Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02317857 2000-09-07
Attorney Docket No.
LF-20863
TREADMILL MECHANISM
Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to exercise equipment and in particular to
exercise
treadmills
Background of the Invention
I 0 Exercise treadmills are widely used for performing walking or running
aerobic-type
exercise while the user remains in a relatively stationary position. In
addition exercise
treadmills are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Generally, for
all of these
purposes, the person on the treadmill performs an exercise routine at a
relatively steady and
continuous level of physical activity. One example of such a treadmill is
provided in U.S.
1 S Patent No. 5,752, 897.
Although exercise treadmills have reached a relatively high state of
development,
there are a number of significant improvements in the mechanical structure of
a treadmill that
can improve the user's exercise experience as well improve the maintainability
and reduce
the cost of manufacture of treadmills.
Summary of the Invention
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an exercise treadmill
having an
improved mechanical arrangement.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an exercise treadmill with an
upwardly
curving center handlebar that allows the user to grasp the handlebar at a
number of different
heights and provides additional knee room for a user running on the treadmill.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an exercise treadmill with
a pair of
side hand rails where the rear portions flair outwardly.
Another object of the invention is to provide an exercise treadmill with
pivoting rear
legs.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an exercise treadmill
having a snap-
m accessory tray.
CA 02317857 2004-08-23
An additional object of the invention is to provide a removable overlay over
certain
portions of a treadmill control panel such as a key pad.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a treadmill having a
control
panel that includes user controls with an auxiliary control panel having a
subset of the user
controls.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a housing covering a
treadmill frame
with an access panel to provide ready access to various components of the
treadmill
including in some treadmills components of a belt lubrication system.
Additionally, it is an object of the invention to provide a treadmill belt
lubrication
t o system, where a lubricant such as wax is sprayed on the belt from a
nozzle, with a
mechanism for spraying a priming pulse of the lubricant through the nozzle of
the system
prior to the normal belt spraying operation of the system.
A further object of the invention is to provide an exercise treadmill having a
control
panel having support ribs formed from gas-assist molded injected plastic.
15 Still another object of the invention is to provide a treadmill with a belt
having a
pre-glazed surface.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an exercise treadmill having
a
motor connected to a pulley for moving a belt where the motor is secured to
the frame of the
treadmill by a mounting structure that includes resilient members to isolate
the frame from
2o motor vibration.
A further object of the invention is to provide an exercise treadmill with a
double
sided deck having its under side covered by a protective tape to protect the
waxed surface.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an exercise treadmill,
comprising: a
frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned
substantially
25 parallel to each other, a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members
for providing
longitudinal structural support for said frame structure, and a motor support
member; a
motor for rotating a first one of said pulleys; a motor mounting structure for
securing said
motor to said motor support member including a plurality of resilient members
effective to
isolate said frame structure from the vibration of said motor; a deck member
secured to said
3o frame; a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal
direction over said
deck member when said first pulley is rotated; and a control panel secured to
said frame
structure and operatively connected to said motor wherein said control panel
permits a user
to control the speed of said belt.
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In another aspect, the present invention resides in an exercise treadmill,
comprising:
a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being
positioned substantially
parallel to each other, a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members for
providing
longitudinal structural support for said frame structure, and a motor support
member; a
motor for rotating a first one of said pulleys; a motor mounting structure for
securing said
motor to said motor support member including a plurality of resilient members
effective to
isolate said frame structure from the vibration of said motor wherein said
motor mounting
structure includes a mounting plate secured to said motor and said motor
support member
and a first set of said resilient members secured between said mounting plate
and said motor
l0 support member; a deck member secured to said frame; a belt secured over
said pulleys so
as to move in a longitudinal direction over said deck member when said first
pulley is
rotated; and a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively
connected to
said motor wherein said control panel permits a user to control the speed of
said belt.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig 1. is a perspective view of an assembled exercise treadmill according to
the
invention;
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the assembled exercise treadmill of Fig. 1
illustrating
the outward flare of a pair of side arm handles;
Figs. 3-7 are views of a central arm handle of the treadmill of Fig. 1;
Figs. 8A-B are side views of the treadmill of Fig. 1 illustrating a pivoting
rear foot
assembly;
Fig. 9A is a perspective view of a pad assembly for use with the pivoting foot
2a
r~~
CA 02317857 2000-09-07
assembly of Fig. 8;
Fig. 9B is a sectioned side view of the pad assembly for use with the pivoting
foot
assembly of Fig. 9A;
Fig. 10 is a partial, exploded perspective view of the control panel used in
the exercise
treadmill of Fig. 1 illustrating a pair of snap-in accessory trays and a
removable overlay;
Fig. 11A is a perspective view of an assembled exercise treadmill showing the
location of an auxiliary control panel according to the invention;
Fig.llB is an enlarged perspective view of the location of an auxiliary
control panel
of Fig. 1 1A;
Fig. 12A is a perspective view of an assembled auxiliary control panel of
Figs. 11 A-
B;
Fig. 12B is an exploded perspective top view of the assembled auxiliary
control panel
of Figs. 1 lA-B;
Fig. 12C is an exploded perspective bottom view of the assembled auxiliary
control
panel of Figs. 1 lA-B;
Fig. 13 is a partial, exploded perspective view of the exercise treadmill of
Fig. 1
illustrating a removable access panel;
Fig. 14 is a partial, broken away, top plan view of the treadmill of Figs. l
and 2
showing a belt lubrication mechanism;
Fig. 15 is a sectioned drawing of a portion of the exercise treadmill of Fig.
1
illustrating the formation of a structural rib formed by gas-assist injection
molding;
Fig. 16 is a top plan view of a lower housing of the control panel of Fig. 10
illustrating structural components formed by the gas-assist injection molding
method of Fig.
15;
Fig. 17 is an illustration of a woven belt having a glazed surface for use
with the
treadmills of Figs. l and 11;
Fig. 18 is a sectioned, partial side view of a treadmill of the type in Fig.
11 having a
first embodiment of a motor isolation mount according to the invention;
Fig. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the motor isolation mount of Fig.
18;
Fig. 20 is an assembled perspective view of the motor isolation mount of Fig.
18;
Fig. 21 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a motor
isolation
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mount;
Fig. 22 is an assembled perspective view of the second embodiment of a motor
isolation mount of Fig. 21;
Fig. 23 is a top view of a third embodiment of a motor isolation mount;
Fig. 24 is a bottom perspective view of the third embodiment of a motor
isolation
mount of Fig. 23;
Fig. 25 is a side view of the third embodiment of the motor isolation mount of
Fig.
23;
Fig. 26 is a plan view of an underside of a double sided treadmill deck
according to
the invention; and
Fig. 27 is a block diagram of the control system suitable for use with the
treadmills of
Figs. I -25.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Fig. 1 shows the general outer configuration of an exercise treadmill 10,
according to
the invention, where the treadmill includes a central arm handle 12 that
extends upwardly
from a pair of side handrails 14 and 16. In the preferred embodiment of the
invention, the
central arm handle 12 is curved in the general shape of an arc. By providing
an upward
extension in the center arm handle 12, it makes it possible for treadmill
users to grasp the
central handle 12 in a number of different vertical locations and also
accommodates the knees
of users who might be running close to the front of the treadmill 10. Included
in the central
arm handle 12 in one embodiment of the invention are a pair of electrodes 18
and 20 for
obtaining the user's heart rate as generally taught in Leon et al, U.S. Patent
No. 5,365,934. A
more detailed view of the arm handle 12 is provided in Figs. 23-27. One
advantage of
placing the electrodes 18 and 20 on the upward extending portions of the
central arm handle
I 2 as shown in Fig. 1 is that it makes it significantly more convenient for
some users to grasp
the electrodes 18 and 20 while running on the treadmill 10.
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate another feature of the invention where each of the
side
handrails 14 and 16 have a rear portion 22 and 24 respectively that flare
outwardly. In the
preferred embodiment of the invention, the side handrails 14 and 16 are
secured to a pair of
handrail support members 26 and 28 respectively that extend upwardly from the
frame (not
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CA 02317857 2000-09-07
shown) of the treadmill 10. As is conventional in exercise treadmill design,
the treadmill
frame includes a pair of longitudinal frame members (not shown) that are
concealed by a pair
of frame housings 30 and 32. The longitudinal frame members support a pair of
pulleys, such
as 33, over which a belt 34 is rotatably mounted for longitudinal movement and
supported by
a deck 36 which in turn is supported on the frame. An example of such a design
is shown in
U.S. Patent No. 5,752,897. One advantage of the flared portions 22 and 24 of
the side
handrails 14 and 16 is that it reduces interference with the user's hands as
he runs on the
treadmill. Also, the handrail support members 26 and 28 extend at an angle
rearwardly from
the forward end of the treadmill 10 adjacent to a motor housing 38 in order to
reduce
l 0 potential interference with the user's feet.
Figs. 3-7 provide a detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment of the
central
arm handle 12. In this embodiment, the central arm handle 12 includes a sensor
housing 40
that can be configured to contain an infrared sensor for determining if a user
is on the
treadmill belt 34.
1 S Figs. 8A-B and 9A-B show a pivot mechanism 42 which forms part of a rear
foot
assembly on the treadmill 10. This overcomes the common problem of wear and
tear on floor
surfaces as a result of treadmill wheel and foot movement. Typical treadmills
feature an
inclination mechanism that include a pair of power lift arms, such as the one
shown at 46,
that pivot about a pair of supports such as 47 near the front of the treadmill
10 and fixed rear
20 feet attached, of the type shown on the treadmill 10' in Fig. 18, near the
rear of the treadmill
10'. The lift arm 46 is typically fitted with a pair of wheels 48 rotatably
mounted on an axle
50. In most treadmills, the treadmill inclines by tilting on fixed rear feet
about a point on the
floor as the lift arm 46 inclines the treadmill 10. This action results in
wheel movement in
the longitudinal direction of the treadmill 10. The amount of wheel movement
is dependent
25 on the relative positions of the pivot point to each other, including the
height of the wheel
axle 50 compared to the fixed rear foot pivot point. In most cases, the front
wheels 48 will
roll to the rearward. However, in the preferred embodiment of the invention,
by moving the
rear pivot point up from the floor utilizing the pivot mechanism 42, the
movement of the
front wheels 48 can be controlled so that their movement occurs both forward
and rearward
30 during the inclining of the treadmill 10. The preferred embodiment of the
pivot mechanism
42 includes a bracket 52 and a pin 54 rotatably secured within the bracket 52
with a floor pad
CA 02317857 2000-09-07
56 attached to the pin 54. Fig. 9A is a perspective view and Fig. 9B is a
sectioned side view
of the preferred structure of the pad 56 and also depicts a support member
such as a screw 58
for attaching the pad 56 to the pin 54. The pad 56 itself includes a circular
plate 60 and a
rubber overmold 62 covering the lower surface of the pad 56. In addition to
reducing the
overall movement of the wheel 48 on the floor, the use of the pivot mechanism
42 will permit
the use of the flat pad 56 on the bottom of the assembly 46 thus eliminating
edge loading on
the floor.
Fig. 10 illustrates two other features of the invention. The first feature is
a pair of
snap-in trays 64 and 66. Because most treadmills use fixed accessory trays,
they tend to
accumulate dirt, sweat and other fluids in health club environments. By
providing the snap-
trays 64 and 66 which can be inserted and removed without tools from a
receiving portion
indicated at 68 in a treadmill user interface or control panel 70, cleaning of
the trays 64 and
66 is substantially facilitated. In the preferred embodiment the trays 64 and
66 are configured
with lips 72 and 74 for supporting the trays 64 and 66 within the receiving
portion 68 on the
upper surface of the control panel 70.
The second feature shown in Fig. 10 is a fitted, removable transparent overlay
76
(shown in phantom) which can essentially be removed without tools . Typically
the control
panel 70 features an electronic keypad (not shown) that in the preferred
embodiment is
covered by the overlay 76. Since the keypad is subject to considerable wear,
utilizing the
removable overlay 76 can significantly reduce maintenance costs.
Figs. 1 lA-B and 12A-C depict an additional feature of the invention where an
auxiliary control panel 78 is utilized in conjunction with a main control
panel 70' of another
embodiment 10' of a treadmill. In the preferred embodiment of the invention,
the auxiliary
control panel 78, as shown in Fig. 1 1A is secured to the lower part of the
main control panel
70'. The treadmill 10' is shown in Fig. 1 1A as having a somewhat different
configuration but
the essential treadmill elements are the same as the treadmill 10. In this
embodiment the
auxiliary treadmill 78 is located between a pair of user trays 79A and 79B.
Most exercise
treadmills have a number of user controls that can include: a keypad speed,
incline, start,
exercise program, and stop buttons (not shown in Figs. 11A-B). Preferably the
auxiliary
control panel 78 has a subset of the user controls on the main control panel
70' and as in the
preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 12A-C these controls can include a set of
speed control
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CA 02317857 2000-09-07
buttons 80A-B, a set of incline control buttons 82A-B and a stop button 84. In
addition,
preferably these buttons 80A-B, 82A-B and 84 are larger than the corresponding
control
buttons on the main control panel 70'. The subset of controls for the
auxiliary control panel
78 is preferably selected to provide the user with easily used controls for
the most common
changes that he is likely to make while running on the treadmill 10'. The
preferred
construction of the auxiliary control panel 78 as shown in Figs. 12A-C
includes a base of
thermoplastic resin 85 and an overmolded thermoplastic elastomer resin made by
mufti-shot
injection molding techniques. The base resin 85A provides a support structure
and shape to
the part. The control buttons 80A-B, 82A-B and 84 are connected to the
auxiliary control
panel 78 by a set of living hinges indicated by 85B with designed in bosses
opposite each
control button 80A-B, 82A-B and 84. When the user deflects one of the buttons
80A-B,
82A-B and 84, the deflection is transmitted through the boss and into a pad of
an electrical
membrane switch (not shown) located opposite of the boss. The overmolded
elastomeric
resin provides a soft touch feeling to the user due to its low durometer,
rubber like
I S characteristics. The overmolded resin can in addition act as a color
separator, functions to
seal the gaps between the control buttons 80A-B, 82A-B and 84 and the base
resin 85A thus
providing a liquid proof barrier to the electronics located beneath the
auxiliary control panel
78.
Fig. 13 illustrates another feature of the invention which is the use of one
oi- more
access panels such as an access panel shown at 86. In many cases, treadmill
parts or systems
such as the lubrication system described in Szymczak et al, U.S. Patent No.
5,433,679, are
located between the upper run and the lower run of the treadmill belt 34.
Typically structural
features, such as the treadmill frame housings 30 and 32, the deck 36 and the
belt 34, will
limit access to these parts. In some cases the treadmill 10 might have to be
substantially
disassembled to service such systems. By providing the access panels) 86 to
cover an
opening 88 in.the housings 30 and 32, serviceable parts and systems can be
easily reached,
viewed and serviced without disassembling, relocating or turning the treadmill
10 over. The
access panels) 86 can be secured to the housings 30 and 32 by a set of
fasteners 90A and
90B, screws, bolts or clips for example, to provide ready access to the
components of the
treadmill 10. This will result in: improved serviceability; greater likelihood
of service being
performed; and reduced maintenance costs. It should be noted that the access
panels) 86, as
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CA 02317857 2000-09-07
shown in Figs 1, 2, 8 and 9 can be located in different portions of the
treadmill housings 30
and 32 depending upon the location in the treadmill 10 of the systems to be
serviced.
Fig. 14 depicts an example of a treadmill belt lubrication system 92 of the
type
described in U.S. Patent No. 5,433,679. In this lubrication system 92, a pump
94 obtains a
lubricant from a reservoir 96 via a line 98 and applies it through another
line (not shown) to a
spray nozzle 100. The nozzle 100 will periodically spray the lubricant,
preferably a paraffin
wax solution, on the inner surface 102 of the lower run of the belt 34 in
order to apply the
lubricant to the deck 36. In the preferred embodiment, the composition of the
lubricant is
0.6% paraffin wax, 0.9% emulsifiers and 98.5% water by weight and the nozzle
100 sprays
an 11.5 inch width of the lubricant on the surface 102. However, it has been
found that after
each spray of the lubricant a hardened residue of wax and the emulsifier tends
to remain on
the orifice of the nozzle 100. This residue can alter the spray
characteristics of the nozzle 100
and in some instances block its orifice altogether. One approach to solving
this problem is to
heat the nozzle 100 but cost, safety concerns and electrical system
considerations tend to
make this solution impractical. In the preferred embodiment of the invention,
a short,
preferably 0.5 to 2.0 second, priming pulse of the lubricant is pumped by the
pump 94
through the nozzle 100 prior to initiating the regular belt lubrication spray.
It is believed that
the priming pulse acts to clear the orifice of the nozzle 100 by having the
emulsifier in the
priming pulse emulsify the wax residue and in combination with emulsifier acts
to soften the
residue so the regular spray through the nozzle 100 can clear the orifice. The
period between
the priming pulse and the regular pulse is preferably on the order of 5
minutes in order to give
the residue sufficient time to soften. The use of a priming pulse in a
treadmill lubrication
system of the type indicated at 92 has a number of advantages. For example,
the cost of
implementing this process is very low since it only requires a minor change to
the software
controlling which controls the lubrication system 92. Also, because this
process is essentially
a self cleaning process, the nozzle 100 will not clog regardless of how many
times lubricant
is sprayed. It should be noted that the spray times described above are based
on the
characteristics of the nozzle 100 and the lubricant discussed above and
modifications of these
times might be desirable based on the use of different lubricants or nozzle
configurations. In
the preferred embodiment, the lubrication system 92 including the priming
pulse can be
implemented using the control system 234 as described in connection with Fig.
27 below.
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Fig. 1 S along with Fig. 16 illustrate a further feature of the invention. In
order to
reduce cost and weight in treadmills, injection molded plastic parts are often
used in various
parts of the treadmill. However, some of the parts, such as the control panel
70, require rib
sections having a high degree of structural strength. The desired structural
characteristics
have been accomplished in some treadmills by reinforcing the ribs with metal
parts or
molding the parts with tall or thick rib sections. However, using injection
molding to form
these types of rib sections typically results in poor aesthetics such as sink
marks or poor pan
moldability. By utilizing a gas assist injection molding process, sound
structural features can
readily be designed into the part without introducing sink marks along with
increasing the
moldability of the part, that is, increasing the yield and reducing short
shots. An example of
such a gas assisted injected molded rib section is shown in Fig. 1 S. In this
example, a rib
section 104 of the part to be molded having, for instance a height of 1 '/Z "
and a thickness of
1/8", is formed from the material in a base portion 106, which is
approximately 1l8" thick
This rib 104 can be used in an upper control panel housing 108 of the control
panel 70. The
gas assist injection molding process will cause a void 110 due to the
injection of a gas into
the cavity 110 resulting in the surface 112 under the void 110 having a smooth
surface. Gas
assist injection molding process equipment can be obtained from CinpressTM and
Alliance Gas
SystemsTM and the process can be performed by Victor PlasticsTM of Victor,
Iowa. A specific
example of such molded ribs 104 in the control panel housing 108 is shown in
Fig.16 where a
set of longitudinal support ribs 104A-F are formed by the gas assist injection
molding
process. These ribs 104A-F provide the primary longitudinal support for the
control panel 70
and by using these types of support ribs, the making of larger panels that are
less subject to
vibration from the treadmill 10 is facilitated. In addition, the housing 108
includes a set of
lateral support ribs 114A-B that serve to strengthen the upper portion of the
housing 108.
Also shown in Fig. 16 are a number of gas pin nozzles 116A-D that are used to
inject gas into
the ribs 104A-F and 114A-B.
Fig. 17 provides an illustration of another feature of the invention where the
treadmill
belt 34 has a pre-glazed surface. Most treadmill belts are composed of woven
polyester or
polyurethane fabric bound to a PVC or polyurethane outer layer by a binder of
a similar
material. Typically the fabric is composed of bundles of filament
approximately 20pm in
diameter and the bundles are woven into either a plain weave or a twill weave
as shown in
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Fig. 17. It is an inner surface 116 of the belt 70 that contacts the deck 34
where frictional
loads are developed as the user walks or runs on the belt 70. It has been
found that by pre-
glazing the surface 116 of the belt 70, the frictional interface between the
deck 34 and the belt
70 can be stabilized and improved. Glazing is the process whereby the woven
fabric on the
surface 116 is transformed from individual filament stands into a smooth,
molten surface via
melting and re-setting. The preferred method of pre-glazing the surface 116 is
by calendering
where the fabric is pressed between rollers under heat without actually
melting the fibers.
Other methods of pre-glazing can include: ironing the fabric to melt the top
layer of fibers
into a smooth surface; melting the top layer of the fabric using infrared heat
or a laser;
coating the fabric with a material to fill in the voids in the surface of the
fabric using for
example a wax, teflon or silicone; and chemically glazing the fabric using a
chemical
compound or solvent sprayed on to the fabric to etch or adhere the fibers
together.
Figs. 18, 19 and 20 provide a depiction of the preferred embodiment of a motor
isolation mount 118 for the treadmill 10'. Corresponding components of the
treadmill 10' to
the treadmill shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are indicated with primed reference
numerals. In this
embodiment of the invention a motor 120 is secured to a motor support element
122 on the
treadmill 10' frame by the motor isolation mount 118. The motor isolation
mount includes a
mounting plate 124 having four circular openings 126A-D, a set of four studs
128A-D, and an
adjustment bracket 130 for receiving a threaded adjustment member 132. The
threaded
adjustment member 132 can be a bolt or a screw. Attached to the motor 120 is a
motor
bracket 134 configured with four longitudinal slots indicated by reference
numeral 136 and a
adjustment block 138 having a tapped receptacle 139 for receiving said
adjustment bolt.
Secured between the motor support element 122 and the mounting plate 124 are a
set of four
resilient members 140A-D, which are preferably composed of natural rubber
having a
durometer of about S0. A set of plastic collars 142A-D extend through the
openings 126A-D
and abut the resilient members 140A-D. A second set of resilient members 144A-
D located
on the top surface of the mounting plate 124 is fastened to each of the first
set of resilient
members 140A-D and to the motor support element 122 by a fastener or other
suitable
methods in order to secure the motor 120 to the motor support element 124.
Tension on a
pulley drive belt 146 which serves to connect a belt pulley 148 to the motor
120 as shown in
Fig. 18 can be adjusted by turning said adjustment bolt so as to cause said
motor bracket 136
CA 02317857 2004-05-27
to move linearly as guided by said studs 128A-D in a longitudinal direction.
Thus, the motor
isolation mount I 18 can be effective to both isolate the treadmill frame from
motor isolation
and to be used to conveniently adjust the tension on said drive belt 146.
Figs. 21 and 22 illustrate a second embodiment of a motor isolation mount 1 SO
for use
with the treadmill I0'. In this embodiment a pair of mounting brackets 152 and
154 are
welded, fastened or otherwise secured to the motor 120. A mounting plate 156
having a pair
of flanges 158 and 160 each configured with a pair of circular openings 162,
164, 166 and
I68 along with having a set of four longitudinally configured slots 170, 172,
174 and 176 is
mounted on the motor support element 124 by fasteners such as bolts or screws
(not shown).
Secured between the mounting brackets 152 and I54 is a first set of isolation
members 178,
180, 182 and 184 each having a circular resilient portion preferably
configured from natural
rubber. The isolation members 178, 180, 182 and 184 also include an extension
portion
indicated at 186, 188, 190 and 192 that extend through the openings 162, 164,
166 and 168 in
the flanges I 58 and 160. A second set of circular rubber members 194, 196,
198 and 200 are
i 5 secured on the other side of the flanges 158 and 160 and the isolation
members 178, 180, 182
and 184 by a set of fastening members, as represented by the reference
numerals 202 and 204.
Figs. 23, 24 and 25 show a third embodiment of a motor isolation mount 206 for
use
with the treadmill 10'. In this arrangement 206, a mounting plate 208 is
secured to the motor
support element 122 by a set of at least eight resilient members 210A-H which
preferably are
rubber sandwich mounts having a male thread on one end and a female thread on
the other
end and having a durometer of 50 shore A. Suitable rubber sandwich mounts of
natural
rubber or neoprene can be obtained from a number of commercial sources
including the
McMaster-CarrTM company. The motor isolation mount 206 also includes a belt
tensioning
mechanism 212 for applying the appropriate tension to the drive belt 146.
Included in the
tensioning mechanism 212 is a first bracket 214 secured to the mounting plate
208 and a
second bracket 216 attached to said motor support member I22 with a belt
tensioning screw
218 engaged with each of the brackets 212 and 214. The tensioning screw 218 is
effective to
move the motor 120 in a longitudinal direction to tension the drive belt 146.
In the preferred
embodiment of the motor isolation mount 206, the second bracket 216 includes a
circular
tensioning bracket 220 having a cylindrical rubber sleeve 222 through which
the tensioning
screw extends 218, Also, as can be seen from Fig. 25, the tensioning mechanism
212 is
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CA 02317857 2004-05-27
longitudinally aligned with the drive belt 146.
Fig. 26 provides a bottom view of a double sided treadmill deck 36' for use
with the
treadmill 10' of Fig. 18. A double sided treadmill deck is a deck where the
sides can be
reversed or flipped over when one side becomes worn due to wear from the belt
34'. Both
sides of the deck have a lubricant such as a wax coating impregnated on the
deck surfaces to
reduce friction as the belt 34' moves over the deck surface. As shown in Fig.
26, a bottom
side 224 of the deck 36' has a waxed area 226 located between dashed lines
228A-B. In order
to protect the waxed area 226 from contamination with dirt or other substances
when the deck
34' is installed with the top side of the deck being used to support the belt
34', a protective
coating or tape 230 is applied to the bottom side 224 over the waxed area 226.
Preferably,
the tape 230 will extend the length of the deck 10' and beyond the lateral
sides of the waxed
area 226 as indicated by a pair lines 232A-B, The lateral extension of the
tape 230 past the
waxed area 226 is desirable in order to provide a non-waxed area surface on
the deck 10' to
which the tape 230 can adhere. To prepare the lower surface 224 of the deck
10' for use, the
tape 230 is simply peeled away from the surface 224. Preferably, the
protective tape 230
should be self adhering while not leaving any residue on the surface 224 when
it is removed.
Also, the tape 230 preferably should not remove any of the wax 226 from the
surface 224
when it is removed. A suitable protective tape is a co-extruded polyethylene
tape that is
available from the 3MTM Industrial Tape and Specialties Division under part
numbers 25A87-
25A88.
Fig. 27 is a representative block diagram of a control system 234 suitable for
use with
the treadmills 10 and 10'. The control system 234 is generally similar to many
commercial
exercise treadmill control systems including the one shown in Fig. 16 of U.S.
Patent No.
5,752,897 which uses an AC motor to propel the belt 34. A microprocessor based
system
controller 236 is used to control a local display 238, a message display 240
and a keypad 242
on the control panel 70 along with an optional remote display 244, a remote
keypad 246, the
auxiliary stop control 84, the infrared receiver 40 and the auxiliary
treadmill controls 80A-B
and 82A-B discussed in connection with Figs. 11A-B . In addition the control
system 234 in
the treadmill 10 serves to control a motor controller 248, that in turn
controls an AC motor
250 which drives the treadmill belt 34 via pulleys (not shown), and a
treadmill incline
controller 252 that controls the incline mechanism as discussed above in
connection with
12
CA 02317857 2000-09-07
Figs. 8A-B as well as other components of the control system 234 shown in Fig.
27. The
control system 234 can also include a belt lubrication control 254 to control
the belt
lubrication system 92 and can be programed to implement the priming pulse
described in
connection with Fig. 14.
It should be noted that the various features described above have been
described in
terms of their preferred embodiments in the context of the particular
treadmills 10 and 10'
disclosed herein. The manner in which these features can be implemented will
depend upon
a number of factors including the nature of the treadmill, the nature of its
use and the
materials used for its construction. For example, there are many different
types of lubrication
systems, inclination mechanisms, mechanical arrangements, resilient members,
fasteners,
materials and components that would be suitable for implementing the various
features
described herein including the motor isolation mounts that would be
functionally equivalent
to the preferred embodiments as well as within the scope of this invention.
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