Patent Publication Number: US-2009221405-A1

Title: Shaking mechanism of a treadmill

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     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&#39;t have the proper up-and-down shaking effect during the walking exercise. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     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 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     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.