BACKGROUND OF INVENTION1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a treadmill including a firmly located belt.
2. Related Prior Art
A conventional treadmill includes a frame, front and rear rollers supported on the frame, a belt wound around the front and rear rollers, and a platform or a series of intermediate rollers supported on the frame between the front and rear rollers and beneath an upper section of the belt. The platform may be planar or concave. The intermediate rollers may be arranged in a rectilinear or concave manner. To reduce impacts on a user's feet, angles, knees and legs, the platform is concave, or the intermediate rollers are arranged in a concave manner. The upper section of the belt suspends on the platform or the intermediate rollers because the upper section of the belt is shorter and lighter than a lower section of the belt. Hence, there is a gap between the upper section of the belt and the platform or the intermediate rollers. The user often neglects the gap and assumes that the belt is firmly supported on the platform or the intermediate rollers. The user could lose balance and, in the worst case, fall on the belt and get hurt. The risks are higher with the concave platform or the intermediate rollers arranged in a concave manner than with the planar platform or the intermediate rollers arranged in a rectilinear manner.
Furthermore, while exercising with the treadmill, the user inevitably moves the belt transversely as well as longitudinally. This causes edges of the belt to rub against the frame. This would eventually wear the belt and might entail a jam of the belt and cause the user to lose balance and, in the worst scenario, fall on the belt and get hurt.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONIt is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a reliable and smooth treadmill.
To achieve the foregoing objectives, the treadmill includes a frame, front and rear roller, a belt and at least two upper guiding units. The front and rear rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is wound around the front and rear rollers. The upper guiding units are connected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGSThe present invention will be described via detailed illustration of three 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 a side view of the treadmill shown inFIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the treadmill shown inFIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a treadmill according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSReferring toFIGS. 1 and 2, atreadmill10 includes aframe20, afront roller30, arear roller40, a series ofintermediate rollers23, abelt50, upper guidingunits60, lower guidingunits70 and lateral guidingunits80 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Theframe20 includes two lateral bars extending in a concave manner. Acaster22 is supported on abracket21 attached to a front end of each of the lateral bars of theframe20. Thecasters22 are used for rolling on the ground or a floor for transporting thetreadmill10.
Twofeet24 are connected to theframe20. In detail, each of thefeet24 includes a horizontal section extending between two vertical sections. Each of the vertical sections of each of thefeet24 is connected to a related one of the lateral bars of theframe20. The horizontal sections of thefeet24 are used for contact with the ground or floor for positioning thetreadmill10.
Each of therollers23,30 and40 are supported on the lateral bars of theframe20. In detail, each of therollers23,30 and40 includes an end supported on one of the lateral bars of theframe20 and an opposite end supported on the other lateral bar of theframe20. Theintermediate rollers23 are located between thefront roller30 and therear roller40. Thefront roller30 is located between thecasters22.
Thebelt50 is in the form of a loop wound around thefront roller30, therear roller40 and theintermediate rollers23. All of therollers30,40 and23 are located between upper and lower sections of thebelt50. The upper section of thebelt50 is shorter and lighter than the lower section. Without any guiding units, the upper section of thebelt50 would dangle from therollers30 and40 less than the lower section of thebelt50 and hence suspend above the series ofintermediate rollers23.
Referring toFIG. 3, the upper guidingunits60 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of upper guidingunits60 is connected to an upper face of a related one of the lateral bars of theframe20 for contact with a related one of two opposite margins of the upper section of thebelt50. Each of the series of upper guidingunits60 includes an adequate number of upper guidingunits60 to push almost the entire upper section of thebelt50 against the series ofintermediate rollers23.
Each of the upper guidingunits60 includes arod61 and ablock62. Therod61 includes an end in contact with the related margin of the upper section of thebelt50 and an opposite end secured to theblock62 by welding for example. Theblock62 is secured to the upper face of the related lateral bar of theframe20 by welding for example.
The upper face of each of the lateral bars of theframe20 is located lower than a concave plane defined by upper portions of theintermediate rollers23. Theblocks62 compensate the gap between a concave plane defined by the upper faces of the lateral bars of theframe20 and the concave plane defined by the upper portions of theintermediate rollers23. Theblocks62 are secured to the upper faces of the lateral bars of theframe20 so that upper faces of theblocks62 are located in the concave plane defined by the upper portions of theintermediate rollers23.
The lower guidingunits70 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of lower guidingunits70 is connected to a lower face of a related one of the lateral bars of theframe20 for contact with a related one of two opposite margins of the lower section of thebelt50.
Each of the lower guidingunits70 includes arod71, abracket72 and a roller or bearing73. Thebracket72 includes a horizontal section secured to the lower face of the related lateral bar of theframe20 by welding for example and a vertical section extending from the horizontal section. Therod71 includes an end in contact with the related margin of the lower section of thebelt50 and an opposite end secured to the vertical section of thebracket72 by welding for example. The roller orbearing73 is supported on an axle secured to the vertical section of thebracket72 by welding for example. The lower section of thebelt50 is located between therod71 and the roller orbearing73.
Thelateral guiding units80 are arranged in two series. Each of the series oflateral guiding units80 is connected to a related one of the lateral bars of theframe20 for contact with a related one of two opposite edges of the lower section of thebelt50. Each of thelateral guiding units80 includes apulley81 supported on anaxle82 secured to the lower face of the related lateral bar of theframe20 by welding for example. Each of thepulleys81 includes an annular groove for receiving the related edge of the lower section of thebelt50. Lateral movement of thebelt50 on therollers23,30 and40 is avoided by thelateral guiding units80.
Referring toFIG. 4, there is shown a treadmill according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except several things. At first, the upper face of each of the lateral bars of theframe20 is located higher than the concave plane defined by the upper portions of theintermediate rollers23. Hence, theblocks62 are omitted. Furthermore, each of therods61 includes an end inserted in and secured to the related lateral bar of theframe20.
Referring toFIG. 5, there is shown a treadmill according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is like the first embodiment except including twoupper guiding units90 instead of the two series ofupper guiding units60. Each of theupper guiding units90 includes aconcave strip91 with a portion secured to a related one of the lateral bars of theframe20 by welding for example and another portion in contact with a related one of the margins of the upper section of thebelt50.
Although not shown, theupper guiding units60 and thelower guiding units70 may be exchanged in another embodiment.
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. Hence, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.