Treadmill Deck Shock Absorber for Uniform Belt Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Treadmills often provide uneven support during exercise, leading to discomfort and joint stress due to varying stiffness across the track belt, causing instability and potential injury from irregular shock absorption.
Innovation Solution
A treadmill design incorporating a shock absorbing system with first and second anti-vibration rubber portions, each with specific surface orientations and hardness levels, and metal plates for enhanced support, ensuring uniform stiffness and preventing damage from shear deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single anti-vibration rubber portion is used to support the deck, then the structure is simple, but the stiffness is uneven across the track belt causing user discomfort and joint stress
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorbing portion is divided into multiple anti-vibration rubber portions (first, second, third, and fourth portions) positioned at different locations beneath the deck. Each portion independently absorbs shocks at its location, creating uniform stiffness across the entire track belt surface and eliminating the uneven support that causes user discomfort and joint stress.
Solution Approach 2:
Different anti-vibration rubber portions are strategically positioned at specific locations beneath the deck (front, rear, left, and right sides) to provide localized shock absorption where needed. This ensures that each region of the track belt has appropriate shock absorbing properties, creating uniform overall stiffness while addressing local support requirements.
2Reliability
If anti-vibration rubber portions are used to absorb shocks, then shock absorption is improved, but the rubber portions may be damaged by excessive shear deformation
Solution Approach 1:
Rigid plates are introduced as intermediary components positioned between the anti-vibration rubber portions and the deck. These plates have higher stiffness than the rubber portions and serve to distribute and reduce the shear deformation forces transmitted to the rubber portions during shock absorption, preventing excessive deformation that would damage the rubber material.
Solution Approach 2:
The shock absorbing system combines two different materials with complementary properties: flexible anti-vibration rubber portions for shock absorption and rigid plates for structural support and force distribution. This composite structure allows the rubber portions to absorb shocks effectively while the rigid plates protect them from damaging shear deformation by distributing the forces.
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 design maintains a soft ground status with uniform stiffness across the track belt, enhancing user comfort and stability by effectively absorbing both vertical and horizontal shocks, thus reducing joint fatigue and preventing damage to the shock absorbing components.
Implementation Method 1
a shock absorbing portion located between the deck and the frame and configured to absorb a shock applied to the deck
Implementation Method 2
A distance of shear deformation of the second anti-vibration rubber portion in the vertical direction to the plate surface direction of the deck may be equal to or greater than 3 mm
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a treadmill. The treadmill includes a shock absorbing portion configured to absorb a shock applied to a deck. The shock absorbing portion includes a second anti-vibration rubber portion having a third surface fixed to a frame and a fourth surface fixed to the deck. The third and fourth surfaces are perpendicular to a plate surface direction of the deck. The second anti-vibration rubber portion includes a first anti-vibration sub-rubber having the third surface, a second anti-vibration sub-rubber having the fourth surface, and a plate located between the first anti-vibration sub-rubber and the second anti-vibration sub-rubber. The plate located between the first anti-vibration sub-rubber and the second anti-vibration sub-rubber has a greater hardness than the first and second anti-vibration sub-rubbers.