TREADMILL PROVIDING GAIT ANALYSIS

• US 20150174444A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyaco International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dyaco International Incorporated
• Inventors: MURRAY, BRIAN, HUANG, MAO-YING, CHIANG, HAO
• Granted Patent: US 9,494,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0652 Visualisation or indication relating to symmetrical exercise, e.g. right-left performance related to spinal column
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers

Abstract

A treadmill is capable of performing a gait analysis and comprises a conveyor belt, a supporting plate, a driving mechanism, and at least two sensing assemblies. The conveyor belt is used for a user to walk or run in place. The driving mechanism drives the conveyor belt to run. The supporting plate supports the conveyor belt. The two sensing assemblies are fixed with the supporting plate, for respectively sensing the user'"'"'s left and right heel strike. A left and right pulse diagram thus can be obtained from the sensing assemblies, and the gait analysis is performed according to the left and right pulse diagram.

Claims

1. An treadmill, comprising:

a conveyor belt on which a user walks or runs in place;

a supporting plate, arranged below the conveyor belt for supporting the conveyor belt;

a driving mechanism driving the conveyor belt to run; and

at least two sensing assemblies fixed with the supporting plate, for respectively sensing the user'"'"'s left and right heel strike, so as to obtain a left pulse diagram and a right pulse diagram, and a gait analysis is performed according to the left and right pulse diagram.

2. The treadmill as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gait analysis comprises a step number of the left and right foot of the user that walks or runs on the conveyor belt.

3. The treadmill as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gait analysis comprises a step frequency of the left and right foot of the user that walks or runs on the conveyor belt.

4. The treadmill as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gait analysis comprises a step length of the left and right foot of the user that walks or runs on the conveyor belt.

5. The treadmill as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gait analysis comprises a step length symmetry index, which is computed by the following formula:

6. The treadmill as set forth in claim 1, wherein each sensing assembly comprises a hall sensor, a magnet, a coupling member, and a fixing member, in which the magnet fixes with the coupling member, and when the user walks or runs, the coupling member will vibrate with the supporting plate but the hall sensor remain static, so that the distance between the magnet and the hall sensor is thus varied, and the hall sensor outputs induction voltages depending on the distance between the magnet and the hall sensor, so as to obtain the left and right pulse diagram.

7. The treadmill as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a control panel for displaying the gait analysis.