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EXERCISE TREADMILL WITH POWER DRIVEN FOLDING DEVICE

  • US 20080004162A1
  • Filed: 06/29/2006
  • Published: 01/03/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. An exercise apparatus comprising:

  • a housing;

    left and right uprights extending upward from the housing;

    left and right hand grips extended rearward from a top of the uprights;

    a control panel mounted at the top of the uprights and including an incline up key, an incline down key, a start key, a stop key, and a reset key;

    a moving tread belt extended rearward from the housing and supported by an underlying frame, the tread belt being disposed on which a user runs or walks while exercising, the tread belt including a front contact member at either side, a slide at either side and having a first sensor at a rear end, and a second sensor at a front end, and one or more wheel at either side;

    a link assembly mounted in the housing and, at either side, including a first link having a front first pivot pivotably provided in the housing, and a rear second pivot slidably secured to the slide, and a second link having a rear third pivot pivotably secured to an intermediate point of the first link, a front fourth pivot pivotably provided in a front end the tread belt, and an intermediate fifth pivot;

    a lift assembly affixed to the front end of the tread belt and including a motor having a rotating shaft, a rotating direction change member for controlling a rotating direction of the motor, a worm gear extended from an end of the rotating shaft, and a movable member having interior threads in mesh with the worm gear and one end pivotably secured to the fifth pivots;

    a direction switching assembly mounted in the housing and, at either side, including a rear pivotal detent bar, a pivotal returning bar having a front stop and a rear end resiliently connected to the detent bar, and a pivotal rail including a first section, a second section, and a joint interconnected the first and second sections, a first spring, a second spring having one end engaged with the first spring and the other end urged against the stop, and a lock member;

    wherein in response to pressing the incline up key the motor rotates clockwise to rotate the worm gear, the movable member extends out of the worm gear, the extending movable member pushes the front end of the tread belt upward by pivoting the second links by pivoting about the fourth pivots, the slides lift the first links through the second pivots, the first links pivot away from the second links about the third pivots, the first links pivot upward about the first pivots, and the first and second links pivot away each other to continuously push the front end of the tread belt upward until a predetermined height is reached wherein the contact members push the detent bars, the detent bars push the returning bars, the stops disengage with the lock member to release the stored elastic force of the first springs for pivoting the rails, and the second pivots contact the second sensors to enable the rotating direction change member to change the rotation of the motor from the clockwise rotation to a counterclockwise rotation;

    wherein in response to the counterclockwise rotation of the motor the movable member moves toward the worm gear to lower the front end of the tread belt, the second links pivot about the fourth pivots, the first and second links pivot toward each other by pivoting about the third pivots, the contact members contact the first sections and move from the first sections to the joint, the rails incline upward rearward, the lock members lock the stops, and the contact members further move from the joint to the second sections until the tread mill is fully folded with the second pivots contacted the first sensors to stop the motor; and

    wherein in response to pressing the reset key the motor rotates clockwise, the folded tread belt pivots with the first and second links pivoted away each other, the contact members move from the second sections to the joints with a rear end of the tread belt being lowered, and the contact members further move from the joints to the first sections to cause the lock members to lock the stops, the rails do not contact the contact members, the elastic force of the second springs pivots the rails to cause the second sections to dispose in a horizontal position, the second pivots contact the second sensors to enable the rotating direction change member to change the rotation of the motor from the clockwise rotation to a counterclockwise rotation, the contact members contact the detent bars, and the detent bars pivot to fully unfold, the tread belt in a horizontal position with the motor being disabled as the second pivots contact the second sensors.

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