Cable system incorporated into a treadmill

• US 10,426,989 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IFIT Incorporated (Amynta Agency, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ICON Health & Fitness Incorporated (HF HOLDINGS INC)
• Inventors: Dalebout, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nyca T
• Application Number:
  US14/732,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20150352396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0051 using eddy currents induced in moved elements, e.g. by permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/023 Wound springs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0442 Anchored at one end only, the other end being manipulated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/06 User-manipulated weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/153 wound-up and unwound during exercise, e.g. from a reel
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4043 Free movement, i.e. the only restriction coming from the resistance A63B21/00043, A63B21/072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0007 by alternatively exercising arms or legs, e.g. with a single set of support elements driven either by the upper or the lower limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0285 Physical characteristics of the belt, e.g. material, surface, indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0205 Abdomen
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0233 : Muscles of the back, e.g. by an extension of the body against a resistance, reverse crunch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 : Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1272 : Rotation around an axis perpendicular to the frontal body-plane of the user, i.e. moving the arms in the plane of the body, to and from the sides of the body

Abstract

A treadmill includes an opening formed in a surface of a running deck, a resistance mechanism incorporated into the running deck, and a cable threaded through the opening, where the cable includes a resistance end connected to the resistance mechanism and a pull end accessible through the running deck.

Claims

1. A treadmill, comprising;

an opening formed in a surface running side of a running deck;

a resistance mechanism including a flywheel incorporated into the running deck;

a sensor connected to the resistance mechanism, the sensor configured to determine one or more of a number of revolutions and a number of partial revolutions of the flywheel;

a cable threaded through the opening where the cable comprises a resistance end connected to the resistance mechanism and a pull end accessible through the running deck;

a display connected to the treadmill; and

a processor in communication with the display and configured to perform;

measuring aerobic calories burned during aerobic exercise using the running deck;

measuring pulling anaerobic calories burned during pulling anaerobic exercise using the resistance mechanism and using the sensor to provide information to the processor about energy expended during pulling anaerobic exercise using the resistance mechanism using one or more of the number of revolutions and the number of partial revolutions of the flywheel; and

displaying the aerobic calories burned and the anaerobic calories burned.

2. The treadmill of claim 1, wherein the running deck is arranged to transition between a running orientation and a storage orientation about a pivot mechanism.

3. The treadmill of claim 2, wherein the pivot mechanism comprises an axle that supports a portion of a weight of the running deck.

4. The treadmill of claim 3, wherein a first end of the axle is configured to move within a first track formed along a first length of a first frame post of the treadmill and a second end of the axle is configured to move within a second track formed along a second length of a second frame post of the treadmill.

5. The treadmill of claim 4, wherein the first end comprises a first pinion shaped to intermesh with a first rack of the first track and the second end comprises a second pinion shaped to intermesh with a second rack of the second track.

6. The treadmill of claim 2, wherein the pull end is positioned to allow a user to pull the cable while the running deck is in one or more of the running orientation and the storage orientation.

7. The treadmill of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer in communication with the processor.

8. The treadmill of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine a force exerted by a user during one or more pulls of the resistance mechanism using the accelerometer and the sensor.

9. The treadmill of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to display the force exerted by the user during each pull of the resistance mechanism.

10. The treadmill of claim 1, further comprising measuring pulling anaerobic calories burned during pulling anaerobic exercise using the running deck.

11. The treadmill of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to send a message to a user when maintenance should be performed based on one or more of the number of revolutions and the number of partial revolutions of the flywheel.

12. A treadmill, comprising;

an opening formed in a running side of a running deck where the running side is configured to support a user when the running deck is oriented in a running orientation;

a magnetic resistance mechanism disposed within the running deck;

a cable threaded through the opening, where the cable includes a resistance end connected to the magnetic resistance mechanism and a pull end accessible through the running deck;

a display connected to the treadmill;

a processor in communication with the display; and

a sensor connected to the magnetic resistance mechanism and in communication with the processor, the sensor configured to provide information to the processor about energy expended during pulling anaerobic exercise using the magnetic resistance mechanism, the sensor configured to determine one or more of a number of movements and a number of partial movements of the magnetic resistance mechanism;

wherein the processor is configured to perform;

measuring aerobic calories burned during aerobic exercise using the running deck;

measuring pulling anaerobic calories burned during pulling anaerobic exercise using the magnetic resistance mechanism using one or more of the number of movements and the number of partial movements of the magnetic resistance mechanism; and

displaying the aerobic calories burned and the anaerobic calories burned; and

wherein the pull end is arranged to allow the user to pull the cable with the running deck oriented in either the running orientation or a storage orientation.

13. The treadmill of claim 12, further comprising an accelerometer in communication with the processor.

14. The treadmill of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine a force exerted by the user during one or more pulls of the magnetic resistance mechanism using the accelerometer.

15. The treadmill of claim 12, wherein the running deck is arranged to transition between the running orientation and the storage orientation about a pivot mechanism.

16. The treadmill of claim 15, wherein the pivot mechanism comprises an axle that supports a portion of a weight of the running deck.

17. A treadmill, comprising;

an opening formed in a corner of a running side of a running deck, where the running side is configured to support a user when the running deck is oriented in a running orientation;

a motor that drives a tread belt of the running deck;

a magnetic resistance mechanism disposed within the running deck and including a flywheel;

a display connected to the treadmill;

a processor in communication with the display;

an accelerometer connected to the flywheel and in communication with the processor, the accelerometer configured to provide information to the processor about force exerted by the user during each pull of the flywheel;

a sensor connected to the flywheel and in communication with the processor, the sensor configured to provide information to the processor about energy expended during pulling anaerobic exercise using the magnetic resistance mechanism, the sensor configured to determine one or more of a number of revolutions and a number of partial revolutions of the flywheel;

the processor configured to perform;

measuring aerobic calories burned during aerobic exercise using the running deck;

measuring pulling anaerobic calories burned during pulling anaerobic exercise using the magnetic resistance mechanism using one or more of the number of revolutions and the number of partial revolutions of the flywheel;

measuring pulling anaerobic calories burned during pulling anaerobic exercise using the running deck;

determining the force exerted by the user during one or more pulls of the magnetic resistance mechanism using the accelerometer; and

displaying the aerobic calories burned and the anaerobic calories burned;

wherein the running deck includes a deck frame and at least one pulley connected to the deck frame and positioned to route a cable within the running deck;

wherein the cable is threaded through the opening;

wherein the cable includes a resistance end connected to the magnetic resistance mechanism and a pull end accessible through the running deck;

wherein the pull end of the cable includes a handle attachment;

wherein the running deck is arranged to transition between a running orientation and a storage orientation about a pivot mechanism;

wherein the pivot mechanism includes an axle that supports a portion of a weight of the running deck;

wherein a first end of the axle is configured to move within a first track formed along a first length of a first frame post of the treadmill and a second end of the axle is configured to move within a second track formed along a second length of a second frame post of the treadmill;

wherein the first end of the axle includes a first gear shaped to intermesh with a first rack of the first track and the second end of the axle includes a second gear shaped to intermesh with a second rack of the second track; and

wherein the pull end is arranged to allow the user to pull the cable with the running deck in either the running orientation or the storage orientation;

wherein the flywheel is arranged to rotate as the cable is pulled; and

wherein the flywheel is arranged to rotate in a single direction.