Locking device to lock a collapsible treadmill deck in a folded position

• US 6,979,283 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forhouse Corporation
• Original Assignee: Forhouse Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Tzu-Peng, Chu, Shih-Huang, Pan, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US10/787,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 482/51, 482/54, 482/908, 411/348, 248/682, 248/188.5, 246/53
• US Class Current: 482/54
• 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 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport

Abstract

A locking device to lock a collapsible treadmill deck in a folded position includes a telescopic tube and a lock. The telescopic tube includes an outside tube and an inside tube. The outside tube has a though hole. The inside tube is telescopically mounted in the outside tube and has multiple positioning holes corresponding to the through hole. The lock is attached to the outside tube, aligned with the through hole and includes a mounting bracket, an adjusting knob and a detent assembly. The adjusting knob is rotatably and retractably mounted on the mounting bracket. The detent assembly includes a rotating shaft with a locking pin movably mounted in the mounting bracket and connected to the adjusting knob. Therefore, the locking pin will be pulled into one of the positioning holes to engage the inside tube by pushing the adjusting knob toward the mounting bracket.

Claims

1. A locking device for a treadmill having a collapsible treadmill deck and a base assembly to lock the collapsible treadmill deck in a folded position relative to the base assembly, and the locking device comprising:

a telescopic tube comprising

an outside tube having an exterior periphery, a bottom end pivotally connected to the base assembly and a through hole defined through the exterior periphery; and

an inside tube telescopically mounted in the outside tube and having an exterior periphery, a top end pivotally connected to the collapsible treadmill deck and at least one positioning hole defined through the exterior periphery of the inside tube, and each of the at least one positioning holes corresponding to the through hole, wherein each of the at least one positioning hole has an annular edge, an inclined surface defined along the annular edge and at least one slot defined at the annular edge to allow the locking pin to selectively extend into one of the at least one positioning hole; and

a lock attached to the exterior periphery of the outside tube, aligned with the through hole and comprising

a mounting bracket fastened on the exterior periphery of the outside tube and having a stationary end, a free end and a passage defined through the free end to the stationary end, aligned with the through hole and having an interior periphery;

an adjusting knob rotatably and retractably mounted at the free end of the mounting bracket; and

a detent assembly movably mounted in the passage and comprising a rotating shaft and a locking pin, the rotating shaft having an exterior surface, an inside end and an outside end, and the locking pin attached to the exterior surface of the rotating shaft at the inside end;

wherein the locking pin is selectively extendable into one of the at least one positioning hole to engage the inside tube as the adjusting knob is pushed and rotated.

2. The locking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket further has an annular shoulder formed in the interior periphery of the passage and an interior thread formed on the shoulder, and the rotating shaft further has an exterior thread formed on the exterior surface to screw with the interior thread.

3. The locking device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detent assembly further comprises

a primary spring mounted on the rotating shaft and between the free end of the mounting bracket and the adjusting knob and having two ends respectively abutting the free end of the mounting bracket and the adjusting knob;

a spring stop attached to the exterior surface of the rotating shaft between the inside end of the rotating shaft and the shoulder; and

a secondary spring mounted on the rotating shaft and between the spring stop and the shoulder and having two ends respectively abutting the spring stop and the shoulder.

4. The locking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the mounting bracket further has a first annular slot defined in the free end;

the adjusting knob has an overlapped end, an outside end, a sliding hole with a periphery defined in the overlapped end to slidably hold the free end of the mounting bracket, a blind hole defined concentrically in the periphery defining the sliding hole, a countersunk hole defined concentrically through the outside end and communicated with the blind hole and a second annular slot defined in the overlapped end corresponding to the first annular slot in the mounting bracket;

the rotating shaft further has a longitudinal threaded hole defined in the outside end and multiple spacer slots defined at the outside end around the longitudinal threaded hole, and the outside end of the rotating shaft fitted in and held in the blind hole; and

the detent assembly further comprises a fastener held in the countersunk hole and screwed into the longitudinal threaded hole in the rotating shaft to make the inside end of the rotating shaft to engage the blind hole;

wherein the ends of the primary spring are respectively held in the first and the second annular slots.

5. The locking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spring stop is a C-clamp, and the fastener is a bolt.