An exercise treadmill is disclosed which includes various features to enhance
user operation and to reduce maintenance costs. These features include handlebars
with an upwardly curved center section and outwardly flared side portions along
with pivoting rear legs for the treadmill frame. The control panel features include
snap-in user trays and an overlay covering the numerical key pad along with an
auxiliary control panel having a subset of user controls that are larger and more
easy to use than the same controls on the main control panel. Maintenance enhancing
features include the provision for access panels in the treadmill housing and a
belt lubrication system that uses a priming pulse to clear the wax spraying nozzle
along with using treadmill operating criteria for scheduling and operating the
lubrication system. For injection molded parts such as the control panel, structural
strength is enhanced by utilizing gas-assist injection molding to form structural
ribs. Another feature includes pre-glazing the treadmill belt. Sound and vibration
are reduced in a treadmill by mounting the treadmill belt drive motor on motor
isolation mounts that include resilient members. A further feature is a double
sided waxed deck where one side of the deck is covered by a protective tape.
