WO2015060727A1

WO2015060727A1 - Treadmill

Info

Publication number: WO2015060727A1
Application number: PCT/NO2014/050198
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per Arne Troset
Original assignee: Troset Invest As
Priority date: 2013-10-25
Filing date: 2014-10-20
Publication date: 2015-04-30
Also published as: NO336398B1; NO20131410A1

Abstract

Treadmill (1) for running exercise, comprising a frame (2), having a continuous belt (4) guided around at least one front motor-driven drive roller (5') and a rear roller (5); and an arched damping plate (6) arranged beneath the continuous belt (4), for damping of impact from the foot of a runner. The damping plate (6) is arch-formed with a maximum height adjacent to the middle of the longitudinal extension of the plate (6), and having a stiffness allowing downward deflection of the damping plate by the weight of a person running on same. The rear end of the damping plate (6) is fixedly supported in a point at the rear end (7) of the frame (2), whereas the remaining part of the damping plate (6) is floating freely upon the frame (2). Rubber blocks (8, 9, 10) are connected with the frame at the underside of the damping plate (6), thus establishing a spring-like contact between the damping plate (6) and the frame (2), when a runner lands with its weight on the treadmill.

Description

Treadmill

The invention relates to a treadmill for running, in accordance with the preamble of patent claim 1.

Background There are numerous variants of treadmills for running exercise. One example is described in US Patent 6,749,542 (Peter Wu et al), which concerns a treadmill having supporting plates for the tread belt including buffering devices along the middle of the plate. The lateral edges of the plate are supported by hinged devices. When the runner lands upon the plate, the plate will deflect downwards at the middle forming an angle down from the side towards the middle (Fig. 3). This is a disadvantage and may result in increased risk of injury in that the ankle joint is being twisted sideways during the moment of impact (pronation).

CN Patent publication No. 201823229U (OJZI LIAO) concerns a treadmill having damping and supporting plate. The damping occurs by means of rubber band attached along both edges of the plate. From Figs. 2, 3 and 5 it appears that the supporting plate has zones which are not depressed by the foot of the runner. Accordingly, this construction provides a damping which is dependent on where the runner lands with his/hers foot.

US Patent publication No. 2006205568 Al (Huang Ping Hui) concerns a treadmill where the supporting plate has an upper elastic layer providing a damping effect.

US Patent 4,616,822 (James A. Trulaske et. al.) concerns a treadmill belt 13 having a supporting metal plate 37 mounted on transverse beams 39.

US Patent publication No. 2012/0270704 Al describes a treadmill having arched metal plates which are hinged traverse to the tread belt. These will have the effect of building up tension when being depressed, which returns the tread belt back to its original position when the pressure from the foot is removed. It is asserted that this results in a double damping effect. US 2003/0045403 Al describes a treadmill having a damping plate arranged beneath the tread belt. The damping plate is gently arched (convex), and is in both ends fixedly connected to the frame. During use, the plate is deflected down and will dampen the impact from the foot of the user. In some cases, the plate is allowed to deflect even below the horizontal plane. Whereas numerous treadmills from the prior art, in different variants, are able to dampen the impact towards the surface and reduce injury on legs, those solutions give the runner a feeling of running in a humid and heavy terrain, such as moor terrain. On the other hand, do other known treadmills have little damping or dampen in such a manner that the runner may get strain injuries. Object

The object of the present invention is to provide a treadmill having a simple damping function, which increases the running experience and not only dampens the impact to the running surface when the foot contacts the surface, but which also gives a response back in form of a return force, to increase the running experience, among other things. Another object of the present invention is to obtain such a running experience, which is not particularly dependent on where the runner lands with the foot on the treadmill.

The invention

This object is achieved by a treadmill according to the characterizing part of patent claim 1. Additional beneficial features appear from the respective independent claims. The invention concerns a treadmill for running exercise, comprising a frame having a continuous belt running around at least a front roller and a rear roller, wherein at least one of the rollers are driven by a motor, and damping means arranged beneath the continuous belt for damping impact from the foot of a runner. Moreover, the damping means comprises a substantially slightly arched damping plate having a maximum height adjacent to the middle of the longitudinal extension of the plate, and having a stiffness allowing deflection of the damping plate from the weight of a person running on the same. In accordance with the invention, at least one end of the damping plate viewed in the running direction, is fixedly connected to the frame, whereas the opposite end preferably floats freely on the frame. Damping means are preferably arranged on the frame, beneath the damping plate, particularly damping means in the form of rubber blocks or other resilient material. The damping plate is advantageously also provided with resilient damping material, such as rubber bands, along each end of the plate adjacent to the underlying frame. For example may the rear end of the damping plate be screwed to the frame through rubber bands of this type. Correspondingly may the opposite (front) end of the damping plate float freely in elastic damping means, such as rubber bands, provided along the end of the plate. In use, the treadmill in accordance with the invention may offer a completely different running experience than offered by known treadmills, in that the arched damping plate, optionally together with the rubber blocks, absorb the substantially downward directed kinetic momentum from the runner when the runner contacts the tread belt, but without deflecting the damping plate further down. In this way, a gentle damping of the impact towards the legs of a runner is provided, whereas the runner is not experiencing the feeling of running in moor or similar soft and sucking terrain, which may be experienced by known treadmills, or also alternatively a hard impact with minimum damping towards a substantially level plate and tread belt guided over the same. Moreover, the arch form of the plate offers a damping effect across substantial parts of the area available to running, and is to a small degree dependent on where the runner lands on the mill during training. In other words, the runner is "forced" to push off, contrary to known treadmills where the foot is more or less passively guided backwards until the next running step.

The dimensioning of the damping plate may vary in accordance with the treadmill dimension, material selection, and thickness of the material constituting the plate, the weight of the runner, and other parameters. There are no particular requirements to the plate material either, except that it must endure repeating impact from the weight of a runner, deflecting downwards elastically, and re-attaining its shape when the kinetic momentum disappears. Moreover, it is an advantage to use a plate material, alternatively providing at least the upper surface of the damping plate, with a coating or other material exhibiting low friction, to reduce resistance to the tread belt, which during use is guided continuously over the damping plate. However, such selections are considered to be within reach of a person skilled in the art, and prior art, and is not described in further detail here.

Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates part of the internal of a treadmill in accordance with the invention, in perspective from above, including a runner at a point in time without contact with the mill,

Fig. 2 is a drawing similar to Fig. 1, but where the runner is in contact with the mill and presses the damping plate downwards, and

Fig. 3a and 3b show a damping plate from the prior art, at a point in time without contact with damping plate, and with contact with the damping plate, respectively.

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic sketch of parts of a treadmill, viewed from the side, where for example side cover, rail and control means have been omitted for clarity. The treadmill comprises a frame, which here in its entirety is denoted by numeral reference 2. Frames of this type are usually formed by elongate metal lateral metal profiles interconnected by lateral struts 12 there between, and end components. Such details are not described in further detail here, since they are considered to be within reach of a person skilled in the art. A (front) drive roller 5' connected to a drive means (not shown), is arranged at said one (front 15) end of the frame, and may rotate freely about a shaft, whereas another (rear) roller 5 is arranged at the opposite (rear 5) end of the mill 1 and arranged rotary about a shaft 6. A continuous tread belt 4 is spanned around the drive roller 5' and the rear roller 5. A level damping plate 6 is arranged beneath the tread belt 4 and over which the tread belt is guided during operation of the mill. The damping plate 6 exhibits an area which substantially coincides with the runnable area of the tread belt 4. This is prior art.

What also appears from Fig. 1 is that the damping plate 6 is arch-formed having a maximum height at the middle of the tread belt 4, viewed in the running direction. The height may vary with the length of the damping plate 6, material type, plate thickness, and the desired damping characteristic. A non-limiting example of a damping plate for use with the treadmill in accordance with the invention is a damping plate of birch plywood having a span of 1-3 mm. In other words, a plate of this type exhibits a maximum height in the range of 1-3 mm across a straight line taken from one end of the damping plate to the other. In this embodiment, the damping plate 6 is supported in a fixed manner at the rear end 7 of the frame 2, but is floating freely upon the surface (the frame 2). For example, the rear end of the damping plate 6 may be screwed in a fixed manner (not illustrated) to the frame 2. Elastic means, e.g., in the form of rubber bands, are arranged at the underside and upper side of the short ends of the plate being in contact with the frame 2. In this way a softer and less noisy deflection of the damping plate 6 during running exercise is obtained. Moreover, the figure shows a runner 11 during a period between two impacts with the tread belt 4, and not being in contact with the mill 1. The damping plate 6 is, in its resting position, with a maximum height adjacent to the middle of the plate viewed in the running direction. Numerous elastic means (damping means) 8, 9, 10 in the form of rubber blocks, are arranged, e.g., on the stiffening struts 12, 13, 14 at the underside of the damping plate 6. In the situation illustrated in Fig. 1, the damping plate is not in contact with the damping means 8, 9, 10.

Fig. 2 shows a situation where the runner 11 has a kinetic momentum in direction downwards, and is pressing the damping plate 6 down towards the damping means 8, 9, 10. In the preferred embodiment, the damping plate 6 is arranged freely floating in said one end viewed in the running direction, and may in this moment be substantially level. The deflection of the damping plate 6 ensures that said one end of the plate is displaced a little in the running direction. Fig. 3a shows a strongly schematic situation where a runner 1 is in a period without contact with a level damping plate 6 in accordance with prior art. Fig. 3b is a drawing similar to Fig. 3a, but where the runner has a kinetic momentum in direction downwards, and is pressing the damping plate 6. This drawing shows the main problem of the prior art, where the damping plate 6 is subjected to substantial deflection, giving the runner a feeling of running in moor or similar soft and sucking terrain, thus worsening the running experience.

Claims

1. A treadmill (1) for running exercise, comprising a frame (2) having a continuous belt (4) guided around at least one front roller (5') and rear roller (5), wherein at least one of the rollers are driven by a motor, and a slightly arched damping plate (6) arranged beneath the continuous belt (4), for damping of impact from the foot of a runner, wherein the damping plate (6) exhibits a maximum height adjacent to the middle of the longitudinal extension of the plate (6), and having a stiffness allowing deflection of the damping plate downwards by the weight of a person running on same, characterized in that the rear end of the damping plate (6), viewed in the running direction, is fixedly supported in a point at the rear end (7) of the frame (2), whereas the front end of the damping plate (6) is floating freely upon the frame (2), or the front end of the damping plate (6), viewed in the running direction, is fixedly supported in a point at the front (15) end of the frame (2), whereas the rear end of the damping plate (6) is floating freely upon the frame (2).

2. The treadmill of claim 1, characterized in that impact-damping, substantially elastic means (8, 9, 10) are connected with the frame beneath the damping plate (6), thus establishing a spring-like contact between the damping plate (6) and the frame (2) when a runner lands with its weight on the treadmill.

3. The treadmill of claim 2, characterized in that the damping means (8, 9, 10) are rubber blocks.

4. The treadmill of any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the damping plate (6) exhibits an arched shape having a maximum height in the range of 1-3 mm along a straight line taken from one end of the damping plate to the other.