Folding treadmill
An electrically driven, continuous track treadmill having a frame comprising a first section with a second section pivotably connected to a rear end thereof. The treadmill is adjustable between an operational position where the first and second sections are substantially horizontally aligned, and a folded position where the second section is pivoted onto said first section, such that an upper surface of the second section abuts an upper surface of the first section. A handle is pivotally connected to the first section of the frame and extends upwardly away therefrom when the treadmill is in the operational position. The handle pivots into abutting contact with a lower surface of the second section when the treadmill is in the folded position. The treadmill preferably is also provided with an inclination adjustment assembly that is selectively activatable to move the frame between a neutral position, a positively inclined position and a negatively inclined position relative to the floor surface. The treadmill is further provided with a shell configured to resemble a coffee table which is positioned over or around the treadmill when in the folded position. The treadmill therefore can be stored in plain sight.
Latest Spark Innovations, Inc. Patents:
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to exercise equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to treadmills. Specifically, the invention relates to an electrically driven treadmill which includes an inclination adjustment mechanism, is foldable and includes a storage box that resembles a coffee table.
2. Background Information
There is a growing trend in the fitness industry for equipment that is suitable for use in the home, especially pieces of equipment such as treadmills. One of the key issues that people face when treadmills and similar pieces of equipment are brought into their homes is that of space. A good quality treadmill will provide a runner with a running deck that is in the order of at least 20 inches wide by 57 inches in length. In order to provide this adequate running deck, the actual machine itself will range from around 65 inches in length to 91 inches in length and have a width of 32 to 34 inches. Obviously, the treadmill also needs to be provided with a floor clearance space surrounding the actual machine in order to allow a person to get safely on to and off from the running deck.
If the home owner has sufficient space, in a basement for example, a fixed track and frame type of treadmill may be the most suitable form in that they tend to be the most stable. However, exercising alone in a basement away from the center of activity in the home tends to be tedious. Additionally, because the treadmill is out of sight, it is easy for one to forget to exercise on a regular basis. Bringing this type of space-utilizing device into a living room or family room causes two problems. Firstly, these pieces of equipment are not aesthetically pleasing and would be considered to be an eyesore in such a communal type of room. Secondly, the space in the room that is occupied by such devices is unacceptable.
Consequently, many manufacturers have attempted to address these issues by providing home-use treadmills that are foldable so that they will take up less space. Many of these foldable treadmills are also movable so they can be stored in a closet or under a bed and brought out only when needed. The home-use models tend to have a main base that contains the motor and a front frame and which supports the handles. The track is typically pivotally connected to the front frame. An additional motor may be provided to raise and lower the track. This frame must be stable as the track is not rigidly connected to the base so that it can pivot upwardly to reduce the horizontal footprint of the treadmill. The home-use models may also be provided with wheels or gliders so that the treadmills can be wheeled under beds or into closets, even though they may weigh well over 150 lbs.
An additional problem caused by these home-use models is that they do not come preassembled. The track, base and handles are disconnected to keep the size of the shipping container to a minimum. A homeowner must therefore assemble the treadmill themselves or must have the retailer do the assembly for them. The machines must also be broken down and reassembled if the homeowner moves.
The prior art includes numerous versions of folding treadmills. Allemand, U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,987, for example, teaches a portable, manually-operable treadmill that includes a housing comprising two sections that are pivotally connected together. Each section of the housing includes a plurality of rollers. A continuous-loop track extends around the rollers of both sections of the housing and when a user walks on the upper surface of the belt, both the track and rollers are caused to move. A telescoping handle is pivotally mounted at a front end of the housing. The treadmill further includes a first support leg that is pivotally mounted to the front end of the housing. A second support leg is pivotally connected to the rear end of the front section of the housing, and a third support leg is pivotally connected to the front end of the back section of the housing. The treadmill disclosed in this patent has several disadvantages including the fact that it is not motorized and is instead manually driven. Additionally, the track and rollers form a fairly rigid and inflexible surface that will not act as an effective shock absorbent running surface. This lack of shock absorbence will also be enhanced by the nature of the support legs provided on the machine and may lead to shin-splints and other related injuries of the user. Furthermore, as seen most clearly from
Hammer et al discloses a low-profile folding treadmill that is motorized in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,622. This treadmill is more rugged in its design and includes an elongated base with a handle pivotally mounted at a front end thereof. A continuous loop track is retained around a forward and a rearward roller mounted in the base. A motor is operationally connected to the forward roller to rotate the same and thereby drive the belt. The treadmill also includes inclination legs proximate the front end of the treadmill for selectively lifting the front end of the treadmill upwardly so that the runner can run up an incline. One or more castors and/or gliders are provided on the lower surface of the base to enable the user to move the treadmill across a surface in order to store the same. The treadmill is folded up by collapsing the handle over the base. The unit is designed to be a low profile treadmill having a total height of no more than 8 inches from the surface upon which the base stands. The treadmill may therefore be slid across the surface and under a bed for example.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,540 to Watterson et al, teaches a motorized treadmill that comprises a frame onto which is mounted a telescoping handle and a two-section tread base. A front end of a first section of the base is pivotally connected at a first pivot point to the frame. The second section of the base is pivotally connected to a rear end of the first section at a second pivot point. During operation, the first and second sections of the base are coplanar and preferably are locked together by a pair of locking pins. The treadmill also includes a motorized mechanism for lifting the front end of the treadmill upwardly so that the runner can run up an incline. The treadmill may be folded for storage in one of two ways. Firstly, the first and second sections of the base are kept in a locked planar orientation relative to each other. The locked and elongated base is then rotated out of contact with the floor surface and toward the handle. Secondly, the first and second sections may be unlocked from each other. The base is then lifted upwardly in the region of the second pivot point. This causes the second section to pivot inwardly toward the first section until the lower surfaces of the first and second sections come into abutting contact with each other. The folded base is now pivoted about the first pivot point to lift the entire base off the floor surface and toward the handle. Some of the disadvantages of this design are that the locking pins are provided in a region where the runner's feet will habitually be landing. The repetitive impact may tend to lead to early deterioration of these locking pins and subsequent sagging of the base in its mid-section. While the treadmill may be folded up and the handles telescoped inwardly, the overall size and configuration of the device are still bulky. The treadmill is, however, provided with a pair of wheels to allow it to be wheeled across a surface for storage purposes.
It is, however, more likely that if a person has wheeled their treadmill into some sort of storage location to keep it out of the way, they will be less inclined to retrieve the treadmill in order to exercise because of the effort involved in setting the treadmill back in an appropriate location. There is therefore a need in the art for a treadmill that is substantial and sturdy in construction that is foldable to reduce the amount of space it occupies when not in use, but which does not need to be placed in storage in order to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the room.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe device of the present invention comprises an electrically driven, continuous track treadmill. The treadmill has a frame that includes a first section with a second section pivotably connected to a rear end thereof. The treadmill is adjustable between an operational position where the first and second sections are substantially horizontally aligned, and a folded position where the second section is pivoted onto said first section such that an upper surface of the second section abuts an upper surface of the first section. A handle is pivotally connected to the first section of the frame and extends upwardly away therefrom when the treadmill is in the operational position and pivots into abutting contact with a lower surface of the second section when the treadmill is in the folded position. The treadmill preferably is also provided with an inclination adjustment assembly that is selectively activatable to move the frame of the treadmill between a neutral position, a positively inclined position and a negatively inclined position relative to the floor surface upon which the treadmill rests. The treadmill is further provided with a shell configured to resemble a coffee table that is positionable over/or around the treadmill when in the folded position. The treadmill therefore can be stored in plain sight.
The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
Referring to
Referring to
Still referring to
In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, first section 36 is substantially L-shaped, having a generally vertical first leg 36a and a generally horizontal second leg 36b. First and second legs 36a, 36b preferably are integrally formed, but may alternatively be fixedly connected to each other by welding, for example. First leg 36a terminates in an upper end 42 that includes an angled slot 44. Slot 44 is sized to receive a spring-loaded locking pin 46 that extends outwardly from handle 28. A second pivot pin 48 is provided to pivotally connect handle 28 to first leg 36a.
Second leg 36b of first section 36 includes an upper surface 50, a lower surface 52 and a rear end 54. As shown in
In accordance with another specific feature of the present invention, a support foot 64 is fixedly secured to and extends downwardly from lower surface 52 of section leg 36b. Support foot 64 projects for a distance rearwardly from rear end 54 of second leg 36b, thus creating a platform 66 upon which a portion of second section 38 may rest. The bottom surface 68 of support foot 64 is formed to have a gentle arcuate shape (
Second section 38 of frame member 26a has an upper surface 72, a lower surface 74, a front end 76 and a rear end 78.
Second section 38 also includes a bore 82 (
Several crossbars 86 extend between first and second frame members 26a, 26b at spaced intervals to provide rigidity, stability and strength to frame 26 of treadmill 20. The most rearward of these crossbars, being crossbar 86a (
Tread track 34 is mounted between a first roller 90 (
In accordance with another specific feature of the present invention, an inclination assembly 61 is provided on treadmill 20. Inclination assembly 61 functions to adjust the angle of frame 26 relative to the surface 70 upon which treadmill 20 rests. Inclination assembly 61 may maintain frame 26 in a neutral position shown in
Inclination assembly 61 is shown in greater detail in
It will be understood that the connection of front rod 100 and each front adjuster arm front adjuster arm is offset relative to the connection of front adjuster arms 104 and brackets 101. Similarly, the connection of back rod 102 and each rear adjuster arm 106 is offset relative to the connection of rear adjuster arms 106 and brackets 103.
Referring to
Still referring to
Referring to
Linkage assembly 61 further includes a motorized linear actuator 116 which is mounted onto a support bar 114 that extends between first and second frame members 26a, 26b. Linear actuator 116 is a “push-pull” type actuator and is operationally connected to front rod 100 by an actuator arm 118. Actuator arm 118 causes front rod 100 to move through a shallow arc, being moved either slightly downwardly and rearwardly toward end 115 of treadmill 20 or downwardly and forwardly toward first leg 36a, depending on the direction that linear actuator 116 moves actuator arm 118. Linear actuator 116 is engaged to cause movement in actuator arm 118 by pressing an appropriate control button (not shown) on console 30. When rod 100 is moved by actuator arm 118, rod 100 causes front adjuster arms 104 to move in unison therewith.
In
When linear actuator 116 is engaged to cause actuator arm 118 to move rearwardly toward rear end 115 of treadmill 20, front adjuster arms 104 are rotated by rod 100 in the opposite direction to arrow “F”. This causes flange 110 to move away from first leg 36a and toward rear end 115 and causes flange 111 to move away from support foot 64 and toward front end 117 of treadmill 20. The movement of flange 111 away from support foot 64 is aided by wheel 108 moving across surface 70. As a result of this movement, wheel 108 is moved upwardly toward motor assembly 32. The first section 36 of the frame is lowered relative to floor surface 70 in the opposite direction to arrow “D”. The movement of flange 110 causes first linkage rod 60 to be pushed rearwardly toward rear end 115 of treadmill 20 in the opposite direction to arrow “C” (
The support foot 64 acts as a fulcrum for the movement between a neutral, positively inclined and negatively inclined position. When treadmill 20 is moved back and forth between a positively inclined position and neutral position and negatively inclined position, support foot 64 remains constantly in engagement with floor surface 70 and the height of pivot 40 above joint 80 remains substantially constant.
One of the key measurements of a good treadmill is the stability when running on the track. For this reason, most treadmills have thick steel sides and are well supported at both ends. Most adjustable incline treadmills known in the prior art have a movable incline assembly provided as part of the base platform that supports the handles. As the track is inclined by the incline assembly, the handles become lower with respect to the track surface.
This is not the case with the present invention. The support foot 64 which extends outwardly from lower surface 52 of first section 36 provides a fixed center support for treadmill 20. This provides stability to the center of the track 34 where most people run. Furthermore, arms 104, 106 of inclination assembly 61 are designed to work together in tandem or substantially simultaneously. When the front adjuster arms 104 are moved to raise the front end of treadmill 20, the rear adjuster arms 106 automatically are reoriented to lower the back end of treadmill 20. Inclination assembly 61 therefore acts much like a child's seesaw or teeter-totter. The treadmill 20 pivots about support leg 64 and provides for a continually stable running surface.
The treadmill 20 in accordance with the present invention is used as follows. The shell 12 is lifted upwardly and removed from over the folded treadmill 20 (
When the user has finished his/her exercise routine and wishes to store treadmill 20, they return the frame 26 to a neutral position. Once off the treadmill 20, they grasp handle 88 and pull second section 38 of frame 26 upwardly and rotate the same forwardly toward first leg 36a of first section 36. This causes second section 38 to pivot about pivot pin 40 and fold over second leg 36b of first section 36. The movement is continued until upper surface 74 of second section 38 rests on upper surface 50 of second leg 36b. Treadmill 20 is movable between the operational and folded positions without pre-loosening of track 34. The pre-loosening of track 34 is not required as the lower portion 34a (
It will be understood therefore that, at all times, first section 36 remains stationary and does not move. Only the second section 38 is moved when the treadmill is adjusted between the operational position and the folded position.
To unfold treadmill 220, top wall 214 is grasped and is rotated upwardly. This frees side walls 216 which may be then laid open on the surface surrounding the treadmill. The second section 238 of treadmill 220 is unfolded in the manner described with reference to treadmill 20. When treadmill 220 is in the operational position, actuator arms 206 clear the edge of side wall 216a.
When the user has finished exercising, treadmill 220 is collapsed again by rotating second section 238 back onto first section 326. The side walls 216 are raised, top wall 214 is rotated downwardly into engagement with side walls. Treadmill 220 is then completely enclosed within the boxlike shell 212.
It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the device of the present invention. For instance, support feet 64 may be replaced by a single foot that extends from first frame member 26a to second frame member 26b. Similarly, actuator arms 104 may be connected together by a roller that extends between the two arms 104 instead of each having an individual wheel 108 mounted thereon. Likewise, actuator arms 106 may be connected together by a roller instead of each having individual wheels mounted thereon.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Claims
1. A foldable treadmill comprising:
- a frame having: a first section having a rear end; a second section pivotably connected to the rear end of said first section,
- a continuous track mounted for movement on said frame;
- a motor assembly mounted on the frame and being operationally connected to the track to drive the same;
- a handle extending upwardly from the first section; and wherein said treadmill is adjustable between an operational position where the first and second sections are substantially horizontally aligned, and a folded position where the second section is pivoted onto said first section such that an upper surface of the second section abuts an upper surface of the first section.
2. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 1, wherein the first section remains stationary and only the second section moves when the treadmill is adjusted between the operational and folded positions.
3. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 2, wherein the treadmill is movable between the operational and folded positions without requiring pre-loosening of the track.
4. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 1, wherein the first section of the frame comprises:
- a substantially vertical first leg; and
- a substantially horizontal second leg that is fixedly connected to said first leg; wherein said handle extends outwardly away from said first leg, and wherein the second section of the frame is pivotably connected to the second leg.
5. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 4, wherein the handle has a first position where the handle extends upwardly away from the first leg when the treadmill is in the operational position; and a second position where the handle is in one of abutting contact with and in proximity to a lower surface of the second section when the treadmill is in the folded position; and wherein the handle is movable between the first and second positions.
6. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
- a joint between the rear end of the first section and a front end of the second section; and
- a support foot fixedly secured to a lower surface of the first section proximate the joint.
7. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 6, wherein the support foot extends for a distance rearwardly from the rear end of the first section and abuts a portion of a lower surface of the second section when the treadmill is in the operational position.
8. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 6, wherein the support foot has a floor-engaging wall; and wherein said floor-engaging wall is arcuate in shape.
9. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 6, further comprising:
- a pivot at a top end of said joint for pivotably connecting said first and second sections.
10. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 1, further comprising an outer shell that is selectively positionable around the frame when the treadmill is in the folded position so as to hide the same from view.
11. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 10, wherein the outer shell has the appearance of a piece of furniture.
12. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 11, wherein the outer shell comprises a top wall and a plurality of side walls that extend outwardly away from the top wall; and wherein the top wall is fixedly secured to the side walls to form a box that defines an interior cavity into which the treadmill in the folded position is received.
13. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 12, wherein the shell further includes a bottom wall and two or more side walls are pivotally secured thereto and are movable to engage the top wall of the shell.
14. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 1, further comprising an inclination assembly for adjusting the inclination of the frame relative to a floor surface upon which the frame rests; wherein the inclination assembly is selectively activatable to adjust the inclination of the frame between a neutral position and a positively inclined position.
15. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 14, wherein the inclination assembly is further selectively activatable to adjust the frame to a negatively inclined position.
16. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 14, further comprising:
- a joint between the first and second sections;
- a support foot disposed beneath the joint; and wherein the joint is maintained at a constant height relative to the floor surface during adjustment of the inclination of the frame.
17. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 14, wherein the inclination assembly further comprises:
- a front adjuster extending downwardly from the first section and being adapted to engage the floor surface;
- a rear adjuster extending downwardly from the second and being adapted to engage the floor surface; and wherein the support foot is disposed intermediate the front and rear adjusters; and
- a linkage operationally connecting the front and rear adjusters together.
18. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 17, wherein movement of the linkage in a first direction causes the front adjuster to move the front end of the frame upwardly away from the floor surface and causes the rear adjuster to move the rear end of the frame downwardly toward the floor surface; and movement of the linkage in a second direction causes the front adjuster to move the front end of the frame downwardly toward the floor surface and causes the rear adjuster to move the rear end of the frame upwardly away from the floor surface.
19. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 18, wherein the movement of the linkage in either one of the first and second directions causes the front and rear adjusters to move simultaneously.
20. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 17, wherein the linkage further comprises:
- a first linkage rod pivotally connected to the front adjuster at one end; and
- a second linkage rod pivotally connected to the rear adjuster at one end; and, when the treadmill is in the operational position, a second end of said first linkage rod is in abutting contact with a second end of the second linkage rod.
21. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 20, wherein the frame is positioned substantially horizontal and parallel to the floor surface when the inclination assembly is in the neutral position; is positioned at an angle of between 0° and 4° to the horizontal when the inclination assembly is in the positively inclined position; and is positioned at an angle of between 0° and −3° to the horizontal when the inclination assembly is in the negatively inclined position.
22. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 20, wherein the front adjuster comprises: wherein the linkage is connected to the first flanges of the front adjuster arms.
- a pair of front adjuster arms; each of said front adjuster arms being substantially an open-L-shape having a first flange and a second flange extending outwardly away from an apex;
- a wheel mounted on each of said second flanges;
- a front rod connected at each end to an inner surface of one of the front adjuster arms and in a position intermediate the first and second flanges thereof; and
23. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 22, wherein the rear adjuster comprises: wherein the linkage is connected to the first flanges of the rear adjuster arms.
- a pair of rear adjuster arms; each of said rear adjuster arms being substantially an open-L-shape having a first flange and a second flange extending outwardly away from an apex;
- a wheel mounted on each of said second flanges of said rear adjuster arms;
- a back rod connected at each end to an inner surface of one of the rear adjuster arms and in a position intermediate the first and second flanges thereof; and
24. The folding treadmill as defined in claim 23, further comprising a plurality of brackets; each bracket being fixedly secured to one of first and second frame members and being pivotally connecting to one of the front and rear adjuster arms.
Type: Application
Filed: May 9, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 13, 2008
Applicant: Spark Innovations, Inc. (King City)
Inventors: Robert G. Dickie (Newmarket), Steve A. Copeland (Barrie)
Application Number: 11/801,229
International Classification: A63B 22/02 (20060101);