Control system and method for an exercise apparatus

• US 7,815,549 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BowFlex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nautilus, Inc.
• Inventors: Danile, John, Crawford, Douglas A., Lull, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROW, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US11/067,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482 51- 54, 482/57, 482110-113
• US Class Current: 482/52
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0038 One foot moving independently from the other, i.e. there is no link between the movements of the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0063 Shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0081 Stopping the operation of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/068 Input by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0083 of the piston-cylinder type using pneumatic piston-cylinder type force resistors A63B21/0087
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0015 with an adjustable movement path of the support elements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0017 the adjustment being controlled by movement of the user
• 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 22/0292 separate for each leg, e.g. dual deck
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/10 Positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• 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 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/10 Multi-station exercising machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 : with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 : Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/305 : Remote servicing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/64 : Heated
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/685 : for electronic devices, e.g. phone, PDA, GPS device, notebook
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 : Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 : used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/40 : respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/42 : rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/436 : partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 : Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

Controlling the operation of an exercise apparatus configurable to facilitate a combination of a substantially horizontal and a substantially vertical exercise motion. Such control functions provide for various exercise levels and/or programs and may utilize various mechanisms, sensors, and other control apparatus to control the operation of the exercise apparatus for various exercise routines.

Claims

1. An exercise device having a pair of treadles capable of upward and downward motion, comprising:

a treadle control unit for controlling a resistance to the upward and downward motion of the treadles, each treadle including a frame, a front roller and a rear roller rotatably supported by the frame, and an endless belt disposed about the front and rear rollers and movable relative to the frame, each treadle pivoting at a rear of the frame;

a treadle position sensor for detecting the upward and downward motion of the treadles and providing a signal representative of positions of the treadles;

a tread speed sensor configured to measure a speed of at least one of the endless belts; and

a central processing unit receiving the signal and providing a treadle control signal to the treadle control unit to adjust the resistance of the treadles based at least in part on the received signal and the measured speed of the at least one of the endless belts, wherein the resistance to downward motion of the treadles is increased when the measured speed of the at least one of the endless belts decreases and the resistance to downward motion of the treadles is decreased when the measured speed of the at least one of the endless belts increases.

2. The exercise device of claim 1,

wherein the resistance of the treadles is controlled by fluid flow through a valve;

and

wherein the treadle control unit regulates the fluid flow through said valve.

3. The exercise device of claim 2, wherein when the fluid flow through said valve increases, the resistance of the treadles decreases.

4. The exercise device of claim 2, wherein when the fluid flow through said valve decreases, the resistance of the treadles increases.

5. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the treadle control signal is a pulse-width modulated signal.

6. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the treadle position sensor includes at least one encoder detecting the upward and downward motion of the treadles.

7. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising:

a teeter arm pivotally attached between the treadles;

wherein the at least one encoder has a base and a shaft, the base coupled to a fixed portion of the exercise device and the shaft coupled with the teeter arm.

8. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the treadle position sensor includes an optical encoder.

9. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising:

a main user interface; and

a remote user interface.

10. An exercise device, comprising:

a frame structure;

a first treadle assembly including a first belt forming a moving surface movably supported by a first treadle frame, the first treadle assembly pivotally supported on the frame structure at a rear of the first treadle frame;

a second treadle assembly including a second belt forming a moving surface movably supported by a second treadle frame, the second treadle assembly pivotally supported on the frame structure at a rear of the second treadle frame;

a treadle position sensor for detecting an upward and downward motion of the first and second treadles and providing a signal representative of positions of the treadles;

a tread speed sensor configured to measure a speed of at least one of the first belt and the second belt; and

a central processing unit receiving the signal and providing a treadle control signal to adjust resistance of the treadles to upward and downward motion based at least in part on the received signal and the measured speed of the at least one of the first belt and the second belt, wherein the resistance to downward motion of the treadles is increased when the measured speed of the at least one of the first belt and the second belt decreases and the resistance to downward motion of the treadles is decreased when the measured speed of the at least one of the first belt and the second belt increases.

11. The exercise device of claim 10, further comprising:

a first piston-cylinder assembly operably coupled between the frame structure and the first treadle assembly.

12. The exercise device of claim 11, further comprising:

a second piston-cylinder assembly operably coupled between the frame structure and the second treadle assembly.

13. The exercise device of claim 12, further comprising:

an adjustable valve assembly hydraulically coupling the first piston-cylinder with the second piston-cylinder assembly.

14. A method for controlling an exercise device having a pair of treadles capable of upward and downward motion, the method comprising:

generating a treadle position signal indicating a position of each of said treadles, each treadle including a frame, a front roller and a rear roller rotatably supported by the frame, and an endless belt disposed about the front and rear rollers and movable relative to the frame, each treadle pivoting at a rear of the frame;

generating a belt speed signal indicating a speed of at least one of the endless belts of the treadles;

generating a treadle control signal based at least in part on the treadle position signal and the belt speed signal; and

adjusting a resistance to downward motion of each of said treadles based in part on the generated treadle control signal, wherein adjusting the resistance to downward motion based on the generated treadle control signal adjusts the resistance so that the resistance to downward motion of the treadles increases when the measured speed of at least one of the endless belts decreases and the resistance to downward motion of the treadles decreases when the measured speed of at least one of the endless belts increases.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving at least one user input signal; and

adjusting the resistance to downward motion of each of said treadles based in part on the user input signal.