System and method for integrating exercise equipment with a worksurface assembly

• US 7,892,148 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Doolittle, Scott Lee, Stauffer, Tamara Lynn, Sanders, Brian Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): CROW, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/115,935
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 482 51- 54, 482/908, 482/910, 482/148, 482/92, 482/8
• US Class Current: 482/54
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/00 Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/06 Treadmill combined with furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0652 for cycling in a recumbent position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0056 the pivoting movement being in a vertical plane, e.g. steppers with a horizontal axis platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor

Abstract

A treadmill assembly comprising a substantially horizontal tread assembly including oppositely extending front and rear ends, a tread and a controller for controlling movement of the tread, a support structure extending proximate the rear end of the tread assembly to a distal top end substantially above the rear end of the tread assembly, a table top member mounted to the distal top end of the support structure, the top member including a substantially flat work surface and a front edge, the work surface having dimensions suitable to support a computer keyboard and a control assembly including at least one input button for providing command signals for controlling the controller, the control assembly supported by the table top member adjacent the front edge of the table top member.

Claims

1. A treadmill assembly comprising:

a substantially horizontal tread assembly including oppositely extending front and rear ends, a tread, and a controller for controlling the tread;

a support structure extending proximate the rear end of the tread assembly to a distal top end substantially above the rear end of the tread assembly;

a table top member mounted to the distal top end of the support structure, the top member including a substantially flat work surface and a front edge, the work surface having dimensions suitable to support a computer keyboard;

a handle member supported by the table top member adjacent the front edge of the table top member; and

a control assembly including at least one input button for providing command signals for controlling the controller, the control assembly supported by at least one of the table top member and the handle member adjacent the front edge of the table top member;

wherein the table top member includes an undersurface and wherein the control assembly is mounted to the undersurface of the table top member adjacent the front edge of the table top member and below the handle member.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the control assembly includes a tray and wherein the tray is mounted to the undersurface of the table top member.

3. The assembly of claim 2, the control assembly further including a track secured to the undersurface of the table top member;

and

wherein the tray is mounted to the track for movement between a retracted position in which the control assembly is substantially below the undersurface and an extended position in which the control assembly is substantially upwardly exposed and adjacent the front edge of the table top member.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein, when the tray is in the retracted position, the at least one input button is upwardly exposed adjacent the front edge of the table top member.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the control assembly further includes at least one output display residing below the undersurface of the table top member when the tray is in the retracted position and is upwardly exposed when the tray is in the extended position.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the input button is substantially upwardly exposed adjacent the front edge of the table top member.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the handle includes at least a first rib that extends from one of the work surface and the undersurface, the rib formed along at least a portion of the front edge of the table top member.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the control assembly is formed within the handle.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the front edge of the table top member is concave.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the handle forms a wrist rest surface that resides above a work surface plane and the top surface of the table top member and the wrist rest surface are substantially horizontal surfaces.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the wrist rest surface extends substantially along the entire length of the front edge of the table top member.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the wrist rest surface has a depth dimension along the work surface adjacent the front edge of between one inch and three inches.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the front edge is concave.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the handle member is directly connected to the table top member.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the handle assembly extends along the top surface of the table top member and substantially along the entire front edge of the table top member.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the handle assembly extends along substantially the entire length of the front edge of the table top member.

17. The assembly of claim 1 further including a computer keyboard supported on a top surface of the table top member.