Compact structure for a treadmill

Claim 1

A treadmill exercising apparatus, comprising: frame means having longitudinally extending sides and front and rear ends; an endless belt guided by said frame means to provide a runway; means within said frames means for driving said belt; means for adjusting the slope of said frame means relative to a supporting surface including: a screw rod having two oppositely threaded portions rotatably mounted to said front end of said frame means; two nuts, each nut engaged with one of said two threaded portions on said screw rod; an X-shaped joint including two arms rotatably connectedat middle portions of said arms, each of said arms having an upper end and a lower end, each of said upper ends of each arm rotatably mounted to one of said nuts; a swinging member having a first end disposed on the supporting surface and a second end pivotally mounted on said frame means; said lower ends of each of said X-shaped joint arms being slidably attached to said swinging member approximately near said first end of said swinging member; and means for turning said screw rod; a control unit for controlling the operation of the treadmill; a support member on which said control unit is mounted, said support member being pivotally mounted to said frame means near said front end; a reverse U-shaped handrail having its free ends pivotally mounted to said frame means near said rear end; and snap connection means for releasably securing said support member to said handrail including: one or more latch holes formed on said support member, and a latch unit mounted on said handrail including one or more pins receivable in said latch holes, means for biasing each of said pins in a first direction, and release button means for moving each of said pins in a second direction opposite said first direction.