Treadmill

Abstract

A treadmill includes a frame, two front wheels supported on the frame, two rear wheels supported on the frame, a caterpillar track wound on the front and rear wheels, and two rolling units each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track. Each of the front wheels includes a periphery and a plurality of recesses defined in the periphery. Each of the rolling units includes rollers each of which can be received in a related one of recesses.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a treadmill including a caterpillar track and an apparatus for stably driving the caterpillar track.

[0003] 2. Related Prior Art

[0004] In a modern society, many people work and spend long hours in offices every day. These people must exercise their bodies to remain physically healthy. There are various exercise machines to facilitate these people to exercise various muscles of their bodies.

[0005] Such exercise machines include pedaling exercise machines, steppers, oval-movement exercise machines, treadmills and multi-functional exercise machines. Treadmills are the most popular exercise machines among them. A typical electric treadmill includes a frame, an active roller supported on the frame, an idle roller also supported on the frame, a belt wound on the active and idle rollers, and a motor for driving the active roller. Thus, the motor drives the belt through the active roller. The periphery of the active roller is smooth and sometimes slides relative to an internal surface of the belt so that the active roller fails to drive the belt. That is, the driving of the belt by the motor through the active roller is unstable.

[0006] The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0007] It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a treadmill with a stably driven caterpillar track.

[0008] To achieve the foregoing objective, the treadmill further includes a frame, two front wheels supported on the frame, two rear wheels supported on the frame, and two rolling units each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track. The caterpillar track is wound on the front and rear wheels. Each of the front wheels includes a periphery and a plurality of recesses defined in the periphery. Each of the rolling units includes rollers each of which can be received in a related one of recesses.

[0009] 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

[0010] The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of two embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a front portion of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a rear portion of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a front portion of the treadmill shown in FIG. 6; and

[0018] FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, a treadmill includes a frame 10, two front wheels 50 supported on the frame 10, two rear wheels 60 also supported on the frame 10, a caterpillar track 20 wound on the front wheels 50 and the rear wheels 60, two rolling units 30 each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track 20, and two guiding units 40 each for guiding a related one of the rolling units 30 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Although not shown, a motor is connected to the front wheels 50 so that the motor drives the caterpillar track 20 through the front wheels 50.

[0020] The frame 10 includes three crossbars 11 located between and connected to two longitudinal bars 12 so that the frame 10 is rectangular. The frame 10 includes a front end 13 and a rear end 14. The longitudinal bars 12 extend from the front end 13 to the rear end 14. Two pads 15 are attached to a lower surface of each of the longitudinal bars 12 to facilitate stable positioning of the frame 10 on the ground or a floor.

[0021] The caterpillar track 20 includes a plurality of slabs 22 connected to one another by two chains. Each of the chains is connected to a related one of the edges of the caterpillar track 20. In detail, each of the slabs 22 includes two pivots each extending from a related one of two opposite ends. Each of the chains includes a plurality of links 21. Each of the links 21 includes two apertures each for receiving a related one of the pivots of a related one of the slabs 22. That is, each of the pivots of each of the slabs 22 is inserted through a related one of the apertures of each of two related links 21.

[0022] Each of the rolling units 30 includes a plurality of rollers 31. Each of the rollers 31 of each of the rolling units 30 is provided on a related one of the pivots of a related one of the slabs 22 and retained there by a nut 23 for example.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, each of the guiding units 40 includes an upper rail 41, an upper cushioning strip 42, a lower rail 43 and a lower cushioning strip 44. The upper rails 41 and the lower rails 43 are connected to the frame 10.

[0024] The upper rail 41 of each of the guiding units 40 includes a groove for receiving the upper cushioning strip 42 and some of the rollers 31 of a related one of the rolling units 30. Thus, some of the rollers 31 of each of the rolling units 30 are guided by the upper rail 41 of the related guiding unit 40. The upper cushioning strip 42 of each of the guiding units 40 is attached to the upper rail 41 by adhesion for example. The upper cushioning strip 42 of each of the guiding units 40 is located between the upper rail 41 and the related rollers 31 of the related rolling unit 30. Thus, there is little vibration or noise when some of the rollers 31 of each of the rolling units 30 roll on the upper rail 41 of the related guiding unit 40.

[0025] Similarly, the lower rail 43 of each of the guiding units 40 includes a groove for receiving the lower cushioning strip 44 and some others of the rollers 31 of a related one of the rolling units 30. Thus, some of the rollers 31 of each of the rolling units 30 are guided by the rails 41 and 43 of a related one of the guiding units 40. The lower cushioning strip 44 of each of the guiding units 40 is attached to the lower rail 43 by adhesion for example. The lower cushioning strip 44 of each of the guiding units 40 is located between the lower rail 43 and the related rollers 31 of the related rolling unit 30. Thus, there is little vibration or noise when some of the rollers 31 of each of the rolling units 30 roll on the lower rail 43 of the related guiding unit 40.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the front wheels 50 are supported on a front axle 51 connected to the longitudinal bars 12 of the frame 10. The axle 51 is connected to the motor, directly or indirectly. Each of the front wheels 50 includes a plurality of recesses 53 defined in the periphery 52, stops 54 each located next to a related one of the recesses 53, and cutouts 55 each defined in a related one of the stops 54. Each of the recesses 53 receives a related one of the rollers 31 and each of the cutouts 55 receives a related one of the nuts 23. The stops 54 of the front wheels 50 prevent lateral movement of the related rollers 31.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the rear wheels 60 are supported on a rear axle 61 supported on the longitudinal bars 12 of the frame 10. Each of the rear wheels 60 is supported on the rear axle 61 through a bearing 62. Each of the rear wheels 60 includes a stop 64 extending along the periphery 63. The stops 64 of the rear wheels 60 prevent lateral movement of the related rollers 31.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 6 through 8, there is shown a treadmill according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except two things. Firstly, two rear wheels 50 are used instead of the rear wheels 60.

[0029] Secondly, each of the front and rear wheels 50 is located in an opposite direction. Therefore, the cutouts 55 of the front wheels 50 are located between the recesses 53, and the cutouts 55 of the rear wheels 50 are located between the recesses 53.

[0030] Thirdly, a shaft 25 is supported on each of two U-shaped elements 24 attached to an internal face of each of the slabs 22, with each of the U-shaped elements 24 located near a related one of the opposite ends of the slab 22. A ring 32 is supported on each of the shafts 25 before each of the rollers 31 is supported on a related one of the shafts 25. Each of the rings 32 is located in a related one of the cutouts 55 while each of the rings 32 is located in a related one of the recesses 53.

[0031] The treadmill of the present invention exhibits several advantages. At first, where the front axle 51 is connected to a motor, the motor stably drives the caterpillar track 20 via the front wheels 50 because some of the rollers 31 are received in some of the recesses 53.

[0032] Secondly, no matter whether the front axle 51 is connected to a motor or not, undesired lateral movement of the caterpillar track 20 between the longitudinal bars 12 is prevented. That is, smooth operation of the caterpillar track 20 is ensured.

[0033] Thirdly, the operation of the treadmill is peaceful and quiet because of the cushioning strips 42 and 44.

[0034] 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 frame formed with a front end and a rear end; two front wheels supported on the frame near the front end, wherein each of the front wheels includes a periphery and a plurality of recesses defined in the periphery; two rear wheels supported on the frame near the rear end; a caterpillar track wound on the front and rear wheels; and two rolling units each connected to a related one of two edges of the caterpillar track, wherein each of the rolling units includes rollers each of which can be received in a related one of recesses.

2. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein each of the front wheels includes stops each located next to a related one of the recesses for preventing undesired lateral movement of a related one of the rollers.

3. The treadmill according to claim 2, wherein each of the front wheels includes cutouts each defined in a related one of the stops for receiving a reduced extensive portion of each of the slabs.

4. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein each of the rear wheels includes a periphery and a stop extending along the periphery for preventing undesired lateral movement of a related one of the rollers.

5. The treadmill according to claim 1, further including two guiding units each for guiding a related one of the rolling units.

6. The treadmill according to claim 5, wherein each of the guiding units includes upper and lower rails each for guiding some of the rollers.

7. The treadmill according to claim 6, wherein each of the guiding units includes upper and lower cushioning strips respectively attached to the upper and lower rails for cushioning the related rollers.

8. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a front axle for supporting the front wheels.

9. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the caterpillar track includes: a plurality of slabs; and two chains each including links each connected to a related one of two opposite ends of a related one of the slabs.

10. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a rear axle for supporting the rear wheels.

11. The treadmill according to claim 10, further including two bearings for supporting the rear wheels on the rear axle.

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