TWM444185U - Exercise treadmill - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to exercise treadmills. The treadmill comprising: a frame; a drive roller having a rotational axis and mounted for rotational movement about the axis on the frame; a driven roller having a rotational axis and mounted for rotational movement on the frame the rotational axes of the drive roller and driven roller being parallel; a deck extending at least partially between the drive roller and driven roller; a continuous belt carried by the drive roller and driven roller; drive means for driving the drive roller such that the continuous belt rotates; first ground engaging members pivotally mounted on the frame; first rotating means for rotating the first ground engaging member about the pivotal mounting; second ground engaging members pivotally mounted on the frame; second rotating means for rotating the second ground engaging members about the pivotal mounting; a ramp for access to the continuous belt; and a controller for controlling the speed of rotation of the continuous belt.

Description

Sports treadmill

The present invention relates to an exercise treadmill. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to treadmills for pets such as dogs and domestic animals such as miniature horses. The present invention is not limited by this and the treadmill can be used for other animals such as zoo animals such as lions and tigers.

It is known that sports treadmills (hereinafter often referred to simply as "treadmills") have been used by humans since they were designed to diagnose heart and lung diseases at least in the 1950s. Sports treadmills are now widely used in treatment, diagnosis, research and training. In recent years, it has been recognized that sports treadmills are also beneficial to other animals. Many treadmills on the market for animal use are actually only slightly modified human treadmills. Since the anatomy of a quadruped is significantly different from that of a human, the human treadmill is not optimal for a quadruped.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise treadmill for a quadruped that overcomes at least some of the problems of existing quadrupeds. According to the present invention, there is provided an exercise treadmill comprising: i) a frame; ii) a drive roller having an axis of rotation and mounted to the frame for rotational movement about the axis; Iii) a driven roller having an axis of rotation and mounted on the frame for rotational movement, the axis of rotation of the drive roller and the axis of rotation of the driven roller being parallel; iv) a platform that is at least partially driven Extending between the roller and the driven roller; v) a continuous belt carried by the driving roller and the driven roller; vi) driving means for driving the driving roller to rotate the continuous belt; vii) first ground engaging a member pivotally mounted to the frame; iix) a first rotating device for rotating the first ground engaging member about the pivoting bracket; ix) a second ground engaging member pivotally mounted to the frame ;x) a second rotating device for rotating the second ground engaging member about the pivoting bracket; xi) a ramp for stepping on the continuous belt; and xii) a controller for controlling the The rotational speed of the continuous belt.

Two ramps for entering the continuous belt can be set. The drive device can include a DC motor. Preferably, the drive means is arranged below the continuous belt. In some embodiments of the present invention, the platform includes at least four sections, wherein each section is provided with means for sensing the load loaded on the section. The controller can include a microprocessor.

The treadmill 1 includes a frame 10 on which other components are mounted. Conveniently, the frame 10 is made of a metal such as a profiled steel, but other materials Can also be used. As shown in the drawings, frame 10 includes a pair of parallel spaced apart side members that are joined together by a beam. The frame 10 carries a driven roller 20 that is mounted to the frame for rotational movement. The frame 10 also carries a drive roller 21 spaced apart from the driven roller 20 and parallel to the driven roller 20. A drive device for driving the drive roller 21 is provided. While a person skilled in the art can easily design a suitable driving device such as an AC motor, it is preferred to use a DC motor 22. Most treadmills use single-phase AC motors, but single-phase AC motors are not sufficient to withstand the relatively high power and varying load conditions of large treadmills. The power of the motor can range from 750W to 2500W. Associated with the motor 22 is a motor control device 23, which may include a transformer, a rectifier, and a PWM (Pulse Width Adjustment) controller.

Means for transmitting power from the motor 22 to the drive roller 21 are provided. Preferably, the device includes a V-shaped or toothed belt 24 that transmits power to the pulley 25 of the drive roller. An important feature of the present invention is that the drive motor is arranged no higher than the top of the platform, as will be explained below. Preferably, the motor 22 is disposed below the drive roller 21, as this structure forms a more compact component. The cover 26 covering the motor 21 can be provided not only for decorative purposes as well as mechanical and electrical safety, but also to protect the motor from hair and other debris.

The platform 30 is carried by the frame 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 11 on the frame is received in the aperture 31 of the platform 30 to position the platform on the frame. Preferably, the platform is made of engineered wood such as pressed wood, and due to this configuration a high strength platform having a certain elasticity is formed. In this new type In some embodiments, the platform includes a plurality of, for example four, portions, each of which has a load sensor associated with the portion. The data collected by the load sensor can be sent to a computer as will be explained below. The data can be analyzed and can be used, for example, to determine which animal the running animal on the treadmill prefers, and thus can help diagnose the condition of the animal.

The roller carries a belt 40, the top surface of which is supported by platform 30. The belt 40 is made of a flexible elastic material such as a fabric coated with a rubber liquid. The cover plate 41 extends along the edge of the belt to reduce the likelihood of objects such as animal body parts being trapped between the belt and the platform. In a similar manner, an end cap 42 for the driven roller 20 and the drive roller 21 is provided. The side panel 43 is also provided. For the pace of the animal to be studied, the side panels should be at least partially transparent for viewing. In some embodiments, the side panels comprise a transparent sheet such as polymethyl methacrylate or polycarbonate. In other embodiments, the side panels include a mesh, such as a wire mesh.

The frame 10 is provided with a first ground engaging member 51 and a second ground engaging member 52, each ground engaging member comprising two legs. The ground engaging member is hinged to the frame using a pivot. Preferably, at least one ground engaging member comprising two legs is provided with a ground engaging wheel 53. Another ground engaging component can set the wheel, but it is not necessary. If no wheel is provided, a stud 54 may be fitted to the other ground engaging member. An actuating device 55 is provided to rotate the first ground engaging member and the second ground engaging member about the disposed frame pivot. Those skilled in the art are not having difficulty designing suitable actuator devices. In the novel embodiment, they include a hydraulic cylinder that extends between the frame and the ground engaging member. In this new type In other embodiments, they include a guide screw that is threaded into the guide nut. A control device for controlling actuation of the actuation device is provided. Especially when using a large treadmill, it is an important feature of the present invention to provide two pairs of controllable ground engaging devices. The platform can be lowered towards the ground and the platform either tilted up or down to allow the animal to easily access the platform. In the case where only a pair of ground engaging devices are provided, the platform must be relatively high above the ground to accommodate the tilt of the platform, which means that the device is relatively bulky, except for the difficulty of access by the animal.

The treadmill of the present invention also includes at least one ramp 60 hingedly mounted to the frame. The free end of the ramp is provided with a ground engaging wheel 61 or a stow. Preferably, two ramps are provided, one ramp being placed at the front of the device and the other ramp being placed at the rear of the device. They allow the animal to be directed up the ramp to the platform and guided off the ramp after use of the device. The use of ramps avoids requiring animals to board the treadmill, which can be a challenge for some animals, especially those that are nervous or unhealthy. This structure is also an important feature of the present invention. In the presently preferred embodiment, the ramp is removable in view of compact storage. In the presently preferred embodiment, the ramp is narrower than the distance between the two side panels 43 to allow the ramp to be folded onto the platform when the equipment is not in use. Preferably, the ramp is provided with a resilient and/or non-slip surface.

The treadmill also includes a control system for controlling the treadmill. The control system is used to issue commands to move the belt over the platform, thereby causing the animals standing on the belt to run or walk. In general, the control system is capable of operating the belt at a range of speeds under manual or computer control. For example, the control system The belt can be initially run at a low speed to get the animal accustomed to the equipment and warmed up, then the belt is run at a faster speed to exercise the animal, and then the belt is run at a slower speed to allow the animal to moderate. The precise speed range is not an important part of the new model, but the speed range can be 0 to 24 km/h.

A timer can be set as the display to show the elapsed time and/or current speed and/or distance traveled. The control system can also control the pivoting of the ground engaging components and thus the tilt of the platform. In an embodiment of the present invention, the tilt of the belt may vary during actuation of the belt. Desirably, the control system is placed adjacent to the platform, for example, in a control panel 70 that is held on an arm 71 mounted on the frame 10.

In an embodiment of the invention, the device further includes a computer that not only activates the control system, but also stores a record of the exercise plan of the animal. In an embodiment of the present invention, the material is collected and transmitted to a remote computer or telephone such as a portable computer using a material link such as a cable or a radio line.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided with a harness. Animals wear the harness. A frangible link extends from the harness to the treadmill. When the frangible link breaks, the treadmill stops. Thus, if the animal falls or fails to keep up with the required pace, the animal will move with the belt until the frangible link breaks and the belt stops. Those skilled in the art have no difficulty in designing a suitable frangible link, such as designing a plug that is received in the slot, which, when the plug is removed, cuts off power. Additionally, an emergency stop can be placed for the person present to operate as needed.

1‧‧‧Treadmill

10‧‧‧Frame

11‧‧‧Protruding

20‧‧‧ driven roller

21‧‧‧Drive roller

22‧‧‧DC motor

23‧‧‧Motor control unit

24‧‧‧ toothed belt

25‧‧‧ pulley

26‧‧‧Cover

30‧‧‧ platform

31‧‧‧ hole

40‧‧‧With

41‧‧‧ Cover

42‧‧‧End cover

43‧‧‧ side panel

51‧‧‧ Ground joint parts

52‧‧‧ Ground joint parts

53‧‧‧ground joint wheel

54‧‧‧Wood

60‧‧‧ ramp

61‧‧‧ground joint wheel

70‧‧‧Control panel

71‧‧‧ Arm

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the treadmill of the present invention; and FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the treadmill of FIG.

1‧‧‧Treadmill

10‧‧‧Frame

26‧‧‧Cover

40‧‧‧With

41‧‧‧ Cover

42‧‧‧End cover

43‧‧‧ side panel

51‧‧‧ Ground joint parts

52‧‧‧ Ground joint parts

53‧‧‧ground joint wheel

54‧‧‧Wood

60‧‧‧ ramp

61‧‧‧ground joint wheel

70‧‧‧Control panel

71‧‧‧ Arm

Claims (6)

An exercise treadmill comprising: a frame; a drive roller having an axis of rotation and mounted on the frame for rotational movement about the axis; a driven roller having an axis of rotation and Mounted on the frame for rotational movement, the axis of rotation of the drive roller and the axis of rotation of the driven roller are parallel; a platform at least partially at the drive roller and the driven roller Extending; a continuous belt carried by the driving roller and the driven roller; a driving device for driving the driving roller to rotate the continuous belt; a first ground engaging member pivoting Mounted on the frame; a first rotating device for rotating the first ground engaging member about a provided frame pivot; and a second ground engaging member pivotally mounted to the frame a second rotating device for rotating the second ground engaging member about the disposed frame pivot; a ramp for stepping on the continuous belt; and a controller for Controlling the company The rotational speed of the belt. The sports treadmill of claim 1, comprising: two ramps for stepping on the continuous belt. An exercise treadmill as described in claim 1 or 2, The drive device includes a DC motor. The sports treadmill of claim 1 or 2, wherein the driving device is disposed below the continuous belt. The sports treadmill of claim 1 or 2, wherein the platform comprises at least four portions, each portion being provided with means for sensing a load loaded on the portion. The sports treadmill of claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor.