Motor-driven exercise apparatus having runaway prevention system
First Claim
1. In a machine having a moving surface on which a user may walk or run, a motor for driving the moving surface, and means for establishing motor speed commands, a control system comprising:
- electronic processor command circuitry for storing and outputting motor speed command signals;
motor control circuitry which receives motor speed command signals from the electronic processor command circuitry and sends speed control signals to the motor;
speed sensing/feedback means for providing motor (or moving surface) speed information;
the motor control circuitry including means for receiving information from the speed sensing means, and means for comparing that information to the motor speed commands;
means for conveying the information from the speed sensing means to the electronic processor command circuitry;
a motor shut-off switch for causing rapid stoppage of power to the motor;
means for detecting a defect in the information from the speed sensing/feedback means to the electronic processor command circuitry; and
means responsive to the defect detecting means for actuating the motor shut-off switch.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motor-driven exercise apparatus is disclosed, which incorporates a plurality of runaway-preventing features, thus reducing the chance of injury to the user. A motor control circuit is effectively controlled by pulse width modulated commands from a CPU, and by frequency-variable feedback information. These data are converted to voltages and input to a differential amplifier. A relay switch is used to cause immediate power turn off at both speed and elevation motors if any of the following occurs: (a) loss of feedback signal from the speed feedback at the CPU, (b) too rapid speed change sensed by the CPU, (c) failure of the motor control circuit to receive a signal from the CPU within a certain period, or (d) an elevation motor runaway sensed by the CPU.
60 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a machine having a moving surface on which a user may walk or run, a motor for driving the moving surface, and means for establishing motor speed commands, a control system comprising:
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electronic processor command circuitry for storing and outputting motor speed command signals; motor control circuitry which receives motor speed command signals from the electronic processor command circuitry and sends speed control signals to the motor; speed sensing/feedback means for providing motor (or moving surface) speed information; the motor control circuitry including means for receiving information from the speed sensing means, and means for comparing that information to the motor speed commands; means for conveying the information from the speed sensing means to the electronic processor command circuitry; a motor shut-off switch for causing rapid stoppage of power to the motor; means for detecting a defect in the information from the speed sensing/feedback means to the electronic processor command circuitry; and means responsive to the defect detecting means for actuating the motor shut-off switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a machine having a moving surface on which a user may walk or run, a motor for driving the moving surface, and means for establishing motor speed commands, a control system comprising:
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electronic processor command circuitry for storing and outputting motor speed command signals; motor control circuitry which receives motor speed command signals from the electronic processor command circuitry and controls the motor speed in accordance with such motor speed command signals; a motor shut-off switch for causing rapid stoppage of the motor; and protective circuitry which monitors a signal sent by the electronic processor command circuitry, and causes actuation of the motor shut-off switch if the length of time since the last such signal exceeds a predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A machine having a moving surface on which a user may move, and also having;
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a motor for varying the slope of the surface; means for sensing the rate of change of the slope; and means for causing the motor to stop if the rate of change of the slope is greater than a predetermined value.
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9. In an exercise machine having a motor whose speed is controlled by command instructions, and whose speed controls the amount of effort required by the user, motor speed control circuitry comprising:
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an electronic processor for storing and outputting user-selected motor speed commands, such commands being output in the form of pulse-width modulated signals; motor speed sensing means providing motor speed feedback information in the form of variable frequency pulses; a differential amplifier for outputting a variable voltage proportional to the difference between command and feedback information; means for converting the pulse width modulated command signals into an average DC voltage signal, and inputting that voltage signal to the differential amplifier; means for converting the variable frequency pulses from the motor speed sensing means into an average DC voltage signal, and inputting that voltage signal to the differential amplifier; motor power supplying means; and means for converting the output of the differential amplifier into a signal which varies the power applied to the motor by the motor power supplying means. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A machine having a motor-driven moving surface on which a user may move at a speed determined by the speed of the moving surface, whose control system comprises:
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motor operating means for driving the moving surface and controlling its speed; command means for issuing command signals to which the motor operating means responds; sensing means for providing information as to the speed of the moving surface; protective means for independently causing motor shut-off; and monitoring means for detecting a defect of the command means and thereupon automatically causing the protective means to cause motor shut-off. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A machine having a motor-driven moving surface on which a user may move at a speed determined by the speed of the moving surface, whose control system comprises:
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motor operating means for driving the moving surface and controlling its speed; command means for issuing command signals to which the motor operating means responds; sensing means for providing information as to the speed of the moving surface; protective means for independently causing motor shut-off; and monitoring means for detecting a defect of the sensing means and thereupon automatically causing the protective means to cause motor shut-off. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification