Multifunctional exercise treadmill with sensor for activating motor driven tread belt or not in response to force exerted upon the tread belt for additionally exercising either foot muscles or both foot and hand muscles

• US 20080032871A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SIN ETKE Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Yeh, Don-Lon
• Granted Patent: US 7,410,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/54
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0023 for isometric exercising, i.e. substantial force variation without substantial muscle motion
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4034 for operation by feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4045 Reciprocating movement along, in or on a guide weights moving along or in guiding means A63B21/06; for cardio-training A63B22/201
• 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 22/001 by simultaneously exercising arms and legs, e.g. diagonally in anti-phase A63B22/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0076 Rowing machines for conditioning the cardio-vascular system seats moving during exercise A63B22/0087; training appliances for rowing or sculling on boats A63B69/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0238 with stretched legs, like on a bed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03575 Apparatus used for exercising upper and lower limbs simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0405 involving a bending of the knee and hip joints simultaneously A63B23/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/047 Walking and pulling or pushing a load for exercising the player ability for rugby or American football A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/12 for upper limbs or related muscles, e.g. chest, upper back or shoulder muscles bench press exercises A63B21/078; for teaching music G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances

Abstract

An exercise treadmill includes a tread belt wrapped around front and rear rolls, a motor, a frame, a control panel, a sensor electrically connected to the motor for sensing a rotation of its driving shaft and generating a sense signal if sensing the rotation, and a controller electrically interconnected the sensor and the control panel for receiving the sense signal and generating and sensing a control signal to the motor. The motor may either stop the rotation of the driving shaft for maintaining the tread mill motionless in response to the user'"'"'s foot impact thereon less than or equal to a predetermined reverse force or oppose a movement of the tread belt in response to the impact larger than the reverse force. Moreover, the tread belt either maintains at its current position or returns to its original position in response to stopping exercise.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus comprising:

front and rear rolls;

a moving tread belt wrapped around the rolls, a user being capable of walking, running, or sitting on the tread belt;

a motor having a driving shaft, a belt wrapped around the front roll and an open end of the driving shaft, and a reduction gear at one side of the front roll such that the driving shaft is adapted to rotate the front roll when the motor activates;

a frame with the rolls, the tread belt, and the motor mounted and including two front uprights;

a control panel mounted on a top of the uprights;

a sensor electrically connected to the driving shaft for sensing a rotation of the driving shaft and generating a sense signal if the sensor senses the rotation of the driving shaft; and

a controller electrically interconnected the sensor and the control panel, the controller adapted to receive the sense signal and generate a control signal which is in turn sent back to the motor;

wherein the control signal commands the motor to activate to generate a reverse force to either (i) stop the rotation of the driving shaft in substantially real time for maintaining the tread mill motionless in response to the user'"'"'s foot impact on the tread mill less than or equal to a predetermined reverse force or (ii) oppose a movement of the tread belt in substantially real time in response to the user'"'"'s foot impact on the tread mill larger than the predetermined reverse force; and

wherein either after moving the tread belt, the tread belt maintains at its current position in response to stopping exercise or the user'"'"'s foot impact on the tread mill is less than or equal to the predetermined reverse force;

or the movement of the tread belt involves firstly moving the tread belt rearward, and secondly moving the tread belt forward to its original position in response to stopping exercise or the user'"'"'s foot impact on the tread mill being less than or equal to the predetermined reverse force.

2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a seat for permitting the user to sit thereon, a cross rail interconnecting the uprights, and two foot rests mounted on the cross rail.

3. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises two side levels adjacent the seat.