초록 ▼

An exercise treadmill is disclosed which includes various features to enhance user operation and to reduce maintenance costs. These features include handlebars with an upwardly curved center section and outwardly flared side portions along with pivoting rear legs for the treadmill frame. The control

An exercise treadmill is disclosed which includes various features to enhance user operation and to reduce maintenance costs. These features include handlebars with an upwardly curved center section and outwardly flared side portions along with pivoting rear legs for the treadmill frame. The control panel features include snap-in user trays and an overlay covering the numerical key pad along with an auxiliary control panel having a subset of user controls that are larger and more easy to use than the same controls on the main control panel. Maintenance enhancing features include the provision for access panels in the treadmill housing and a belt lubrication system that uses a priming pulse to clear the wax spraying nozzle. For injection molded parts such as the control panel, structural strength is enhanced by utilizing gas-assist injection molding to form structural ribs. Another feature includes pre-glazing the treadmill belt. Sound and vibration are reduced in a treadmill by mounting the treadmill belt drive motor on motor isolation mounts that include resilient members. A further feature is a double sided waxed deck where one side of the deck is covered by a protective tape.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An exercise treadmill, comprising:a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned substantially parallel to each other, and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members for providing longitudinal structural support for said frame structure;a motor for rotatin

1. An exercise treadmill, comprising:a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned substantially parallel to each other, and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members for providing longitudinal structural support for said frame structure;a motor for rotating a first one of said pulleys;a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated; anda control system operatively connected to said motor and said inclination mechanism;an inclination mechanism secured to a first end of said frame structure effective to permit selective inclination of said frame structure by a user; anda control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said motor and said inclination mechanism having wherein said control panel includes a lower housing member formed out of a molded plastic having a base portion and a plurality of support ribs integral with said base portion and configured with internal apertures extending at least a substantial portion of the length of said support ribs. 2. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein said apertures are formed by a gas assist injection molding process. 3. The exercise treadmill of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said support ribs extend in a longitudinal direction. 4. An exercise treadmill, comprising:a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned substantially parallel to each other, and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal frame members for providing longitudinal structural support for said frame structure;a motor for rotating a first one of said pulleys;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 wherein said belt is a woven material and wherein the surface of said belt abutting said deck member is pre-glazed; anda 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. 5. The exercise treadmill of claim 4 wherein said belt material is selected from the group of polyester or polyurethane and said pre-glazing results from a heated surface applied to said surface. 6. The exercise treadmill of claim 4 wherein said belt material is selected from the group of polyester or polyurethane and said pre-glazing results from calendering said material. 7. The exercise treadmill of claim 4 wherein said belt material is selected from the group of polyester or polyurethane and said pre-glazing results from heating said surface sufficiently to melt the woven fibers. 8. 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 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; anda control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said motor wherein said control panel permits a user to control the seed of said belt. 9. The exercise treadmill of claim 8 wherein said motor support structure includes a second set of said resilient support members secured between said mounting plate and said motor. 10 . The exercise treadmill of claim 8 wherein said motor is connected to said first pulley by a flexible member and said motor support structure includes a tensioning mechanism for tensioning said flexible member. 11. The exercise treadmill of claim 10 wherein said tensioning mechanism includes a plurality of studs secured to said mounting plate, a motor bracket secured to said motor configured with a plurality of elongated slots engaged with said studs for permitting limited longitudinal movement of said motor, and a plurality of fasting members for securing said motor bracket to said studs. 12. The exercise treadmill of claim 11 wherein said tensioning mechanism includes an adjustment mechanism having an adjustment member connected to said motor bracket and said mounting plate effective to move said motor bracket in a longitudinal direction with respect to said mounting plate. 13. The exercise treadmill of claim 11 wherein said adjustment member is a bolt and said motor bracket includes a threaded housing to receive said bolt and said mounting plate includes an adjustment bracket having an aperture through which said bolt is engaged. 14. The exercise treadmill of claim 13 wherein said motor support structure includes a second set of said resilient support members secured between said mounting plate and said motor. 15. The exercise treadmill of claim 8 wherein said motor mounting structure includes a pair of spaced apart mounting brackets secured to said motor, said mounting plate, including a pair of upwardly extending flanges, secured to said motor support member and a set of fasteners connecting said flanges to said mounting brackets wherein a first set of said resilient members is secured between said brackets and said flanges. 16. The exercise treadmill of claim 15 wherein said fasteners are threaded bolts having a nut at one end and said motor support structure includes a second set of said resilient support members secured between said flanges and said nuts. 17. The exercise treadmill of claim 15 wherein said mounting plate is configured with a plurality of elongated slots engaged with a plurality of fastening members for securing said mounting plate to said motor support member and for permitting limited longitudinal movement of said motor. 18. The exercise treadmill of claim 8 wherein said motor mounting structure includes said mounting plate secured to said motor and said motor support member and said resilient members are secured between said mounting plate and said motor support member. 19. The exercise treadmill of claim 18 wherein said resilient members are rubber sandwich mounts. 20. The exercise treadmill of claim 18 wherein said motor is connected to said first pulley by a flexible member and said motor support structure includes a tensioning mechanism for tensioning said flexible member. 21. The exercise treadmill of claim 10 wherein said tensioning mechanism includes a first bracket secured to said mounting plate, a second bracket secured to said motor support member and a tensioning member operatively connected to said first bracket and said second bracket effective to move said motor in a longitudinal direction. 22. The exercise treadmill of claim 21 wherein said tensioning member is aligned with said belt. 23. The exercise treadmill of claim 22 wherein said tensioning mechanism includes a circular tensioning bracket secured to said first bracket and wherein said tensioning member is a screw engaged with both said second bracket and said tensioning bracket. 24. The exercise treadmill of claim 23 wherein said tensioning mechanism includes a circular resilient member, having a central aperture through which said screw extends, mounted in said tensioning bracket. 25. 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 suppor t for said frame structure, and a motor support member;a motor for rotating a first one of said pulleys;a reversible double sided deck member, having a lubricant impregnated on both sides of said deck member, secured to said frame and wherein at least a portion of a first side of said deck member is covered with a removable protective coating;a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction over a second side of said deck member when said first pulley is rotated; anda 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. 26. The exercise treadmill of claim 25 wherein said protective coating covers the portion of said first side having said lubricant. 27. The exercise treadmill of claim 25 wherein said protective coating is a self-adhering tape. 28. The exercise treadmill of claim 27 wherein said self-adhering tape is a polyethylene tape. 29. The exercise treadmill of claim 25 wherein said lubricant includes a wax and said protective covering is a self-adhering tape which covers at least substantially all of the area impregnated with said lubricant on said first side of said deck member. 30. The exercise treadmill of claim 5 wherein said tape covers more area on said first side of said deck member than said area of said lubricant impregnated on said first side of said deck member but less than the total area of said area of said first side of said deck member.