U.S. patent application number 11/709852 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for exercise treadmill for additionally vibrating a user running or walking on a tread belt.
This patent application is currently assigned to SING LIN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Don-Lon Yeh.
Application Number | 20080207407 11/709852 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39716570 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080207407 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yeh; Don-Lon |
August 28, 2008 |
Exercise treadmill for additionally vibrating a user running or
walking on a tread belt
Abstract
In one embodiment, an exercise treadmill includes a tread belt
for permitting a user to run or walk thereon, a motor, a wheel and
belt assembly for operatively connecting one end of a motor shaft
to the tread belt, a sensor proximate the shaft, a controller, and
a control panel. The sensor senses a speed change of the shaft in
response to an impact on the moving tread belt. In response to the
sensing, the controller instructs the motor to increase shaft speed
in substantially real time. A user can press a vibration key on the
control panel to perform at least one of changing amplitude of a
sinusoid and adding same to the shaft speed, changing frequency of
the sinusoid and adding same to the shaft speed, and changing the
shaft speed via the controller and the motor, thereby vibrating the
tread belt.
Inventors: |
Yeh; Don-Lon; (Taichung,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE, FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
SING LIN TECHNOLOGY CO.,
LTD.
Taichung
TW
|
Family ID: |
39716570 |
Appl. No.: |
11/709852 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/54 ;
482/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61H 23/02 20130101;
A63B 22/0242 20130101; A63B 22/025 20151001; A61H 2201/5007
20130101; A63B 21/00196 20130101; A63B 2213/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/54 ;
482/51 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20060101
A63B022/02 |
Claims
1. An exercise apparatus comprising: a frame; a tread belt mounted
on the frame and being adapted to permit a user to run or walk
thereon; a motor mounted in the frame and having a drive shaft
extending therefrom; a wheel and belt assembly for operatively
connecting one end of the drive shaft to the tread belt for
transmitting rotation from the drive shaft to the tread belt;
control means electrically connected to the motor; and a control
panel mounted on an end of an upwardly extending portion of the
frame and being electrically connected to the control means, the
control panel including a vibration key and a plurality of control
keys, wherein the vibration key is adapted to press to perform at
least one of changing an amplitude of a sinusoid and adding the
amplitude change to a speed of the drive shaft, changing a
frequency of the sinusoid and adding the frequency change to the
speed of the drive shaft, and changing the speed of the drive shaft
via the control means and the motor, thereby giving a vibration
effect to the moving tread belt.
2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising sensor
means mounted proximate the drive shaft, and wherein the sensor
means is adapted to sense a change of speed of the drive shaft in
response to an impact on the moving tread belt and generate and
transmit a corresponding signal to the control means, and the
control means transmit an instruction signal to the motor for
adjusting the speed of the drive shaft to a speed substantially the
same as that before the change of speed in substantially real
time.
3. An exercise apparatus comprising: a frame; a tread belt mounted
on the frame and being adapted to permit a user to lie thereon; a
motor mounted in the frame and having a drive shaft extending
therefrom; a wheel and belt assembly for operatively connecting one
end of the drive shaft to the tread belt for transmitting rotation
from the drive shaft to the tread belt; first control means
electrically connected to the motor; a control panel mounted on the
frame and being electrically connected to the first control means,
the control panel including a vibration key and a plurality of
control keys; and second control means held by the user, wherein
the user operates the second control means to perform at least one
of changing an amplitude of a sinusoid and adding the amplitude
change to a speed of the drive shaft, changing a frequency of the
sinusoid and adding the frequency change to the speed of the drive
shaft, and changing the speed of the drive shaft via the first
control means and the motor, thereby giving a vibration effect to
the static tread belt.
4. The exercise apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second control
means is a remote control.
5. The exercise apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second control
means is electrically connected to the first control means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The invention relates to power driven exercise treadmills
and more particularly to such an exercise treadmill capable of
additionally vibrating a user running or walking on a tread belt by
providing a sinusoidal change to a motor speed.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Recent trends towards physical awareness have led to an
increase in the number of individuals exercising on a regular basis
in order to keep physically fit. A number of types of exercise
equipment are currently in use to provide exercise to persons who
wish to keep physically fit without venturing outdoors. One of the
most popular of indoor exercise devices is the exercise
treadmill.
[0005] A conventional exercise treadmill is shown in FIG. 1. The
exercise treadmill comprises a motor 10 having a drive shaft 11
extending therefrom, a flywheel 12 attached to the drive shaft 11,
a first wheel 13 attached to an end of the drive shaft 11, a front
drive roller 17, a second wheel 16, larger than the first wheel 13
for speed reduction and torque increase, attached to one end of the
drive roller 17, a belt 15 trained about the first and second
wheels 13 and 16, a rear driven roller 18, a tread belt 19 trained
about the rollers 17 and 18, a support frame 21 under the tread
belt 19, a sensor 14 mounted proximate the second wheel 16, a
controller (e.g., microprocessor) 20 electrically connected to the
motor 10, and a raised control panel 22 electrically connected to
the motor 10 for commanding the controller 20.
[0006] In use, a person runs or walks on the tread belt 19. The
sensor 14 is adapted to sense speed (i.e., speed change) of the
tread belt 19 and generate and transmit a corresponding signal to
the controller 20 which in turn may transmit an instruction signal
to the motor 10 for regulating the speed of the drive shaft 11.
However, such control loop cannot regulate the speed of the drive
shaft 11 in substantially real time. The provision of the flywheel
12 can slightly improve the regulation at the cost of increasing
the number of components and thus the manufacturing cost. Further,
no vibration effect is provided. Thus, the need for improvement
still exists.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an
exercise treadmill capable of additionally vibrating a user running
or walking on a tread belt by providing one of a plurality of
sinusoidal changes having a small, predetermined peak value to a
motor speed by eliminating a flywheel and optionally mounting a
sensor on a motor shaft.
[0008] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description taken with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a top plan view schematically showing a
conventional exercise treadmill;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a top plan view schematically showing a preferred
embodiment of exercise treadmill according to the invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a side elevation of FIG. 2 with a user running on
the tread belt;
[0012] FIG. 4 plots average speed versus time for the clockwise
rotating motor utilized in the invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 plots average speed versus time for the
counterclockwise rotating motor utilized in the invention; and
[0014] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 where the user is lying
on the tread belt which moves back and forth repeatedly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an exercise treadmill 50 in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.
The exercise treadmill 50 comprises a motor 30 having a drive shaft
(not numbered) extending therefrom, a first wheel 39 attached to an
end of the drive shaft, a front drive roller 35, a second wheel 37,
larger than the first wheel 39 for speed reduction and torque
increase, attached to one end of the drive roller 35, a belt 38
trained about the first and second wheels 39 and 37, a tread belt
34 trained about a pair of rollers 35, a lower frame 36 for
supporting the tread belt 34, a sensor 31 mounted in proximity to
the other end of the drive shaft for sensing a rotating speed
(including its change) and an angular speed (including its change)
of the drive shaft, a controller (e.g., microprocessor) 32
electrically connected to the motor 30, and a raised control panel
33 mounted on a front top portion of an upwardly extending upright
of the frame 36 and being electrically connected to the controller
32 for commanding purpose.
[0016] In use, a person runs or walks on the tread belt 34 with the
moving speed of the tread belt 34 being lowered instantly. But the
speed decrease can compromise the desired exercise purpose. Thus,
as contemplated by the invention, the sensor 31 can sense a very
small amount of the speed decrease of the motor 30 and thus the
tread belt 34. The sensor 31 also generates and transmits a
corresponding signal to the controller 32 which in turn may
transmit an instruction signal to the motor 30 for increasing the
speed of the motor 30 to a speed substantially the same as that
before the user moving or walking on the tread belt 34 in
substantially real time. This speed regulation is more effective
and can be done more quickly as compared with the conventional
exercise treadmill.
[0017] Moreover, a user may press a vibration key on the control
panel 33 to instruct the controller 32 which in turn commands the
motor 30 to add a small, sinusoidal amplitude change to the set
constant (i.e., average) speed of the motor 30 (i.e., variable
amplitude of the sine wave), change frequency of the sine wave and
add same to the average speed of the motor 30 (i.e., variable
frequency of the sine wave), and/or change the average speed of the
motor 30 in operation, i.e., variable motor speed. As a result, a
vibration effect is given to the moving tread belt 34. This has the
benefits of effectively relieving muscle pain of the lower body and
making muscle supple similar to massage.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, motor speed changes are
illustrated. .omega.1 is an average speed of the motor 30.
.DELTA..omega. is a rate of speed change during a period of time
(as indicated by T). That is, .DELTA..omega./2 is a rate of speed
change during half-cycle T/2. Speed variations of the motor 30 are
detailed below.
[0019] (i) The motor 30 is not rotating and the tread belt 34 is
motionless when both .omega.1 is equal to 0 and .DELTA..omega. is
equal to 0.
[0020] (ii) The motor 30 rotates very slowly when .omega.1 is equal
to 0 but .DELTA..omega. is not equal to 0. Further, the motor 30
clockwise rotates in a first half-cycle T/2 (e.g., a rising edge of
the waveform shown in FIG. 4) and the motor 30 counterclockwise
rotates in a second half-cycle T/2 (e.g., a falling edge of the
waveform shown in FIG. 4). As a result, the tread belt 34 moves
back and forth quickly repeatedly. And in turn, a vibration is
given to the tread belt 34 and thus the user standing thereon since
T is a very short period of time and a variable. As a result, a
massaging effect is given to the whole body.
[0021] Moreover, .DELTA..omega. can be adjusted by a user by
pressing the vibratoin key on the control panel 33 (i.e., adjust
amplitude and/or frequency of the sinusoidal waveform). Thus,
different massaging effects are given. For example, as shown in
FIG. 6 specifically, a user may put a sheet and a pillow 51 on the
tread belt 34. Next, the user lie on the sheet with the head rested
on the pillow 51. The user then operates a remote control 52 for
exercising in a manner detailed in paragraph (ii). Alternatively,
the remote control 52 is replaced by another controller
electrically connected to the controller 32 in another
embodiment.
[0022] (iii) A positive .omega.1 means the motor 30 rotates
clockwise and a negative .omega.1 means the motor 30 rotates
counterclockwise. The motor 30 rotates without any vibration when
.DELTA..omega. is equal to 0. Therefore, the tread belt 34 runs
stably. The higher of .omega.1 the faster of the tread belt 34
moves. It is understood that a user walks on the tread belt 34 when
the tread belt 34 runs relatively slow and the user runs on the
tread belt 34 when the tread belt 34 runs relatively fast.
[0023] (iv) The motor 30 rotates with vibration when .DELTA..omega.
is not equal to 0. Thus, for example as shown in FIG. 4, the
positive average speed .omega.1 increases to
.omega.1+.DELTA..omega./2 in a quarter-cycle T/4. In a next T/4,
the average speed returns to .omega.1. In a further next T/4, the
average speed .omega.1 decreases to .omega.1-.DELTA..omega./2. In a
still further next T/4 (i.e., at the end of this cycle), the
average speed increases to .omega.1.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the negative average speed .omega.1 can
operate in a manner the same as described above.
[0025] In the case shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, a vibration effect is
given to the user performing exercise.
[0026] In brief, the vibration effect is given because the flywheel
is removed as contemplated by the invention. Further, the vibration
is precisely controlled by the sensor mounted on the motor
shaft.
[0027] While the invention herein disclosed has been described by
means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and
variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set
forth in the claims.
* * * * *