US20110201481A1 - Buffering Platform Unit of a Treadmill - Google Patents

Abstract

An elastic platform is provided a treadmill. The elastic platform includes a frame and a piece of fabric. The frame is connected to the treadmill. The piece of fabric is supported on the frame. The piece of fabric supports a section of a belt wound around two rollers of the treadmill.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
• 1. Field of Invention
• The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a buffering platform unit of a treadmill.
• 2. Related Prior Art
• A treadmill includes a belt in the form of a loop wound around two parallel rollers. A section of the belt is supported on a platform or more rollers located between the rollers. A runner exerts horizontal forces and vertical forces on the treadmill while running the treadmill. The horizontal forces cause the belt to spin. The vertical forces are supposed to be absorbed with the platform or the rollers. However, the effect of the absorption of the vertical forces with the platform is inadequate since the platform and the rollers are made of metal. Some of the vertical forces are bounced back to the runner's feet. Thus, the runner's feet are not well protected. On the other hand, the treadmill is vulnerable to damages caused by the vertical forces.
• To overcome the foregoing problem, there have been many attempts to provide a buffer apparatus beneath the platform as disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Publication Nos. 390207, 507582 and 576227 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,144 and 5,441,468 for example. The buffer apparatus is supposed to absorb the vertical forces. The buffer apparatus includes several soft pads located beneath the platform. The effects of buffer provided with the soft pads are however inadequate.
• The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
• It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a treadmill with an elastic platform.
• To achieve the foregoing objective, the elastic platform includes a frame and a piece of fabric. The frame is connected to the treadmill. The piece of fabric is supported on the frame. The piece of fabric supports a section of a belt wound around two rollers of the treadmill.
• Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
• The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of two embodiments referring to the drawings where:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill equipped with a buffering platform unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the buffering platform unit shown in
• FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an elastic platform of the buffering platform unit shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a partial, side view of the elastic platform shown inFIG. 3;
• FIG. 5 is a partial, side view of the elastic platform in another position than shown inFIG. 4;
• FIG. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the elastic platform shown inFIG. 3;
• FIG. 7 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the elastic platform in another position than shown inFIG. 6;
• FIG. 8 is a top view of the elastic platform shown inFIG. 3;
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a buffering platform unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an elastic platform of the buffering platform unit shown inFIG. 9;
• FIG. 11 is a front view of the elastic platform shown inFIG. 9; and
• FIG. 12 is a front view of the elastic platform in another position than shown inFIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
• Referring toFIG. 1, atreadmill100 includes twofeet10, twoposts11 supported on thefeet10, twohandles12 supported on theposts11, acontrol panel13 supported on thehandles12 and abuffering platform unit20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Thebuffering platform unit20 is connected to thefeet10 or theposts11.
• Referring toFIG. 2, thebuffering platform unit20 includes twolateral beams21, tworollers22 located between thelateral beams21, abelt23 wound around therollers22 and anelastic platform30. Theelastic platform30 is located within and supported on a rectangular structure consisting of thelateral beams21 and therollers22. Moreover, theelastic platform30 is located beneath a section of thebelt23.
• Referring toFIG. 3, theelastic platform30 includes a piece ofelastic fabric31 supported on aframe40. The piece ofelastic fabric31 includes two extendedportions32 and two extendedportions34 extending from a substantially rectangular middle portion.
• Theframe40 includes twolongitudinal beams41, twotransverse beams42 and a reinforcingbeam43. All of thebeams41,42 and43 are tubes. Thetransverse beams42 and thereinforcing beam43 are located between thelongitudinal beams41.
• Each of theextensive portions32 of the piece ofelastic fabric31 is wound around a related one of thelongitudinal beams41. Each of theextensive portions34 of the piece ofelastic fabric31 is wound around a related one of thetransverse beams42. Theextensive portions34 of the piece ofelastic fabric31 are securely connected to thebeams41 and42.
• By operating two adjustingsets50 each located in a related one of thelongitudinal beams41, the distance between thetransverse beams42 is adjustable as shown inFIG. 8. Similarly, by operating two adjustingsets50′ each located in a related one of thetransverse beams42, and/or by operating an adjustingset50″ located in the reinforcingbeam43, the distance between thelongitudinal beams41 is adjustable. Therefore, tension in the piece ofelastic fabric31 is adjustable. Furthermore, one of thetransverse beams42 will be referred to as the “fronttransverse beam42” while the othertransverse beam42 will be referred to as the “reartransverse beam42” within the following description for clarity. Atrack44 is securely attached to each of thelongitudinal beams41. Thetrack44 includes a U-shaped form.
• Referring toFIGS. 6 and 7, each of the adjustingsets50 includes asocket56, anut51′ and a threadedbolt52′. Thesocket56 is securely located in the reartransverse beam42. Thenut51′ is located in a related one of the longitudinal beams41. Thenut51′ is movable longitudinally but not transversely in the relatedlongitudinal beam41. Thenut51′ is not rotational in the relatedlongitudinal beam41. The threadedbolt52′ includes a head located outside theframe40, a threaded body engaged with thenut51′, and a tip rotationally inserted in thesocket56.
• Similarly, each of the adjusting sets50″ includes a socket, a nut and a threaded bolt. The socket is securely located in the reinforcingbeam43. The nut is securely connected to a related one of thetracks44. The threaded bolt includes a head located outside theframe40, a middle section engaged with the nut and a tip rotationally inserted in the socket.
• By rotating the threaded bolts relative to the nuts of the adjusting sets50′ and50″, the distance between thelongitudinal beams41 is adjustable. Therefore, the tension in the piece ofelastic fabric31 is adjustable.
• Each of thelongitudinal beams41 includes twoopposite slots53 since it is a tube, not a solid rod. The threadedbolts52′ are inserted through theslots53.
• Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5, each of the adjusting sets50 includes a threadedlining51, a threadedbolt52 and acap54. The threadedlining51 is like any proper nuts except that it is made with a large length. The threadedlining51 is movably but not rotationally located in a related one of thelongitudinal beams41 and securely connected to a related one of the nuts51′. Thecap54 is securely connected to a rear end of a related one of the longitudinal beams41. The threadedbolts52 includes a head located outside relatedlongitudinal beam41 and abutted against thecap54 and a threaded body engaged with the threadedlining51.
• By rotating the threadedbolts52 relative to the threadedlinings51, the threadedlinings51 are moved in thelongitudinal beams41, and so are the nuts51′. The threadedbolts52′ are moved in and along theslots53. Hence, the reartransverse beam42 is moved relative to the fronttransverse beam42. Hence, the tension in the piece ofelastic fabric31 is adjusted.
• Referring toFIGS. 9 through 12, there is shown abuffering platform unit20 according to a second embodiment. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except including anelastic platform60 instead of theelastic platform30. Theelastic platform60 includes a piece ofelastic fabric61, aframe70 for supporting the piece ofelastic fabric61, and twocovers80 for protectively covering portions of the piece ofelastic fabric61 and theframe70.
• The piece ofelastic fabric61 includes two edges rolled into loops. Arod62 is inserted through each of the loops. Thus, the piece ofelastic fabric61 can be extended evenly.
• Theframe70 includes twolongitudinal beams71 and threetransverse beams72. One of thelongitudinal beams71 will be referred to as the “stationarylongitudinal beam71” while the otherlongitudinal beam71 will be called the “movablelongitudinal beam71” within the follow description for clarity. Each of thetransverse beams72 includes two bent ends. One of the bent ends is securely connected to the stationarylongitudinal beam71.
• There are adjustingsets90 operable to change the distance between thelongitudinal beams71 to adjust tension in the piece ofelastic fabric61. Each of the adjusting sets90 includes asocket91, anut92 and a threadedbolt93. Thesocket91 is securely connected to the other bent end of a related one of the transverse beams72. Thenut92 is securely located in the movablelongitudinal beam71. The threadedbolt93 includes a head located outside the movablelongitudinal beam71, a threaded body engaged with thenut92, and a tip rotationally located within and abutted against thesocket91.
• The piece ofelastic fabric61 is connected to thelongitudinal beams71 with several screws inserted throughwashers94. Each of thewashers94 includes a head located outside the piece ofelastic fabric61 and a body inserted into thelongitudinal beams71 through the piece ofelastic fabric61.
• Each of thecovers80 includes agroove81 and recesses82. Thegroove81 receives a related one of the longitudinal beams71. Each of therecesses82 receives the head of a related one of the threadedbolts93.
• The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims (15)

1. An elastic platform for use in a treadmill, the elastic platform comprising:

a frame connected to the treadmill; and

a piece of fabric supported on the frame, wherein the piece of fabric supports a section of a belt wound around two rollers of the treadmill.

2. The elastic platform according toclaim 1, wherein the piece of fabric is a piece of elastic fabric.

3. The elastic platform according toclaim 2, wherein the frame includes two longitudinal beams and two transverse beams extending between the longitudinal beams.

4. The elastic platform according toclaim 3, wherein the frame includes a reinforcing beam extending between the longitudinal beams.

5. The elastic platform according toclaim 3, including transverse adjusting sets operable to adjust the distance between the longitudinal beams to adjust tension in the piece of elastic fabric.

6. The elastic platform according toclaim 5, wherein each of the transverse adjusting sets includes:

a socket securely located in a related one of the transverse beams;

a nut non-rotationally located in a related one of the longitudinal beams; and

a threaded bolt abutted against the socket and engaged with the nut.

7. The elastic platform according toclaim 6, including longitudinal adjusting sets for adjusting the distance between the transverse beams.

8. The elastic platform according toclaim 7, wherein each of the longitudinal adjusting sets includes:

a threaded lining movably located in a related one of the longitudinal beams and connected to the nut of a related one of the transverse adjusting sets;

a cap secured to the related longitudinal beam; and

a threaded bolt inserted through the cap and engaged with the threaded lining.

9. The elastic platform according toclaim 8, wherein each of the longitudinal beams includes two slots through which the threaded bolt of a related one of the transverse adjusting sets is inserted.

10. The elastic platform according toclaim 2, wherein the frame includes two longitudinal beams and two transverse beams each including a first bent end connected to one of the longitudinal beams and a second bent end connected to the other longitudinal beams.

11. The elastic platform according toclaim 10, including adjusting sets operable to adjust the distance between the longitudinal beams to adjust tension in the piece of elastic fabric.

12. The elastic platform according toclaim 11, wherein each of the adjusting sets includes:

a socket secured to the second bent end of a related one of the transverse beams;

a nut located within and secured to one of the longitudinal beams; and

a threaded bolt engaged with the nut and abutted against the socket.

13. The elastic platform according toclaim 12, including two covers for protectively covering the adjusting sets.

14. The elastic platform according toclaim 13, wherein each of the covers includes a groove for receiving a related one of the longitudinal and recesses for receiving heads of the threaded bolts.

15. The elastic platform according toclaim 1, including two rods inserted through two loops formed on the piece of fabric.

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