Patent Publication Number: US-9884222-B2

Title: Multifunctional treadmill

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from Taiwan Patent Application No. 104217337 filed on Oct. 29, 2015, which is hereby specifically incorporated herein by this reference thereto. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a treadmill. 
     2. Description of the Prior Arts 
     Various exercise habits are more and more common with the gradually rising awareness of health care in recent years. Especially, jogging can be done without special skills but is still a good means for training cardiopulmonary function, so jogging has been one of the most effective sports for improving health. However, one of the big problems of jogging is that jogging cannot be done when the weather is bad. Thus, in order to jog indoors, using a treadmill becomes more and more popular. 
     On the other hand, sitting for a long time without moving is really harmful to health. Even though everyone has some sort of exercise habit regularly, it is hard to avoid keeping in the sedentary posture when working, and it reduces the effect of exercise. Besides, during the leisure time, people always remain seated when watching TV, reading books, or using the computer, tablet and cell phone, all of which are detrimental to health as well. Furthermore, as working overtime has become a commonplace, people seldom have time to exercise after work. Even having a treadmill at home, many people do not have many chances to run on it. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a multifunctional treadmill to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional treadmill that allows the user to use the computer or tablet or read when jogging on the treadmill. 
     The multifunctional treadmill has a running deck; 
     two support rods mounted on two sides of the running deck respectively and protruding upward; 
     a platform mounted on the two support rods and including
         a reception cavity formed on a top surface of the platform; and   a sensor disposed in the reception cavity;       

     an operating board tiltably mounted on the platform, and including
         a tilting axis defined on a side of the reception cavity, and an orientation of the tilting axis is perpendicular with an orientation of the running deck;       

     wherein the operating board is capable of being received in the reception cavity; when the operating board is received in the reception cavity, the operating board triggers the sensor and makes the multifunctional treadmill into a low speed mode; when the operating board is released from the reception cavity, the multifunctional treadmill is in a standard speed mode. 
     Consequently, the advantage of the aforementioned treadmill is that the operating board is capable of being received in the reception cavity of the platform. A rear surface of the operating board and the top surface of the platform form a plane, allowing the top surface of the platform available for placing a tablet electronic device or a laptop. In addition, after the sensor detects that the operating board is received in the platform, the treadmill changes to the low speed mode from the standard speed mode. Thus, the treadmill provides enforced safety, so that the treadmill prevents the user from increasing the speed of the treadmill when operating the tablet electronic device or laptop and avoids danger. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a multifunctional treadmill in accordance with the present invention, showing that an operating board is released. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the multifunctional treadmill in  FIG. 1 , showing that the operating board is received for storage. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the multifunctional treadmill in  FIG. 1 , showing a reception cavity and a sensor. 
         FIG. 4  is a lateral view of the multifunctional treadmill in  FIG. 1 , showing that the multifunctional treadmill is unfolded. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of the multifunctional treadmill in  FIG. 1 , showing that lower surfaces of the platform and a handle bar. 
         FIG. 6  is a lateral view of the multifunctional treadmill in  FIG. 1 , showing that the multifunctional treadmill is folded up. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a multifunctional treadmill in accordance with the present invention comprises a running deck  10 , two support rods  20 , a platform  30 , an operating board  40  and a base  50 . 
     The support rods  20  are mounted on two sides of the running deck  10  respectively and extend upward. The platform  30  is mounted on the support rods  20  and includes a reception cavity  31  formed in a top surface of the platform  30 . The reception cavity  31  includes a sensor  311 . The platform  30  also includes a low speed mode operating interface  301  disposed on a margin which is adjacent to the user. The user is able to operate the treadmill and read information of the treadmill or physical functions through the low speed mode operating interface  301 . 
     Then refer to both  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The operating board  40  is tiltably mounted on the platform  30  and is capable of pivoting about a tilting axis defined on a side of the reception cavity  31 , and thereby the user can tilt and store the operating board  40  into the platform  30 . An orientation of the tilting axis is perpendicular with an orientation of the running deck  10 . 
     A front surface of the operating board  40  includes an operating interface, i.e. a standard speed mode operating interface  401 . When the operating board  40  is released from the reception cavity  31  and exposes the standard speed mode operating interface  401 , the user is able to operate the treadmill and read information of the treadmill or physical functions through the standard speed mode operating interface  401 . At this moment, the treadmill is in a standard speed mode and the maximum speed limit of the treadmill is, like a conventional treadmill, 18 KPH or 22 KPH, and the minimum speed limit is close to zero, e.g. 0.8 KPH. The maximum speed limit and the minimum speed limit are in accordance with a safety range of the treadmill. 
     In order to receive the operating board  40  in the reception cavity  31  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), the user tilts the standard speed mode operating interface  401  to cover the reception cavity  31  but exposes a rear surface of the operating board  40 . At this moment, the rear surface of the operating board  40  aligns with the top surface of the platform  30 , and the operating board  40  triggers the sensor  311 . The sensor  311  can be a mechanical, electronic, or optical sensor for detecting whether the operating board  40  is received in the reception cavity  31 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the sensor  311  is a button. When the operating board  40  is received in the reception cavity  31 , the operating board  40  presses the sensor  311 , and the treadmill is changed into a low speed mode. At this moment, the maximum speed limit is restricted to a lower speed, e.g. 5 or 6 KPH. 
     In other words, when the treadmill is in the low speed mode, the top surface of the platform  30  is emptied and available for placing a tablet electronic device A (e.g. a tablet or cell phone), a laptop, a book or documents (the figures illustrate the tablet electronic device A is put on the platform  30 , for example). Because the user only can do moderate exercises, such as walking, in the low speed mode of the present treadmill, the laptop operating or book reading may not be interrupted by intense movements. Besides, in the low speed mode, even if the user presses an accelerator button on the low speed mode operating interface  301 , the speed of the treadmill will not exceed the maximum speed limit so that the treadmill prevents the danger generated by unintentional touching the accelerator button by the user. 
     The platform  30  further comprises at least one tablet-electronic-device groove  32 , a storage recess  33 , at least one cup recess  34 , and a safety lock  35 . 
     The at least one tablet-electronic-device groove  32  may be an elongated slot and configured for erecting a tablet electronic device A. An orientation of the tablet-electronic-device groove  32  is perpendicular with the orientation of the running deck  10 . The section of the tablet-electronic-device groove  32  may be a rectangle or a trapezoid with a wide top and a narrow base. Thus, when the tablet electronic device A is erected in the tablet-electronic-device groove  32 , the tablet electronic device A is slightly oblique and faces to the eyes of the user. 
     The tablet-electronic-device groove  32  may be formed concavely on a bottom surface of the reception cavity  31  and/or the top surface of the platform  30 . Specifically, the tablet-electronic-device groove  32  is formed concavely on the platform  30  and located between the reception cavity  31  and a margin of the platform  30  away from the user. 
     The storage recess  33  is configured for receiving a remote control or other personal belongings, and the at least one cup recess  34  is configured for holding a bottle B or a cup. The storage recess  33  and the cup recess  34  are located on the margin of the platform  30  away from the user, and thereby the stuff in the storage recess  33  or the cup recess  34  may not obstruct that the user operates the operating interface or the tablet electronic device A on the platform  30 . 
     The safety lock  35  is disposed on the margin adjacent to the user, or specifically, is disposed on the low speed mode operating interface  301 . The safety lock may be provided with a safety key (not shown in the figures); the safety key is magnetic and connects with a safety clip. The safety clip optionally clips on the user. When the treadmill is operating, the safety key has to be mounted in the safety lock  35 , and thereby prevents children who are playing on the treadmill from turning on the treadmill unintentionally and causing danger. In addition, when the user is too far away from the platform  30 , for example, when the user is falling down, the safety clip clipped on the user will pull the safety key out from the safety lock  35  and shut down the treadmill to ensure the user is safe. 
     Then refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . To make the treadmill suitable for different statures or demands of the user, the platform  30  is adjustable in height and distance with respect to the user. Specifically, each one of the support rods is extendable so that the platform  30  can move upward and downward with respect to the running deck  10 . In the embodiment, each one of the support rods  20  comprises a first inner tube  201 , a first outer tube  202  and a first pin  203 . The first inner tube  201  is mounted in the first outer tube  202  and is movable along with the first outer tube  202 . The platform  30  is mounted on a top end of the first inner tube  201 . The first pin  203  is mounted on a top end of the first outer tube  202 . When the first pin  203  is pulled out, the first inner tube  201  can move with respect to the first outer tube  202 . When the first pin  203  is inserted, the relative position of the first inner tube  201  and the first outer tube  202  can be determined. 
     The support rod  20  comprises a pneumatic rod for adjusting the height of the platform  30  easily. Specifically, one end of the pneumatic rod is mounted on the first inner tube  201 , and the other end of the pneumatic rod is mounted on the first outer tube  202 . Thus, when the pin  203  is pulled out, the pneumatic rod pulls the first inner tube  201  upward with respect to the first outer tube  202 . 
     Besides, a top end of each one of the support rods comprises a handle bar  21 . The platform  30  is movably mounted between the handle bars  21 . A movement direction of the handle bars  21  is parallel to the running deck  10 . The handle bars  21  are located on two sides of the platform  30  and are mounted on the support rod  20  via the platform  30 . 
     In this embodiment, there is a second inner tube  211 , a second outer tube  212  and a second pin  213  mounted between the platform  30  and each one of the handle bars  21 . The second inner tube  211  is mounted in the second outer tube  212  and is movable along with the second outer tube  212 . The second inner tube  211  is fixed on the platform  30  and the second outer tube  212  is fixed on the handle bar  21 . The second pin  213  is mounted on a lower side of the second outer tube  212 . When the second pin  213  is pulled out, the second inner tube  211  can move with respect to the second outer tube  212 . When the second pin  213  is inserted, the relative position of the second inner tube  211  and the second outer tube  212  can be determined. 
     Then refer to  FIGS. 4 and 6 . To store the treadmill easily when not in use, the present treadmill is foldable. Specifically, the support rods  20  are mounted on the running deck  10  tiltably, and the platform  30  is mounted on the support rods  20  tiltably. The base  50  comprises a fixing portion  51  and a pivoting portion  52 . The fixing portion  51  is mounted under the running deck  10  and configured for abutting the ground. The pivot portion  52  is mounted on two bottom ends of the two support rods  20  and is tiltably mounted on the fixing portion  51 . The steps of the storage may be tilting the platform  30  to be parallel with the support rods  20  first, and then tilting the support rods  20  and the platform  30  to be parallel with the running deck  10 . The pivoting portion  52  will be tilted when the user tilts the support rods  20 , so as to lift up and push the support rods  20  toward the running deck  10 . 
     In order to save labor, the present treadmill comprises a driving unit (not shown in the figures). The driving unit is disposed between the base  50  and the support rods  20 , or is disposed between the base  50  and the running deck  10 . The driving unit includes a pneumatic element or a hydraulic element to provide force or buffer when the user lifts up or puts down the support rod  20  or the running deck  10 . 
     Consequently, the present treadmill not only can be used as a conventional treadmill, but the user can put the laptop or reading material on the platform  30  and the present treadmill changes to the low speed mode from the standard speed mode forcibly, and thereby the user can work or read when exercising on the treadmill. Thus, the present treadmill is capable of improving health and efficiency of time management. The low speed mode provides enforced safety by restricting the maximum speed limit so that the treadmill prevents the danger that user intentionally presses the accelerator button when doing other activities on the treadmill. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.