Apparatus for Cushioning a Platform of a Treadmill

Abstract

A treadmill includes a base, two rollers, a platform, a belt and two cushions. The base includes two longitudinal bars. The rollers are supported on the longitudinal bars. The platform is located between the rollers. The belt is wound on the rollers and the platform. Each of the cushions includes a cushioning strip supported on a related one of the longitudinal bars for cushioning the platform.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a treadmill equipped with an apparatus for cushioning a platform on a base.

2. Related Prior Art

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,441,468, 5,279,528, 5,454,772 and 5,599,259, a treadmill is often equipped with an apparatus for cushioning a platform on a base. A user running on the platform is protected from excessive impacts by the cushioning apparatus. Such a cushioning apparatus includes a plurality of rubber pads provided between the platform and the base conventionally. Such rubber pads are however inadequate to absorb impacts exerted on a user's ankles, knees and spine by the platform when the user walks or runs on the treadmill.

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

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a treadmill with a cushion for effectively cushioning a platform on a base.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the treadmill includes a base, two rollers, a platform, a belt and two cushions. The base includes two longitudinal bars. The rollers are supported on the longitudinal bars. The platform is located between the rollers. The belt is wound on the rollers and the platform. Each of the cushions includes a cushioning strip supported on a related one of the longitudinal bars for cushioning the platform.

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 two embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill equipped with two cushions for effectively cushioning a platform on a base in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the cushions shown in FIG. 1;

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

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial, cross-sectional view of the cushion shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cushion in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a treadmill 20 equipped with two cushions 30 for effectively cushioning a platform 21 on a base 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The base 10 includes two longitudinal bars 11 secured to at least one crossbar 12 by welding for example. Each of the cushions 30 is located in the vicinity of a related one of the longitudinal bars 11.

The treadmill 20 further includes two rollers 22 and a belt 23. The rollers 22 are supported on the longitudinal bars 11. The platform 21 is located between the rollers 22. The belt 23 is in the form of an endless loop wound on the platform 21 and the rollers 22. A section of the belt 23 is forced to slide on the platform 21 as a user walks or runs on the section of the belt 23.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, only one of the cushions 30 and a related one of the longitudinal bars 11 will be described. It should however be noted that the cushions 30 are identical to each other while the longitudinal bars 11 are identical to each other. The cushion 30 includes a contact element 40 and a cushioning strip 50. The contact element 40 includes a planar upper face 41, an arched lower face 42 and two walls 43. Each of the walls 43 includes an arched edge extending parallel to the arched lower face 42.

The planar upper face 41 of the contact element 40 is in contact with a lower face of the platform 21. Two screws are driven in the contact element 40 through the platform 21, thus securing the contact element 40 to the platform 20.

The cushioning strip 50 may be made of fibers by weaving. Alternatively, the cushioning strip 50 may be made of a plastic material or rubber by injection molding. The cushioning strip 50 is bent and therefore includes a bent portion 52, two ends 51 and two overlapped portions 53 each extending between the bent portion 52 and a related one of the ends 51.

The bent portion 52 of the cushioning strip 50 is wound on a block 13 secured to the longitudinal bar 11. The overlapped ends 53 of the cushioning strip 50 are sandwiched between a plate 56 and the cross bar 12. The plate 56 is secured to the crossbar 12 by a screw 55. Thus, the ends 51 of the cushioning strip 50 are secured to the crossbar 12. Now, the cushioning strip 50 is supported on the block 13 and the crossbar 12. The cushioning strip 50 extends parallel to the longitudinal bar 11.

Two auxiliary elements 54 are secured to the longitudinal bar 11. The overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50 are supported on the auxiliary elements 54.

Referring to FIG. 4, only one of the auxiliary elements 54 will be described. It should however be noted that the auxiliary elements 54 are identical to each other. The auxiliary element 54 is a bent rod that includes a first section and a second section, with an acute angle defined between the first and second sections. The first section of the auxiliary element 54 is partially inserted in the longitudinal bar 11. Moreover, the first section of the auxiliary element 54 is in contact with the overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50. The second section of the auxiliary element 54 is abutted against the longitudinal bar 11. The first section of the auxiliary element 54 extends horizontally for keeping the width of the overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50 horizontally. The second section of the auxiliary element 54 extends in an inclined manner to well support the first section and hence the overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50. With the auxiliary element 54, the tension in the cushioning strip 50 is increased.

The overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50 are located between the walls 43 of the contact element 40. A distance of the arched lower face 42 of the contact element 42 from the arched edge of each of the walls 43 is longer than the thickness of the cushioning strip 50. Thus, the overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50 are kept between the walls 43 of the contact element 40. That is, the cushioning strip 50 is positioned relative to the contact element 40.

Referring FIG. 3, when the user walks or runs on the belt 23, he or she exerts impacts on the platform 21 through the belt 23. The impacts are transferred to the overlapped portions 53 of the cushioning strip 50 through the contact element 40. The impacts are substantially absorbed by the cushioning strip 50 while the length of the cushioning strip 50 varies.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is show a cushion in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except for three things. At first, a cushioning strip 60 is used instead of the cushioning strip 50. The cushioning strip 60 is an endless loop with two bent portions 61 and two overlapped portions 62. Secondly, an additional block 13 is used and the screw 55 and the plate 56 are saved. That is, two blocks 13 are attached to the longitudinal bar 11. Thirdly, two auxiliary elements 70 are used instead of the auxiliary elements 54. Each of the auxiliary elements 70 is a short tube connected to the longitudinal bar 11. Each of the bent portions 61 of the cushioning strip 60 is wound on a related one of the blocks 13. One of the overlapped portions 62 of the cushioning strip 60 is supported on the auxiliary elements 70 while the other one of the overlapped portions 62 of the cushioning strip 60 is in contact with the contact element 40.

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. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A treadmill including:

a base including two longitudinal bars;

two rollers supported on the longitudinal bars;

a platform located between the rollers; and

two cushions each including a cushioning strip supported on a related one of the longitudinal bars for cushioning the platform.

2. The treadmill in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cushioning strip extends parallel to the related longitudinal bar.

3. The treadmill in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base includes at least one crossbar connected to the longitudinal bars.

4. The treadmill in accordance with claim 3, wherein each of the cushions further includes a block attached to the related longitudinal bar, wherein the cushioning strip is supported on the crossbar and the block.

5. The treadmill in accordance with claim 4, wherein the cushioning strip is attached to the crossbar at an end and attached to the block at another end.

6. The treadmill in accordance with claim 4, wherein the cushioning strip is bent and therefore includes a bent portion, two ends, and two overlapped portions each extending between the bent portion and a related one of the ends, wherein the ends of the cushioning strip are secured to the crossbar, wherein the bent portion of the cushioning strip is wound on the block.

7. The treadmill in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of the cushions further includes a screw for securing the ends of the cushioning strip to the crossbar.

8. The treadmill in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of the cushions further includes a plate secured to the crossbar by the screw, wherein the ends of the cushioning strip are sandwiched between the plate and the crossbar.

9. The treadmill in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of the cushions includes two auxiliary elements attached to the related longitudinal bar and located between the crossbar and the block, wherein the cushioning strip is supported on the auxiliary elements so that the tension in the cushioning strip is increased.

10. The treadmill in accordance with claim 9, wherein each of the auxiliary elements is a bent rod formed with a horizontal section inserted in the related longitudinal bar and an included section abutted against the related longitudinal bar.

11. The treadmill in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the cushions further includes two blocks attached to the related longitudinal bar, wherein the cushioning strip is supported on the blocks.

12. The treadmill in accordance with claim 11, wherein the cushioning strip is an endless loop wound on the blocks.

13. The treadmill in accordance with claim 12, wherein each of the cushions includes two auxiliary elements attached to the related longitudinal bar between the crossbar and the block, wherein the cushioning strip is supported on the auxiliary elements so that the tension in the cushioning strip is increased.

14. The treadmill in accordance with claim 13, wherein each of the auxiliary elements is a tube connected to the related longitudinal bar.

15. The treadmill in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the cushions further includes a contact element formed with a planar upper side attached to the platform and an arched lower face in contact with the cushioning strip.

16. The treadmill in accordance with claim 15, wherein the contact element further includes two walls formed thereon for restraining the cushioning strip.

17. The treadmill in accordance with claim 16, wherein a distance from the arched lower face to the edge of each of the walls is longer than the thickness of the cushioning strip.