IES85879Y1 - Gymnasium running machine - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A gymnastics running machine of the type made up of a chassis or frame on which a belt as such is mounted made of gum, rubber or another similar elastic material, fitted with electrical drive resources for its lengthwise movement, and which may incorporate devices to adjust its slope, managed by means of a microcontroller connected to a control panel on said machine's upper frame, wherein the belt itself incorporated an upper covering based on artificial grass.

Description

DESCRIPTION OBJECT OF THE INVENTION This invention refers to a gymnastics rtmning machine of the sort used in gymnasiums, hotels, sports facilities, urbanisations or private homes to burn calories and to train for a sporting running trial.

The object of the invention is to provide a gymnasium treadmill which enables both beginner runners and experts to train in a way which is customised to a particular type of terrain, specifically that created by grass.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is known how a culture of sport and health is extending increasingly in all social strata. Within this framework, running is one of the sports most practiced by society.

Running is a so-called high—impact physical activity, a culmination of successive leaps which create stress and microtraumas in joints, tendons, ligaments, etc.

In the awareness that running is a high—impact activity, the . necessary precautions must be taken to ensure that such activity is not _ harmful to our bodies, the idea] being to exercise to feel healthy, and not to injure oneself.

There are in this sense decisive factors to avoid this type of microtrauma, one being the footwear we choose and the other the choice of surface where such activity is carried out on.

Thus, hard surfaces such as asphalt produce greater rebound and less shock absorption, increasing the potential for lesions and tendonitis, (inflammation of the tendons), periostitis (inflammation of the periosteum, the membrane covering the bones), joint lesions, etc.

Moreover, it is most important to mention that these inconveniences increase if an individual is overweight, which is habitual in those who embark on this type of physical activity and who are unaware of these technical questions about the choice of training surface.

Thus, the overweight must take greater care still not to exercise on hard terrain such as cement, asphalt, floorboards, etc.

Similarly, the number of people attending gymnasiums every year is progressively increasing. Most of these people attend to burn calories, that is to lose weight, making treadmills an essential element because the number of calories consumed on this type of machine is far higher than on others such as static cycles, step and even rowing machines.

The problem with this type of device is that the running surface, the belt as such, is made of a material based on gum, rubber or the like, with characteristics that have nothing to do with the surfaces on which this open—air sport is normally practiced, such as grass for example.

It would consequently be desirable for treadmill belts on which physical exercise is pursued to be as close as possible to the real conditions when such exercise takes place outdoors, significantly reducing the risk of lesions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The treadmill belt proposed in the invention solves the problem set out above in a completely satisfactory way, offering a training surface which simulates grass.

Therefore, and more specifically, the belt is based on the conventional structuring of any type of treadmill. The belt itself is fitted with electrical driving means for its lengthwise movement, together with resources to regulate slope, which are controlled through a microcontroller linked to a control panel mounted on a frame emerging from one end of the belt. This enables the user to control both the forward speed of the belt and its slope, depending on the calories they wish to bum and the time to be taken.

Based on this conventional structure, the invention’s features are focused on the fact that the belt itself, which is made from gum, rubber or similar material giving it high strength and elasticity, thus making it possible to lengthen the device’s useful life, carries a surface covering based on artificial grass attached to it using adhesive or any other conventional means .

As a result, the surface on which the user steps is completely different from that on conventional treadmills, providing an equally different sensation similar to that experienced when running outdoors on grass, making pursuit of this sport more comfortable and attractive to those practising it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As a complement to the description being given and to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention according to a preferential form for its practical design, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description showing the following, by way of illustration and without limitation: Figure l.- Shows a perspective View of a treadmill made according to the subject of this invention.

Figure 2.- Shows a detailed lateral elevation of the actual treadmill structure.

A PREFERENTIAL DESIGN OF THE INVENTION In said figures, it can be seen how the running machine (1) advocated is based as is standard in this type of machine on a chassis (2) which may have small wheels (3) or support feet (3) to move it, along with supports (4) to stabilise it on the floor, including a vertical frame (5), a chassis (2) on which a belt as such is assembled (6) which can be driven longitudinally by means of one or more electrical motors (7), fitted with forward speed devices to regulate the belt as such (6), while the chassis may in turn incorporate devices on its rear end (8) to adjust the slope of the belt (6) both up and‘ down, such as electric switches or similar elements, these _ 5 - means to regulate the height and speed of the belt (6) being connected to a microcontroller enabling it to be controlled manually via a command panel (9) on the upper end of the frame (5), which has classical handles (10) to support the runner’s hands.

In accordance with the essence of the invention, on the basis of this conventional structure, the belt (6) as such comprises two layers of different nature, the first, interior, as is the convention, made of elastic material such as gum, rubber and the like, and a second, external layer (11), over the previous one, based on artificial grass, using variable-length polythene fibres depending on the specific needs of each case, to be attached to the belt (6) using adhesive or any other conventional means.

Naturally, the frame dimensions will be redesigned to bear the considerable increase of thickness of a new assembly of the belt itself; remaining mechanisms are not significantly affected in this respect.

Claims (1)

1.- A gymnastics running machine of the type made up of a chassis or frame on which a belt as such is mounted made of gum, rubber or another similar elastic material, fitted with electrical drive resources for its lengthwise movement and which may incorporate devices to adjust its slope, managed by means of a microcontroller connected to a control panel on said machine’s upper frame, wherein the belt itself incorporates an upper covering based on artificial grass.