Elliptical trainer with incline adjustment mechanism

Abstract

A treadmill with an anti-entrapment function allows a user to stand on the treadmill and includes a running unit, a control unit, and a detection unit. The running unit includes two lateral bases, a driving roller, a driven roller, and a running belt. Each lateral base has a bottom end portion lower than the running belt. The detection unit includes a transmitter for emitting a light wave and a receiver for receiving the light wave. When accidently pulled into the gap between the running belt and one of the lateral bases, the user or a foreign object is moved by the running belt to the space between the transmitter and the receiver, thus keeping the receiver from receiving the light wave. The receiver sends out a warning signal in response, in order for the control unit to control the rotation speed of the driving roller accordingly to prevent continued entrapment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A treadmill with an anti-entrapment function, allowing a user to stand thereon, the treadmill with the anti-entrapment function comprising:
 a running unit including a main base, two lateral bases, a driving roller, a driven roller, and a running belt, wherein the lateral bases extend rearward from the main base and are spaced apart from each other, the driving roller and the driven roller are pivotally provided between the lateral bases, the running belt is provided between the lateral bases, is looped around the driving roller and the driven roller, and allows the user to stand on the running belt, each said lateral base extends in a direction defined as a front-rear axial direction, each said lateral base has a front section adjacent to the main base and a rear section extending away from the front section along the front-rear axial direction, and each said rear section has a top end portion higher than the running belt and a bottom end portion lower than the running belt;   a driving unit provided at the main base and configured to drive the driving roller into rotation and consequently the running belt into rotation around the driving roller and the driven roller, thereby allowing the user to run forward on the running belt in the front-rear axial direction;   a control unit in signal communication with the driving unit; and   a detection unit including a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter is adjacent to the bottom end portion of one of the lateral bases and is configured to emit a light wave, the receiver is adjacent to the bottom end portion of the other lateral base and is configured to receive the light wave, the transmitter and the receiver are aligned with and face each other, and when the receiver fails to receive the light wave, the receiver sends a warning signal to the control unit in order for the control unit to control a rotation speed of the driving roller accordingly.   
     
     
         2 . The treadmill with the anti-entrapment function as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein upon receiving the warning signal, the control unit controls the driving roller by stopping the driving roller from rotating. 
     
     
         3 . The treadmill with the anti-entrapment function as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein upon receiving the warning signal, the control unit controls the driving roller by gradually reducing the rotation speed of the driving roller until the driving roller stops rotating. 
     
     
         4 . The treadmill with the anti-entrapment function as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter in the detection unit is an infrared transmitter, and the receiver is an infrared receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The treadmill with the anti-entrapment function as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the running unit further includes two extension portions, the extension portions extend rearward from the lateral bases respectively, are spaced apart from each other and protrude rearward beyond the running belt, and the transmitter and the receiver are provided at the extension portions respectively.