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EP 2 127 701 B1 |
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EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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Mention of the grant of the patent: |
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07.08.2013 Bulletin 2013/32 |
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Date of filing: 26.05.2008 |
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International Patent Classification (IPC):
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Side-supporting type folding mechanism for a treadmill
Seitenstützender Faltmechanismus für ein Laufband
Mécanisme pliable à support latéral pour un tapis roulant
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Designated Contracting States: |
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DE FR GB |
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Date of publication of application: |
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02.12.2009 Bulletin 2009/49 |
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Proprietor: Wang, Leao |
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Taiping City,
Taichung Hsien,
Taiwan 411 (TW) |
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Inventor: |
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- Wang, Leao
Taiping City,
Taichung Hsien,
Taiwan 411 (TW)
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Representative: Reichel, Wolfgang |
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2K Patentanwälte Blasberg Kewitz & Reichel
Partnerschaft
Schumannstrasse 27 60325 Frankfurt am Main 60325 Frankfurt am Main (DE) |
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References cited: :
US-A1- 2003 224 910
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US-B1- 6 723 027
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Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European
patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to
the European patent
granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall
not be deemed to
have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent
Convention).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Fields of the Invention
[0001] The invention relates to a treadmill having a side-supporting type folding mechanism
comprising a base frame provided with a rotating shaft, wherein both sides of the
rotating shaft are provided with a wing panel while the other ends of the wing panels
are supported by pneumatic cylinders.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] TW 588 663 teaches a treadmill having a pneumatic cylinder at both sides of the bottom of the
base frame thereof. Meanwhile, corresponding supporting elements are employed for
facilitating the folding-up action of the base frame in a vertical storage position.
However, we found that the pivot joints among the pneumatic cylinder, the auxiliary
support and the coupling supporting rod for the supporting purpose are not in the
same position of the axle line. Therefore, the pivot joint must be subject to a great
shear stress in the field of mechanics of machinery when the supporting elements are
loaded, especially when the base frame is folded-up in a vertical position. In other
words, the supporting elements at their pivot joints must be loosened and shaken after
a longer use. In a serious case, dangerous situations may happen and the pivot joints
can be suddenly broken.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An object of the invention is to provide treadmill having a side-supporting type
folding mechanism for a treadmill that employs a better arrangement of the supporting
elements such that the shear stress at loading can be effectively reduced, thereby
avoiding some potential dangerous situations.
[0005] The object is solved by the features of claim 1 In this way, a shear stress created
in bearing the loading can be eliminated, thereby effectively extending the service
life of the supporting elements
[0006] According to the invention, a side-supporting type folding mechanism for a treadmill
includes a rotating shaft pivotally disposed at the bottom of a base frame of the
treadmill. Both sides of the rotating shaft are provided with a wing panel. The other
end of the wing panel is supported by a pneumatic cylinder. Meanwhile, the center
of the wing panel is pivotally connected with a top rod such that another end of the
top rod pushes a rotating disc movable with the handrail. In addition, the center
of the rotating shaft is connected with an auxiliary support having ground-touching
rollers. Meanwhile, the pivot joints among the pneumatic cylinder, the wing panel
and the top rod are disposed at a position of the same axle line.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accomplishment of this and other objects of the invention will become apparent
from the following description and its accompanying drawings of which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the action of the embodiment of the invention according
to FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention according to FIG.
1 in a folded-up position;
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of the action of the invention according to FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0008] The present invention will now be described in more detail hereinafter with reference
to the accompanying drawings that show various embodiments of the invention.
[0009] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a transmission motor set 11 is disposed at one side of
a base frame 11 in cooperation with a transmission belt 12, a front roller 13 and
a rear roller 14 for rotating a continuous moving belt (not shown). Moreover, a lifting
motor 15 is used for changing the vertical position of an adjusting support 16 to
adjust the supporting inclination of the base frame 10. Besides, both sides of the
base frame 10 are provided with two connecting pins 17, 18 for connecting a handrail
19 and a rotating shaft 20.
[0010] Referring to FIG. 3 through 6, both sides of the rotating shaft 20 are provided with
a wing panel 21. The other end of the wing panel 21 is supported by a pneumatic cylinder
22. Meanwhile, the center of the wing panel 21 is pivotally connected with a top rod
23 such that another end of the top rod 23 pushes a rotating disc 24 movable with
the handrail 19. In addition, the center of the rotating shaft 20 is connected with
an auxiliary support 26 having ground-touching rollers 25. Meanwhile, the pivot joints
A, B, C, D among the pneumatic cylinder 22, the wing panel 21 and the top rod 23 are
disposed at a position of the same axle line (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In this way, a potential
great shear stress created between the supporting elements can be eliminated when
the treadmill is folded in a folded position. Thus, the service life of the supporting
elements can be extended.
[0011] Therefore, the pneumatic cylinder 22 is pushed by the weight of the base frame 10
into a compressed state when the base frame 10 is brought in an operational position.
When the operator lifts the rear side of the base frame 10, the pneumatic cylinder
22 provides a proper auxiliary pushing force such that the wing panel 21 is rotated
with the rotating shaft 20. In this way, the top rod 23 is pushed forward. At the
same time, the rotating shaft 20 is rotated as well such that the auxiliary support
26 creates a synchronic rotation. Meanwhile, the auxiliary support 26 is in cooperation
with the ground-touching rollers 25 to move in direction of the front end of the base
frame 10 until the base frame 10 is brought in a stable vertical folded position.
[0012] When the operator pulls a lever 30 to move the base frame 10 downward, the ground-touching
rollers 25 of the auxiliary support 26 are brought in a ground-touching and sliding
position. Meanwhile, the cushioning effect created by the pneumatic cylinder 22 is
utilized until the base frame 10 is moved downward in a horizontal position. In this
way, a stable and effort-saving effect is achieved.
[0013] In fact, the handrail 19 will be moved in direction of the base frame 10 when the
rotating disc 24 is pushed by the top rod 23. Meanwhile, a handle 28 can be simultaneously
moved in direction of the base frame 10 by a coupling support rod 27 within the handrail
19.
[0014] In addition, a locking mechanism 40 in cooperation with locking holes 29 in the rotating
disc 24 is employed for avoiding a false support action of the pneumatic cylinder
22 when the base frame 10 is in a horizontal position. In this way, an active locking
effect is achieved. The locking mechanism 40 consists of a pull ring 41, a connecting
rod 42, a cross type connecting rod 43, two lateral locking pins 44 and two springs
45. In brief, the pull ring 41 has to be pulled first such that two lateral locking
pins 44 are detached from the rotating disc 24 to fold the base frame 10 in a storage
position. When the base frame 10 is returned back to the horizontal position, the
lateral locking pins 44 can be automatically locked into the locking holes 29 of the
rotating disc 24 due to the resilience of the springs 45.
[0015] Many changes and modifications in the above-described embodiments of the invention
can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly,
to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed
and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
1. A treadmill having a side-supporting folding mechanism, comprising a base frame (10)
provided with a rotating shaft (20), wherein both sides of the rotating shaft (20)
are provided with a wing panel (21) while the other ends of the wing panels (21) are
supported by pneumatic cylinders (22),
wherein the centers of the wing panels (21) are pivotally connected with top rods
(23) such that the other ends of the top rods (23) push rotating discs (24) movable
with a handrail (19),
wherein the center of the rotating shaft (20) is connected with an auxiliary support
(26) having ground-touching rollers (25),
so that the pivot joints (A, B, C, D) among the pneumatic cylinder (22), the wing
panel (21) and the top rod (23) on each side are disposed at a position of the same
axle line.
2. The treadmill having a side-supporting folding mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein
the treadmill has a transmission motor set (11) disposed at one side of a base frame
(10) in cooperation with a transmission belt (12), a front roller (13) and a rear
roller (14) for rotating a continuous moving belt, a lifting motor (15) being used
for changing the vertical position of an adjusting support (16) to adjust the supporting
inclination of the base frame (10), both sides of the base frame (10) being provided
with two connecting pins (17, 18) for connecting the handrail (19) and the rotating
shaft (20).
3. The treadmill having a side-supporting folding mechanism as recited in claim 2, wherein
the handrail (19) is moved in direction of the base frame (10) when the rotating disc
(24) is pushed by the top rod (23), and wherein a handle (28) is simultaneously moved
in direction of the base frame (10) by a coupling support rod (27) within the handrail
(19).
4. The treadmill having a side-supporting folding mechanism as recited in any previous
claim, further comprising a locking mechanism (40) in cooperation with locking holes
(29) in the rotating disc (24) for achieving an active locking effect,
wherein the locking mechanism (40) consists of a pull ring (41), a connecting rod
(42), a cross type connecting rod (43), two lateral locking pins (44) and two springs
(45).
1. Laufband mit einem seitenstützenden Faltmechanismus, aufweisend einen Grundrahmen
(10), der mit einer Schwingwelle (20) versehen ist, wobei an beiden Seiten der Schwingwelle
(20) ein Schwingarm (21) vorgesehen ist, während die anderen Enden der Schwingarme
(21) von Druckluftzylindern (22) gehaltert sind,
bei dem die Mitten der Schwingarme (21) drehbar mit Kopfstangen (23) verbunden sind,
wobei die anderen Enden der Kopfstangen (23) gegen Drehscheiben (24) drücken, die
mit Hilfe einer Handschiene (19) bewegbar sind,
bei dem die Mitte der Schwingwelle (20) mit einem Hilfsträger (26) verbunden ist,
der bodenberührende Rollen (25) aufweist,
so dass die Drehgelenke (A,B,C,D) zwischen dem Druckluftzylinder (22), dem Schwingarm
(21) und der Kopfstange (23) auf jeder Seite an einer Stelle der gleichen Achslinie
angeordnet sind.
2. Laufband mit einem seitenstützenden Faltmechanismus nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
dass das Laufband eine Antriebsvorrichtung (11) aufweist, die auf der einen Seite des
Grundrahmens (10) angeordnet ist und mit einem Treibriemen (12), einer vorderen Laufrolle
(13) und einer hinteren Laufrolle (14) zusammenwirkt, um einen sich ständig bewegenden
Riemen umlaufen zu lassen,
dass ein Hebemotor (15) verwendet ist, um die vertikale Lage einer Einstellhalterung (16)
zu ändern, um die Halteneigung des Grundrahmens (10) einzustellen, wobei beide Seiten
des Grundrahmens (10) einzustellen, wobei beide Seiten des Grundrahmens (10) mit zwei
Verbindungsstiften (17, 18) versehen sind, um die Handschiene (19) und die Schwingwelle
(20) zu verbinden.
3. Laufband mit einem seitenstützenden Faltmechanismus nach Anspruch 2,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
dass die Handschiene (19) in Richtung auf den Grundrahmen (10) bewegt wird, wenn die Drehscheibe
(24) von der Kopfstange (23) gedrückt wird und dass ein Handgriff (28) gleichzeitig
in Richtung Grundrahmen (10) durch eine Kupplungshalterungsstange (27) in der Handschiene
(19) bewegt wird.
4. Laufband mit einem seitenstützenden Faltmechanismus nach einem der vorhergehenden
Ansprüche
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
dass ferner ein Sperrmechanismus (40) vorgesehen ist, der mit Sperrlöchern (29) in der
Drehscheibe (24) zusammenarbeitet, um einen wirksamen Blockiereffect zu erreichen,
dass der Sperrmechanismus (40) aus einem Zugring (41), einer Verbindungsstange (42), einer
Kreuzverbindungsstange (43), zwei seitlichen Sperrstiften (44) und zwei Federn (45)
besteht.
1. Tapis roulant ayant un mécanisme pliable à support latéral, comprenant un cadre de
base (10) comportant un arbre tournant (20), les deux côtés de l'arbre tournant (20)
comportant un panneau d'aile (21) alors que les autres extrémités des panneaux d'aile
(21) sont supportées par des vérins pneumatiques (22),
les centres des panneaux d'aile (21) étant reliés de façon pivotante à des tiges supérieures
(23) de telle sorte que les autres extrémités des tiges supérieures (23) poussent
des disques tournants (24) mobiles avec un garde-corps (19),
le centre de l'arbre tournant (20) étant relié à un support auxiliaire (26) ayant
des roulettes (25) de contact avec le sol,
de telle sorte que les articulations pivotantes (A, B, C, D) entre le vérin pneumatique
(22), le panneau d'aile (21) et la tige supérieure (23) sur chaque côté sont disposées
à une position de la même ligne d'axe.
2. Tapis roulant ayant un mécanisme pliable à support latéral selon la revendication
1, dans lequel le tapis roulant a un ensemble moteur de transmission (11) disposé
à un côté d'un cadre de base (10) en coopération avec une courroie de transmission
(12), un rouleau avant (13) et un rouleau arrière (14) pour faire tourner une courroie
à déplacement continu, un moteur de levage (15) étant utilisé pour changer la position
verticale d'un support de réglage (16) pour régler l'inclinaison de support du cadre
de base (10), les deux côtés du cadre de base (10) comportant deux goupilles de liaison
(17, 18) pour relier le garde-corps (19) et l'arbre tournant (20).
3. Tapis roulant ayant un mécanisme pliable à support latéral selon la revendication
2, dans lequel le garde-corps (19) est déplacé en direction du cadre de base (10)
lorsque le disque tournant (24) est poussé par la tige supérieure (23), et une poignée
(28) étant déplacée simultanément en direction du cadre de base (10) par une tige
de support à accouplement (27) à l'intérieur du garde-corps (19).
4. Tapis roulant ayant un mécanisme pliable à support latéral selon l'une quelconque
des revendications précédentes, comprenant en outre un mécanisme de verrouillage (40)
en coopération avec des trous de verrouillage (29) dans le disque tournant (24) pour
obtenir un effet de verrouillage actif,
le mécanisme de verrouillage (40) consistant en un anneau à tirer (41), une tige de
liaison (42), une tige de liaison de type croix (43), deux goupilles de verrouillage
latérales (44) et deux ressorts (45).
REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only.
It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has
been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and
the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.
Patent documents cited in the description