Motorized treadmill with motor braking mechanism and methods of operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019217153-A1
Application number	US-201916363273-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 18, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A treadmill includes a frame, a front shaft assembly coupled to the frame, a rear shaft assembly coupled to the frame and spaced apart from the front shaft assembly, a running belt disposed about the front and rear shaft assemblies, and a motor coupled to the running belt. In a first operating mode of the motor, the force of rotation of the running belt is provided by a user of the treadmill. In a second operating mode of the motor, the force of rotation of the running belt is provided by the motor.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A treadmill, comprising:
a frame; a front shaft assembly coupled to the frame; a rear shaft assembly coupled to the frame and spaced apart from the front shaft assembly; a running belt disposed about the front and rear shaft assemblies; and a motor coupled to the running belt, wherein in a first operating mode of the motor, the force of rotation of the running belt is provided by a user of the treadmill; and wherein in a second operating mode of the motor, the force of rotation of the running belt is provided by the motor.

2 . The treadmill of claim 1 , wherein in the second operating mode, the rotation of the running belt is resisted by a braking force selectively supplied by the motor in one of a first rotational direction and in a second rotational directional, the second rotational direction being opposite the first rotational direction.

3 . The treadmill of claim 1 , wherein the motor is coupled to one of the front shaft assembly and the rear shaft assembly.

4 . The treadmill of claim 1 , wherein the running belt defines a substantially planar running surface.

5 . The treadmill of claim 1 , wherein the running belt defines a non-planar running surface.

6 . The treadmill of claim 1 , wherein in a third operating mode, rotation of the running belt caused by the user of the treadmill is resisted by the motor applying a braking force to the running belt.

7 . The treadmill of claim 6 , wherein the braking force is a user definable setting, wherein increasing the braking force increases a force required by the user to rotate the running belt and decreasing the braking force decreases a force required by the user to rotate the running belt.

8 . A treadmill, comprising:
a running belt; and a motor coupled to the running belt, the motor operable in plurality of operating modes; wherein in a first of the plurality of operating modes, the force of rotation of the running belt is provided by a user of the treadmill; and wherein in a second of the plurality of operating modes, the rotation of the running belt is resisted by a braking force supplied by the motor.

9 . The treadmill of claim 8 , wherein the braking force is an adjustable setting, wherein increasing the braking force increases a force required by the user to rotate the running belt and decreasing the braking force decreases a force required by the user to rotate the running belt.

10 . The treadmill of claim 8 , wherein in a third operating mode, a torque assist force is applied by the motor to the running belt, the torque assist force configured to assist rotation of the running belt in addition to a force applied by the user to the running belt.

11 . The treadmill of claim 8 , further comprising:
a frame; a front shaft assembly coupled to the frame; and a rear shaft assembly coupled to the frame and spaced apart from the front shaft assembly; wherein the running belt is disposed about the front and rear shaft assemblies.

12 . The treadmill of claim 11 , wherein the motor is coupled to the front shaft assembly, and wherein in the second operating mode so that the braking force provided by the motor is applied to the front shaft assembly.

13 . The treadmill of claim 11 , wherein the motor is coupled to the rear shaft assembly, and wherein in the second operating mode so that the braking force provided by the motor is applied to the rear shaft assembly.

14 . The treadmill of claim 8 , wherein the running belt defines a non-planar running surface.

15 . The treadmill of claim 8 , wherein the running belt defines a substantially planar running surface.

16 . A treadmill, comprising:
a running belt; and a motor coupled to the running belt, the motor operable in plurality of operating modes; wherein in a first operating mode, the force of rotation provided by a user to the running belt is resisted by a braking force supplied by the motor; and wherein in a second operating mode, the motor drives rotation of the running belt.

17 . The treadmill of claim 16 , wherein in a third operating mode, a torque assist force is applied by the motor to the running belt, the torque assist force configured to assist rotation of the running belt in addition to a force applied by the user to the running belt.

18 . The treadmill of claim 16 , wherein in the second operating mode, the motor is adapted for selective rotation of the running belt in a first rotational direction and in a second rotational directional, the second rotational direction being opposite the first rotational direction.

19 . The treadmill of claim 16 , wherein in the first operating mode, the motor applies the braking force at a predefined speed value, wherein the predefined speed value is approximately zero revolutions-per-minute.

20 . The treadmill of claim 16 , wherein the braking force is a user definable setting, wherein increasing the braking force increases a force required by the user to rotate the running belt and decreasing the braking force decreases a force required by the user to rotate the running belt.

Assignees

• Woodway Usa Inc

Inventors

• Bayerlein Douglas G
• Oblamski Nicholas A
• Emons Vance E

Classifications

• A63B2220/30

  Speed · CPC title

• A63B22/025 Primary

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

• A63B22/0023

  the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band · CPC title

• A63B21/0053

  using alternators or dynamos · CPC title

• A63B71/0622

  Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user · CPC title