Buffering apparatus

• US 7,713,177 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2008
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chiu Hsiang Lo
• Original Assignee: Chiu Hsiang Lo
• Inventors: Lo, Chiu Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathew; Fenn C
• Application Number:
  US12/106,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20090264258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 751 Days
• Field of Search: 482 51- 54, 119/770
• 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 treadmill includes an external frame, an internal frame connected to the external frame, a belt in the form of a loop supported on the internal frame and a buffering apparatus for buffering the internal frame. The buffering apparatus includes a crossbar and two buffer sets. The crossbar is rotationally provided on the external frame between various positions. Each of the buffer sets includes a plurality of buffering blocks made with different elastic coefficients so that a selected one of the buffering blocks is brought into contact with the internal frame when the crossbar is in a related one of the positions.

Claims

1. A treadmill comprising:

an external frame;

an internal frame connected to the external frame;

a belt in the form of a loop supported on the internal frame; and

a buffering apparatus comprising;

a crossbar rotationally provided on the external frame between various angular positions;

a knob connected to the crossbar so that the crossbar can be rotated by turning the knob;

a non-circular block formed on the knob;

a ring secured to the external frame and made with a non-circular aperture defined therein, wherein the knob is movable between a first position where the non-circular block is disposed in the non-circular aperture non-rotationally to avoid the rotation of the crossbar and a second position where the non-circular block is out of the non-circular aperture to allow the rotation of the crossbar; and

two buffer sets each comprising a plurality of buffering blocks made with different elastic coefficients so that a selected one of the buffering blocks is brought into contact with the internal frame when the crossbar is in a related one of the angular positions.

2. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the buffering apparatus comprises an elastic element compressed between the crossbar and the external frame, thus retaining the knob in the first position.

3. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the crossbar comprises a reduced end connected to the non-circular block and inserted in the non-circular aperture rotationally when the knob is in the second position.

4. The treadmill according to claim 3, wherein the buffering apparatus comprises a bushing provided on the external frame for supporting the reduced end of the crossbar.

5. The treadmill according to claim 4, wherein the buffering apparatus comprises a sleeve provided around the reduced end of the crossbar so that there is no relative rotation between them, and the sleeve is rotationally inserted in the bushing.

6. The treadmill according to claim 5, wherein the reduced end of the crossbar is non-circular, and the sleeve comprises a non-circular aperture for receiving the reduced end of the crossbar.

7. The treadmill according to claim 6, wherein the elastic element is compressed between the sleeve and the crossbar.