Fold-up exercise treadmill and method
First Claim
1. A powered, variable inclination fold-up treadmill apparatus for in-place walking, jogging or running exercise, the treadmill apparatus comprising:
- a. a freestanding base adapted to engage a floor surface, an upright portion supported from the freestanding base, rollers mounted on the freestanding base positioned such that the treadmill apparatus is movable on the rollers when the freestanding base is tilted on the floor surface;
b. a treadmill assembly having a rigid frame and a front and a rear end, the treadmill assembly mounted for pivotal movement between an exercise orientation with the treadmill assembly supported between the freestanding base and the floor surface and a storage orientation with the treadmill assembly supported from the freestanding base in a position above the floor surface, an endless belt mounted on the rigid frame for movement, an exercise surface on the belt adapted to support a user when the treadmill assembly is in the exercise orientation;
c. an electric motor operably connected to the belt to move the belt in an endless path whereby the exercise surface of the belt can be used for exercise;
d. an elevator assembly supported from the freestanding base, the elevator assembly supporting the front end of the treadmill assembly above the floor, the elevator assembly comprising a pivot and a powered elevator, the pivot supporting the front end of the treadmill assembly to pivot about a horizontally extending treadmill assembly axis, the treadmill assembly being movable about the pivot between an exercise orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly supported by the floor surface and a storage orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly vertically elevated above the floor surface and supported from the freestanding base, the powered elevator operably connected to raise and lower the height of the pivot and in turn to raise and lower the height of the treadmill assembly axis to increase and decrease the inclination of the treadmill assembly and exercise surface without regard to whether or not the treadmill apparatus is in use; and
e. a control assembly operably connected to the electric motor to control the electric motor thereby selectively changing the speed of movement of the belt, the control assembly operably connected to the powered elevator to control the operation of the powered elevator thereby selectively raising and lowering the pivot and in turn the treadmill assembly axis whereby the angle of inclination of the treadmill assembly and exercise surface can be increased and decreased by the user while the treadmill apparatus is in use.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fold-up treadmill apparatus for in-place walking, jogging, and running exercise is provided. The treadmill apparatus includes a base assembly and a treadmill assembly. The treadmill assembly has a forward end and a rearward end. According to the presently most preferred embodiment, the forward portion of the treadmill assembly is pivotally mounted to the base assembly and the rearward end is free. The treadmill assembly includes a means for raising and lowering the forward end of the treadmill assembly, whereby the incline of the treadmill assembly can be adjusted between about zero degrees to the horizontal and about fifteen degrees to the horizontal when the rearward end of the treadmill assembly is supported on a floor. The rearward end of the treadmill assembly can also be pivotally rotated upward and about the pivotal connection to the base assembly, whereby the treadmill assembly can be moved between a substantially horizontal position for use during an exercise session and a substantially vertical position for temporary storage.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A powered, variable inclination fold-up treadmill apparatus for in-place walking, jogging or running exercise, the treadmill apparatus comprising:
-
a. a freestanding base adapted to engage a floor surface, an upright portion supported from the freestanding base, rollers mounted on the freestanding base positioned such that the treadmill apparatus is movable on the rollers when the freestanding base is tilted on the floor surface; b. a treadmill assembly having a rigid frame and a front and a rear end, the treadmill assembly mounted for pivotal movement between an exercise orientation with the treadmill assembly supported between the freestanding base and the floor surface and a storage orientation with the treadmill assembly supported from the freestanding base in a position above the floor surface, an endless belt mounted on the rigid frame for movement, an exercise surface on the belt adapted to support a user when the treadmill assembly is in the exercise orientation; c. an electric motor operably connected to the belt to move the belt in an endless path whereby the exercise surface of the belt can be used for exercise; d. an elevator assembly supported from the freestanding base, the elevator assembly supporting the front end of the treadmill assembly above the floor, the elevator assembly comprising a pivot and a powered elevator, the pivot supporting the front end of the treadmill assembly to pivot about a horizontally extending treadmill assembly axis, the treadmill assembly being movable about the pivot between an exercise orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly supported by the floor surface and a storage orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly vertically elevated above the floor surface and supported from the freestanding base, the powered elevator operably connected to raise and lower the height of the pivot and in turn to raise and lower the height of the treadmill assembly axis to increase and decrease the inclination of the treadmill assembly and exercise surface without regard to whether or not the treadmill apparatus is in use; and e. a control assembly operably connected to the electric motor to control the electric motor thereby selectively changing the speed of movement of the belt, the control assembly operably connected to the powered elevator to control the operation of the powered elevator thereby selectively raising and lowering the pivot and in turn the treadmill assembly axis whereby the angle of inclination of the treadmill assembly and exercise surface can be increased and decreased by the user while the treadmill apparatus is in use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
13. A powered, variable inclination fold-up treadmill apparatus for in-place walking, jogging or running exercise, the treadmill apparatus comprising:
-
a. a freestanding base adapted to engage the floor surface, an upright portion supported from the freestanding base, rollers mounted on the freestanding base positioned such that the treadmill apparatus is movable on the rollers when the freestanding base is tilted on the floor surface; b. a treadmill assembly having a rigid frame, the treadmill assembly mounted for pivotal movement between an exercise orientation with the treadmill assembly supported between the freestanding base and the floor surface and a storage orientation with the treadmill assembly supported from the freestanding base in a position above the floor surface, and having an endless belt mounted on the rigid frame for movement, an exercise surface on the belt adapted to support a user when the treadmill assembly is in the exercise orientation; c. an electric motor associated with the belt to move the belt in an endless path whereby the exercise surface of the belt can be used for exercise; d. a powered elevator means for supporting a front end of the treadmill assembly from the freestanding base and for changing the height that the front end of the treadmill assembly is supported above the floor, the front end of the treadmill assembly being connected to the elevator means to pivot about a horizontally extending treadmill assembly axis, the treadmill assembly being movable about the axis between an exercise orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly supported from the floor surface and a storage orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly vertically elevated above the floor surface, whereby the powered elevator means can raise and lower the height of the treadmill assembly axis to increase and decrease the inclination of the treadmill assembly and exercise surface without regard to whether or not the treadmill is in use; and e. a control assembly operably connected to the electric motor to control the electric motor thereby selectively changing the speed of movement of the belt, the control assembly operably connected to the powered elevator means to control the operation of the powered elevator means, selectively raising and lowering the treadmill assembly axis and thereby the angle of inclination of the treadmill assembly and exercise surface while the treadmill apparatus is in use. - View Dependent Claims (14, 19, 21, 23)
-
-
25. A method of variably inclining a powered fold-up treadmill apparatus for in-place walking, jogging or running exercise, the treadmill apparatus of the type having a freestanding base adapted to engage a floor surface, an upright portion supported from the freestanding base, the method comprising the steps of:
-
pivoting a treadmill assembly about a horizontally extending treadmill assembly axis between an exercise orientation with a rear end of the treadmill assembly supported by the floor surface and a storage orientation with the rear end of the treadmill assembly vertically elevated above the floor surface and supported from the freestanding base, the treadmill assembly having a rigid frame, rollers mounted on the freestanding base positioned such that the treadmill apparatus is movable on the rollers when the freestanding base is tilted on the floor surface; selectively powering an endless belt with an electric motor, the belt mounted on the rigid frame to move in an endless path whereby an exercise surface on the belt can be used for exercise, the endless belt operably connected to a control assembly for controlling the speed of movement of the belt; and selectively varying the height of the treadmill assembly axis with respect to the freestanding base to increase and decrease the inclination of the treadmill assembly and the exercise surface without regard to whether or not the treadmill apparatus is in use, the height of the treadmill assembly axis raised and lowered by an elevator assembly having a pivot and a powered elevator, the pivot supporting the treadmill assembly to pivot about the treadmill assembly axis, the powered elevator operably connected to vary the height of the treadmill assembly axis with respect to the base, the powered elevator operably connected to the control assembly for controlling the variance of the height of the treadmill assembly axis.
-
Specification