US20120184413A1 - Treadmill - Google Patents

Abstract

A treadmill includes a frame, two front wheels supported on the frame, two rear wheels supported on the frame, a caterpillar track wound on the front and rear wheels, and two rolling units each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track. Each of the front wheels includes a periphery and a plurality of recesses defined in the periphery. Each of the rolling units includes rollers each of which can be received in a related one of recesses.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
• 1. Field of Invention
• The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a treadmill including a caterpillar track and an apparatus for stably driving the caterpillar track.
• 2. Related Prior Art
• In a modern society, many people work and spend long hours in offices every day. These people must exercise their bodies to remain physically healthy. There are various exercise machines to facilitate these people to exercise various muscles of their bodies.
• Such exercise machines include pedaling exercise machines, steppers, oval-movement exercise machines, treadmills and multi-functional exercise machines. Treadmills are the most popular exercise machines among them. A typical electric treadmill includes a frame, an active roller supported on the frame, an idle roller also supported on the frame, a belt wound on the active and idle rollers, and a motor for driving the active roller. Thus, the motor drives the belt through the active roller. The periphery of the active roller is smooth and sometimes slides relative to an internal surface of the belt so that the active roller fails to drive the belt. That is, the driving of the belt by the motor through the active roller is unstable.
• 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 a stably driven caterpillar track.
• To achieve the foregoing objective, the treadmill further includes a frame, two front wheels supported on the frame, two rear wheels supported on the frame, and two rolling units each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track. The caterpillar track is wound on the front and rear wheels. Each of the front wheels includes a periphery and a plurality of recesses defined in the periphery. Each of the rolling units includes rollers each of which can be received in a related one of recesses.
• Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be 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 wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a front portion of the treadmill shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the treadmill shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a rear portion of the treadmill shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear view of the treadmill shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a front portion of the treadmill shown inFIG. 6; and
• FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the treadmill shown inFIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
• Referring toFIG. 1, a treadmill includes aframe10, twofront wheels50 supported on theframe10, tworear wheels60 also supported on theframe10, acaterpillar track20 wound on thefront wheels50 and therear wheels60, tworolling units30 each connected to a related one of two edges of thecaterpillar track20, and two guidingunits40 each for guiding a related one of therolling units30 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Although not shown, a motor is connected to thefront wheels50 so that the motor drives thecaterpillar track20 through thefront wheels50.
• Theframe10 includes threecrossbars11 located between and connected to twolongitudinal bars12 so that theframe10 is rectangular. Theframe10 includes afront end13 and arear end14. Thelongitudinal bars12 extend from thefront end13 to therear end14. Twopads15 are attached to a lower surface of each of thelongitudinal bars12 to facilitate stable positioning of theframe10 on the ground or a floor.
• Thecaterpillar track20 includes a plurality ofslabs22 connected to one another by two chains. Each of the chains is connected to a related one of the edges of thecaterpillar track20. In detail, each of theslabs22 includes two pivots each extending from a related one of two opposite ends. Each of the chains includes a plurality oflinks21. Each of thelinks21 includes two apertures each for receiving a related one of the pivots of a related one of theslabs22. That is, each of the pivots of each of theslabs22 is inserted through a related one of the apertures of each of tworelated links21.
• Each of therolling units30 includes a plurality ofrollers31. Each of therollers31 of each of therolling units30 is provided on a related one of the pivots of a related one of theslabs22 and retained there by anut23 for example.
• Referring toFIG. 2, each of the guidingunits40 includes anupper rail41, anupper cushioning strip42, alower rail43 and alower cushioning strip44. Theupper rails41 and thelower rails43 are connected to theframe10.
• Theupper rail41 of each of the guidingunits40 includes a groove for receiving theupper cushioning strip42 and some of therollers31 of a related one of therolling units30. Thus, some of therollers31 of each of therolling units30 are guided by theupper rail41 of the related guidingunit40. Theupper cushioning strip42 of each of the guidingunits40 is attached to theupper rail41 by adhesion for example. Theupper cushioning strip42 of each of the guidingunits40 is located between theupper rail41 and therelated rollers31 of the relatedrolling unit30. Thus, there is little vibration or noise when some of therollers31 of each of therolling units30 roll on theupper rail41 of the related guidingunit40.
• Similarly, thelower rail43 of each of the guidingunits40 includes a groove for receiving thelower cushioning strip44 and some others of therollers31 of a related one of therolling units30. Thus, some of therollers31 of each of therolling units30 are guided by therails41 and43 of a related one of the guidingunits40. Thelower cushioning strip44 of each of the guidingunits40 is attached to thelower rail43 by adhesion for example. Thelower cushioning strip44 of each of the guidingunits40 is located between thelower rail43 and therelated rollers31 of the relatedrolling unit30. Thus, there is little vibration or noise when some of therollers31 of each of therolling units30 roll on thelower rail43 of the related guidingunit40.
• Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, thefront wheels50 are supported on afront axle51 connected to thelongitudinal bars12 of theframe10. Theaxle51 is connected to the motor, directly or indirectly. Each of thefront wheels50 includes a plurality ofrecesses53 defined in theperiphery52,stops54 each located next to a related one of therecesses53, andcutouts55 each defined in a related one of thestops54. Each of therecesses53 receives a related one of therollers31 and each of thecutouts55 receives a related one of thenuts23. Thestops54 of thefront wheels50 prevent lateral movement of therelated rollers31.
• Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5, therear wheels60 are supported on arear axle61 supported on thelongitudinal bars12 of theframe10. Each of therear wheels60 is supported on therear axle61 through abearing62. Each of therear wheels60 includes astop64 extending along theperiphery63. The stops64 of therear wheels60 prevent lateral movement of the relatedrollers31.
• Referring toFIGS. 6 through 8, there is shown a treadmill according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except two things. Firstly, tworear wheels50 are used instead of therear wheels60.
• Secondly, each of the front andrear wheels50 is located in an opposite direction. Therefore, thecutouts55 of thefront wheels50 are located between therecesses53, and thecutouts55 of therear wheels50 are located between therecesses53.
• Thirdly, ashaft25 is supported on each of twoU-shaped elements24 attached to an internal face of each of theslabs22, with each of theU-shaped elements24 located near a related one of the opposite ends of theslab22. Aring32 is supported on each of theshafts25 before each of therollers31 is supported on a related one of theshafts25. Each of therings32 is located in a related one of thecutouts55 while each of therings32 is located in a related one of therecesses53.
• The treadmill of the present invention exhibits several advantages. At first, where thefront axle51 is connected to a motor, the motor stably drives thecaterpillar track20 via thefront wheels50 because some of therollers31 are received in some of therecesses53.
• Secondly, no matter whether thefront axle51 is connected to a motor or not, undesired lateral movement of thecaterpillar track20 between thelongitudinal bars12 is prevented. That is, smooth operation of thecaterpillar track20 is ensured.
• Thirdly, the operation of the treadmill is peaceful and quiet because of the cushioning strips42 and44.
• 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 (11)

1. A treadmill including:

a frame formed with a front end and a rear end;

two front wheels supported on the frame near the front end, wherein each of the front wheels includes a periphery and a plurality of recesses defined in the periphery;

two rear wheels supported on the frame near the rear end;

a caterpillar track wound on the front and rear wheels; and

two rolling units each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track, wherein each of the rolling units includes rollers each of which can be received in a related one of recesses.

2. The treadmill according toclaim 1, wherein each of the front wheels includes stops each located next to a related one of the recesses for preventing undesired lateral movement of a related one of the rollers.

3. The treadmill according toclaim 2, wherein each of the front wheels includes cutouts each defined in a related one of the stops for receiving a reduced extensive portion of each of the slabs.

4. The treadmill according toclaim 1, wherein each of the rear wheels includes a periphery and a stop extending along the periphery for preventing undesired lateral movement of a related one of the rollers.

5. The treadmill according toclaim 1, further including two guiding units each for guiding a related one of the rolling units.

6. The treadmill according toclaim 5, wherein each of the guiding units includes upper and lower rails each for guiding some of the rollers.

7. The treadmill according toclaim 6, wherein each of the guiding units includes upper and lower cushioning strips respectively attached to the upper and lower rails for cushioning the related rollers.

8. The treadmill according toclaim 1, wherein the frame includes a front axle for supporting the front wheels.

9. The treadmill according toclaim 1, wherein the caterpillar track includes:

a plurality of slabs; and

two chains each including links each connected to a related one of two opposite ends of a related one of the slabs.

10. The treadmill according toclaim 1, wherein the frame includes a rear axle for supporting the rear wheels.

11. The treadmill according toclaim 10, further including two bearings for supporting the rear wheels on the rear axle.

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