the treadmill in accordance with the present invention includes an adjustable cushioning device for adjusting the treadmill to different cushioning effects.

[0034] 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.