Omni-directional treadmill
First Claim
1. An apparatus for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction having a frame, a track assembly mounted on the frame, the track assembly having a user active surface means for supporting the user walking or running thereon characterized by the user active surface means having a plurality of side-by-side endless first belts, sleeve means for accommodating opposite ends of the first belts whereby the first belts can be moved around the sleeve means, support means for each first belt located between the sleeve means, means for pivotally connecting adjacent support means to provide an endless second belt, roller means mounted on the frame supporting opposite ends of the second belt, first drive means for rotating at least one of the roller means to move the second belt in a first direction, and second drive means for moving the second belt in a second direction whereby the combined movements of the first and second belts results in omni-directional user movement of the active surface means, and controls means responsive to directional orientation of the user on the user active surface means to selectively control the operation of the first and second drive means thereby control the directional user movement to conform with the orientation of the user on the user active surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A treadmill (1) having a track assembly that allows a user (3) to walk or run in any arbitrary direction. A movable user support has a plurality of rotatable members that rotate about axes normal to the direction of movement of the user support (2). Separate power drive mechanism (7) (8) concurrently move the user support (2) and rotate the members to omni-directional user movement. A control (4) for the power driven mechanism (7) (8) is responsive to the directional orientation of the user on the user support (2) to cause the user support (2) to operate in the direction of the orientation of the user (3).
229 Citations
36 Claims
- 1. An apparatus for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction having a frame, a track assembly mounted on the frame, the track assembly having a user active surface means for supporting the user walking or running thereon characterized by the user active surface means having a plurality of side-by-side endless first belts, sleeve means for accommodating opposite ends of the first belts whereby the first belts can be moved around the sleeve means, support means for each first belt located between the sleeve means, means for pivotally connecting adjacent support means to provide an endless second belt, roller means mounted on the frame supporting opposite ends of the second belt, first drive means for rotating at least one of the roller means to move the second belt in a first direction, and second drive means for moving the second belt in a second direction whereby the combined movements of the first and second belts results in omni-directional user movement of the active surface means, and controls means responsive to directional orientation of the user on the user active surface means to selectively control the operation of the first and second drive means thereby control the directional user movement to conform with the orientation of the user on the user active surface.
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12. A track assembly for an omni-directional treadmill for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction comprising:
- user active surface means for supporting the user walking or running thereon, said user active surface means having a plurality of side-by-side endless first belts providing an endless first belt assembly, sleeve means for accommodating opposite ends of the first belts whereby the first belts can be moved in a transverse direction around the sleeve means, support means for each first belt located between the sleeve means, means for pivotally connecting adjacent support means to provide an endless second belt assembly, roller means supporting opposite ends of the second belt assembly for movement in a longitudinal direction, first drive means for moving the second belt assembly in the longitudinal direction, second drive means for moving the first belt assembly in the transverse direction whereby the combined movements of the first belt assembly and second belt assembly results in omni-directional user movement of the active surface means, and control means responsive to direction orientation of the user on the user active surface means to selectively control the operation of the first and second drive means thereby control the directional user movement to conform with the orientation of the user on the user active surface means.
- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction comprising:
- a support, a user active surface mounted on the support for supporting the user walking or running thereon, said user active surface including a plurality of transverse endless loop members, first means mounting each loop members for selective movement in opposite transverse directions, first drive means for transversely moving the loop members, second means for connecting adjacent first means to provide an endless loop assembly adapted to move in a longitudinal direction, second drive means cooperating with the endless loop assembly to move the endless loop assembly in a longitudinal direction whereby the combined movements of the transverse endless loop members and the endless loop assembly results in omni-directional user movement, and control means responsive to a directional orientation of the user on the user active surface to selectively control the operation of the first and second drive means thereby controlling the omni-directional user movement to conform with the directional orientation of the user on the user active surface.
- View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction on a user active surface comprising:
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providing a user active surface with a plurality of endless loop members, selectively moving the loop members in a first direction, operatively connecting adjacent endless loop members to provide an endless loop assembly, selectively moving the endless loop assembly in a second direction normal to the first direction whereby the combined movements of the endless loop members and endless loop assembly results in omni-directional user movement, and controlling the movements of the endless loop members and endless loop assembly responsive to a directional orientation of the user on the user active surface thereby controlling the omni-directional user movement to conform with the directional orientation of the user on the user active surface. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification