High efficiency treadmill motor control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207145-B2
Application number	US-201615195692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 12, 2012
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A high voltage direct current signal is obtained from a power supply. The power supply includes power factor correction circuitry. A control command is obtained from an exercise machine. The exercise machine includes a direct current motor. A pulse-width modulation signal is generated from the direct current signal based on the control command. The pulse-width modulation signal is provided to the direct current motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a treadmill, comprising:
receiving a control command to move a tread belt;
receiving a direct current signal converted from an alternating current, wherein receiving the direct current signal comprises receiving a boosted direct current signal having a higher magnitude of voltage than the alternating current; and
increasing the speed of tread belt in response to the control command and the boosted direct current signal to over 12 miles per hour.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein alternative current is from a power supply that draws less than 1800 watts.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the power supply is a residential power circuit.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the power supply includes power factor correction circuitry that corrects one or more phase differences between a voltage waveform and a current waveform of the alternating current.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the power factor correction circuitry includes a voltage waveform detector.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the power factor correction circuitry includes a current waveform detector.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the speed causes the tread belt to move at a rate greater than 18 miles per hour.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting an alternating current to the direct current signal includes converting the alternating current having a magnitude of 108-132 volts to the direct current signal having a magnitude of 220 volts with at least 87% efficiency.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a power supply converts the alternating current to the high voltage direct current with at least 95% efficiency.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the direct current includes switching a direct current on and off with a motor controller to generate a pulse-width modulated signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the motor controller includes an isolated bi-polar transistor to switch the direct current on and off.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the motor control includes a metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) to switch the direct current on and off.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the direct current includes passing the alternating current through a rectifier and filter.

14. A method of operating a treadmill, comprising:
receiving a control command to move a tread belt to a target speed;
switching a direct current on and off with a motor controller to generate a pulse-width modulated signal;
receiving the pulse-width modulated signal;
receiving a direct current signal converted from an alternating current signal, wherein receiving the direct current signal comprises receiving a boosted direct current signal having a higher magnitude of voltage than the alternating current signal; and
increasing the speed of tread belt in response to the control command and both the boosted direct current signal and the direct current signal to the target speed.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the motor controller includes an isolated bi-polar transistor to switch the direct current on and off.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the motor control includes a metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) to switch the direct current on and off.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein receiving the direct current includes passing an alternating current through a rectifier and filter.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein converting an alternating current to the direct current signal includes converting 108-132 volts alternating current to 220 volts direct current with 95% to 97% efficiency.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein a power supply converts the alternating current to the high voltage direct current with at least 87% efficiency.

Assignees

• Icon Health & Fitness Inc

Inventors

• Tyger Michael J
• Williams Derrek

Classifications

• A63B2225/50

  Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry · CPC title

• Y02B70/126

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A63B22/0235

  driven by a motor · CPC title

• A63B21/0058

  using motors · CPC title

• A63B22/025 Primary

  electrically, e.g. D.C. motors with variable speed control · CPC title