Patent Publication Number: US-8535754-B2

Title: Method of processing a treadmill belt and an apparatus for practicing the method

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an exercise apparatus, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for enhancing anti-abrasion of a surface of a belt used in a treadmill. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Almost every treadmill uses an endless belt or equivalents, such as a track, for providing a user to run or jog in a little space. As known in the prior art, the endless belt rotates around two pulleys and encircled a supporting deck which is located between the pulleys for supporting the user. Because of the mechanical relationship, friction between an inner surface of the endless belt, a surface of the endless belt which faces to the surface of the supporting deck, and the supporting deck causing the endless belt wear has become a serious problem. In order to lessen the wear situation, an endless belt is usually manufactured by particular endurable materials for making the inner surface thereof have a characteristic of anti-abrasion. Prior to finally assembly of a treadmill, some treadmill manufacturers further process lubricative treatments for the treadmill in order to extend the service life. There are several known processes, such as manually rub or dispersing lubricant as a treadmill operating time, to make lubricative material, such as liquefied wax, or lubricative oil, attach on a surface of a supporting deck. However, these processes can not provide a solution for a treadmill manufacture to solve a problem of how to control an amount of lubricative material to provide significant degree of lubrication without bringing redundant lubricative material in a treadmill which results in ill effects to the treadmill. 
     For example, one of the processing methods is to coat a surface of a supporting deck with a lubricative layer. When a user exercises on a treadmill, the use&#39;s foot impacts an endless belt of the treadmill and causes an inner surface of the endless belt intermittently presses a supporting deck of the treadmill, temporally causing the endless belt to rub against the supporting deck. That produces some lubricative dust which is scraped from the lubricative layer by the inner surface of the endless belt. The lubricative dust randomly attaches on the inner surface of the endless belt to decrease belt to deck friction. Further explanation, a belt for a treadmill is usually made by stacking several layers of different materials. An inner surface of the belt which is designed to rub against a supporting deck is weaved by particular fibers. Therefore, there are many small concaves existing in between longitudinal fibers and lateral fibers. The inner surface of the belt substantially is a rough surface in micro view. When the impact occurs, the inner surface of an endless belt scrapes a trace of lubricative dust and part of the lubricative dust is carried by the small concaves. Nevertheless, this processing method can not make all lubricative dust attach on the inner surface of the endless belt. Some free lubricative dust which drops on other components of the treadmill will cause some problems. In particular, when front and rear rollers of the treadmill are covered too much lubricative dust, there is noise as the treadmill running. Another problem is that although a trace of lubricative dust is enough to effectively reduce the belt to deck friction, the deck still need to be covered an extra thicker lubricative layer which contains more lubricative material than actual need. The reason is that a treadmill manufacturer can not make sure or control how much lubricative dust will attach on the inner surface of the belt. In order to extend lubricative time and increase the lubricative dust attaching probability, it is necessary to make each rub between the endless belt and supporting deck scrapes enough lubricative dust. Therefore, the lubricative layer become thicker and the manufacturing cost arises. 
     TW M257848 patent illustrates another processing method which is directly applied liquefied wax to an inner surface of an endless belt. It discloses a machine which has a roller configured to stain with liquefied wax in advance and then smear it over the inner surface of the endless belt. The machine uses a scraper to controlling the amount of liquefied wax stained on the peripheral surface of the roller. Therefore, the inner surface of the endless belt is uniformly covered by a layer of liquefied wax. After cooling and solidification, a solid lubricative layer is formed on the endless belt. However, this processing method has some problems. As aforementioned, an inner surface of an endless belt is a rough surface in micro view. The roller of the machine can not control a proper amount of the liquefied wax to flow into the concaves of the inner surface of the endless belt. By this processing method, both the concaves and fibers are covered by the lubricative layer. In detail, an endless belt is usually made by several non-absorbent materials. Liquefied lubricative material, such as the liquefied wax, can not penetrate into the endless belt. The liquefied lubricative material which does not flow into the concaves heaps up on the surfaces of the fibers and solidifies to become a layer. The combining relationship between the layer and the endless belt is weak because the contact area therebetween is relatively small comparing to those in the concaves. When the endless belt is fabricated to a treadmill and a user start to exercise thereon, the lubricative layer is easily detached from the inner surface of the endless belt. Therefore, it causes the aforementioned noise problem. Besides, the lubricative material also has a possibility leaking out of the treadmill and pollution. Therefore, the endless belt may cover too much lubricative wax even this processing method uses a scraper mechanism. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing belt lubrication for an exercise apparatus, such as a treadmill, and an apparatus for practicing the method which engages solid lubricative material with a surface of the belt to enhance anti-abrasion. Lubrication between the processed belt and a supporting desk is durable. The processing method is economic. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method of enhancing anti-abrasion of a belt used in a treadmill comprises steps of: providing the belt and moving the belt from an inlet of a processing zone to an outlet of a processing zone; storing powdery lubricative material in a storage portion of a distributing device; controlling the distributing device to make the powdery lubricative material scatter on the surface of the belt from a releasing portion of the distributing device located; controlling the belt to move through a space which is heated by a heating device and located closer to the outlet than the releasing portion, the space is heated to melted the powdery lubricative material in a liquid state and capable for maintaining the liquid state in a short time; moving the belt out of the space of the heating device. 
     In the preferred embodiment, an apparatus is provided to practice the method. The apparatus comprises: a frame has a processing zone, the processing zone having an inlet and an outlet; a driving device coupled to the frame; a distributing device coupled to the frame having a storage portion and a releasing portion which is located above the processing zone; and a heating device coupled to the frame having a space and a heating portion, the space located closer to the outlet of the processing zone than the releasing portion of the distributing device. The space can be heated by the heating portion of the heating device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG.  2 - a  is a front view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG.  2 - b  is an enlarged view of the “area A” in FIG.  2 - a;    
       FIG.  3 - a  is a perspective view of a distributing device of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG.  3 - b  is a top view of FIG.  3 - a  without a storage portion of the distributing device; 
       FIG.  3 - c  is a left view of the distributing device of FIG.  3 - a;    
       FIG.  3 - d  is a cutaway view about the E-E axis in FIG.  3 - c;    
       FIG.  3 - e  is an enlarged view of the “area B” in FIG.  3 - d ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  which shows a state as processing an endless belt. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now specifically to the figures, in which identical or similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout, a detailed description of the present invention is given. It should be understood that the following detailed description relates to the best presently known embodiment of the invention. However, the present invention can assume numerous other embodiments, as will become apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , in an embodiment, the invention provides an apparatus  1  that includes a frame  10 , a control system (not shown), a driving device  20  mounted on the frame  10 , a distributing device  30  coupled to the frame  10  near a central portion thereof, and a heating device  40  located near the distributing device  30  coupled to the frame  10 . 
     The frame  10  is adapted to stablely rest on the ground. The frame  10  includes two paralleled supporting bars  11  supported on the ground, a working table  12  mounted on front portions of the supporting bars  11 , a pad unit  18  mounted on the working table  12 , and a rack  13  behind the working table  12  mounted on rear portions of the supporting bars  11 . A lateral processing zone S 1  is designed and positioned above the working table  12 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , when an endless belt  50  is fed from the left side of the apparatus  1 , the endless belt  50  can be processed in the processing zone S 1  by a processing method provided by the present invention. There is a supporting board  14  mounted on an upper portion of the rack  13 . Two rails  141  are laterally mounted on the supporting board  14 . Besides, left stopper  143  and right stoppers  142  are oppositely mounted on a central portion of the supporting board  14 . There is a pneumatic cylinder  16  mounted on the top of the rack  13 . The pneumatic cylinder  16  has a piston rod  161  which can be driven to move leftward or rightward. A moving plank  15  is engaged with the two rails  141  and mounted to the piston rod  161  of the pneumatic cylinder  16 . When the piston rod  161  is driven to move rightward, the moving plank  15  is also driven to move rightward until a right block  151  of the moving plank  15  touches the right stopper  142 . Likewise, when the piston rod  161  is driven to move leftward, the moving plank  15  is also driven to move leftward until a left block  152  of the moving plank  15  touches the left stopper  143 . Furthermore, a bracket  17  which is shaped as “II” mounted to the moving blank  15  by an upper horizontal portion  171  thereof. When the pneumatic cylinder  16  controls the piston rod  161  to move, the bracket  17  is indirectly driven to move leftward or rightward relative to the working table  12 . 
     The control system (not shown) is coupled to the frame  10  and used for making the driving device  20 , distributing device  30 , and heating device  40  automatic operation. The control system could be a known electric control system or automatic control system. Thus, details of the control system are regarded as prior art and should be appreciated by people skilled in the art. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2-   a , the driving device  20  includes four rollers  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  located above the working table  12  and a first motor  25  mounted on the frame  10 . The rollers  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  are: a first roller  21  located on the left side of the processing zone S 1 , a second roller  22  located above the first roller  21 , a third roller  23  located on the right side of the processing zone S 1 , and a fourth roller  24  located above the third roller  23 . All the rollers  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  are disposed longitudinally as shown in FIG.  2 - a . The first roller  21  is coupled to the frame  10  and the far distal end thereof is coaxially connected to a pulley  27 . The pulley  27  is rotated by an axle  251  of the first motor  25  via a strap  26 . The second roller  22  is also connected to the frame  10 . The third and fourth rollers  23 ,  24  are respectively connected to a lower horizontal portion  172  and the higher horizontal portion  171  of the “II” shaped bracket  17 . When the bracket  17  is moved, the third and fourth rollers  23 ,  24  are simultaneously moved relative to the frame  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3-   a  to  3 - e , the distributing device  30  comprises an allotting mechanism  31  which is located above the processing zone  51  and coupled to the frame  10 , left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316 , and a storage portion  32  connected to the allotting mechanism  31 . The allotting mechanism  31  includes a base  311 , a rod  314 , and a second motor  33 . The base  311  of the allotting mechanism  31  has a bottom panel  313  and a connecting portion  312  mounted on the frame  10 . There is a rectangular hole S 2  which the width thereof is adjustable arranged in the central portion of the bottom panel  313 . The long edge of the rectangular hole S 2  is corresponding to fore-and-aft direction of the apparatus  10 , i.e. parallels to the rollers  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 . The rod  314  is arranged in the rectangular hole S 2  and pivoted to the base  311  in accordance with the fore-and-aft direction. Moreover, the peripheral surface of the rod  314  is covered with many grooves  35 . The grooves  35  are parallel to the axial direction of the rod  314 . In the embodiment, each of the grooves  35  has a V-shaped vertical section, however, it is not limited. The left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316  are respectively arranged beside the long edges of the rectangular hole S 2 . Each of the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316  can be adjusted to move leftward or rightward in order to control the width of the rectangular hole S 2 . In other words, the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316  can control gaps between the peripheral surface of the rod  314  and the long edges of the rectangular hole S 2 . Besides, the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316  symbolically divided the peripheral surface of the rod  314  as an inner surface and an external surface. Referring to FIG.  3 - e , the inner surface is part of the peripheral surface of the rod  314  higher than the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316 . The external surface is part of the peripheral surface of the rod  314  lower than the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316 . The second motor  33  is configured for rotating the rod  314  via the axle  331  thereof. When the rod  314  is rotated, one side of the peripheral surface thereof which is rotated downward and the corresponding long edge of the rectangular hole S 2  form as a releasing portion  34 , that is to say, a transition place as the inner surface of the rod  314  becoming the external surface of the rod  314  is the releasing portion  34 . In other possible embodiment, if the distributing devise  30  does not have the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  316 , the bottom panel  313  of the base  311  becomes the demarcation. The storage portion  32  is coupled to the bottom panel  313 . The storage portion  32  has functions of a funnel and storage, so that the storage portion  32  can guide contents by gravity to the rectangular hole S 2  of the bottom panel  313 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 - a , and  2 - b , the heating device  40  comprises a heating portion  41 , a shaft  43 , and two moveable arms  42 . In the embodiment, the heating portion  41  is a metallic cuboid and the long side thereof is in accordance with the fore-and-aft direction. The heating portion  41  can be heated by energy, such as electrical power, thermal energy, or magnetic field. The shaft  43  is longitudinally coupled to the frame  10 . Each of the movable arms  42  is interconnected between the heating portion  41  and the shaft  43 . Referring to FIG.  2 - a , when the shaft  43  is rotated clockwise, the movable arms  42  can lift the heating portion  41 . When the shaft  43  is rotated counterclockwise, the movable arms  42  can push the heating portion  41  to press toward the working table  12 . Besides, the heating device  40  further comprises a space S 3 . In the embodiment, the space S 3  is beneath the heating portion  41 . When the heating portion  41  is heated, temperature of the space S 3  accordingly arises due to thermal conduction. 
     The processing method of the embodiment has steps. Firstly, putting solid lubricative material into the storage portion  32  of the distributing device  30 . In the embodiment, the solid lubricative material had been powdered as lubricative powder and sifted so that each of particles substantially has the same size. Then, as shown in  FIG. 4 , an endless belt  50  is encircled the first  21 , second  22 , third  23 , and fourth rollers  24  in a way of making an inner surface of the endless belt  50  face the processing zone S 1 . Right following engaging the endless belt  50  to the four rollers  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 , the pneumatic cylinder  16  is controlled to move the piston rod  161  rightward in order to make the four rollers  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  stretch the endless belt  50 . Controlling the heating device  40  to raise the temperature of the heating portion  41  to a degree, the heated heating portion  41  is capable of melting the lubricative powder. Starting the control system, the control system makes the second motor  33  drive the rod  314  of the distributing device  30  to rotate and then scatter the lubricative powder on the inner surface of the endless belt  50 . The first motor  25  is simultaneously actuated by the control system to control the first roller  21  to rotate counterclockwise, so that the endless belt  50  is driven to move counterclockwise. When the endless belt  50  enters the processing zone S 1  from an inlet of the processing zone S 1  which is under the first roller  21 , continuously moving through the space S 3  of the heating device  40 , and then moving to an outlet which is under the third roller  23 , it means that part of the endless belt  50  has been processed by the method of the embodiment of the invention. In addition, locations of the inlet and outlet of the processing zone S 1  depend on locations of the distributing device  30  and the space S 3  of the heating device  40 . For example, if the locations of the distributing device  30  and the space S 3  of the embodiment are exchanged, the endless belt  50  needs to be correspondingly changed to move clockwise. Accordingly, the region under the third roller  23  becomes an inlet of the processing zone S 1  and the region under the first roller  21  becomes an outlet of the processing zone S 1 . 
     Referring to FIGS.  3 - d  and  3 - e , the rod  314  of the distributing device  30  is rotated clockwise by the second motor  33 . The left gap adjusting unit  315  touches the peripheral surface of the rod  314 . However, there is an interval between the right gap adjusting unit  316  and the peripheral surface of the rod  314 . During the process of the grooves  35  crossing the interval, the grooves  35  can help the lubricative powder drop out of the releasing portion  34 . In details, the lubricative powder is substantially not allowed to drop from the interval as the peripheral surface of the rod  314  facing the right gap adjusting unit  316  or as the rod is static. As shown in FIG.  3 - e , the lubricative powder is not allowed to drop from the left side of the rod  314  because the left gap adjusting unit  315  substantially touches the rod  314 , i.e. the left long edge of the rectangular hole S 2  substantially contacts the rod  314 . Therefore, density of the grooves  35  and rotating speed of the rod  314  of the distributing device  30  can control powder releasing frequency. If moving speed of the endless belt  50  is correspondingly adjusted, distribution of the lubricative powder on the inner surface of the endless belt  50  can also be controlled. In other possible embodiment, a distance between the releasing portion  34  and the endless belt  50  may be adjustable in order to control density of the lubricative powder. Moreover, the position of the left and right gap adjusting units can be freely adjusted depending on particle size of lubricative powder and manufacture&#39;s demand. In other possible embodiment, the releasing portion  34  may be controlled to open intermittently. Also, in a possible embodiment, a distributing device may not have a gap adjusting unit and a rod of the distributing device may not have grooves. One can adjust an interval between an edge of the rectangular hole and the rod in advance. Thus, lubricative powder can also be released by the rotation of the rod. Possibly, if particle size of the lubricative powder is small enough to fall into the grooves  35  of the rod  314 , the left and right gap adjusting units  315 ,  314  can both be controlled to contact the peripheral surface of the rod  314 . In sum, the distributing device  30  is a quantitative feeding device. Density of the lubricative powder in per unit area of the inner surface of the endless belt  50  can be substantially controlled by the embodiment. 
     Referring to FIGS.  2 - b ,  3 - e , and  4 , as shown in the figures, the endless belt  50  is moved from the inlet of the processing zone S 1  (left side of  FIG. 4 ) to the outlet of the processing zone  51  (right side of  FIG. 4 ) and the inner surface thereof faces to the processing zone  51 . When the endless belt  50  is driven to pass through the distributing device  30 , the lubricative powder falls on the inner surface of the endless belt  50  at a predetermined frequency. As the endless belt  50  keeping moving, the lubricative powder enters into the space S 3  of the heating device  40 . Each of the powder particles in the space S 3  is melted and becomes a liquefied lubricative drop. Because the function of the distributing device  30 , per unit of area of the inner surface of the endless belt  50  only has a trace of liquefied lubricative drops. Each liquefied lubricative drop has more chances to flow into nearby concaves of the endless belt  50  and thereby reduce a probability that too many liquefied lubricative drops stay in the same concave. After the endless belt  50  being moved out of the space S 3  of the heating device  40 , liquefied lubricative drops are substantially coagulated in the concaves and engage with nearby longitudinal and lateral fibers of the inner surface of the endless belt  50  to form many lubricative areas on the surface of the belt. Furthermore, because the space S 3  of the heating device  40  has a significant width, when the lubricative powder is moved into the space S 3 , the lubricative powder is heated continuously in a short time. Therefore, the liquefied lubricative drops are easily to flow into the concaves. 
     In the embodiment, the heating portion  41  is moved to make the bottom surface thereof contact the inner surface of the endless belt  50 . Therefore, when the endless belt  50  is moved toward the space S 3  of the heating device  40 , the lubricative powder thereon starts to be melted as touching the front edge of the bottom surface of the heating portion  41 . Some melted lubricative powder (liquefied lubricative drops) is forced to flow into the concaves by the heating portion  41  except some melted lubricative powder has already flowed into the concaves. Accordingly, because the bottom surface of the heating portion  41  has a significant width, the bottom surface of the heating portion  41  is capable of continuously forcing the liquefied lubricative drops flows into the concaves. Therefore, a phenomenon of coagulating the liquefied lubricative drops on the top surface of the fibers can be significantly diminished. In other possible embodiment, a front portion of a bottom panel of a heating device may be designed as a declined surface. Thus, when the heating portion contacts an inner surface of an endless belt, a space therebetween is a high-to-low space. This possible embodiment may be used when an inner surface of an endless belt is needed to be engaged with more lubricative powder. 
     Generally, in view of efficacy of modern lubricative powder, a trace of lubricative powder is enough to reach requirement of a treadmill. Thus, the above description shows that the processing method and apparatus of the invention can do quantitative control and remold the lubricative powder to engage with an inner surface of an endless belt to make the effect of lubrication more durable. Therefore, when a processed endless belt is fabricated to a treadmill and provides for a user to use, a treadmill manufacture does not need to frequently replenish lubricative material or replace an endless belt. The problem of redundant lubricative material can also be solved by the present invention. 
     The present invention does not require that all the advantageous features and all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment thereof. Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiment thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiment contained herein.