KR20220153484A - Treadmill and pulley used therein - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a treadmill. The disclosed treadmill comprises: a frame structure; a track unit rotatable with respect to the frame structure; and a rotation unit disposed on the frame structure and supporting the track unit to be rotatable. The track unit includes: a plurality of slats arranged along a rotation direction; and a track belt disposed at both ends of the plurality of slats and connecting the plurality of slats. The rotation unit includes: a first rotation member disposed in the front and rear of the frame structure; and a plurality of second rotation members disposed between the first rotation members, having a smaller diameter than each of the first rotation members, and arranged along an upper shape of the frame structure. At least one of the first rotation members may have a plurality of grooves arranged spaced apart along a circumferential direction on an outer circumferential surface thereof to have a surface shape different from that of an inner circumferential surface of the track belt. According to the treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention, the shape of an outer circumferential surface of a pulley is improved such that the collision between the track belt and the pulley can be reduced, and accordingly, the generation of noise of the treadmill can be reduced.

Description

Treadmill and pulley used therein

The present invention relates to a treadmill and a treadmill pulley used therefor.

A treadmill is an exercise device that can produce an exercise effect of walking or running in a narrow space by using a belt rotating in an endless track, and is called a treadmill. Demand for the treadmill is rapidly increasing day by day because walking or running exercise can be performed indoors at an appropriate temperature regardless of the weather.

Treadmills can be divided into powered treadmills in which a track unit rotates by a separate drive unit and non-powered treadmills in which a track unit rotates by a user's motion without a separate drive unit.

Since a non-powered treadmill does not require a separate driving means, it is cheaper than a powered treadmill, and the size and weight of the device are very small. Recently, the demand for such non-powered treadmills is gradually increasing.

However, since the non-powered treadmill has a structure in which the track part is rotated by the user, rocking of the track part may occur due to impact by the user. Due to the rocking of the track unit, a collision may occur between the track unit and a component supporting the track unit, which may appear as noise causing discomfort to the user.

The present invention provides a treadmill capable of reducing a collision between a track belt and a pulley by improving the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the pulley and a pulley used therefor.

A treadmill according to an example of the present invention,

A frame structure, a track portion rotatable with respect to the frame structure, and a rotation unit disposed on the frame structure and supporting the track portion to be rotatable,

The track part,

A plurality of slats arranged along the rotation direction;

It is disposed at both ends of the plurality of slats and includes a track belt connecting the plurality of slats,

The rotating unit,

First rotation members disposed at the front and rear of the frame structure;

It is disposed between the first rotating members, has a diameter smaller than the diameter of each of the first rotating members, and includes a plurality of second rotating members arranged along the upper shape of the frame structure,

At least one of the first rotating members may have a plurality of grooves arranged spaced apart along the circumferential direction on an outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member to have a surface shape different from that of the inner circumferential surface of the track belt.

An outer circumferential surface of the at least one first rotating member may include a plurality of non-contact areas in which the grooves are formed, and a plurality of contact areas disposed between the plurality of grooves and contacting the track belt.

A width of the non-contact area in a circumferential direction may be smaller than a width of the contact area in a circumferential direction.

The plurality of grooves may be arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction.

An inner circumferential surface of the track belt may have a shape different from an outer circumferential surface of the at least one first rotating member.

An inner circumferential surface of the track belt may have a smooth pattern shape.

The track unit may be configured to be rotated by a user without power.

An upper shape of the frame structure may have a shape with a concave center.

The pulley according to another example of the present invention is a pulley of a treadmill that rotatably supports the track belt of the track part in the treadmill,

A plurality of grooves spaced apart along the circumferential direction may be disposed on the outer circumferential surface so as to have a surface shape different from that of the inner circumferential surface of the track belt.

The outer circumferential surface may include a plurality of non-contact areas in which the grooves are formed, and a plurality of contact areas disposed between the plurality of groove areas and contacting the track belt.

A width of the non-contact area in a circumferential direction may be smaller than a width of the contact area in a circumferential direction.

The plurality of grooves may be arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction.

The outer circumferential surface may have a shape different from that of the inner circumferential surface of the track belt.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims and detailed description of the invention.

These general and specific aspects may be practiced using a system, method, computer program, or any combination of systems, methods, or computer programs.

According to the treadmill and the pulley used therein according to the embodiment of the present invention, by improving the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the pulley, it is possible to reduce the collision between the track belt and the pulley, thereby reducing the noise of the treadmill.

1 is a perspective view showing a treadmill according to an embodiment.
2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the treadmill of FIG. 1 as a center.
3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the treadmill.
4 is a view for explaining the rotation of the track part of the treadmill.
5 is a view for explaining the first rotating member when the track unit rotates.
6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a phenomenon occurring between a track belt and a first rotating member when a track part of a treadmill rotates.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a first rotating member in the treadmill of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 7 .
9 is a view for explaining the operation of the first rotating member and the track belt in the treadmill according to the embodiment.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. 9 .
11 is a perspective view showing a treadmill according to an embodiment.
12 is a photograph of a process of measuring noise in a pre-exercise state on a treadmill.
FIG. 13A is a photograph of a process of measuring noise during exercise on a treadmill according to Example 1, and FIG. 13B is a partially enlarged photograph of FIG. 13A.
FIG. 14A is a photograph of a process of measuring noise during exercise on a treadmill according to Comparative Example 1, and FIG. 14B is a partially enlarged photograph of FIG. 14A.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same components, and the size or thickness of each component may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

1 is a perspective view showing a treadmill 1 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the treadmill 1 of FIG. 1 as a center. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the treadmill (1). In FIG. 3, for convenience of description, the track belt 132 and the rotation unit 150 of the track unit 130 are shown as the center, and the side frame 113 and the slat 131 are omitted.

1 to 3, the treadmill 1 according to the embodiment has a frame structure 110, a track part 130 rotatable with respect to the frame structure 110, and a track part 130 rotatable. It includes a rotation unit 150 to support. The treadmill 1 may further include a handle part 160 that the user U can grip and an output part 170 showing exercise results. The treadmill 1 may be a non-powered treadmill in which the track unit 130 rotates by the foot motion of the user U without power.

The frame structure 110 maintains the shape of the treadmill 1 and includes a central frame 111 and side frames 113 disposed on both sides of the central frame 111 . The side frame 113 may be covered by the side cover 120 .

The track unit 130 may include a plurality of slats 131 and a track belt 132 connecting the plurality of slats 131 .

The plurality of slats 131 are arranged along the first direction (Y direction) that is the rotational direction of the track unit 130 . Each of the plurality of slats 131 extends in a second direction (X direction) perpendicular to the rotation direction of the track unit 130 .

The track belt 132 extends along the first direction (Y direction) and is disposed at both ends of the slat 131 . A pair of track belts 132 are disposed at both ends of each of the plurality of slats 131 and connect the plurality of slats 131 .

The track belt 132 may be made of a flexible material so as to be wound around the first rotating members 151 and 152 . The track belt 132 may include an elastic material, such as rubber.

The track unit 130 may have a predetermined weight. For example, the weight of the track unit 130 including the plurality of slats 131 and the track belt 132 may be 5 kg (kg) to 100 kg (kg).

A rotation unit 150 rotatably supporting the track unit 130 is disposed in the frame structure 110 . The rotation unit 150 includes first rotation members 151 disposed in front and rear of the frame structure 110, first rotation members 151 disposed in the front, and first rotation members 151 disposed in the rear. ) It may include a plurality of second rotating members 153 disposed between. The rotating unit 150 may further include a guide roller 155 to prevent shaking of the track unit 130 .

The first rotating member 151 may be respectively disposed in front and rear of the frame structure 110 . For example, a pair of first rotating members 151 may be installed in front of the central frame 111, and another pair of first rotating members 151 may be installed in the rear of the central frame 111. . The first rotating member 151 may be a pulley.

The second rotating member 153 may be disposed between the first rotating member 151 disposed in the front and rear. For example, the second rotating member 153 may be installed between the plurality of first rotating members 151 in the central frame 111 . A plurality of second rotating members 153 may be arranged along the upper shape of the frame structure 110 .

An upper shape of the central frame 111 may have a concave shape in the middle. In this case, the plurality of second rotation members 153 may be arranged in a curved shape along the upper shape of the central frame 111 . The curved shape may have a concave center. The second rotating member 153 may be a bearing member. Depending on the arrangement shape of the second rotating member 153, the angle of the surface that the user contacts on the track unit 130 may vary.

The guide roller 155 may include a pair of protrusions that limit movement of the track belt 132 in the second direction even when force is applied to the track belt 132 in the second direction (X direction). Accordingly, the guide roller 155 can prevent the track belt 132 from coming off as contact with the second rotating member 153 is released.

The track belt 132 is disposed at both ends of the slat 131 and may be wound around the first rotation member 151 of the rotation unit 150 and rotated. By rotation of the track belt 132, a plurality of slats 131 connected by the track belt 132 are rotated.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining rotation of the track unit 130 of the treadmill 1, and FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the first rotating member 151 when the track unit 130 rotates. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a phenomenon occurring between the track belt 132 and the first rotating member 151 when the track unit 130 of the treadmill 1 rotates.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , when the user U makes a foot motion on the track unit 130, a force to move the track unit 130 backward acts as a result. Since the track unit 130 is rotatably supported by the first rotational members 151 disposed at the front and rear and the plurality of second rotational members 153 disposed between them, Likewise, it is rotated by the foot motion of the user U.

In this treadmill 1, when the user U runs fast, the track unit 130 rotates quickly, and when the user U runs slowly, the track unit 130 rotates slowly. When the user U stops, the track unit 130 stops.

As described above, the user U can adjust the speed naturally without additional manipulation by exercising on the track unit 130 that is rotated according to the running speed of the user U, and accordingly, more active exercise can be performed. be able to

Referring to FIG. 5, while the track belt 132 rotates, the lower region 1322 located at the lower part of the track belt 132 moves forward, and the upper region located at the upper part of the track belt 132 ( 1321) moves toward the rear. The first rotating member 151 changes the moving direction of the track belt 132 while the lower region 1322 is converted to the upper region 1321 .

In an ideal environment, in the course of the track belt 132 changing the moving direction by the first rotating member 151, the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132 at a certain position, for example, a point SP. The contact of ) starts, and the certain area 1323 of the track belt 132 maintains contact with the first rotating member 151, and the first rotating member 151 at a certain position, for example, the point EP. Contact with the track belt 132 is released. Thus, the track unit 130 can rotate naturally without generating irregular noise between the track belt 132 and the first rotating member 151 .

However, in an actual treadmill 1 environment, irregular slip may occur between the track belt 132 and the first rotating member 151 due to various factors such as a user's foot motion.

Referring to FIG. 6A, a phenomenon in which the track belt 132 and the first rotation member 151 do not come into contact and are spaced apart in an area 1324 in which contact with the first rotation member 151 is to be maintained in the track belt 132. this may appear.

It is assumed that this phenomenon is caused by various factors such as the state of the track belt 132 and the speed difference between the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132.

As an example, the track belt 132 used in the treadmill 1 may be made of a material having a predetermined strength in order to connect and support the plurality of slats 131 . The track belt 132 having such a material may have a somewhat stiff property. In addition, in the process of manufacturing or forming the track belt 132, bending characteristics may be partially different. In this way, in the process of rotating the track belt 132, which is wholly or partially stiff, by being wound around the first rotating member 151, slip may occur between the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132. In addition, a phenomenon in which the track belt 132 and the first rotation member 151 are momentarily separated may occur at a position where contact between the track belt 132 and the first rotation member 151 should be maintained.

As another example, the track belt 132 is a structure that rotates while surrounding the first rotational member 151, and thus the rotational radius of the track belt 132 is greater than the rotational radius of the first rotational member 151. In this way, since the radii of rotation of the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132 are different from each other, even if the rotational angular velocity of the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132 is the same, the first rotating member 151 ) and the linear speed of the track belt 132 are different from each other. Thus, slip may appear between the track belt 132 and the first rotating member 151 .

In this way, a phenomenon in which a portion 1324 of the track belt 132 temporarily falls to the first rotating member 151 occurs due to various causes, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the temporarily dropped track belt 132 A portion of the area 1324 collides with the first rotating member 151 . Such collisions may appear irregular, which may generate noise that may cause discomfort to the user.

Considering this point, the treadmill 1 according to the embodiment may provide the first rotating member 151 having an improved surface structure.

7 is an enlarged perspective view of the first rotating member 151 in the treadmill 1 of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 7 . 9 is a view for explaining the operation of the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132 in the treadmill 1 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. 9 .

7 to 10, the first rotating member 151 according to the embodiment has a plurality of grooves arranged spaced apart along the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface so as to have a surface shape different from that of the inner circumferential surface of the track belt 132 (gr ) can be placed.

The plurality of grooves gr may be arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. However, the distance between the plurality of grooves gr is not limited thereto and may vary. For example, intervals between the plurality of grooves gr may be random.

The inner circumferential surface of the track belt 132 may have a shape different from that of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151 . For example, when a plurality of grooves (gr) are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151, grooves or protrusions may not be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the track belt 132. For example, the inner circumferential surface of the track belt 132 may have an unpatterned shape.

In this way, when the plurality of grooves gr are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151, even if slip occurs between the first rotating member 151 and the track belt 132, the plurality of grooves gr Since slips regularly appear short by , it is possible to improve the noise problem caused by irregular slips appearing long.

The outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151 may be divided into a non-contact area 1511 in which the groove gr is formed and a contact area 1512 in which the groove gr is not formed. Since the contact area 1512 has a protruding structure compared to the non-contact area 1511, it contacts the track belt 132, whereas the non-contact area 1511 does not contact the track belt 132.

A width W1 of the non-contact area 1511 in the circumferential direction may be smaller than a width W2 of the contact area 1512 in the circumferential direction. When the width W1 of the non-contact area 1511 is greater than or equal to the width W2 of the contact area 1512, the effect of the reduction in the contact area between the track belt 132 and the first rotating member 151 is significant. Accordingly, side effects may occur due to the effect of reducing the frictional force between the track belt 132 and the first rotating member 151. On the other hand, by making the width W1 of the non-contact area 1511 smaller than the width W2 of the contact area 1512, it is possible to reduce noise problems due to irregular slip while reducing side effects due to the decrease in contact area. .

A ratio of an area occupied by the non-contact region 1511 to the total area of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151 may be 5% or more. A ratio of an area occupied by the non-contact region 1511 to the total area of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151 may be less than 50%.

The contact area 1512 may extend in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the width direction of the first rotating member 151 . The shape of the contact area 1512 may be a bar shape where the length is greater than the width. However, the shape of the contact area 1512 is not limited thereto, and may have various shapes such as a diamond shape.

In the above-described embodiment, the structure in which a plurality of grooves gr is formed in the first rotating member 151 disposed at the front has been described, but this is only exemplary, and the first rotating member 151 disposed at the rear is also described. Of course, it can be applied. In addition, the plurality of grooves (gr) may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the four first rotational members 151 disposed at the front and rear, respectively, but are not limited thereto, and some of the plurality of first rotational members 151 It may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151 .

Meanwhile, in the above-described embodiment, the upper region 1321 of the track unit 130 has been described based on the treadmill 1 having a concave center, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first rotating member 151 of the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , the track unit 130 may also be applied to the treadmill 1A having a flat upper region without a concave center.

Hereinafter, examples and comparative examples will be described in more detail with respect to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

12 is a photograph of a process of measuring noise in a pre-exercise state on a treadmill 1, and FIG. 13a is a photograph of a process of measuring noise during exercise on a treadmill according to Example 1, and FIG. 13b is is an enlarged photograph of a part of FIG. 13A. FIG. 14A is a photograph of a process of measuring noise during exercise on a treadmill according to Comparative Example 1, and FIG. 14B is a partially enlarged photograph of FIG. 14A.

Example 1

In the treadmill 1 according to the embodiment, a groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151 . The treadmill 1 has a track portion including a plurality of slats 131 and is rotated by a user's foot motion.

Comparative Example 1

In the treadmill according to the comparative example, no groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member 151, and the rest of the structure and conditions are the same as in Example 1. As an example for this purpose, in the treadmill of the comparative example, the first rotating member 151 in the treadmill of Example 1 is replaced with a first rotating member having no grooves on the outer circumferential surface.

Experiment conditions

In this experiment, the measurement equipment 10 having basic specifications of 30 dB (decibels) to 130 dB and 20 Hz (hertz) to 8000 Hz was used. As shown in FIG. 12, the measurement equipment 10 has the shortest distance to the first rotating member of the treadmill of 1000 mm and is measured in a state where the distance from the floor is 1200 mm, and ambient noise before rotating the treadmill. is measured at 40.6 dB.

Referring to FIGS. 13a, 13b, 14a, and 14b, in both treadmills according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the noise measured when the experimenter ran at the same speed at 14 km/h is shown in Table 1. Same as

Noise before exercise (dB) Noise during exercise (dB) Noise increase (dB) Comparative Example 1 40.6 73.8 33.2 Example 1 40.6 65.2 24.6

As a result of measuring the noise generated during exercise on the treadmill according to Comparative Example 1 and Example 1, the treadmill of Comparative Example 1 was 73.8 dB, and Example 1 was 65.2 dB. Considering that the ambient noise measured before exercise is 40.6 dB, the noise generated during exercise on the treadmill of Comparative Example 1 is 33.2 dB, whereas the noise generated during exercise on the treadmill of Example 1 is 24.6 dB was only The noise increase (24.6 dB) of the treadmill of Example 1 was reduced to 75% or less of the noise increase (33.2 dB) of Comparative Example 1. From this, as the groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member, it is possible to significantly reduce noise generation.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims and detailed description of the invention. These general and specific aspects may be practiced using a system, method, computer program, or any combination of systems, methods, or computer programs.

1, 1A: treadmill 110: frame structure
130: track part 131: slat
132: track belt 150: rotation unit
151: first rotating member 1511: non-contact area
1512: contact area 153: second rotating member
155: guide part 160: handle part
gr: home

Claims (13)

A frame structure, a track portion rotatable with respect to the frame structure, and a rotation unit disposed on the frame structure and supporting the track portion to be rotatable,
The track part,
A plurality of slats arranged along the rotation direction;
It is disposed at both ends of the plurality of slats and includes a track belt connecting the plurality of slats,
The rotating unit,
First rotation members disposed at the front and rear of the frame structure;
It is disposed between the first rotating members, has a diameter smaller than the diameter of each of the first rotating members, and includes a plurality of second rotating members arranged along the upper shape of the frame structure,
At least one of the first rotating members has a plurality of grooves arranged spaced apart along the circumferential direction on an outer circumferential surface so as to have a surface shape different from that of the inner circumferential surface of the track belt. According to claim 1,
The treadmill of claim 1, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the at least one first rotating member includes a plurality of non-contact areas in which the grooves are formed, and a plurality of contact areas disposed between the plurality of grooves and contacting the track belt. According to claim 2,
A width of the non-contact area along the circumferential direction is smaller than a width of the contact area along the circumferential direction. According to claim 2,
The plurality of grooves are arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction, the treadmill. According to claim 2,
An inner circumferential surface of the track belt has a shape different from an outer circumferential surface of the at least one first rotating member. According to claim 5,
The inner circumferential surface of the track belt has a smooth pattern shape, the treadmill. According to claim 1,
The treadmill, wherein the track portion is configured to be rotated by a user without power. According to claim 1,
The upper shape of the frame structure has a central concave shape, the treadmill. As a pulley of a treadmill for rotatably supporting a track belt of a track part in a treadmill,
A pulley of a treadmill, wherein a plurality of grooves spaced apart along the circumferential direction are disposed on an outer circumferential surface so as to have a surface shape different from that of the inner circumferential surface of the track belt. According to claim 9,
The outer circumferential surface includes a plurality of non-contact areas in which the grooves are formed, and a plurality of contact areas disposed between the plurality of groove areas and contacting the track belt. According to claim 10,
A treadmill pulley, wherein a width of the non-contact area in a circumferential direction is smaller than a width of the contact area in a circumferential direction. According to claim 10,
The plurality of grooves are arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction, the pulley of the treadmill. According to claim 10,
The outer circumferential surface has a different shape from the inner circumferential surface of the track belt, a treadmill pulley.

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