Exercise treadmill having a simulated cobblestone running surface

• US 7,976,437 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volker von Detten
• Original Assignee: Volker von Detten
• Inventors: von Detten, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): CROW, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/924,087
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 482/51, 482/54, 601/94, 601/119, 601/129, 601/132, 601/135
• US Class Current: 482/54
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0285 Physical characteristics of the belt, e.g. material, surface, indicia

Abstract

A running surface for a common exercise treadmill has an endless belt made of a rubber like material leaving a smooth finish to its upper and lower surfaces. At least one line of spaced apart holes penetrate the belt along its entire length. The holes enable fastening elements to affix generally circular rods to the upper surface to engage fastening eyelets by means of the fastening elements which are installed into at least one strengthening endless belt positioned below and urging against the lower extremity of the endless belt. The generally circular rods have prefabricated objects such as simulated cobblestones of various sizes and configurations in immediate adjacency to the upper extremity of the endless belt.

Claims

1. An endless running surface tread apparatus for a treadmill comprising:

an endless belt extending between and partially encircling a pair of pulleys, the pulleys mounted on a pair of center axles;

a plurality of endless strengthening belts having a plurality of counter bored through holes the strengthening belts positioned immediately adjacent to an underside of said endless belt;

a plurality of fastening eyelets secured to said endless strengthening belts;

a plurality of mounting rods secured to an upper extremity of said endless belt;

a plurality of simulated cobblestones disposed on said mounting rods;

a plurality of spacers disposed at each end of said mounting rods;

a retainer cap secured at each end of said mounting rods; and

a support panel positioned immediately below the upper extremity of said endless belt and a lower extremity of said endless strengthening belts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said endless belt has at least one longitudinal line of equally spaced-apart mounting holes therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the counter-bored through holes in the strengthening belts are in coaxial alignment with said mounting holes of said endless belt.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said fastening eyelet has a shouldered cylindrical body with a threaded hole therethrough.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said fastening eyelet is surrounded by said counterbored through holes with an upper extremity of said eyelet positioned below an upper extremity of said endless strengthening belt and a lower extremity of said eyelet positioned elevated above the lower extremity of said endless strengthening belt.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting rods have a cylindrical elongated body having a lower extremity, a horizontal surface without a slope, tilt or curvature and a ledge elevated above and parallel to said horizontal surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said mounting rods has a counter sunk hole in coaxial alignment with a fastening eyelet and a mounting hole.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the fastening of each said mounting rod to the upper extremity of said endless belt includes a fastener disposed to and surrounded by said counter sunk holes and said fastener is threaded into said fastening eyelet, thereby sandwiching said endless belt between the upper extremity of said endless strengthening belt and the lower extremity of said mounting rod.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said simulated cobblestones comprise an upper surface with a generally convex curvature and a lower horizontal surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said simulated cobblestones has a channel forming a first keyway within the horizontal surface, the keyway compliant with an outer contour of said mounting rod.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further having a second keyway intersecting axially with said first keyway, whereby said second keyway is compliant with an outer contour of said mounting rod.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of said cobblestones is mated within one of the first keyways and second keyways.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said cobblestones are secured by said spacers and said retainer caps, the retainer caps fastened to each end of said mounting rod by a fastener.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support panel has a plurality of longitudinal channel like depressions adjacent to an outer contour of said endless strengthening belts.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said pulleys has a plurality of grooves concurrent with an outer contour of said endless strengthening belts.