Foldable Electric Treadmill Base and Armrest Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric treadmills require a longer base to accommodate user stride length, leading to increased space usage, as the base length needs to be between 1.5 to 2 meters, making them less space-efficient for storage and use.
Innovation Solution
The electric treadmill features a foldable design with a connecting assembly that hinges the front and rear frames, allowing the base to be compacted, and a rotatable armrest with a controllable gas spring and locking mechanism for adjustable length and storage, enabling the base to be reduced in length for storage and improving user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the base length is increased to accommodate user stride length, then the running experience is improved, but the space occupied by the treadmill increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed with dynamic folding capability through connecting assemblies that allow the front and rear frames to be hinged together. This enables the base to transition between an extended state (1.5-2 meters) for running and a folded state for compact storage, resolving the contradiction between needing long base length for running experience and minimizing space occupation when not in use
2Ease of operation
If the base length is increased to 1.5-2 meters for proper stride accommodation, then user comfort is improved, but the width of the base increases taking up more space
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting assembly enables dynamic reconfiguration of the base structure. When folded, the front and rear frames are hinged together to reduce both length and width, minimizing the space footprint while maintaining the ability to extend to 1.5-2 meters for comfortable running when needed
3Reliability
If the armrest is made fixed and stable, then support function is improved, but storage convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is designed with rotational capability through a rotatable coupling mechanism that connects it to the base. This allows the armrest to be fixed in the operational position for stable support during exercise, and rotated to a folded position for convenient storage when the treadmill is not in use
Solution Approach 2:
A controllable gas spring is introduced as an intermediary element between the armrest and base. The gas spring provides controlled resistance during rotation, enabling smooth transition between fixed and folded positions while maintaining stability when the armrest is in the operational position
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The foldable design reduces the base length for storage, enhancing space efficiency and user experience by allowing the treadmill to be easily folded and unfolded, while maintaining support and control features.
Implementation Method 1
The vertical tube includes a hollow tube, an armrest tube, and a controllable gas spring, wherein the armrest tube is disposed in the hollow tube, one end of the controllable gas spring is connected to the armrest tube, and the other end of the controllable gas spring is connected to the hollow tube
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure proposes an electric treadmill. The electric treadmill includes a base and an armrest. The base includes a front frame, a rear frame and a connecting assembly, wherein tread boards are provided within the front frame and the rear frame, and the front frame and the rear frame are hinged by the connecting assembly to enable the base to be folded. The armrest includes a vertical tube and a cross tube, wherein one end of the vertical tube is connected to the cross tube and the other end of the vertical tube is rotatably coupled to the base to allow the armrest to be foldable with respect to the base. The front frame and the rear frame may be folded with respect to each other, thus, a length of the base is greatly reduced for storage.