D.C. treadmill speed change motor controller system

• US 5,545,112 A
• Filed: 02/28/1994
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BowFlex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quinton Instrument Co. (Cardica Incorporated)
• Inventors: Densmore, Bruce D., Rotunda, John T., Hass, Lester A., Fissel, Gregory W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US08/203,219
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482/4, 482/7, 482/9, 482/54, 482/901, 198/577, 198/794
• US Class Current: 482/54
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/025 electrically, e.g. D.C. motors with variable speed control
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0257 Mechanical systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/903 Utilizing electromagnetic force resistance

Abstract

A control system controls a D.C. speed-change motor to change the transmission configurations on a treadmill transmission powered by an A.C. drive motor. The control system may be either microprocessor based or a system of discrete logical pieces. The control system responds to both the current speed of the treadmill belt and the electrical current drawn by the speed-change motor. The control system uses this information to modulate the duty cycle of voltage pulses sent to the D.C. speed-change motor to power the speed-change motor in response to a determination by the control system that the speed-change motor needs to rotate faster or slower to produce a controlled rate of speed change for the treadmill belt. The control system also includes a rapid deceleration system. In response to the user'"'"'s direction or in response to the condition of the treadmill, the control system sends a high voltage to the D.C. speed change motor to cause it to rapidly change the configuration of the transmission to decelerate the belt.

Claims

1. A treadmill comprising:

a) an A.C. drive motor having a rotating member;

b) a treadmill belt;

c) means for connecting said rotating member to said treadmill belt to cause said treadmill belt to move in response to rotation of said rotating member, said means for connecting including means for varying the speed of said treadmill belt when said rotating member is rotating at a constant speed;

d) a D.C. speed change motor connected to said means for varying to cause said means for varying to vary the speed of said treadmill belt in response to operation of said D.C. speed change motor; and

,

e) means for controlling said D.C. speed change motor including means for sending which sends a varying voltage signal to said D.C. speed change motor for varying the rate of rotation of said D.C. speed change motor, said D.C. speed change motor operating in response to said means for sending to cause a controlled change of speed of said treadmill belt.

2. The treadmill of claim 1 wherein the said means for controlling further includes a control loop comprising:

means for sensing at least one current parameter of the treadmill;

control signal producing means is connected to said means for sensing and produces said varying voltage signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing.

3. The treadmill of claim 2 wherein said control signal producing means includes means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing and the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal is varied by said means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing.

4. The treadmill of claim 3 wherein the parameter sensed by said means for sensing is the speed of said treadmill belt and said means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal varies the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal to decrease the duty cycle as the speed on said treadmill belt increases.

5. The treadmill of claim 3 wherein the parameter sensed is the load on said D.C. speed control motor and said means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal varies the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal as the load on said D.C. speed control motor changes.

6. The treadmill of claim 2 wherein said means for sensing includes treadmill belt speed sensing means for sensing the speed of said treadmill belt, said treadmill belt speed sensing means is connected to and transmits the sensed speed of said treadmill belt to said means for sending and said means for sending transmits said varying voltage signal in response to the sensed speed of said treadmill belt.

7. The treadmill of claim 2 wherein said means for sensing includes load sensing means for sensing the load on said D.C. speed change motor, said load sensing means is connected to and transmits the sensed load to said means for sending and said means for sending transmits said varying voltage signal in response to the sensed load on said D.C. speed change motor.

8. The treadmill of claim 2 wherein said means for sensing includes:

a) treadmill belt speed sensing means for sensing the speed of said treadmill belt, said treadmill belt speed sensing means is connected to and transmits the sensed speed of said treadmill belt to said means for sending;

b) load sensing means for sensing the load on said D.C. speed change motor, said load sensing means is connected to and transmits the sensed load to said means for sending; and

,

wherein said means for sending transmits said varying voltage signal in response to the sensed speed of said treadmill belt and in response to the sensed load on said D.C. speed change motor, said varying voltage signal causing said D.C. speed change motor to rotate at a speed causing a change of speed of said treadmill belt regardless of the speed of said treadmill belt or the load on said D.C. speed change motor.

9. The treadmill of claim 2 wherein said control signal producing means is a microprocessor.

10. The treadmill of claim 1 wherein said means for connecting is a transmission.

11. The treadmill of claim 10 wherein said means for varying is a variable sheave pitch diameter drive which changes its configurations to vary the speed of said treadmill belt.

12. The treadmill of claim 11 wherein said transmission includes an input shaft connected to said rotating member to cause rotation of said input shaft in response to rotation of said rotating member and, wherein said variable sheave pitch diameter drive includes:

a) a first pulley attached to said input shaft, said first pulley having opposed first pulley plates whose separation is controlled by said D.C. speed change motor;

b) an output shaft;

c) a second pulley attached to said output shaft, said second pulley having second pulley opposed plates; and

d) a treadmill pulley belt connecting said first pulley to said second pulley, said treadmill pulley belt frictionally contacting said first pulley opposed plates and said second pulley opposed plates whereby rotation of said first pulley causes said treadmill pulley belt to rotate which in turn causes said second pulley to rotate.

13. The treadmill of claim 1 wherein said means for controlling includes treadmill belt speed sensing means for sensing the speed of said treadmill belt, said treadmill belt speed sensing means is connected to and transmits the sensed speed to said means for sending;

and,

wherein said means for sending sends a varying voltage signal in response to the sensed speed of said treadmill belt.

14. The treadmill of claim 1 wherein said means for controlling includes:

a) load sensing means for sensing the load on said means for varying, said load sensing means connected to and transmitting the sensed load to said means for sending; and

,

wherein said means for sending sends a varying voltage signal in response to the sensed load on said means for varying.

15. A treadmill comprising:

a) an A.C. drive motor having a rotating member;

b) a treadmill belt;

c) transmission means for connecting said rotating member to said treadmill belt to cause said treadmill belt to move in response to rotation of said rotating member, said transmission means including means for varying the speed of said treadmill belt when said rotating member is rotating at a constant speed;

d) a D.C. speed change motor connected to said means for varying to cause said means for varying to vary the speed of said treadmill belt in response to operation of said D.C. speed change motor; and

,

e) means for controlling said D.C. speed change motor including means for sending a varying voltage signal to said D.C. speed change motor for varying the rate of rotation of said D.C. speed change motor, said D.C. speed change motor operating in response to said means for sending to cause a controlled change in the speed of rotation of said treadmill belt, said means for controlling including a control loop comprising;

means for sensing at least one current parameter of the treadmill;

control signal producing means, connected to said means for sensing, for producing said varying voltage signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing, said control signal producing means including means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing and the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal is varied by said means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing to control the speed of said treadmill belt.

16. A treadmill comprising:

a) an A.C. drive motor having a rotating member;

b) a treadmill belt;

c) a transmission for connecting said rotating member of said drive motor to said treadmill belt to cause the movement of said treadmill belt in response to rotation of said rotating member;

d) said transmission including means for varying the speed of movement of said treadmill belt when said rotating member is rotating at a generally constant speed;

e) a D.C. speed change motor connected to said means for varying to cause said means for varying to vary the speed of said treadmill belt in response to the operation of said D.C. speed change motor; and

f) a means for controlling the operation of said D.C. speed change motor including a control loop having a means for sensing at least one current parameter of said treadmill and a control signal producing means connected to said means for sensing for producing a control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing wherein said control signal is connected to said D.C. speed change motor and said control signal controls said D.C. speed change motor as said control signal is varied by said control signal producing means in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing to control the speed of said D.C. speed change motor.

17. The treadmill of claim 16 wherein said control signal producing means includes means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing and the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal is varied by said means for producing a pulse width modulated control signal in response to the parameter sensed by said means for sensing to change the speed of said treadmill belt.

18. The treadmill of claim 17 wherein the parameter sensed is the speed of said treadmill belt and said means for producing said pulse width modulated control signal varies the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal to decrease the duty cycle as the speed of said treadmill belt increases.

19. The treadmill of claim 17 wherein the parameter sensed is the load on said D.C. speed control motor and said means for producing said pulse width modulated control signal varies the duty cycle of said pulse width modulated control signal to increase the duty cycle as the load on said D.C. speed control motor increases.

20. The treadmill of claim 16 wherein said control loop includes means for sensing the speed of said treadmill belt and said means for sensing is connected to and transmits the sensed speed of said treadmill to said means for producing and said means for producing transmits said varying voltage signal in response to the sensed speed of the treadmill belt.

21. The treadmill of claim 16 wherein said control loop of said means for controlling the operation of said D.C. speed change motor includes means for sensing the load on said D.C. speed change motor, said means for sensing is connected to and transmits the sensed load to said control signal producing means and said control signal producing means transmits said varying voltage signal in response to the sensed load on said D.C. speed change motor.

22. The treadmill of claim 16 wherein said control loop of said means for controlling the operation of said D.C. speed change motor includes:

a) belt speed sensing means for sensing the speed of said treadmill belt, said belt speed sensing means is connected to and transmits the sensed speed of the treadmill to said means for producing;

b) load sensing means for sensing the load on the D.C. speed change motor, said load sensing means for sensing is connected to and transmits the sensed load to said control signal producing means; and

,

wherein said control signal producing means transmits said varying voltage signal in response to the sensed speed of said treadmill belt and in response to the sensed load on said D.C. speed change motor, said varying voltage signal causing said D.C. speed change motor to rotate at a speed causing a controlled rate of change of speed of said treadmill belt regardless of the speed of said treadmill belt or the load on said D.C. speed change motor.

23. The treadmill of claim 16 wherein said control signal producing means is a microprocessor.

24. A method for controlling the operation of a D.C. speed change motor in a treadmill having an A.C. drive motor with a rotating member, a treadmill belt, a transmission for connecting the rotating member to the treadmill belt causing the treadmill belt to move in response to rotation of the rotating member, the transmission including means for varying the speed of the treadmill belt when the rotating member is rotating at a generally constant speed, the means for varying controlled by the operation of a D.C. speed change motor, the D.C. speed change motor controlled by a control signal connected to the D.C. speed change motor, said method comprising the steps of:

a) sensing at least one current parameter of the treadmill;

b) varying the control signal in response to a parameter of the treadmill sensed in a) to produce a controlled change in the speed of rotation of the D.C. speed change motor.

25. A method for controlling the change of speed of a treadmill belt in a treadmill having an A.C. drive motor with a rotating member, a treadmill belt, a transmission for connecting the rotating member to the treadmill belt causing the treadmill belt to move in response to rotation of the rotating member and a D.C. speed change motor for varying the internal configurations of the transmission to vary the speed of the treadmill belt when the rotating member is rotating at a generally constant speed, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the speed of the treadmill belt;

producing a pulse width modulated signal whose duty cycle is determined by the speed of the treadmill belt so that the faster the speed of the treadmill belt, the lower the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal;

applying the pulse width modulated signal to the D.C. speed change motor thereby controlling the change in speed of the D.C. speed change motor and causing the D.C. speed change motor to vary the internal configurations of the transmission to vary the speed of the treadmill belt; and

controlling the rate of change of speed of the treadmill belt by the D.C. speed change motor regardless of the speed of the treadmill belt.

26. A method for controlling the change of speed of a treadmill belt in a treadmill having an A.C. drive motor with a rotating member, a treadmill belt, a transmission for connecting the rotating member to the treadmill belt causing the treadmill belt to move in response to rotation of the rotating member and a D.C. speed change motor for varying the internal configurations of the transmission to vary the speed of the treadmill belt when the rotating member is rotating at a generally constant speed, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the load on the D.C. speed change motor;

producing a pulse width modulated signal whose duty cycle is determined by the load on the D.C. speed change motor so that the greater the load on the D.C. speed change motor, the greater the duty cycle;

applying the pulse width modulated signal to the D.C. speed change motor; and

controlling the rate of change of speed of the treadmill belt so that the speed of the treadmill belt is controlled regardless of the load on the D.C. speed change motor.

27. A method for controlling the change of speed of a treadmill belt in a treadmill having an A.C. drive motor with a rotating member, a treadmill belt, a transmission for connecting the rotating member to the treadmill belt causing the treadmill belt to move in response to rotation of the rotating member and a D.C. speed change motor for varying the internal configurations of the transmission to vary the speed of the treadmill belt when the rotating member is rotating at a generally constant speed, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the speed of the treadmill belt;

sensing the load on the D.C. speed change motor;

producing a pulse width modulated signal whose duty cycle is determined by the speed of the treadmill belt and the load on the D.C. speed change motor so that the greater the speed of the treadmill belt, the less the duty cycle and the greater the load on the D.C. speed change motor, the greater the duty cycle;

applying the pulse width modulated signal to the D.C. speed change motor; and

controlling the rate of change of speed of the treadmill belt so that the speed of the treadmill belt is controlled regardless of the load on the D.C. speed change motor.