Patent ID: 7362016

Claim:
An exercise treadmill, comprising: a) a frame structure including a first side frame and a second side frame; b) a first pulley and a second pulley positioned substantially parallel to each other, each of the first and second pulleys rotatably secured at a first pulley end to the first side frame and at a second pulley end opposite the first end to the second side frame; c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated; d) a control system; e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes: i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor and fixed to said frame structure, said shaft having a first shaft end disposed within the first side frame and a second shaft end opposite the first shaft end and disposed within the second side frame, iii) a coolant channel within said shaft and extending from the first shaft end to the second shaft end and adapted to permit air to flow from within the first side frame to within the second side frame along said coolant channel effective to provide convective cooling of said motor, iv) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, v) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and vi) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor.