EP1870137A1

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Info

Publication number: EP1870137A1
Application number: EP06012728A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hai-Pin Kuo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-06-21
Filing date: 2006-06-21
Publication date: 2007-12-26

Abstract

A foldable treadmill includes a seat, and a two-part tread base having a front carriage pivotally attached to the seat with a pivot axle for allowing the carriage to be rotated relative to the seat, and a rear treadmill frame pivotally secured to the carriage for allowing the treadmill frame to be rotated and folded relative to the carriage, and the carriage is foldable and engageable with the seat for lowering a center of gravity of the treadmill and for preventing the treadmill from falling down when the treadmill frame is rotated and folded relative to the carriage and the seat. A spring biased latch may selectively latch the treadmill frame to the carriage at an upwardly erecting position.

Description

The present invention relates to a foldable treadmill, and more particularly to a foldable treadmill having an improved structure for allowing the treadmill to be easily folded to an upwardly erecting or folding position and to be easily folded to a downwardly horizontal working position.
Typical foldable treadmills comprise a handle device extended upwardly from a seat or vertically supported on the seat, and a tread base having a front portion pivotally attached to the seat or the handle device for allowing the tread base to be rotated or folded relative to the seat or the handle device between an upwardly erecting or folding position and a downwardly horizontal working position.
For example,U.S. Patent No. 6,015,368 to Clem et al. discloses one of the typical foldable treadmills also comprising a treadmill frame having a front portion pivotally or rotatably attached to a carriage, and a lifting and motorized structure coupled between the treadmill frame and the carriage for rotating or folding the treadmill frame relative to the carriage between an upwardly erecting or folding position and a downwardly horizontal working position.
However, the treadmill frame includes a long integral structure that the motorized lifting structure has to spend more or great energy to rotate or to fold the treadmill frame relative to the carriage. In addition, when the treadmill frame is rotated or folded relative to the carriage, the center of gravity of the treadmill will be offset from the carriage such that the treadmill will be unstable and may have a good chance to fall down.
U.S. Patent No. 6,811,518 to Lin discloses another typical foldable treadmill also comprising a tread base having a front portion pivotally or rotatably attached to a seat, and a power driving device coupled between the tread base and the seat for rotating or folding the tread base relative to the seat.
However, similarly, the tread base also includes a long integral structure that the power driving device also have to spend more or great energy to rotate or to fold the tread base relative to the seat. In addition, when the tread base is rotated or folded relative to the seat, the center of gravity of the treadmill will be offset from the seat such that the treadmill will be unstable and may have a good chance to fall down.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional foldable treadmills.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable treadmill including a structure for allowing the treadmill to be easily folded to an upwardly erecting or folding position and to be easily folded to a downwardly horizontal working position.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable treadmill including a foldable two-part tread base for preventing the center of gravity of the treadmill from being offset from the seat and for allowing the treadmill to be retained or maintained in a stable structure and to be prevented from falling down when the tread base is rotated or folded relative to the seat.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a foldable treadmill comprising a seat, and a two-part tread base including a front carriage pivotally attached to the seat with a pivot axle for allowing the carriage to be rotated relative to the seat with the pivot axle, and including a rear treadmill frame pivotally secured to the carriage for allowing the treadmill frame to be rotated and folded relative to the carriage, and the carriage is foldable and engageable with the seat for lowering a. center of gravity of the treadmill and for preventing the treadmill from falling down when the treadmill frame is rotated relative to the carriage and the seat.
A spring biased latch may further be provided for selectively latching the treadmill frame to the carriage and for stably supporting the treadmill frame to the carriage at an upwardly erecting and folding position. The spring biased latch is disposed in the treadmill frame and biased to selectively engage with the carriage.
The treadmill frame includes a beam having a hollow space to receive the spring biased latch. The treadmill frame includes a bracket disposed in the beam, the spring biased latch is disposed in the bracket. The treadmill frame includes a hand grip coupled to the spring biased latch for disengaging the spring biased latch from the carriage.
The two-part tread base includes at least one supporting device coupled between the treadmill frame and the carriage for supporting the treadmill frame at an upwardly erecting and folding position relative to the carriage.
A rotating device may further be provided for rotating the carriage relative to the seat. The rotating device includes a motorized threaded member rotatably disposed in the seat, a follower threaded onto the threaded member and movable and adjustable along the threaded member when the threaded member is rotated relative to the seat, and a stand coupled between the carriage and the follower.
The stand includes at least one roller slidably engaged with the seat for guiding the stand to move relative to the seat. The seat includes at least one tube having a bore for slidably receiving the roller of the stand.
The seat includes a channel formed in the tube and communicating with the bore of the tube, the stand includes a panel, the roller is pivotally attached to the panel with a pivot pin and the pivot pin is slidably engaged in the channel of the tube.
The two-part tread base includes a. detecting device for detecting a relative angular position between the carriage and the treadmill frame. The detecting device is attached to the carriage, and an actuating device is attached to the treadmill frame and moved in concert with the treadmill frame, and the actuating device is rotatable relative to the carriage and the detecting device by rotating the treadmill frame relative to the carriage.
A threaded member is rotatably disposed in the seat, a follower is threaded onto the threaded member and coupled to the carriage, the follower is movable and adjustable along the threaded member when the threaded member is rotated relative to the seat, and a motor is coupled to the threaded member for rotating the threaded member, and the actuating device is coupled to the motor for actuating the motor.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a foldable treadmill in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial side plan schematic view of the foldable treadmill;
FIGS. 3, 4, 5 are partial side plan schematic views similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the folding operation of the foldable treadmill;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial side plan schematic view illustrating a sensing or detecting device of the foldable treadmill; and
FIG. 7 is a further enlarged partial side plan schematic view illustrating the sensing or detecting device of the foldable treadmill.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, afoldable treadmill 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a-seat 10 including one or more, such as twoears 11 extended upwardly from thefront portion 12 of theseat 10, and including twoside tubes 13, and arear link 14 coupled or secured between the rear portions of theside tubes 13, in which each of theside tubes 13 includes abore 15 formed therein, and achannel 16 is formed in the inner portion of each of theside tubes 13 and communicating with thebore 15 of the respective side tubes 13 (FIG. 1).
A bolt or threadedmember 20 is rotatably disposed or supported or engaged in the middle portion of theseat 10 and disposed between theside tubes 13 and parallel to theside tubes 13, and amotor 21 is also attached to theseat 10 and coupled to the threadedmember 20 with various typical coupling mechanisms (not shown), such as pulley-and-belt, sprocket-and-chain, gear coupling, or other coupling mechanisms for allowing the threadedmember 20 to be rotated or driven by themotor 21. A nut orfollower 22 is threaded onto the threadedmember 20 and movable or adjustable along the threadedmember 20 when the threadedmember 20 is rotated or driven by themotor 21.
A two-part tread base 3 includes afront carriage 30 and arear treadmill frame 40 to be pivotally or foldable secured together for allowing thecarriage 30 and thetreadmill frame 40 to be pivoted or rotated or folded relative to each other (FIGS. 3-5). Thecarriage 30 includes afront portion 31 pivotally or rotatably attached or coupled to thefront portion 12 or theears 11 of theseat 10 with such as apivot axle 18 for allowing thecarriage 30 to be rotated relative to theseat 10 with thepivot axle 18, best shown in FIGS. 2-5. Thecarriage 30 includes one or more, such as twobars 33 extended downwardly and rearwardly from therear portion 32 of thecarriage 30.
Thetreadmill frame 40 includes afront portion 41 pivotally or rotatably attached or coupled to therear portion 32 of thecarriage 30 with such as apivot shaft 36 for allowing thetreadmill frame 40 to be rotated relative to thecarriage 30 with thepivot shaft 36, for allowing thetreadmill frame 40 to be rotated relative to thecarriage 30 between an upwardly folding position (FIG. 5) and a downwardly working position (FIG. 2) and for allowing thetreadmill frame 40 to be rotated or adjusted relative to thecarriage 30 to different angular positions (FIGS. 3-4).
Thetreadmill frame 40 includes twoside beams 42, in which one of theside beams 42 includes ahollow space 43 formed therein (FIG. 1) for receiving acontrol device 70 therein. Thetreadmill frame 40 further includes a typical deck and a typical endless belt (not shown) provided thereon for supporting the user on thetreadmill frame 40. Thecarriage 30 further includes aflap 34 extended from or attached to one side of therear portion 32 of thecarriage 30, and anotch 35 formed in theflap 34 for anchoring or positioning purposes which will be discussed hereinafter.
Apivotal stand 50 is pivotally or rotatably attached or coupled to therear portion 32 of thecarriage 30 with such as apivot rod 38 for allowing thestand 50 to be rotated relative to thecarriage 30 with thepivot rod 38. For example, thestand 50 includes anarm 51 having twoside panels 52 for pivotally or rotatably attaching to therear portion 32 of thecarriage 30 with thepivot rod 38, and includes one or more, such as twolimbs 53 extended from the middle portion for pivotally or rotatably attaching to thefollower 22 with one ormore fasteners 54, for allowing thecarriage 30 and thus thetreadmill frame 40 to be rotated or adjusted relative to theseat 10 to different angular positions by the motor driven threadedmember 20 and the follower 22 (FIGS. 2-3).
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, thefollower 22 may be moved or adjusted relative to or along the threadedmember 20 when the threadedmember 20 is rotated or driven by themotor 21, and thecarriage 30 and thetreadmill frame 40 may be rotated or adjusted relative to theseat 10 to different angular positions by thestand 50 and thefollower 22 when thefollower 22 is moved or adjusted relative to or along the threadedmember 20, to allow thetreadmill frame 40 to be rotated or adjusted relative to theseat 10 to different angular positions according to the users' need. The threadedmember 20 and themotor 21 and/or thestand 50 may thus be used or acted as a rotating means for rotating thecarriage 30 relative to theseat 10.
It is preferable that thetreadmill frame 40 includes one ormore wheels 44 attached to therear portion 45 for facilitating the movement or adjustment of thetreadmill frame 40 relative to theseat 10. It is also preferable that thestand 50 includes one or more, such as two wheels orrollers 55 pivotally or rotatably attached to theside panels 52 respectively with such aspivot pins 56 and rotatably or slidably received or engaged in thebores 15 of therespective side tubes 13 of theseat 10 for guiding thestand 50 to move relative to theseat 10 and for facilitating the sliding movement of thestand 50 relative to theseat 10. Thepivot pins 56 are slidably engaged in thechannels 16 of theside tubes 13 respectively.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6-7, acircuit board 60 is attached or secured to theflap 34 or therear portion 32 of thecarriage 30 with one ormore fasteners 61, and a sensing or detecting device ordetector 62 is attached to thecircuit board 60 and coupled to themotor 21 and/or to the typical processor or control device (not shown) of thetreadmill 1 with such as electric wires orcables 63 for controlling or actuating themotor 21. The sensing or detectingdevice 62 may be selected from the typical infraredray detecting device 62 or the like for generating and/or for receiving such as infrared rays, and for detecting the relative angular position between thecarriage 30 and thetreadmill frame 40.
Anactuating device 64 is attached or secured to thefront portion 41 of thetreadmill frame 40 and moved in concert with thetreadmill frame 40, such that theactuating device 64 is rotatable or movable relative to theflap 34 and thecarriage 30 and the sensing or detectingdevice 62 and thecircuit board 60. Theactuating device 64 includes a reflective ornon-marked area 65 for such as reflecting the infrared ray generated by the detectingdevice 62, and for preventing themotor 21 from being actuated, for example. The actuatingdevice 64 further includes a non-reflective ormarked area 66 for such as absorbing or dissipating the infrared ray generated by the detectingdevice 62, and for allowing themotor 21 to be actuated or operated, for example.
The non-reflective ormarked area 66 of theactuating device 64 may be rotated or moved relative to the sensing or detectingdevice 62 by thetreadmill frame 40 in order to shield or to block the detecting device 62 (FIG. 6), and so as to actuate or operate themotor 21 which may then move or adjust thefollower 22 along the threadedmember 20 in order to rotate or to adjust thecarriage 30 relative to theseat 10 to different angular positions. For example, after thecarriage 30 and thetreadmill frame 40 have been rotated or adjusted relative to theseat 10 to the inclined position as shown in FIG. 3, thetreadmill frame 40 may be elevated or folded or rotated relative to thecarriage 30 by the user.
In operation, when it is required to fold thetreadmill 1, thetreadmill frame 40 may be elevated or folded or rotated relative to thecarriage 30 by the user from the position as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 4, and the non-reflective ormarked area 66 of theactuating device 64 may be rotated or moved to shield or to block the sensing or detecting device 62 (FIGS. 4, 6) by thetreadmill frame 40, to allow themotor 21 to be operated to actuate or to move or adjust thefollower 22 along the threadedmember 20 in order to rotate or to adjust thecarriage 30 downwardly toward theseat 10 from the position as shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 5, for example, and for allowing thetreadmill frame 40 to be further upwardly folded or rotated relative to thecarriage 30 by the user to the erected folding position as shown in FIG. 5.
One or more, such as two supportingdevices 46, and such as pneumatic or hydraulic actuators orcylinders 46 may further be provided and attached or coupled between thetreadmill frame 40 and thecarriage 30 for supporting thetreadmill frame 40 at the erected folding position relative to thecarriage 30. It is preferable that the supporting devices or actuators orcylinders 46 may be arranged to allow thetreadmill frame 40 to be easily folded or rotated relative to thecarriage 30 by the user, or to prevent the upwardly folding or rotating movement of thetreadmill frame 40 relative to thecarriage 30 from being interfered by the supportingdevices 46, and to allow the supportingdevices 46 to support thetreadmill frame 40 at the erected folding position relative to thecarriage 30.
Thecontrol device 70 is engaged in thehollow space 43 of one of theside beams 42 and includes a latch or springbiased latch 71 slidably attached to or engaged in theside beam 42, such as slidably engaged in abracket 47 that is disposed or engaged in thefront portion 41 of theside beam 42, and aspring member 72 may be engaged between thelatch 71 and thebracket 47 or theside beam 42 for biasing thelatch 71 to selectively engage into thenotch 35 of theflap 34 or of the carriage 30 (FIG. 5), and for further firmly or stably supporting or locking or latching thetreadmill frame 40 to thecarriage 30 at the erected folding position.
Thecontrol device 70 further includes apole 73 slidably attached to or engaged in theside beam 42, such as slidably engaged in anotherbracket 48 that is disposed or engaged in therear portion 45 of theside beam 42, and thepole 72 is coupled to thelatch 71 with a coupling cable ormember 74, and afurther spring member 72 may be engaged between thepole 72 and thebracket 48 or theside beam 42 for further biasing thelatch 71 to selectively engage into thenotch 35 of theflap 34 or of thecarriage 30. A knob orhand grip 76 may be pivotally coupled to an outer end of thepole 72 that is extended out of theside beam 42, for selectively pulling and disengaging thelatch 71 from thenotch 35 of theflap 34 or of thecarriage 30 and for allowing thetreadmill frame 40 to be rotated or folded downwardly toward the downwardly horizontal working position relative to thecarriage 30 by the user.
It is to be noted that the two-part tread base 3 includes therear treadmill frame 40 pivotally or foldable secured to thefront carriage 30 for allowing thetreadmill frame 40 to be pivoted or rotated or folded relative to thecarriage 30 and for avoiding thecarriage 30 from rotating or folding relative to theseat 10. It is not required to rotate or fold the whole two-part tread base 3 relative to theseat 10. The engagement of thecarriage 30 with the seat 10 (FIG. 5) may lower the center of gravity of thetreadmill 1 or may prevent the center of gravity of thetreadmill 1 from being offset from theseat 10 and may thus prevent thetreadmill 1 from falling down when thetreadmill frame 40 is rotated or folded relative to thecarriage 30 and theseat 10.
Accordingly, the foldable treadmill includes a structure for allowing the treadmill to be easily folded to an upwardly erecting position and to be easily folded to a downwardly horizontal working position, and includes a two-part tread base foldable relative to each other for preventing the center of gravity of the treadmill from being offset from the seat and for allowing the treadmill to be retained or maintained in a stable structure and to be prevented from falling down when the tread base is rotated or folded relative to the seat.

Claims

A foldable treadmill comprising:
a seat, and
a two-part tread base including a front carriage pivotally attached to said seat with a pivot axle for allowing said carriage to be rotated relative to said seat with said pivot axle, and including a rear treadmill frame pivotally secured to said carriage for allowing said treadmill frame to be rotated and folded relative to said carriage, and
a spring biased latch for selectively latching said treadmill frame to said carriage and for stably supporting said treadmill frame to said carriage at an upwardly erecting and folding position, and
said carriage being foldable and engageable with said seat for lowering a center of gravity of said treadmill and for preventing said treadmill from falling down when said treadmill frame is rotated and folded relative to said carriage and said seat.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring biased latch is disposed in said treadmill frame and biased to selectively engage with said carriage, said treadmill frame includes a beam having a hollow space to receive said spring biased latch, said treadmill frame includes a bracket disposed in said beam, said spring biased latch is disposed in said bracket, said treadmill frame includes a hand grip coupled to said spring biased latch for disengaging said spring biased latch from said carriage.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two-part tread base includes at least one supporting device coupled between said treadmill frame and said carriage for supporting said treadmill frame at an upwardly erecting and folding position relative to said carriage.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for rotating said carriage relative to said seat.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 4, wherein said rotating means includes a motorized threaded member rotatably disposed in said seat, a follower threaded onto said threaded member and movable and adjustable along said threaded member when said threaded member is rotated relative to said seat, and a stand coupled between said carriage and said follower, said stand includes at least one roller slidably engaged with said seat for guiding said stand to move relative to said seat, said seat includes at least one tube having a bore for slidably receiving said at least one roller of said stand, said seat includes a channel formed in said at least one tube and communicating with said bore of said at least one tube, said stand includes a panel, said at least one roller is pivotally attached to said panel with a pivot pin and said pivot pin is slidably engaged in said channel of said at least one tube.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two-part tread base includes a detecting device for detecting a relative angular position between said carriage and said treadmill frame.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 6, wherein said detecting device is attached to said carriage, and an actuating device is attached to said treadmill frame and moved in concert with said treadmill frame, and said actuating device is rotatable relative to said carriage and said detecting device by rotating said treadmill frame relative to said carriage.
The foldable treadmill as claimed in claim 6, wherein a threaded member is rotatably disposed in said seat, a follower is threaded onto said threaded member and coupled to said carriage, said follower is movable and adjustable along said threaded member when said threaded member is rotated relative to said seat, and a motor is coupled to said threaded member for rotating said threaded member, and said actuating device is coupled to said motor for actuating said motor.