Cushion device for treadmills

• US 7,077,788 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Huang-Tung Chang
• Original Assignee: Huang-Tung Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Huang-Tung
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huson, Greg
• Application Number:
  US11/118,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 482/51, 482/54, 119/700
• 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 22/0214 between the belt supporting deck and the frame
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0228 with variable resilience

Abstract

A cushion device for treadmills includes a frame with two rails and a deck has an end pivotably connected to two respective first ends of the two rails of the frame. Two tubes are connected to the two rails of the frame and two activation rods axially extend in the two tubes and are restrained to only can spin relative to the tubes. Each of the two activation rods has a nut member threadedly connected thereto and a slide member is slidably mounted thereto. A spring is mounted to each of the two activation rods and biased between the nut member and the slide member. Two cables have two respective first ends fixed to the slide members and two respectively second ends of the two cables extend through each tube, reeve through the lower pulley and the upper pulley and are fixed to the first end of the deck.

Claims

1. A cushion device for treadmills, comprising:

a frame having two longitudinal rails and two upper pulleys and two lower pulleys respectively connected to two respective insides of first ends of the two rails of the frame;

a deck having two pairs of holes defined through two sides of a first end of the deck and a second end of the deck pivotably connected to two respective second ends of the two rails of the frame;

two tubes are connected to the two rails of the frame and two activation rods axially extending in the two tubes, each of the two activation rods having a nut member threadedly connected to a threaded section thereof, two slide members slidably mounted to the two activation rods, two springs mounted to the two activation rods and biased between the nut member and the slide member, two bars radially extending through each of the two tubes and each activation rod in each tube including a groove defined in a plain section thereof so that the activation rod spins in the tube, and

two cables having two respective first ends fixed to the slide members and two respectively second ends extending through each tube, reeving through the lower pulley and the upper pulley and fixed to the first end of the deck.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two tubes has a closed end through which two apertures are defined and the two cables extend through the two apertures.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two nut members has two through holes through which the cables extend.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two slide members has two engaging holes with which the two first ends of the two cables are securely engaged.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two tubes includes two axial grooves defined in an inner periphery thereof and each of the nut members and the slide members has two lugs which are movably engaged with the axial grooves.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the upper pulleys and the lower pulleys has two annular grooves through which the cables reeve.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an adjustable device is connected to the frame so as to adjust the springs.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adjustable device includes a first bevel gear connected to an end of each of the two activation rods and a shaft is connected between the two rails of the frame, two second bevel gears are mounted to the shaft and engaged with the first bevel gears, a crank handle is connected to an end of the shaft.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein bearings are mounted to the shaft and received in the two rails of the frame.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a motor is connected to the shaft.

11. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a platform is connected to one of the rails of the frame and a motor is fixed on the platform, a driving wheel is connected to an output shaft of the motor, a driven wheel is connected to the shaft, a transmission member trained between the driving wheel and the driven wheel.

12. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adjustable device includes a connection rod connected between the two activation rods and a threaded hole is defined through the connection rod, a transverse bar is connected between the two rails of the frame and a through hole is defined through the transverse bar, a threaded bar has one end threadedly engaged with the threaded hole in the connection rod and a clip is fixed on the first end of the threaded bar, the other end of the threaded bar extends through the through hole and is driven by a motor which is rested on a platform connected to the transverse bar, the connection rod moves the two activation rods when the threaded bar is rotated.

13. A cushion device for treadmills, comprising:

a frame having two longitudinal rails and two upper pulleys and two lower pulleys respectively connected to two respective insides of first ends of the two rails of the frame;

a deck having two pairs of holes defined through two sides of a first end of the deck and a second end of the deck pivotably connected to two respective second ends of the two rails of the frame;

two tubes are connected to the two rails of the frame and two activation rods axially extending in the two tubes, each of the two activation rods having a rotatable ring connected to an end thereof in the tube, two springs received in the two tubes and one end of each spring connected to the respective one of the two rotatable ring, the other end of each activation rod having a knob, and

a cable having a first end extending into each of the tubes and fixed to the other end of the spring in the tube, the other end of the cable extending through tube, reeving through the lower pulley and the upper pulley and fixed to the first end of the deck.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the two rails of the frame has an access hole so as to access the knob on the activation rod.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a connection rod is connected between the two activation rods and a threaded hole is defined through the connection rod, a transverse bar is connected between the two rails of the frame and a through hole is defined through the transverse bar, a threaded bar has one end threadedly engaged with the threaded hole in the connection rod and a clip is fixed on the first end of the threaded bar, the other end of the threaded bar extends through the through hole and is driven by a motor which is rested on a platform connected to the transverse bar, the connection rod moves the two activation rods when the threaded bar is rotated.