SEATED TREADMILL AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

A seated treadmill has a structure with a front portion and a rear portion. A front roller is rotatably mounted on the front portion of the structure, a rear roller is rotatably mounted on the rear portion of the structure, and a belt circumscribes the front and rear rollers. The front and rear rollers are much closer together than prior art treadmills, typically about 10-30 inches. The treadmill may further include a remote control for controlling operation of the treadmill, and a shutoff switch in the event that too much force is placed upon the treadmill, such as if the user attempts to stand on the treadmill.

Claims

1. A treadmill for operation by a user in a seated position, the treadmill comprising: a structure having a front portion and a rear portion; a front roller rotatably mounted on the front portion of the structure; a rear roller rotatably mounted on the rear portion of the structure such that the rear roller is disposed parallel to the front roller and is spaced apart from the front roller by a longitudinal distance that is between 10-30 inches; and a belt mounted around the front and rear rollers; and a support structure connected to the structure and configured to allow an elevation angle of the bed to be adjusted to an angle between 6 and 18.

2. The treadmill of claim 1, wherein the structure includes a pair of side frames, and wherein the structure lacks any front structure that connects the side frames in front of the front roller.

3. The treadmill of claim 1, further comprising a bed between the front roller and the rear roller, and a force sensor operably positioned to sense a force applied to the bed.

4. The treadmill of claim 3, further comprising a computer controller for controlling an electric motor of the treadmill, the computer controller being operably connected with the force sensor to disable the electric motor if the force applied to the bed exceeds a predetermined maximum weight, and indicates that the user is standing on the treadmill rather than operating the treadmill in the seated position.

5. The treadmill of claim 4, wherein the electric motor is mounted beneath the bed between the front roller and the rear roller, and wherein the electric motor is operably connected with either the front roller or the rear roller.

6. The treadmill of claim 1, further comprising remote control that can be used to adjust the elevation angle of the treadmill.

7. The treadmill of claim 1, wherein the adjustable support structure includes a pair of supports, each of which include a first leg and a second leg, and wherein each first and second leg is pivotally attached to the structure, wherein the first leg of each of the pair of supports includes a post which engages an adjustment slot which includes a plurality of receivers, and wherein by changing which of the receivers into which the post is engaged, the user is able to adjust the angle of the treadmill.

8. The treadmill of claim 1, further comprising a processor, a controller coupled with the adjustable support structure, and memory configured to store instructions that cause processor to control controller to control the adjustable support structure so as to increase and decrease the elevation angle of the structure.

9. The treadmill of claim 8, wherein the memory also stores information comprising at least some of the user's height, weight, age, physical condition, and stamina and wherein the elevation angle is controlled based on the stored information.

10. The treadmill of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal distance is between 14-28 inches.

11. The treadmill of claim 1, further comprising an electric motor operably mounted on the structure so that it is positioned so that it is circumscribed by the belt, and wherein the structure lacking any front structure that connects the side frames in front of the front roller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a user using the treadmill from a seated position;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the treadmill;

[0029] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the treadmill in a lowered position;

[0030] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the treadmill in a first raised position;

[0031] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the treadmill in a second raised position; and

[0032] FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating another embodiment of the treadmill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a treadmill that is adapted to be used from a seated position. The treadmill is dramatically shorter than prior art treadmills, and is adapted to be used at a desk while seated, at home while seated during rehabilitation, by the elderly while seated and in other non-traditional manners. The treadmill may be used by persons who are have difficulty walking, and the treadmill may be used barefoot, or wearing socks, or other footwear that is not necessarily suitable for running.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the treadmill 10 includes a structure 20 for supporting the other elements of the treadmill 10, as described below. In this embodiment, the structure 20 includes a pair of side structures 22, each having a front portion 24 and a rear portion 26. In one embodiment, the structure 20 notably lacks any front structure that connects the side structures 22 in front of the front roller 30. Further details of this structure 20 are shown in FIG. 3, as discussed in greater detail below. While one embodiment of the structure 20 is illustrated and discussed in detail, those skilled in the art may devise other embodiments of the structure 20 for supporting the treadmill 10, and such alternative constructions should be considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0035] The treadmill 10 further includes a belt 42 upon which the user places his or her feet. The structure 20 supports front and rear rollers (elements 30 and 32, shown in FIG. 3), which support the belt 42. The structure 20 may further include various alternative elements, such as a display 56 for displaying information regarding the usage of the treadmill 10 (e.g., steps taken, distance traversed, heart rate of user, battery life, etc.). The treadmill 10 may include a recharging port 47, and an adjustable support structure 90. All of these features, and more, are discussed in greater detail below.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the structure 20 may be in the form of a frame on either side of the belt 42, and the structure 20 further includes a recess 28 that provides a handle that facilitates lifting the treadmill 10.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a user using the treadmill 10 from a seated position. As shown in FIG. 2, the notably short length of this treadmill 10 enables unique usage of the treadmill 10. While prior art treadmills are meant to be walked and run upon, necessitating a much greater size and strength, this treadmill 10 is not used in a standing position, but only from a seated position. Control of the treadmill 10 may be provided by a remote control 70, or other similar mechanisms (e.g., voice control, and other forms of wireless or remote control 70). As noted above, there is no front housing, so that there is no front structure that connects the side structures 22 in front of the front roller 30. Ordinarily, control mechanisms for the treadmills are located on some form of front structure, and these prior art methods are not possible in this case, since there is no front structure in the current embodiment of the treadmill 10.

[0038] A charging mechanism such as a power cord 48 may be provided to operably engage the charging port 47. While one charging mechanism is illustrated, any form of charging may be used (e.g., wireless induction charging, or any other method known in the art). Since the batteries, charging components, etc., are not novel, they are not described in greater detail herein.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, a front roller 30 is rotatably mounted on the front portions 24 of the side frames 22; and a rear roller 32 is rotatably mounted on the rear portions 26 of the side frames 22. The rear roller 32 is disposed parallel to the front roller 30 and spaced apart from the front roller 30 by a longitudinal distance D. The longitudinal distance D is the distance from the center axis C1 of the front roller 30, to the center axis C2 of the rear roller 32. In this embodiment, the front and rear rollers 30, 32 are separated by a longitudinal distance D that is about 10-30 inches. In one embodiment, the longitudinal distance D is 14-28 inches. For purposes of this application, the term about is defined to mean +/10%. The spacing of the rollers 30 and 32 results in a flat belt length (i.e., the length of the belt 42 from above the center axis C1 to above the center axis C2) that is between 10-30 inches.

[0040] In this embodiment, the front roller 30 is somewhat larger in diameter than the rear roller 32; however, this is not required, and in alternative embodiments, alternative configurations may be used.

[0041] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, an electric motor 34 is mounted on the structure 20 (directly or indirectly) and operably connected to the front roller 30 for turning the front roller 30. The electric motor 34 is operably connected with a battery 36 (or other power source) for powering the electric motor 34. In this embodiment, the motor 34 is mounted beneath a bed 38 and between the front and rear rollers 30 and 32. This preferred placement enables the treadmill 10 to have no structure in front of the front roller 30, a structure that is provided in prior art treadmills. The removal of this front structure enables use of the treadmill 10 despite the extremely short longitudinal length of the treadmill 10. In an alternative embodiment, the motor 34 may be located within one of the rollers (aka, a moller), such as the front roller 30. The battery 36 may be omitted if the motor 34 is directly plugged into a power source, such as an AC socket of a home or other structure.

[0042] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the structure 20 supports the bed 38 positioned between the front roller 30 and the rear roller 32. In this embodiment, lateral support members (e.g., ribs, etc.) extend from the structure 20 (in this case, the side frames 22) to support the bed 38. The belt 42 circumscribes the front roller 30, the bed 38, and the rear roller 32, so that the bed 38 supports the belt 42 during operation of the treadmill 10. The bed 38 is shaped and adapted so that the belt 42 can slide over the bed 38 during use, and may include a low-friction coating or top layer (not shown) to facilitate movement of the belt 42 over the bed 38). Since the general construction of the bed 38 is known, it is not described herein in greater detail. In some embodiments, the bed 38 may be replaced with alternative structures known in the art, or may be omitted.

[0043] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the belt 42 includes an inner layer 43 that is strong and inelastic (e.g., fiber), and an outer layer 44 that is soft and resilient (e.g., rubber, soft plastic, etc.). The outer layer 44 may include resilient protrusions (also shown in FIG. 1) which provide a comfortable surface which enables the user to use the treadmill 10 while barefoot.

[0044] In this embodiment, a force sensor 62 is operably positioned to sense force applied from the belt 42 to the bed 38. In one embodiment, the force sensor 62 is used to detect if too much force is applied to the belt 42, such as if the user stands upon the belt 42. Since standing on the treadmill 10 is not encouraged when using some embodiments of the treadmill 10, the force sensor 62 may operate to disabling the motor 34 (i.e., stopping the motor, disconnecting the motor from the rollers, or otherwise ceasing the movement of the rollers by the motor, etc.) to prevent the user from being inadvertently injured from misuse of the treadmill 10. The use of the force sensor 62 is discussed in greater detail below. In another embodiment, the motor 34 may be selected to have an amperage (i.e., horsepower) that is sufficient to move the belt 42 up to a certain weight (e.g., 20 lbs or higher, or potentially a higher threshold, such as 100 lbs, according to the determination of one skilled in the art), but not beyond this threshold. In this manner, if the user stands upon the treadmill 10, it will stop by virtue of the motor 34 selected, because the motor 34 will not be strong enough to move the belt 42 with the weight of the user upon the treadmill 10.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the treadmill 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the treadmill 10 may include a computer controller 50 for controlling the electric motor 34 and the operation of the treadmill 10. The computer controller 50 may include a computer processor 52, a computer memory 54, and other electronics known in the art for providing such control, and is operably connected to both the electric motor 34 and the battery 36 or other power source. Since the electronics involved is generally well known in the art, it is not described in greater detail.

[0046] The computer controller 50 may be used to control the display 56 (e.g., monitor, LCD screen, any form of display known in the art) for displaying information of interest to the user (e.g., steps taken, distance traversed, heart rate of user, etc.), and/or other information, such as instructions, battery life, etc. While one embodiment of the display 56 is illustrated, it may have any size, shape, or configuration desired by one skilled in the art.

[0047] The computer controller 50 may also be operatively connected with a microphone 58 for receiving verbal commands, a speaker 60 for providing audible instructions and other feedback, and a transceiver 64 for transmitting and/or receiving information and commands.

[0048] For purposes of this application, the term transceiver is defined to include any form of transmitting and/or receiver for communicating, via wired or wireless communication, between the computer controller 50 and an outside device, such as a remote control 70 discussed below.

[0049] In this embodiment, the computer controller 50 is operably connected with the force sensor 62 to disable the electric motor 34 if the force applied to the bed 38 exceeds a predetermined maximum weight, and indicates that a user is standing on the treadmill 10 rather than operating it from a seated position. For example, in one embodiment, the electric motor 34 may be disabled if the force exceeds 100 lbs. Those skilled in the art may utilize alternative weights, so long as they are indicative of the incorrect usage of the treadmill 10, and not consistent with the correct usage of the treadmill 10.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, the treadmill 10 may further include a remote control 70 for remotely controlling the operation of the treadmill 10. In this embodiment, the remote control 70 includes a microcontroller 72 (which includes a computer processor 74 and a computer memory 76) which is operatively connected with a battery 77, and which operatively controls a display 78, a microphone 80, a speaker 82, and a control mechanism 84 for operably controlling the operation of the electric motor of the treadmill 10. For purposes of this application, the term microcontroller is defined to include any form of microcontroller, circuit, computer, or other electronics known in the art for performing the functions described herein. The term control mechanism is defined to include any form of controls that may be used to control the operation of the treadmill 10 (e.g., buttons, levers, knobs, touch screens, voice actuation, other mechanisms known in the art, etc.).

[0051] The remote control 70 may further include a battery 77, a transceiver 86 for communicating with the computer control 50, and an accelerometer 88 for tracking movement of the remote control 70, so that the remote control 70 may be used to control the treadmill 10 via movements of the remote control 70.

[0052] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the remote control 70 is a device that is particularly designed for the treadmill 10. In alternative embodiments, the remote control 70 may be in another form, such as a smartphone, or other suitable electronic device known in the art.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the treadmill 10 in a lowered position. FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the treadmill 10 in a first raised position. FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the treadmill 10 in a second raised position. As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the treadmill 10 further includes an adjustable support structure 90 that may be used to raise and lower the treadmill 10, and adjust the angle of the treadmill 10. FIG. 5 illustrates the treadmill 10 in the lowered position, wherein the adjustable support structure 90 is collapsed, and the treadmill 10 rests flat on the ground.

[0054] FIG. 6 illustrates the treadmill once it has been raised to a first angle A1 via the adjustable support structure 90. FIG. 7 illustrates the treadmill once it has been raised to a second angle A2 via the adjustable support structure 90. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the adjustable support structure 90 includes a pair of supports 92, each which may include a first leg 94 and a second leg 96 each pivotally attached to the structure 20 (or other intermediary structure). The first leg 94 includes a post 98 which engages an adjustment slot 100 which includes a plurality of receivers 102. By changing which of the receivers 102 into which the post 98 is engaged, the user is able to adjust the angle of the treadmill 10. While one embodiment of the adjustable support structure 90 is illustrated, those skilled in the art may devise alternative structures for adjusting the angle of the treadmill 10. In one alternative embodiment, the adjustable support structure 90 may be a motorized structure which may be adjusted via computer control, such as the remote control 70 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Those skilled in the art may design a wide range of mechanisms and structures that serve to adjust the angle of the bed 38 (shown in FIG. 3), for adjusting the exercises performed on the treadmill 10, and such alternatives should be considered within the scope of the present invention. An alternative location of the adjustable leg structure 90 is further illustrated in FIG. 8, as discussed below.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating another embodiment of the treadmill. As shown in FIG. 8, the adjustable support structure 90 may alternatively be located at the front end of the treadmill 10, adjacent the front roller 30. Also, in this embodiment, the force sensor 62 may be located below the bed 38. While this Figure illustrates another configuration within the scope of the present invention, the invention should not be limited to the embodiments specifically illustrated. The adjustable support structure 90 may include any form of adjustment mechanism known in the art, and the force sensor 62 may include any form of sensor known in the art for sensing force, torque, or other measurement that is equivalent, and may be located in any location deemed suitable by one skilled in the art. The force sensor may, for example, determine resistance increases placed on one or both of the rollers, etc.

[0056] As noted above, the angle of elevation of bed 38 can be adjustable, either manually or via a driving mechanism such as a small motor. The angle is actually key to optimizing the effects of exercising with treadmill 10. Ideally the angle is between 6 and 18. Maintaining the angle within this range for a defined period of time provides the benefits virtually equivalent to walking on a treadmill as well as improved circulation, stamina, strength and focus. The angle is tied to the natural flex of the foot while using treadmill 10 and leg length as well as the required position of the knees falling below the hip flexor.

[0057] In certain embodiments, the angle of the bed 38 can be automatically controlled via an application running on, e.g., controller 50. In other words, memory 54 can store instructions that can cause processor 52 to control controller 50 to control the drive mechanism so as to increase and decrease the angle of bed 38 automatically. Thus, treadmill 10 can be programmed with the user's height, weight, age, and possibly physical condition and stamina and controller 50 can automatically adjust the bed 38 for optimum results.

[0058] As used in this application, the words a, an, and one are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. The terms approximately and about are defined to mean +/10%, unless otherwise stated. Also, the terms have, include, contain, and similar terms are defined to mean comprising unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one particular embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.