# US 12,766,360 B2 · Rear guard for a treadmill > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,766,360 B2 - Document ID: US12766360B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/328,498 - Filed: 2023-06-02 - Published: 2023-12-07 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-06-02 - Assignees: Peloton Interactive, Inc. - Applicants: Peloton Interactive, Inc. - Inventors: Matthew Baker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12766360B2 ## CPC - A63B 22/0285: {Physical characteristics of the belt, e.g. material, surface, indicia} - A63B 22/02: with movable endless bands {, e.g. treadmills (other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028)} - A63B 71/0054: {Features for injury prevention on an apparatus, e.g. shock absorbers (mats or the like for absorbing shocks for jumping A63B6/00)} - B66B 29/02: responsive to, or preventing, jamming by foreign objects - B66B 29/06: Combplates - A63B 22/0235: {driven by a motor} - A63B 2209/00: Characteristics of used materials - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) ## Abstract A treadmill or other exercise machine having a comb guard is described. For example, an assembly having a comb guard (e.g., an interlaced comb guard) may be disposed at a rear area of a treadmill. The comb guard may deflect objects or debris away from a gap between a moving surface of the treadmill and a rear guard or housing, and thus displace or move objects away from the moving surface of the treadmill. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A treadmill, comprising: a moving surface including a plurality of slats coupled to one another, each slat comprising: an outer surface that comprises: a plurality of ridges longitudinally oriented in a direction of travel of the moving surface, and a plurality of first channels disposed between adjacent ridges, wherein the plurality of first channels includes at least one channel of a first width and one channel of a second width different from the first width; and an inner surface comprising a material with a higher tensile modulus than a material of the outer surface; a deck; and a rear assembly including a comb guard, wherein the rear assembly is disposed at a rear end of the deck of the treadmill and configured to partially cover the moving surface as it travels around the deck, wherein the comb guard comprises multiple protrusions, wherein each of the multiple protrusions are separated by a second channel and oriented within a respective first channel, and wherein each of the plurality of ridges is oriented within a respective second channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The treadmill of claim 1, wherein each of the multiple protrusions includes a first leading edge that is disposed at an angle with respect to a base of the first channel in which it is disposed so that when the moving surface is in motion, objects are lifted from the plurality of first channels by the multiple protrusions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The treadmill of claim 2, wherein portions of the comb guard disposed above the plurality of ridges have second leading edges that are disposed at an angle with respect to top surfaces of the plurality of ridges so that when the moving surface is in motion, objects lying on the top surfaces of the plurality of ridges are lifted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The treadmill of claim 1, wherein gaps between the multiple protrusions and the plurality of first channels and between the plurality of ridges and the second channels have a size that is 2 millimeters or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The treadmill of claim 1, wherein each slat further comprises: a middle layer disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface, the middle layer comprising a material with a durometer that is lower than a durometer of the material of the outer surface and a durometer of the material of the inner surface. ### Claim 6 A treadmill, comprising: a deck; a moving surface that moves around the deck, wherein a top surface of the moving surface includes a plurality of ridges longitudinally oriented in a direction of travel of the moving surface and a plurality of first channels disposed between the plurality of ridges, wherein the plurality of first channels include at least one channel of a first width and one channel of a second width different from the first width; a guard assembly that is disposed at a rear area of the deck and configured to partially cover the moving surface as it moves around the deck; and a comb guard that is disposed between a front edge of the guard assembly and the moving surface, wherein the comb guard includes multiple protrusions configured to interface with the plurality of first channels and a plurality of second channels configured to interface with the plurality of ridges when the moving surface moves around the deck. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The treadmill of claim 6, wherein the moving surface is a slat-based belt that moves into the guard assembly as the moving surface moves towards the rear area of the deck. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The treadmill of claim 6, wherein the multiple protrusions are angled protrusions. ### Claim 9 A guard connectable to a treadmill that includes a deck and a moving surface that moves around the deck, the moving surface having a top surface with a plurality of ridges longitudinally oriented in a direction of travel of the moving surface and a plurality of first channels disposed between the plurality of ridge, wherein the plurality of first channels include at least one channel of a first width and one channel of a second width different from the first width, the guard comprising: a cover configured to be disposed at and protect a rear area of the deck of the treadmill; and a comb interface configured to be disposed between the cover and the moving surface of the treadmill, wherein the comb interface includes multiple protrusions configured to interface with the plurality of first channels of the moving surface and a plurality of second channels configured to interface with the plurality of ridges of the moving surface when the moving surface moves around the deck so as to lift objects disposed on the top surface of the moving surface of the treadmill. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The guard of claim 9, wherein the moving surface is a slat-based belt that moves around the deck of the treadmill. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The guard of claim 9, wherein the comb interface is integrated into a front edge of the guard. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The guard of claim 9, wherein the multiple protrusions are angled protrusions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The guard of claim 9, wherein the guard is removably connected to the deck of the treadmill.