Treadmill mechanism

• US 6,899,659 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Life Fitness LLC
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Haugen, Peter, Smith, Thomas F. Jr., Anderson, Timothy T., Davis, Kenneth R., Yee, Chungkin, Oglesby, Gary E., Wille, Daniel R., Porth, Timothy J., Danile, John, Clawson, Christopher E., Brennan, Michael A., Osenkarski, Paul D., Hsing, John Jung, Lenz, Steven M., Cray, Thomas B., Daly, Juliette Cherly, Honda, Edward, Minnich, Edward, Partynski, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US10/437,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 482/524, 524/14, 198/495
• US Class Current: 482/54
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0242 with speed variation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/025 electrically, e.g. D.C. motors with variable speed control
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0285 Physical characteristics of the belt, e.g. material, surface, indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance

Abstract

An exercise treadmill is disclosed which includes various features to enhance user operation and to reduce maintenance costs. These features include handlebars with an upwardly curved center section and outwardly flared side portions along with pivoting rear legs for the treadmill frame. The control panel features include snap-in user trays and an overlay covering the numerical key pad along with an auxiliary control panel having a subset of user controls that are larger and more easy to use than the same controls on the main control panel. Maintenance enhancing features include the provision for access panels in the treadmill housing and a belt lubrication system that uses a priming pulse to clear the wax spraying nozzle along with using treadmill operating criteria for scheduling and operating the lubrication system. For injection molded parts such as the control panel, structural strength is enhanced by utilizing gas-assist injection molding to form structural ribs. Another feature includes pre-glazing the treadmill belt. Sound and vibration are reduced in a treadmill by mounting the treadmill belt drive motor on motor isolation mounts that include resilient members. A further feature is a double sided waxed deck where one side of the deck is covered by a protective tape.

Claims

1. An exercise treadmill, comprising:

a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned substantially parallel to each other, and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members for providing longitudinal structural support for said frame structure;

a deck;

a motor for rotating a first one of said pulleys;

a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction over said deck when said first pulley is rotated;

an inclination mechanism secured to a first end of said frame structure effective to permit selective inclination of said frame structure by a user;

a control system operatively connected to said motor effective to control said motor and said inclination mechanism;

a console including a display and user controls operatively connected to said control system for permitting a user running or walking on said belt to control the speed of said belt; and

a belt lubrication mechanism operatively connected to said control system for performing a lubrication operation including applying a lubricant to said belt wherein said control system operates to initiate said lubrication operation according to a set of treadmill operating criteria including a minimum belt speed and the status of said inclination mechanism.

2. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein said predetermined belt speed is approximately 1.5 miles per hour.

3. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein said lubrication operation is not initiated if said inclination is greater than a predetermined inclination.

4. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein said lubrication operation is not initiated if said inclination mechanism is operating.

5. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein if said operating criteria is not met, said control system places said lubrication operation in a deferred status.

6. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein said operating criteria includes whether said control system is operating the treadmill in the beginning portion of a workout program.

7. The exercise treadmill of claim 6 wherein said control system frequently checks to determine if said lubrication is scheduled in order to increase the probability that said lubrication operation will start early in said workout program.

8. The exercise treadmill of claim 7 wherein said control system is effective to schedule a next of said lubrication operations approximately the time said lubrication operation is initiated.