AU7749898A

AU7749898A - Treadmill ergometer

Info

Publication number: AU7749898A
Application number: AU77498/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Hubert Lechner
Original assignee: KHUNL BRADY HEINZ
Current assignee: KHUNL-BRADY HEINZ
Priority date: 1997-06-02
Filing date: 1998-06-02
Publication date: 1998-12-21
Also published as: AT405364B; CA2292547A1; WO1998055183A1; EP0984819A1; ATA93997A

Description

Translation from German of Intemational Patent Application PCT/A T98/00138 TREADMILL ERGOMETER 5 The present invention relates to a treadmill ergometer having the characteristics of the preamble of claim 1. 10 Such treadmill ergometers are known from the prior art and facilitate the analysis and/or therapy of the motion of a participant during walking or running, or describing the kinetic aspects of the motion by means of the work output in relation to metabolism-related organic 15 reactions. With the method known per se, which connects double-track treadmills with a weighing platform and synchronised, independent film or video recording, it was not possible to fully eliminate the deficiency of exact separation of kinetic from kinematic aspects, because a 20 specific overstepping zone in the middle of the treadmill by the participant has to be considered. If the middle of the treadmill is overstepped, the right leg, for instance, influences the left track. Hence the precise determination of which positive surface forces are to be 25 assigned to which leg can only be achieved with considerable additional expense, or is in part impossible. If the participant, on the other hand, takes care not to 30 overstep the middle of the treadmill, precise analysis is likewise impossible since such running or walking consciously influenced by the participant no longer 2 corresponds to the actual motion. Hence no meaningful, analytical data can be obtained. The object of the present invention is to provide a 5 treadmill ergometer, which also enables precise analysis or therapy of the motion or the participant respectively, even if the middle area of the treadmill is overstepped. This object is achieved by a treadmill ergometer that has 10 the characteristics of Claim 1. In the treadmill ergometer according to the present invention at least one secondary belt, preferably two belts, which are not driven per se, are located between 15 the driven main belts. The secondary belt or belts are driven by being entrained by the shoe of the participant when the respective main belt is overstepped. Interaction between a foot of the participant and the driven main belt assigned to the other foot can, except in extreme 20 cases, be prevented, enabling highly precise analysis or therapy. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the sub-claims and the following 25 description of an embodiment of the invention. Shown are in: Fig. 1,2,3 a schematic illustration of a treadmill ergometer according to the present 30 invention in a front, plan and side view, Fig. 4 a section through the treadmill ergometer of Fig. 2 along line IV/IV, 3 Fig. 5 a detailed schematic view in the vicinity of the bearing of the main and secondary belts, Fig. 6 a view corresponding to that of Fig. 5 of 5 another embodiment, Fig. 7 a schematic longitudinal section through the treadmill ergometer with a participant, 10 Fig. 8 a detailed view of the treadmill ergometer in the vicinity of the drive, and Fig. 9 a schematic illustration of a circuit of the drive and control system of the treadmill 15 ergometer according to the present invention. As illustrated schematically in Figure 1, the treadmill ergometer according to the present invention exhibits a frame 1 which is adjustable relative to its horizontal 20 alignment by means of pressure cylinder 36 or other appropriate adjusting means for the purpose of simulating various terrains. On frame 1 two main belts 2, 3, which are driven by 25 motors 23a, 23b, are mounted on and rotating around axes 17, 18, and non-driven secondary belts 4, 5 are mounted on and rotating around axes 17, 19. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, another roller field 6 is situated between secondary belts 4, 5, which is also not driven. 30 It is evident from Figure 5, for example, that left main belt 2 and left secondary belt 4 on the one hand, and right main belt 3 and right secondary belt 5 on the other 4 hand overlap one another. Thus, when main belt 2 is overstepped in the middle area, for example, on the one hand secondary belt 4 is entrained by friction force which is exerted on secondary belt 4 through pressing of 5 main belt 2 onto secondary belt 4, and on the other hand through the friction forces arising between main belt 2 and secondary belt 4 as well as shoe 7 of the participant. Entraining of secondary belt 4, 5 by main belt 2, 3 can be improved by light profiling in the 10 overlapping area, whereby contact must occur only if it is stepped on. If the participant oversteps the middle area even further, as illustrated schematically in Figure 6, then opposite secondary belt 5 is also entrained by shoe 7. Nevertheless, since a load is still only applied 15 on one driven main belt 2, but not on the second main belt 3, neither the measuring results nor the motion are distorted, as would be the case in the prior art. Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment, wherein main and 20 secondary belts 2, 3, 4, 5 are supported by rollers 11, 1la which are mounted on bearing blocks 9. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 main and secondary belts 2, 3, 4, 5 are supported by slide surfaces 12, 12a on slide brackets 10, 10a. 25 To enable precise separation between left and right foot during walking (it occurs frequently that both feet are in contact with the belts for a short time) whenever the middle area is overstepped, rollers 6 are elevated in the 30 middle area above the running surface of secondary belts 4, 5, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The effect thereof is that when the middle area is slightly overstepped into the area of secondary belt 4 or 5, which 5 is assigned to the other leg, there is no contact with this other secondary belt 4 or 5. Thus, overstepping of the middle area during walking is possible to a certain degree, without distortion of analysis or therapy. 5 In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, not illustrated in the diagrams, there is also the possibility to use a single belt instead of both secondary belts 4, 5 and roller field 6, which is 10 overlapped by both left main belt 2 and right main belt 3. This embodiment, however, is suited or provided mainly for analysis or therapy of the running action, not the walking action, of a participant. 15 It is understood that roller field 6 can be substituted in the middle area by another non-driven belt, or that it can be completely omitted. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, bearing elements 9 or 20 slide brackets 10, 10a are supported on a weighing platform 8, which is disposed between the sections of main and secondary belts 2, 3, 4 and 5. This weighing platform 8 is supported by means of load-sensing cells 21, 22 23 on frame 1. 25 Main belts 2, 3 are driven by means of electric or hydraulic motors 23a, 23b which are adjustably mounted on flange 22a, 22b on frame 1. Drive motors 23a, 23b are connected to drive shafts 18a, 18b or deflection pulleys 30 14 of main belts 2, 3 by means of couplings 24. At the other end main belts 2, 3 run around deflection pulleys 13 on a shaft 17.

6 On one side secondary belts 4, 5 also run around deflection pulleys 15 on shaft 17, as well as around deflection pulleys 16 whose shafts 19a, 19b are offset inwardly (distance al - a2 of Figure 7) from drive shafts 5 18a, 18b of main belts 2, 3. Through the separate support of main belts 2, 3 and secondary belts 4, 5 on their respective shafts 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b, the tension of the respective belts can be adjusted independently of one another by means of tension elements 21 such as threaded 10 rods. Couplings 24 enable compensation of possible slight offsets of drive shafts 18a, 18b relative to the power take-off means of drive motors 23a, 23b. Since secondary belts 4, 5 run inside main belts 2, 3 15 diameter Dl of deflection pulleys 13, 14 of main belts 2, 3 is greater by slightly more than double the thickness of secondary belts 2, 3 than the diameter of deflection pulleys 15, 16 of secondary rollers 4, 5, as in Figure 7. 20 In addition, measuring devices are assigned to main belts 2, 3 which detect the actual speed of main belts 2, 3. The speeds thus detected, as well as the forces recorded by load-measuring cells 21, 22 and 23 assigned to weighing platform 8 (Figure 9) enable highly precise 25 analysis of the conditions during running or walking. As is illustrated schematically in the circuit in Figure 9, control and detection of measurement values takes place as follows: The participant is connected by way of 30 a tensile element 25, as in Figure 7, to an actuator sensor 26, which measures the distance between the participant and actuator sensor 26. This measuring value is conveyed to a window comparator 27 which compares 7 whether the measuring value is between an upper limit value Lmax and a lower limit value Lmin. If the measured value is above Lmax, that is, the participant begins to run faster, the speed of drive motors 23a, 23b is 5 increased until the measuring value returns to within both threshold values. If Lmin is not reached, the speed of drive motors 23a, 23b is decreased correspondingly. It is understood that, instead of measuring the changes in distance, other systems can be used for regulating the 10 speed of drive motors 23a, 23b. Moreover, by means of a summation actuator 28 the ratio of speeds vl, v2 of main belts 2, 3 can be changed by a separate input device 37, which is usually carried out by 15 the researcher. The resulting values are finally conveyed to actuator sensors 33, 34, which are connected to drive motors 23a, 23b via emergency-stop switches 38, 39. The actually arising forces and speeds caused by the 20 walking or running of the participant are sensed separately from the speed control of main belts 2, 3. This is achieved with sensors 29, 30, which detect the actual speeds vl, v2 of main belts 2, 3, as well as by means of load-sensing devices 21, 22, 23 assigned to 25 weighing platform 8, whose measuring data are fed to a process computer 32, which performs the evaluation and provides an output by way of an interface 35. For security reasons the process computer is equipped 30 with RAM capacity sufficient only for the analog/digital conversion of measuring values 29, 30, 21, 22, 23 and the interface operation 35. Thus no undesired or harmful 8 feedback or influences are able to result on the control of the drive speed of main belts 2, 3. In summary, an embodiment of the present invention can be 5 described as follows: It is proposed according to the present invention to provide two non-driven secondary belts 4, 5 between main belts 2, 3 in order to prevent inaccuracies in measuring results or therapy measures, which may arise from a 10 reciprocal effect occurring between main belts 2, 3 running at different speed in treadmill ergometers having a left and a right driven rotating main belt 2, 3. If the middle area of the treadmill ergometer according 15 to the present invention is overstepped, the participant first steps only on the non-driven secondary belt of the opposite side and not on the opposite main belt, thus avoiding the disadvantages mentioned at the outset. 20 The secondary belts are entrained on the one hand by the friction between shoe sole and belts 2, 3, 4, 5 contacted thereby, and on the other hand by friction engagement between main belts 2, 3 and secondary belts 4, 5 in an overlapping area. 25

Claims

1. A treadmill ergometer having a left and a right 5 driven rotating main belt (2, 3), characterised in that at least one further non-driven secondary belt is provided between the main belts (2, 3), which can be connected to a main belt (2, 3). 10

2. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that two secondary belts (4, 5) are provided and in that each secondary belt (4, 5) is assigned to a main belt (2, 3). 15

3. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the main belts (2, 3) overlap the assigned secondary belts (4, 5).

4. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of 20 claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the secondary belt (4, 5) can be frictionally engaged with the main belts (2, 3) in the overlapping area.

5. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of 25 claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the secondary belts (4, 5) assigned to the main belts (2, 3) are separated from one another by a non-driven belt or roller field (6). 30

6. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the main belts (2, 3) can be driven independently of one another. 10

7. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised by a speed control device which can be operated by the participant. 5

8. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the speed control device comprises a tensile element (25) that can be connected to the participant. 10

9. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the speed control device comprises an actuator (27) which is operated by the tensile element (25). 15

10. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the actuator comprises a window comparator (27), by means of which the speed is increased or decreased whenever a preset constant range is exceeded or not reached. 20

11. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the main belts (2, 3) and secondary belts (4, 5) are deflected on one side around a common shaft (17) and on the other side around shafts (18, 19) 25 separated from one another.

12. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the tension of secondary belts (4, 5) can be adjusted separately from 30 the main belts (2, 3).

13. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that arranged between 11 the sections of the main and secondary belts (2, 3, 4, 5) is a weighing platform, by means of which the work forces of the participant are recorded through load-sensing devices (21, 22, 23). 5

14. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that measuring devices are provided for sensing the actual speeds of the main belts (2, 3). 10

15. A treadmill ergometer as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 14, characterised in that the running surface of the central, non-driven belt or rolling field (6) is elevated relative to the running surfaces of the adjacent 15 secondary belts (4, 5).