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1. Fields of the Invention
The invention relates to a shaking mechanism of a treadmill, and more particularly, to a mechanism that ensures a reduction of the frictional loss between a continuous moving belt and a platform. Meanwhile, the connection of motor nerves of the operator can be effectively enhanced.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, many athletic physiologists found that the connection of the motor nerves of the muscles can be effectively enhanced when the operator walks on the treadmill with a regular and proper vibration, particularly during the cooldown stage after an exercise. In this way, the hardening effect of the motor muscles can be effectively enhanced. The invention is designed according to the experiment results. Up to now, the conventional treadmills in the market don't have the proper up-and-down shaking effect during the walking exercise.
An object of the invention is to provide a shaking mechanism of a treadmill that includes a shaking plate and a shaking drive unit attached to the bottom of a platform of the treadmill such that the platform may create an expected and proper up-and-down shaking effect. Meanwhile, the expected exercise effect is achieved.
According to the invention, a shaking mechanism of a treadmill includes a shaking plate attached to the bottom of a platform of the treadmill. The shaking plate is driven by at least one shaking drive unit disposed on a supporting plate of a base frame such that the platform creates an expected up-and-down shaking effect
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 treadmill;
FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the embodiment according to FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a second embodiment of the invention.
The present invention will now be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show various embodiments of the invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, which a basic configuration of an electric treadmill 10 is illustrated, the electric treadmill 10 includes a base frame 11. A transmission motor 12 is disposed at one side of the base frame 11 of the electric treadmill 10 in cooperation with a transmission belt 13, a front roller 14 and a rear roller 15 for rotating a continuous moving belt 16 around a platform 17. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a shaking plate 20 is attached via a connecting piece 18 to the bottom of the platform 17 of the electric treadmill 10. The shaking plate 20 is driven by at least one shaking drive unit 30 disposed on a supporting plate 19 of the base frame 11 such that the platform 17 creates an expected up-and-down shaking effect. The shaking drive unit 30 includes more than one set of permanent magnets 31 (that is fixed at the bottom of the shaking plate 20) and electromagnets 32 (that are disposed at the end of the supporting plate 19) corresponding to the permanent magnets 31 in quantity as well as in position. In this way, an attraction or a repulsion (in the field of the electromagnetism) takes place between the electromagnets 32 and the permanent magnets 31 when the electric current is applied. Therefore, the platform 17 can create an expected up-and-down shaking effect.
Generally, each electric treadmill 10 includes a plurality of cushioning elements 21 between the platform 17 and both sides of the electric treadmill 10 for achieving the proper exercise cushioning effect. Likely, the treadmill in accordance with the invention also employs the function of the cushioning elements 21 for effectively control the shaking intensity and the restoring effect of the platform 17.
As shown in FIG. 4 that illustrated another embodiment of the invention, the shaking drive unit 30 can be replaced by another electric motor 33 in cooperation with a cam mechanism 34. In this way, the shaking plate 20 together with the platform 17 creates the expected up-and-down shaking effect.
The electromagnetism and the cam mechanism belong to the conventional electric transmission principle so that no further descriptions thereto are given hereinafter.
In addition, we find after an empirical test that the friction resistance between the continuous moving belt 16 and the platform 17 can be reduced when they are brought into a shaking state. Furthermore, the service life of the continuous moving belt 16 can be prolonged, thereby increasing the added application value.
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.