Treadmill assembly

A treadmill assembly of the type including a frame, an endless generally horizontally disposed belt positioned generally at the base of the frame, a motor for driving the belt at varying speeds and a handle at the front end of and spaced above the belt so that a user running on the motorized belt may grasp the handle with his hands. A safety harness is provided for use with the treadmill assembly and includes a pair of straps adapted to be supported from support structure over the treadmill and each including a loop portion at its lower end adapted to pass through the groin of the user. The safety harness further includes a catch band extending transversely between the rear sections of the loop portions of the straps at a vertical location such as to position the band behind the user generally in the central region of the user's back. The catch band and the loop portions at the lower ends of the straps coact in the event of collapse of the user while running on the treadmill to catch the user in a generally seated position and prevent injury to the user resulting from falling off of or onto the moving treadmill. Adjustment assemblies in the form of coacting seatbelt members are provided to both adjust the overall height of the safety harness to suit users of varying heights and to adjust the length of the loop portions of the straps to suit users of varying bodily configurations.

DESCRIPTION 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to treadmill type exercise devices and more 
particularly to a safety harness especially adapted for use with a 
treadmill exercise apparatus to prevent injury to the user in the event of 
collapse while using the treadmill. 
Motorized treadmills today enjoy wide use as exercise devices or as a means 
of administering "stress tests." When administering a stress test, the 
user is typically hooked up to an electrocardiogram apparatus and the 
cardiovascular response of the user is recorded as the speed of the 
motorized belt of the treadmill is gradually increased and/or the 
inclination of the belt is gradually increased. Whereas the stress tests 
are very useful as a means of identifying possible circulatory 
deficiencies and as a means of quantifying the cardiovascular fitness of 
the user, they pose a potential danger in that users on occasion are 
overstressed and collapse while using the treadmill with resultant injury 
to the user caused by falling onto the still moving treadmill and/or 
falling totally off of the treadmill and onto the adjacent hard support 
surface. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to the provision of a treadmill assembly in 
which means are provided to prevent injury to the user of the treadmill in 
the event of collapse of the user while running on the treadmill. 
The invention is intended for use with a treadmill assembly of the type 
including a frame, an endless generally horizontally disposed belt 
positioned generally at the base of the frame, a motor for driving the 
belt at varying speeds, and a handle at the front end of and spaced above 
the belt so that a user running on the motorized belt may grasp the handle 
with this hands. According to the invention, the treadmill assembly 
further includes support means positioned over the belt rearwardly of the 
handle and a safety harness suspended from the support means and adapted 
to be fitted over the user in a manner to allow free running movement of 
the user on the belt while providing a catch mechanism in the event of 
collapse of the user while running on the belt. 
According to a further feature of the invention, the safety harness 
includes strap means adapted to embrace front and rear portions of the 
body of a user of the treadmill in a manner to allow free movement of the 
user on the treadmill and catch means positioned behind the user and 
operative in response to collapse of the user while exercising on the 
treadmill to catch the user in a seated position and prevent the user from 
falling onto or off of the treadmill with consequent bodily injury. 
According to a further feature of the invention, the strap means includes a 
pair of straps adapted to be supported from the support means and each 
including a loop portion at its lower end adapted to pass through the 
groin of the user and the catch means comprises a catch band extending 
transversely between the straps at a vertical location such as to position 
the band behind the user generally in the central region of the user's 
back. 
According to a further feature of the invention, adjustment means are 
provided in each strap between the support means and the loop portion so 
that the straps may be adjusted in length to adjust the general height of 
the straps to accommodate users of varying heights. 
According to a further feature of the invention, further adjustment means 
are provided in the loop portion of each strap so that the loop may be 
adjusted in length to accommodate users of varying bodily configurations. 
In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, each loop portion of each 
strap includes a front section and a rear section; the catch band extends 
transversely between the rear sections of the loop portions; and the 
adjustment means in the upper portions of the strap and in the loop 
portions each comprise male and female seatbelt members snappingly secured 
together and adjustable in known manner to provide selective adjustability 
in vertical height of the harness and in length of the loop portions. 
In one disclosed embodiment of the invention, the overhead support means 
comprises means adapted to be secured in the ceiling over the treadmill. 
In a further embodiment of the invention, the overhead support means 
comprises a floor mounted frame structure extending upwardly and including 
a top cross member to which the straps are attached. 
In a further embodiment of the invention, the support means comprises a 
frame structure mounted on and extending upwardly from the frame of the 
treadmill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The invention is intended for use with a treadmill assembly of the type 
including a frame structure 10; an endless belt 12 positioned between side 
rails 14 and 16 of the frame structure; an electric motor 18 positioned 
within the frame structure and adapted to selectively drive endless belt 
12 at varying speeds; and a handle 20 positioned at the front end of the 
treadmill and secured to the upper end of the front pedestal portion 22 of 
the frame structure 10. Means (not shown) are also provided to selectively 
raise the height of the front end of belt 12 so that, in the course of 
administering a stress test, the effort required of the user to keep pace 
with the belt is progressively increased until the maximum cardiovascular 
capacity of the user is determined as a function of belt speed and the 
angle of inclination of the belt. 
The invention treadmill further includes overhead support means 24 and a 
safety harness seen generally at 26. 
In the invention embodiment seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, support means 24 
comprises a pair of U bolt members 28 suitably secured in the ceiling over 
belt 12 rearwardly of the front end of the treadmill. 
Safety harness 26 includes a pair of straps 30 and a catch band 32. 
Each strap 30 is formed of a fabric material and includes an upper portion 
34 and a lower portion 36. Upper portion 34 is suitably looped at its 
upper end over a respective U bolt 28 and carries an adjustable female 
seatbelt member 37 at its lower end. The lower portion 36 of each strap is 
formed into a loop 38 with each loop including a front section 40 and a 
rear section 42. The upper end 40a of front section 40 is secured as by 
sewing to the rear section 42 of the respective strap. A male seatbelt 
member 44 is secured to the upper end of each lower strap portion 30 for 
coaction with the associated seatbelt member 37 carried at the lower end 
of the associated upper strap portion 34. Further male and female seatbelt 
members 46 and 48 are provided in the rear section 42 of each loop portion 
38 of each strap. Catch band 32 extends transversely between the rear 
sections 42 of the loop portions of the straps at a location beneath the 
points of joinder 40a of the upper ends of the front sections 40 of the 
loop portions 38 to the rear sections 42 of the loop portion and above 
female seatbelt buckles 46. 
In use, and as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the straps are positioned such 
that the loop portions 38 of the straps pass through the groin of the user 
of the treadmill with the front sections 40 of the loop portions extending 
upwardly and passing generally adjacent the armpits of the user and over 
the shoulders of the user and with the catch band 32 positioned generally 
in the central region of the back of the user. For each individual user of 
the treadmill, female seatbelt members 37 are adjusted in known manner to 
vary the overall vertical height of the safety harness and female seatbelt 
members 46 are adjusted to vary the length of the loop portions of the 
straps to accommodate users of varying bodily configurations. 
The invention safety harness allows the user of the treadmill to run freely 
on belt 12 with the user's hands grasping handle 20 in traditional manner. 
The configuration of the safety harness is such as to not interfere with 
the natural running movement of the user on the treadmill and yet 
functions in the event of collapse of the user due to overstressing to 
catch the user in a generally seated position and prevent the user from 
falling off of or onto the moving treadmill with consequent bodily injury. 
Specifically, if the user collapses while using the treadmill, the user's 
limp body is captured by the loop portions 38 and the catch band 32 with 
the loop portions 38 engaging through the groin and over the shoulders of 
the user and the catch portion 32 engaging the user's back and coacting 
with the loop portions to define a catch mechanism to catch the collapsed 
user in a generally seated position. 
In the embodiment of the invention seen in FIG. 3, the overhead support 
means for the safety harness is provided by a separate floor mounted frame 
50 which is positioned in straddling relation to the treadmill and which 
presents an overhead cross member 50a to which the upper ends of the upper 
strap portions 34 of the safety harness are suitably secured. 
In the embodiment of the invention seen in FIG. 4, the overhead support 
means for the safety harness is provided by a frame structure 52 which is 
suitably secured by fastener means 54 to the side rails 14, 16 of the 
frame of the treadmill and which presents an overhead cross member 52a to 
which the upper ends of the upper strap portion 34 of the safety harness 
are suitably secured. 
It will be seen that the invention treadmill assembly provides a simple, 
inexpensive and effective means of precluding injury to users undergoing 
stress tests on treadmills. The invention safety harness is readily 
installed, either directly in the ceiling over the treadmill or in a 
separate frame structure associated with the treadmill, and functions in 
an unobtrusive manner during normal usage of the treadmill while yet 
providing a safety harness that effectively catches the user in the event 
of collapse to prevent injury to the user. 
Whereas preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and 
described in detail, it will be apparent that various changes may be made 
in disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the 
invention.