Shock absorbing endless belt for a treadmill

• US 20060287147A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ICE Technologies, LLC (Ice Services LLC)
• Original Assignee: ICE Technologies, LLC (Ice Services LLC)
• Inventors: Kriesel, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US11/326,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 474/237
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0207 having shock absorbing means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0285 Physical characteristics of the belt, e.g. material, surface, indicia

Abstract

Disclosed is an energy absorbing endless belt comprises a polymeric gel and a substrate enveloped by a top and bottom layer. The top layer may serve as the running surface for the treadmill and may be made of a different material than the bottom layer. The substrate has a density less than that of the polymeric gel. The substrate may be formed from a foamed plastic and may be a continuous sheet or have perforations placed throughout. The energy absorbing endless belt can be formed from an epoxidized vegetable oil, a thermoplastic polymer and a prepolymer.

Claims

1. A reinforced polymeric endless belt comprising:

a shock absorbing envelope comprising a polymer gel substantially surrounding a substrate.

2. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 1, wherein the belt comprises a top layer and a bottom layer.

3. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 2, wherein the layers are formed from a resilient polymeric material.

4. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 2, wherein the layers are formed from a woven material.

5. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a density less than the polymeric gel.

6. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed from a foamed polymeric material.

7. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 6, wherein the substrate is formed from a foamed PVC.

8. The reinforced polymeric paid of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises at least greater than 50% by weight of an epoxidized vegetable oil, a thermoplastic polymer, and a prepolymer.

9. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 8, further including an activator.

10. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 9, wherein the activator is an alkyl tin compound.

11. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 8, wherein the epoxidized vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, linseed oil, and combinations thereof.

12. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 8, wherein the prepolymer comprises an isocyanate selected from the group of aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic, heterocychc polyisocyamates and combinations thereof.

13. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 8, wherein in the thermoplastic polymer is substantially free of a polyurethane.

14. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 8, wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises a polydiene.

15. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 8, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is a polybutadiene.

16. A reinforced polymeric endless belt comprising:

a shock absorbing envelope comprising a top and bottom layer forming the envelope containing a polymeric gel and a substrate having a density less than the density of the polymeric gel

17. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 16, wherein the substrate is formed from a foamed polymeric material.

18. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 16, wherein the top and bottom layers are formed from a resilient non-woven material.

19. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 16, comprising an epoxidized vegetable oil, a thermoplastic polymer substantially free of a polyurethane and a prepolymer

20. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 16, further including an activator.

21. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 20, wherein the activator is an alkyl tin compound.

22. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 16, wherein the prepolymer comprises an isocyanate selected from the group of aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic, heterocyclic polyisocyaniates and combinations thereof.

23. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 16, wherein the polymeric gel comprises on a percent weight basis of the gel at least greater than about 50% of a vegetable based plasticizer, between about 20% and about 40% of a thermoplastic polymer, and between about 5% and about 20% of a prepolymer.

24. A method of forming a reinforced polymeric belt comprising:

forming a shock absorbing envelope by sealing within a top and bottom layer a polymeric gel and a substrate having a density less than the density of the polymeric gel.

25. The method of forming a reinforced polymeric of claim 24 wherein the polymeric gel if formed by combining an epoxidized vegetable oil, a polydiene and a cyano group

26. The method of forming a reinforced polymeric belt of claim 24, wherein the polydiene is selected from polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polychioroprene, polynobornene, copolymers, terpolymers and combinations thereof.

27. The method of forming a reinforced polymeric of claim 24, wherein the top and bottom layer are sealed by fusing the two layers along the periphery of the belt.

28. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 24, wherein the gel comprises about 20% to about 40% of the polydiene.

29. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 24, wherein the cyano group is an isocyanate group.

30. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 24, further comprising an alkyl tin compound.

31. The reinforced polymeric belt of claim 30, wherein the gel comprises up to about 5% by weight of the alkyl tin compound.