GB2386566A

GB2386566A - Exercise and training apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2386566A
Application number: GB0206590A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Dudgeon; Kenneth Alan Brittain
Original assignee: TRIPLE EDGE Ltd
Current assignee: TRIPLE EDGE Ltd
Priority date: 2002-03-20
Filing date: 2002-03-20
Publication date: 2003-09-24
Also published as: GB0206590D0

Abstract

An apparatus for use as an exercise/training machine, eg. for ski, roller skate or inline roller blade training, has a rotatable continuous belt 1 providing a support surface for a user. The belt is driven by leading and trailing rollers 3, 5, and screw jacks 31 are used to incline and decline one roller with respect to the other so that the support surface presents an incline or decline to a user. In a preferred embodiment, the belt 1 is tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of belt rotation. The belt is preferably of such a width that it may accommodate two users side by side and of such a length that it is able to support a training ski.

Description

1 2386566

APPARATUS FOR USE AS AN EXERCISE OR TRAINING MACHINE

This invention relates to an apparatus for use as an exercise or training machine. The apparatus may be used 5 as a running exercise/training machine, or, more preferably, for use as a ski, roller skate, or in line roller blade training/exercise machine, although other training/exercise uses, where a rotatable belt is used, are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

10 It is known to provide a running exercise machine where a continuous belt is rotatably driven by an electric motor such that an underside supporting surface slides over a supporting member. Such machines are also known to have a control for driving the electric motor at 15 varying speeds and a video display unit may be provided to indicate the speed of rotation, distance travelled, elapsed time, a user's heart rate and show an imaginary scene through which a user may travel.

Such known machines tend to have a horizontal 20 support surface, although it is known for an upstream one of the rollers to be inclined with respect to a downstream roller so as to simulate running uphill.

The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus which may be used to simulate inter alla a skiing course.

25 According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided an apparatus for use as an exercise/training machine including a rotatable endless belt providing a support surface for a user, said belt being driven in use by a leading roller and a trailing roller and means for 30 declining the leading roller with respect to the trailing roller, whereby said support surface presents a decline to a user with respect to the plane of belt rotation.

According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided an apparatus for use as an exercise/training machine including a rotatable endless belt providing a support surface for a user, said belt being driven in use 5 by a leading roller and a trailing roller, and means for inclining and declining one of said rollers with respect to the other roller, whereby said support surface presents the alternatives of an incline and a decline to a user with respect to the plane of belt rotation.

10 Preferably, means are provided for tilting said belt with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of belt rotation.

Conveniently; said means for inclining and declining and for tilting said belt each comprise one of motor 15 driven screw jacks and motor driven rotatable cams.

Advantageously, an underside of said belt in a region providing said support surface is arranged to slide over a supporting member.

In one preferred embodiment, plural resilient 20 members are interposed between said underside of said belt and said supporting member.

Preferably, a resilient buffer is provided proximate at least one of a leading and a trailing end of said support surface for assisting in preventing a user's feet 25 inadvertently moving out of contact with said belt in a leading and trailing direction.

Advantageously, one of said rollers is driven by a motor, and means are provided for varying the rotational rate of said motor.

30 Conveniently, said one of said rollers is driven by a further endless belt from said motor, and said belt provides drive between said leading and trailing rollers.

Advantageously, means are provided for tensioning each of said belt and said further belt.

Preferably, guard means are provided over said motor and driven roller to prevent ingress of a human finger 5 with respect to drive of said motor and also with respect to said belt and at least said roller driven by said motor. Conveniently, said motor is an electric motor.

Preferably, a hand support is provided for a user 10 and, conveniently, said hand support includes a dead man's switch for stopping said electric motor in the event the user releases said hand support.

Conveniently, said hand support is arranged to be height adjustable.

15 Preferably, a heart rate monitor is provided.

Advantageously, a visual display unit (VDU) is provided for displaying at least one of speed of rotation of said belt, distance travelled, elapsed time, a user's heart rate, and a scenic view through which said user 20 imaginarily traverses.

Preferably, there is provided means for determining the position of a user's feet on said belt.

Advantageously, said determining means detects the position of the user's feet in a direction transverse to 25 the direction of belt rotation.

Advantageously, the position of the user's feet is displayed on said VDU.

In one preferred embodiment, plural electromagnetic energy transmitters are provided at one end of the 30 support surface and a like plurality of energy receivers are provided at an opposing end of the support surface, whereby plural substantially parallel beams of

electromagnetic energy are transmitted along the direction of travel of the belt.

Preferably, the belt has a width sufficient to support two users located side by said transversely to 5 the direction of belt rotation.

Advantageously, the belt has a length sufficient to support a training ski.

A belt having such a width and length enables a user to traverse side to side on the support surface to 10 simulate skiing, roller skating and/or roller blading.

Advantageously, the belt has a width in the range of 1.25m to 1.75m and preferably 1.5m, and a length in the range 1.25m to 1.75m and preferably 1.5m.

Conveniently, the belt is made of a material or 15 laminate dependent upon use and may be made, for example, from material used for industrial conveyor belts, or have an upper support surface to be contacted by a user of ASTROTURF.

Preferably, the belt is made of polyester fibres 20 having a non-filament weft, a non-filament warp, and with a PVC inter-ply and PVC top cover.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 25 Figure 1 shows in schematic form a layout of the rollers and belts of an apparatus in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 shows a left-hand side view of an apparatus in accordance with this invention with protecting guards 30 and covers removed;

s Figure 3 shows a rear view of an apparatus in accordance with this invention with covers and guards removed; Figure 4 shows a front view of an apparatus in 5 accordance with this invention with protecting covers and guards removed; Figure 5 shows an apparatus in accordance with this invention in a first operative position; Figure 6 shows a side view of an apparatus in 10 accordance with this invention in a second operative position; Figure 7 shows a top view of the apparatus in accordance with this invention with protecting covers and guards removed; 15 Figure 8 shows in schematic form a detail of one embodiment for tensioning belt; Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment for tensioning a belt; Figure 10 shows in schematic form a left-hand side 20 view of an alternative embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with this invention; Figure 11 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of the invention in a further operative position thereof.

25 Figure 12 shows a top view of another embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with this invention; and Figure 13 shows in block schematic form electrical connections of the present invention; In the Figures like reference numerals denote like 30 parts.

A basic layout of the rollers and belts of the invention is shown in Figure 1. An endless belt 1

having a direction of rotation indicated by arrow-headed line 2 is located about a leading roller 3 having an axle 4 and a trailing roller 5 having an axle 6. The belt has an upper, in use, surface which presents a support 5 surface for a user. The upper support surface of the belt has a length and width sufficient to support two users located side by side transversely to the direction of rotation of the belt and a length sufficient to support a training scheme. A belt having such a width 10 and length enables a user to traverse side to side across a longitudinal axis of the belt to simulate a skiing, roller skating, roller blaring or in line roller blade action. A belt having a width in the range of 1.25m to 1.75m and preferably 1.5m and a length in the range of 15 1.25m to 1. 75m and preferably 1.5m has been found to be useful. The belt may be made of a material or laminate which will depend upon the use for which the apparatus is made and such a belt material may be such as that used for an 20 industrial conveyor belt or may have an upper support surface which is contacted by a user that is formed of ASTROTURF. However, it is preferred that the upper surface of the belt is made of polyester fibres having a non-filament weft, non-filament warp and with a PVC 25 inter-ply and top cover. Such a belt is manufactured by Ammeraal Beltech Ltd. under their type number LHS 0207/EN8-2.

The trailing roller 5 is fixedly and integrally formed with a driven pulley 7 which is driven by a belt 30 8, which may be a toothed belt or a chain. The drive for the belt 8 is derived by an electric motor having a pulley 10.

Referring now to the apparatus shown in Figures 2 -

7, a chassis 20 rotatably supports the rollers 3 and 5 in journalled bearings (not particularly shown). The chassis rests upon a pair of fixed leading (forward) feet 5 21 and rotatable wheels 22 located at a trailing (rearward) portion of the chassis.

The belt 1 upper support surface is located over a support member 152 having a portion with low friction surface 23 to permit the belt to readily slide over the 10 member 152. The low friction surface 23 has a surface area effectively denoting the useful area of the support surface for the belt 1. So as to prevent a user's feet travelling too far forward on the support surface, there is provided a forward buffer 24 made of, for example, 15 resilient material such as rubber. So as to prevent a human finger from becoming trapped between the belt 1 and the roller 5, so a rear cover/safety guard 25 is provided. Although not particularly shown in Figures 1 -

7, there is a cover over the motor 9 and drive belt 8 so 20 as to prevent human fingers being trapped therein.

At a forward end of the apparatus are a pair of hand rail support arms 27, 28 which each pivotally support a transverse hand rail 29 having an adjustable height of, for example, 25cm, one extreme lower position being shown 25 in solid lines and another, upper, extreme position being shown in broken lines. Mounted at an upper end of the arms 27, 28 is a visual display unit 30 which may be formed by thin film transistor technology.

At a trailing end of the apparatus are a pair of 30 screw jacks 31, 32 which each support, at a lower end thereof, a respective one of the wheels 22 and the screw jacks each have a male lead screw which is located within

a mating female threaded portion within the chassis 20 so that the trailing (rear) end of the chassis may be raised and lowered. The screw jacks each have a respective drive pulley 33, 34 about which are provided a toothed 5 drive belt 35 which is driven by an elevator electric motor 36. As forementioned, it is to be understood that the belts 8 and 35 may alternatively be formed by an endless chain.

Referring now particularly to Figure 5, the 10 apparatus is shown in a tilted downward position, i.e. the trailing end of the apparatus is above the leading end so a user would be in a downhill position, and the angle of declination A may be, for example; up to 15 , although it is to be understood that this is not intended 15 to be a limit.

Similarly, referring to Figure 6, inclination of the apparatus in which the leading end is above the trailing end is shown by angle B and this angle may be, by way of example, 5 . It is to be noted that in Figures 5 and 6 a 20 ground plane 40 is denoted by a chain broken line.

A view of the apparatus shown from above with covers removed is shown in Figure 7 and it will be noted that the drive belt 35 has a spring biased jockey, tensioning, pulley 41. The hand rail 29 also has dead man's switches 25 42 which, in operation of the machine, are gripped by a respective hand of a user, whereby if a user releases one or both of the switches 42, so the motor 9 current is stopped to prevent drive of the belt 1.

So as to ensure correct tension of the belt 1, a 30 tensioning device 50 is provided. In Figure 8 the tensioning device 50 has a fixed member 51 in which is a female thread and cooperating with the female thread is a

screw 52 having a head 53 which may be an outer surface of which is knurled for manual rotation or may be hexagonally shaped for rotation by a spanner or may have a series of holes around the periphery thereof for 5 insertion of a lever. An end of the screw 52 remote from the head 53 is fixedly secured to a sliding bunion 54 which is capable of moving in the direction of double arrow-headed line 55. The bunion 54 pivotally supports the axle 4.

10 In an alternative tensioning device 60, shown in Figure 9, a bracket 61 is fixedly mounted to the chassis 20 and a cranked arm is rotatably mounted to the bracket 61 by a pivot 63. An end of the arm 62 remote from the pivot 63 is connected by a pivot 64 to one end of an 15 expansion spring damper unit 65 which has an end remote from the pivot 64 connected to a further pivot 66 located within a bracket 67 which is fixedly secured to the chassis 20. The expansion spring damper unit 65 has an expansion spring 68 acting between end stops 69, 70 so 20 that the arm 62 is forced in the direction of arrow-

headed line 71. The axle 4 is retained in a journal within a sliding block 72 and a pin 73 secured to the block 72 moves within an aperture 74 in the arm 62.

Thus, by action of the spring 68, so axle 4 is forced in 25 the direction of arrow-headed line 75 to thereby tension the belt 1.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 10 in which the buffer 24 at the leading end of the apparatus is formed by a substantially semi-circular 30 resilient buffer 81 and a further resilient buffer 82 is provided at the trailing end of the apparatus. The buffers 81 and 82 are located substantially over the

leading and trailing rollers 3, 5 respectively and are arranged to prevent a user's feet from demounting the belt 1 in a forwards or rearwards direction.

An alternative form of the hand rail is also shown 5 in Figure lo. In this respect, a pair of hand grips 90 are provided, one for each hand of a user and each hand grip is height adjustable, as shown in arrow-headed lines 91, 92. Each hand grip 90 has a gripping portion 93 at the bottom of which is a hand rest 94 and at an upper end 10 of which is a thumb control 95 for controlling the rotation of the belt 1. The degree of depression of the control 95, like the dead man's switches 42, may control the rate of rotation of the belt in dependence upon the amount by which the control or switch respectively is 15 depressed.

Plural resilient members 98 forming sprung shock absorbers may be mounted between the surface 23 and the member 152 to reduce shock, especially if the apparatus is used as a running machine.

20 Another embodiment of the apparatus is shown in Figure 11 in which the apparatus is arranged to tilt across the longitudinal axis of the machine, i.e. to tilt in a plane perpendicular to the plane of belt rotation.

As shown in Figure 11, which is a front view of the 25 apparatus, the right-hand (as viewed in Figure 11) foot 21 is arranged to extend with the right-hand screw jack 31 so that the machine is tilted transversely with respect to the direction of belt 1 rotation through angle C. 30 The foot 21 is mounted on a leg 96 and the chassis 20 is liltingly driven by a motor (not shown) driving a gear 97 in unison with a motor driving the right-hand

rear wheel 22 in an elevational direction with respect to the chassis.

It will be readily appreciated that the apparatus may be arranged to tilt in the opposing direction.

5 Yet another embodiment of the apparatus is shown in Figure 12 in which plural light sources 121 are arranged to direct substantially parallel beams of light to a respective one of a like plurality of light detectors 122, By virtue of the light beams it is possible to 10 determine the position of a user's feet on the belt 1.

The position of the user's feet is determined in a direction transverse to the direction of belt rotation 2 and the position of the user's feet may be displayed on the VDU 30. In such an embodiment the VDU may display a 15 scenic view which a user imaginarily traverses and obstacles may be shown in the scenic view around which the user is required to negotiate. The light transmitters may be LED's and the light detectors may be light detecting diodes, although it is to be understood 20 that other forms of transmission and reception may be adopted. It is also conceivable that narrow beams of RF or other magnetic energy may alternatively be transmitted and received.

The electrical connections of the apparatus will now 25 be described with reference to Figure 13.

A microprocessor 130 controls operation of the apparatus and is connected to a motor speed controller 131 which is arranged to control the speed of the forward and rearward elevational motor 9 and the tilt elevational 30 motor 36. The control for the processor 130 which transmits signals to the controller 131 is determined by a control panel 132 which incorporates the VDU 30. The

control panel incorporates the switches 42 and 95 and may also incorporate a heart rate monitor.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the processor 130 may be programmed with various 5 levels of skill that may be adopted by a user so that, for example, the speed of the belt 1 may be varied in conjunction with lateral positioning of obstacles around which a user is to negotiate.

The processor may be employed to display on the VDU 10 the speed of rotation of the belt, distance travelled, time elapsed, as well as the forementioned scenic view and heart rate of a user.

As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, instead of screw jacks being used to 15 incline/decline and tilt the support surface, such motion may be performed by any convenient means known per se, such as one or more driven cams.

Claims

r A e 13. s CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus for use as an exercise/training machine including a rotatable endless belt providing a support surface for a user, said belt being driven in use by a leading roller and a trailing roller and means for declining the leading roller with respect to the trailing roller, whereby said support surface presents a decline to a user with respect to the plane of belt rotation.

2. An apparatus for use as an exercise/training machine including a rotatable endless belt providing a support surface for a user, said belt being driven in use by a leading roller and a trailing roller, and means for inclining and declining one of said rollers with respect to the other roller, whereby said support surface presents the alternatives of an incline and a decline to a user with respect to the plane of belt rotation.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein means are provided for tilting said belt with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of belt rotation.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein said means for inclining and declining and for tilting said belt each comprise one of motor driven screw jacks and motor driven rotatable cams.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein an underside of said belt in a region providing said support surface is arranged to slide over a supporting member.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein plural resilient members are interposed between said underside of said belt and said supporting member.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 6 wherein a resilient buffer is provided proximate at least one of a leading and a trailing end of said support surface for

^ f.. 2 À . assisting in preventing a user's feet inadvertently moving out of contact with said belt in a leading and trailing direction.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 7 wherein one of said rollers is driven by a motor, and means are provided for varying the rotational rate of said motor.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said one of said rollers is driven by a further endless belt from said motor, and said belt provides drive between said leading and trailing rollers.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein means are provided for tensioning each of said belt and said further belt.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claims 8 to 10 wherein guard means are provided over said motor and driven roller to prevent ingress of a human finger with respect to drive of said motor and also with respect to said belt and at least said roller driven by said motor.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claims 8 to 11 wherein said motor is an electric motor.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 12 wherein a hand support is provided for a user.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 when appended to claim 12 wherein said hand support includes a dead man's switch for stopping said electric motor in the event the user releases said hand support.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 or 14 wherein said hand support is arranged to be height adjustable.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 15 wherein a heart rate monitor is provided.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 16 wherein a visual display unit (VDU) is provided for displaying at

. . 15 - least one of speed of rotation of said belt, distance travelled, elapsed time, a user's heart rate, and a scenic view through which said user imaginarily traverses.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 17 wherein there is provided means for determining the position of a user's feet on said belt.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein said determining means detects the position of the user's feet in a direction transverse to the direction of belt rotation.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19 when appended to claim 17 wherein the position of the user's feet is displayed on said VDU.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 20 wherein plural electromagnetic energy transmitters are provided at one end of the support surface and a like plurality of energy receivers are provided at an opposing end of the support surface, whereby plural substantially parallel beams of electromagnetic energy are transmitted along the direction of travel of the belt.

22. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the belt has a width sufficient to support two users located side by said transversely to the direction of belt rotation.

23. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the belt has a length sufficient to support a training ski.

24. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the belt has a width in the range of 1.25m to 1.75m.

:. r

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein the belt has a width of 1.5m.

26. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the belt has a length in the range of 1.25m to 1.75m.

27. An apparatus as claimed claim 26 wherein the belt has a length of 1.5m.

28. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the belt is made of a material used for industrial conveyor belts, or has an upper support surface to be contacted by a user of ASTROTURF_.

29. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the belt is made of polyester- fibres having a non filament weft, a non-filament warp, and with a PVC inter ply and PVC top cover.

30. An apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in each of the embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings.