Treadmill with a Firmly Located Belt

Abstract

A treadmill includes a frame, front and rear roller, a belt and at least two upper guiding units. The front and rear rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is wound around the front and rear rollers. The upper guiding units are connected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a treadmill including a firmly located belt.

2. Related Prior Art

A conventional treadmill includes a frame, front and rear rollers supported on the frame, a belt wound around the front and rear rollers, and a platform or a series of intermediate rollers supported on the frame between the front and rear rollers and beneath an upper section of the belt. The platform may be planar or concave. The intermediate rollers may be arranged in a rectilinear or concave manner. To reduce impacts on a user's feet, angles, knees and legs, the platform is concave, or the intermediate rollers are arranged in a concave manner. The upper section of the belt suspends on the platform or the intermediate rollers because the upper section of the belt is shorter and lighter than a lower section of the belt. Hence, there is a gap between the upper section of the belt and the platform or the intermediate rollers. The user often neglects the gap and assumes that the belt is firmly supported on the platform or the intermediate rollers. The user could lose balance and, in the worst case, fall on the belt and get hurt. The risks are higher with the concave platform or the intermediate rollers arranged in a concave manner than with the planar platform or the intermediate rollers arranged in a rectilinear manner.

Furthermore, while exercising with the treadmill, the user inevitably moves the belt transversely as well as longitudinally. This causes edges of the belt to rub against the frame. This would eventually wear the belt and might entail a jam of the belt and cause the user to lose balance and, in the worst scenario, fall on the belt and get hurt.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a reliable and smooth treadmill.

To achieve the foregoing objectives, the treadmill includes a frame, front and rear roller, a belt and at least two upper guiding units. The front and rear rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is wound around the front and rear rollers. The upper guiding units are connected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of three embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a treadmill according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a treadmill 10 includes a frame 20, a front roller 30, a rear roller 40, a series of intermediate rollers 23, a belt 50, upper guiding units 60, lower guiding units 70 and lateral guiding units 80 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The frame 20 includes two lateral bars extending in a concave manner. A caster 22 is supported on a bracket 21 attached to a front end of each of the lateral bars of the frame 20. The casters 22 are used for rolling on the ground or a floor for transporting the treadmill 10.

Two feet 24 are connected to the frame 20. In detail, each of the feet 24 includes a horizontal section extending between two vertical sections. Each of the vertical sections of each of the feet 24 is connected to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20. The horizontal sections of the feet 24 are used for contact with the ground or floor for positioning the treadmill 10.

Each of the rollers 23, 30 and 40 are supported on the lateral bars of the frame 20. In detail, each of the rollers 23, 30 and 40 includes an end supported on one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 and an opposite end supported on the other lateral bar of the frame 20. The intermediate rollers 23 are located between the front roller 30 and the rear roller 40. The front roller 30 is located between the casters 22.

The belt 50 is in the form of a loop wound around the front roller 30, the rear roller 40 and the intermediate rollers 23. All of the rollers 30, 40 and 23 are located between upper and lower sections of the belt 50. The upper section of the belt 50 is shorter and lighter than the lower section. Without any guiding units, the upper section of the belt 50 would dangle from the rollers 30 and 40 less than the lower section of the belt 50 and hence suspend above the series of intermediate rollers 23.

Referring to FIG. 3, the upper guiding units 60 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of upper guiding units 60 is connected to an upper face of a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 for contact with a related one of two opposite margins of the upper section of the belt 50. Each of the series of upper guiding units 60 includes an adequate number of upper guiding units 60 to push almost the entire upper section of the belt 50 against the series of intermediate rollers 23.

Each of the upper guiding units 60 includes a rod 61 and a block 62. The rod 61 includes an end in contact with the related margin of the upper section of the belt 50 and an opposite end secured to the block 62 by welding for example. The block 62 is secured to the upper face of the related lateral bar of the frame 20 by welding for example.

The upper face of each of the lateral bars of the frame 20 is located lower than a concave plane defined by upper portions of the intermediate rollers 23. The blocks 62 compensate the gap between a concave plane defined by the upper faces of the lateral bars of the frame 20 and the concave plane defined by the upper portions of the intermediate rollers 23. The blocks 62 are secured to the upper faces of the lateral bars of the frame 20 so that upper faces of the blocks 62 are located in the concave plane defined by the upper portions of the intermediate rollers 23.

The lower guiding units 70 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of lower guiding units 70 is connected to a lower face of a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 for contact with a related one of two opposite margins of the lower section of the belt 50.

Each of the lower guiding units 70 includes a rod 71, a bracket 72 and a roller or bearing 73. The bracket 72 includes a horizontal section secured to the lower face of the related lateral bar of the frame 20 by welding for example and a vertical section extending from the horizontal section. The rod 71 includes an end in contact with the related margin of the lower section of the belt 50 and an opposite end secured to the vertical section of the bracket 72 by welding for example. The roller or bearing 73 is supported on an axle secured to the vertical section of the bracket 72 by welding for example. The lower section of the belt 50 is located between the rod 71 and the roller or bearing 73.

The lateral guiding units 80 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of lateral guiding units 80 is connected to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 for contact with a related one of two opposite edges of the lower section of the belt 50. Each of the lateral guiding units 80 includes a pulley 81 supported on an axle 82 secured to the lower face of the related lateral bar of the frame 20 by welding for example. Each of the pulleys 81 includes an annular groove for receiving the related edge of the lower section of the belt 50. Lateral movement of the belt 50 on the rollers 23, 30 and 40 is avoided by the lateral guiding units 80.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a treadmill according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except several things. At first, the upper face of each of the lateral bars of the frame 20 is located higher than the concave plane defined by the upper portions of the intermediate rollers 23. Hence, the blocks 62 are omitted. Furthermore, each of the rods 61 includes an end inserted in and secured to the related lateral bar of the frame 20.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a treadmill according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is like the first embodiment except including two upper guiding units 90 instead of the two series of upper guiding units 60. Each of the upper guiding units 90 includes a concave strip 91 with a portion secured to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 by welding for example and another portion in contact with a related one of the margins of the upper section of the belt 50.

Although not shown, the upper guiding units 60 and the lower guiding units 70 may be exchanged in another embodiment.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Hence, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A treadmill including:

a frame;

front and rear rollers supported on the frame;

a belt wound around the front and rear rollers and formed with upper and lower sections; and

at least two upper guiding units connected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

2. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein each of the guiding units includes a rod with a first end secured to the frame and a second end in contact with an upper face of the upper section of the belt.

3. The treadmill according to claim 2, wherein each of the guiding units includes a block secured to the frame, wherein the first end of the rod is secured to the block.

4. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein each of the guiding units includes a strip with a portion secured to the frame and another portion in contact with an upper face of the upper section of the belt.

5. A treadmill including:

a frame;

front and rear rollers supported on the frame;

a belt wound around the rollers and formed with upper and lower sections and two edges; and

at least two lower guiding units connected to the frame and used for contact with the lower section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

6. The treadmill according to claim 5, wherein each of the lower guiding units includes a roller in contact with a lower face of the lower section of the belt.

7. The treadmill according to claim 6, wherein each of the lower guiding units includes a rod in contact with an upper face of the lower section of the belt.

8. The treadmill according to claim 7, wherein each of the lower guiding units includes a bracket including a section connected to the frame and another section connected to the rod and the roller.

9. The treadmill according to claim 5, further including at least two upper guiding units connected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

10. The treadmill according to claim 9, wherein each of the guiding units includes a rod with a first end secured to the frame and a second end in contact with an upper face of the upper section of the belt.

11. The treadmill according to claim 10, wherein each of the guiding units includes a block secured to the frame, wherein the first end of the rod is secured to the block.

12. The treadmill according to claim 9, wherein each of the guiding units includes a strip with a portion secured to the frame and another portion in contact with an upper face of the upper section of the belt.

13. The treadmill according to claim 5, further including two lateral guiding units connected to the frame and each used for contact with a related one of the edges of the belt to prevent lateral movement of the belt on the frame.

14. The treadmill according to claim 13, wherein each of the lateral guiding units includes a pulley with an annular groove for receiving the related edge of the belt so that the lateral guiding units prevent lateral movement of the belt on the frame but allow smooth rolling of the belt on the front and rear rollers.