Electric treadmill with safety stop function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11738250-B2
Application number	US-202117243602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2021
Priority date	Apr 29, 2021
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A motorized treadmill includes a base, an endless belt movable relative to the base for allowing a user to exercise thereon, a motor coupled to the endless belt for driving the endless belt to rotate, a current sensor coupled to the motor, and a controller in communication with the motor and the current sensor. The current sensor is configured to detect a motor current of the motor when using the motorized treadmill. The controller is configured to analyze fluctuations of the motor current to determine whether objects or children interfere with rotation of the endless belt. When the current sensor detects a current change not associated with the user of the motorized treadmill, the controller determines that the endless belt is interfered by objects or children and stops operation of the motor to slow or stop rotation of the endless belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motorized treadmill, comprising:
a base;
an endless belt movable relative to the base for allowing a user to exercise thereon;
a motor coupled to the endless belt for driving the endless belt to rotate;
a current sensor coupled to the motor and configured to detect a motor current of the motor when the motorized treadmill is in use; and
a controller in communication with the motor and the current sensor, the controller configured to analyze fluctuations of the motor current to determine whether objects or children interfere with rotation of the endless belt;
wherein when the current sensor detects a current change of the motor current not associated with the user of the motorized treadmill, the controller determines that the endless belt is interfered by objects or children and stops operation of the motor to slow or stop rotation of the endless belt.

2. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the current sensor detects an increase in the motor current that continues for a predetermined period of time, the controller is operable to determine that the endless belt is interfered by objects or children and stops operation of the motor.

3. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the endless belt has a top surface for allowing the user to exercise thereon, the top surface of the endless belt defining a longitudinal length, and wherein the predetermined period of time is defined as the longitudinal length of the endless belt divided by a running speed of the endless belt.

4. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the base has a front roller and a rear roller, and the endless belt is mounted around the front roller and the rear roller, and wherein the longitudinal length of the endless belt is defined between the front roller and the rear roller.

5. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the motor current of the motor is greater than a threshold amplitude for a predetermined period of time, the controller is operable to determine that the endless belt is interfered by objects or children and stops operation of the motor.

6. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 5 , wherein when the user uses the motorized treadmill to do exercises of walking, jogging or running, the threshold amplitude is greater than a maximum amplitude caused by the user's foot impacts on the endless belt.

7. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the endless belt is rotating without any user thereon, if the current sensor detects an increase in the motor current for a predetermined period of time, the controller is operable to determine that the endless belt is interfered by objects or children and stops rotation of the endless belt.

8. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the controller determines that the endless belt is interfered by objects or children, the controller is operable to cut off power to the motor to stop operation of the motor for slowing or stopping rotation of the endless belt.

9. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the current sensor is configured to detect the motor current of the motor and to generate a current signal proportional to the motor current, and wherein the current signal is transmitted from the current sensor to the controller, so that the controller is able to monitor a state of the motor current.

10. The motorized treadmill as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the motor current is an input current into the motor, and the current sensor is configured to detect the input current when using the motorized treadmill.

11. A method for determining whether a motorized treadmill is interfered by objects or children, the motorized treadmill having an endless belt and a motor coupled to the endless belt for driving the endless belt to rotate, the method comprising:
detecting a motor current of the motor via a current sensor when the endless belt of the motorized treadmill is driven by the motor;
analyzing a current change of the motor current by a controller;
determining whether the current change of the motor current is caused by a user of the motorized treadmill;
determining whether the current change of the motor current is caused by objects or children; and
stopping operation of the motor to slow or stop rotation of the endless belt if the controller determines that the current change is caused by objects or children other than the user.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein stopping operation of the motor further comprises stopping operation, of the motor when the current sensor detects an increase in the motor current for a predetermined period of time.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the controller is programmed for stopping operation of the motor when the current sensor detects that the motor current is continuously increased for a predetermined period of time.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein analyzing a current change of the motor current comprises analyzing fluctuations of the motor current to determine whether objects or children interfere with rotation of the endless belt.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises determining whether the motor current of the motor is greater than a threshold amplitude for a predetermined period of time, and if the motor current of the motor is greater than the threshold amplitude for the predetermined period of time, the operation of the motor is configured to stop.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the threshold amplitude is greater than a maximum amplitude caused by the user's foot impacts on the endless belt when using the motorized treadmill.

Assignees

• Liao Hung Mao
• Chen Joe
• Johnson Health Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Hung-Mao
• Chen Joe

Classifications

• A63B71/0054 Primary

  Features for injury prevention on an apparatus, e.g. shock absorbers (mats or the like for absorbing shocks for jumping A63B6/00) · CPC title

• A63B22/025 Primary

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

• A63B24/0087

  Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load · CPC title

• A63B2071/0081

  Stopping the operation of the apparatus · CPC title

• A63B2220/833

  Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement · CPC title