Cam actuated folding treadmill
First Claim
1. A treadmill apparatus comprisinga stationary frame having a supporting base and an upright member;
- a bed assembly with a longitudinal axis and with first and second ends, having a moveable belt looped from said first end to said second end, said bed assembly being pivotally interconnected adjacent to said first end to said stationary frame such that said bed assembly is rotatable about said pivotal interconnection through a rotational range including a first position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is approximately parallel to said upright member of said stationary frame and a second position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is approximately parallel to said base of said stationary frame; and
balancing means operatively connected between said stationary frame and said bed assembly for applying a force between said stationary frame and said bed assembly so as to approximately counteract the gravitational force acting on said bed assembly throughout said rotational range between said first position and said second position and between said second position and said first position, said balancing means including a biasing means for providing torsional force, said biasing means having a longitudinal axis, at least one cam follower with first and second ends, interconnected at said first end to said biasing means and extending generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said biasing means and generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly, and at least one cam having a curved edge with a first end and a second end, said second end of said at least one cam follower received against said curved edge of said at least one cam so as to travel along said curved edge of said cam as said bed assembly is rotated, thereby transferring said torsional force provided by said biasing means through said at least one cam follower and said at least one cam between said stationary frame and said bed assembly.
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Abstract
A folding treadmill having a rotating bed assembly with a frame pivotally interconnected at one end to a stationary support structure, the weight of the bed assembly being balanced during rotation between a closed, generally vertical, position and an open, generally horizontal position by a counterbalancing cam assembly is provided by the present invention. In the preferred embodiment the cam assembly includes a pair of cams interconnected to the frame of the bed assembly, and a torque tube subassembly to impose lifting force against the rotating bed assembly through cam followers disposed between the cams and the torque tube so as to balance the bed assembly against the force of gravity through the range of rotational movement of the bed assembly.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A treadmill apparatus comprising
a stationary frame having a supporting base and an upright member; -
a bed assembly with a longitudinal axis and with first and second ends, having a moveable belt looped from said first end to said second end, said bed assembly being pivotally interconnected adjacent to said first end to said stationary frame such that said bed assembly is rotatable about said pivotal interconnection through a rotational range including a first position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is approximately parallel to said upright member of said stationary frame and a second position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is approximately parallel to said base of said stationary frame; and
balancing means operatively connected between said stationary frame and said bed assembly for applying a force between said stationary frame and said bed assembly so as to approximately counteract the gravitational force acting on said bed assembly throughout said rotational range between said first position and said second position and between said second position and said first position, said balancing means including a biasing means for providing torsional force, said biasing means having a longitudinal axis, at least one cam follower with first and second ends, interconnected at said first end to said biasing means and extending generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said biasing means and generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly, and at least one cam having a curved edge with a first end and a second end, said second end of said at least one cam follower received against said curved edge of said at least one cam so as to travel along said curved edge of said cam as said bed assembly is rotated, thereby transferring said torsional force provided by said biasing means through said at least one cam follower and said at least one cam between said stationary frame and said bed assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A treadmill apparatus comprising
a stationary frame having a supporting base with a pair of opposed parallel horizontal frame members, and an upright assembly with a pair of opposed parallel vertical frame members each interconnected to and extending generally perpendicular to a respective one of said horizontal frame members; -
an elongate bed assembly with a longitudinal axis and with first and second ends, having a moveable belt looped from said first end to said second end, said bed assembly being pivotally interconnected adjacent to said first end to said upright assembly of said stationary frame such that said bed assembly is rotatable about said pivotal interconnection through a rotational range of approximately ninety degrees including a first position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is approximately parallel to said vertical frame members of said stationary frame and a second position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is angularly displaced from said vertical frame members slightly more than ninety degrees; and
a cam assembly for applying force between said stationary frame and said bed assembly so as to approximately counteract the rotation inducing effect of gravitational force acting on said bed assembly throughout the majority of said rotational range between said first position and said second position and between said second position and said first position, said cam assembly including a torque tube subassembly having an elongate open ended hollow tube, a pair of cam followers each with first and second ends, each rigidly interconnected at said first end thereof to said tube adjacent to a respective open end thereof and extending perpendicular thereto, a pair of elongate torque rods each with first and second ends, each interconnected at said first end to said tube in the interior of said tube and extending from said interior of said tube through opposite of said open ends thereof, and a pair of mounting arms, each interconnected to said second end of a respective one of said torque rods, said mounting arms interconnected to said stationary frame, and said cam assembly further including a pair of cams interconnected to said bed assembly, each of said cams having a curved edge with a first end and a second end, with said second end of each of said cam followers received against said curved edge of a respective one of said cams so as to travel along said curved edge of said cam as said bed assembly is rotated, causing said tube to rotate and impose a torsional load on said torque rods. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A treadmill apparatus comprising
a stationary frame having a supporting base with a pair of opposed parallel horizontal frame members, and an upright assembly with a pair of opposed parallel vertical frame members each interconnected to and extending generally perpendicular to a respective one of said horizontal frame members; -
an elongate bed assembly with a longitudinal axis and with first and second ends, having a moveable belt looped from said first end to said second end, said bed assembly being pivotally interconnected adjacent to said first end to said upright assembly of said stationary frame such that said bed assembly is rotatable about said pivotal interconnection through a rotational range of approximately ninety degrees including a first position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is approximately parallel to said vertical frame members of said stationary frame and a second position in which said longitudinal axis of said bed assembly is angularly displaced from said vertical frame members slightly more than ninety degrees; and
a cam assembly for applying force between said stationary frame and said bed assembly so as to approximately counteract the rotation inducing effect of gravitational force acting on said bed assembly throughout the majority of said rotational range between said first position and said second position and between said second position and said first position, said cam assembly including a torque tube subassembly having an elongate open ended hollow tube, a pair of cam followers each with first and second ends, each rigidly interconnected at said first end thereof to said tube adjacent to a respective open end thereof and extending perpendicular thereto, a pair of elongate torque rods each with first and second ends, each interconnected at said first end to said tube in the interior of said tube and extending from said interior of said tube through opposite of said open ends thereof, and a pair of mounting arms, each interconnected to said second end of a respective one of said torque rods, said mounting arms interconnected to said bed assembly, and said cam assembly further including a pair of cams interconnected to said stationary frame, each of said cams having a curved edge with a first end and a second end, with said second end of each of said cam followers received against said curved edge of a respective one of said cams so as to travel along said curved edge of said cam as said bed assembly is rotated, causing said tube to rotate and impose a torsional load on said torque rods. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification