Abstract:
A rehabilitation treadmill includes a running belt, a plurality of pace sensors mounted to two opposite sides of the running belt, and a control panel. When a user intends to do rehabilitation exercise via the rehabilitation treadmill, the pace sensors can detect the user&#39;s footstep to generate and transmitting an activation signal and a stop signal to the control panel and then the control panel can activate or stop the running belt subject to the activation or stop signal. In this way, the user can repeatedly put his or her feet on running belt alternately to effectively have the rehabilitational effect.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a rehabilitation treadmill and more particularly, to a treadmill for physical rehabilitation. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A conventional treadmill allows a user to stand on the running belt with his or her feet and to keep stepping with the feet alternately along with the operation of the running belt for the body-building purpose. Since the running belt can keep rotation and its rotary speed can be adjusted, the treadmill is frequently chosen to be the apparatus for a particular patient&#39;s rehabilitation, especially for the patient who needs leg rehabilitation. 
         [0005]    However, the operational speed of the aforesaid conventional treadmill can though be adjusted to the lowest speed subject to the user&#39;s need, but the running belt still keeps running, so the inconveniently mobile person may carelessly fall down because of the user&#39;s balance loss or other reasons. In this way, the user may suffer great injury. Therefore, the conventional treadmill tends to be worrying in safety for the patient in the process of rehabilitation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rehabilitation treadmill, which can be safely operated. 
         [0007]    The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the rehabilitation treadmill composed of a framework, a running platform, at least one pair of pace sensors, and a control panel. The framework is put on the ground for supporting other components of the rehabilitation treadmill. The running platform is mounted to the framework and includes a running belt. The pace sensors are mounted to the framework and located at respective two sides of the running belt for generating a stop signal while detecting a pace stop point. The control panel is mounted to the framework and electrically connected with the treadmill and the pace sensors for receiving the stop signal and for controllably stopping the running belt according to the stop signal. When the user&#39;s footstep is moved to the pace stop point as the running belt is working, the running belt stops operation in such a way that the present invention can be preferably safely operated. 
         [0008]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pace sensors can be one or two or more pairs in number and allow the user to configure different operation modes via the control panel subject to the user&#39;s need. For example, the user can randomly configure each of the two pairs of the pace sensors for detecting a pace start point or the pace stop point; or the user can configure one pair of the pace sensors for detecting the pace stop point and the other pairs of the pace sensors for detecting the pace start point; or the user can configure two pairs of the pace sensors among all of the pace sensors for detecting the pace start point and the pace stop point for different rehabilitational effects, respectively. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the operation in fixed-pace mode. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the operation in fixed-detection mode. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the operation in automatic-detection mode. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a flow char of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the operation in pace-memory mode. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    Structural features and desired effects of a rehabilitation treadmill  10  of the present invention will become more fully understood by reference to a preferred embodiment given hereunder. However, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by way of illustration only, thus are not limitative of the claim scope of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a rehabilitation treadmill  10  constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a framework  20 , a running platform  30 , and four pairs of pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 . For the record, the number of the pace sensors is not limited to the four pairs but can be one pair or more pairs subject to different operation modes. The detailed descriptions and operations of these elements as well as their interrelations are recited in the respective paragraphs as follows. 
         [0017]    The framework  20  includes a chassis  22  and a handrail stand  24 . The chassis  22  is put on the ground for supporting the other components of the rehabilitation treadmill  10 . The handrail stand  24  is mounted to a front end of the chassis  222  for the user&#39;s handhold. 
         [0018]    The running platform  30  is mounted to the chassis  22  and includes a motor (not shown) and a running belt  32  connected with the motor. When the motor is activated, the running belt  32  is driven by the motor for operation. 
         [0019]    The pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  each are a photointerruptor, mounted to the chassis  22  and located at left and right sides of the running belt  32 , respectively. Each two of the pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  are arranged in pair and spaced from each other for detecting a pace start point or a pace stop point and corresponsively generating an activation signal or a stop signal, respectively. 
         [0020]    The control panel  50  is mounted to the framework  20  and electrically connected with the running platform  30  for the user to configure a variety of parameters of the running platform  30 , such as power switch, running velocity, running time, running distance, and gradient. The control panel  50  is electrically connected with the four pairs of the pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  for receiving the activation or stop signal generated by each pair of the pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  and controllably activating or stopping the running belt  32  subject to the activation or stop signal. 
         [0021]    When it is intended to operate the control panel  50  to carry out a fixed-pace mode, as shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the user can configure the operational distance of the running belt to make the operational distance of the running belt  32  be equal to the length of the user&#39;s pace; next, configure one pair of the pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 , e.g. the pace sensors  40 , for detecting the pace stop point; next, according to the user&#39;s need, the user can decide whether to configure the operational time of the running belt  32 . After all of the parameters indicated in the aforesaid steps are completely configured, the user can start to operate the rehabilitation treadmill  10 . In the process of operation of the rehabilitation treadmill  10 , the user can put one of his or her feet on the running belt  32  and then activate the running belt  32  to enable the foot to be moved backward as the running belt  32  is working. When the foot reaches the pace stop point, the pace sensors  40  can transmit the stop signal to the control panel  50  and then the control panel  50  can hereby stop the running belt  32 ; meanwhile, the user can put the other foot on the running belt for coordination with the running belt  32  and continue with the other aforesaid steps. In this way, repeating such operation again and again can reach the rehabilitational effect. 
         [0022]    When it is intended to operate the control panel  50  to carry out a fixed-detection mode, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the user can randomly configure one pair of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensors  46 , for detecting the pace start point and then randomly configure the other pair of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensors  40 , for detecting the pace stop point. When the user&#39;s one foot is put on the pace start pint, the pace sensors  46  can transmit the activation signal to the control panel  50  and the control panel  50  can hereby activate the running belt  32 . When the user&#39;s foot is moved backward to the pace stop point as the running belt  32  is working, the pace sensors  40  can transmit the stop signal to the control panel  50  and the control panel  50  can hereby stop the running belt  32 ; in the meantime, the user can put the other foot on the pace start point, so the running belt  32  can be activated again to allow the user to make the next move. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 5  in view of  FIG. 2 , when it is intended to operate the control panel  50  to carry out an automatic-detection mode, the user can randomly configure one pair of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensors  40 , for detecting the pace stop point via the control panel  50  and then configure the other three pairs of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensors  42 ,  44 , and  46 , for detecting the pace start point. In the process of the operation, when the user puts one foot on the pace start point corresponding to either of the pace sensors  42 ,  44 , and  46 , one pair of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensors  44 , can transmit the activation signal to the control panel  50  and the control panel  50  can hereby activate the running belt  32 . When the user&#39;s foot is moved backward to the pace stop point as the running belt is working, the pace sensors  40  can transmit the stop signal to the control panel  50  and meanwhile, the user can put another foot on the pace start point corresponding to either of the pace sensors  42 ,  44 , and  46  in such a way that the running belt  32  can be activated again to allow the user to make the next move. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 6  in view of  FIG. 2 , when it is intended to operate the control panel  50  to carry out a pace-memory mode, the user can put one of the feet thereof on a detectable position corresponding to one pair of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensor  46 , and the detectable position can be set as the pace start point; next, the user can activate the running belt  32  and when the foot is moved to another detectable position corresponding to another pair of the pace sensors, e.g. the pace sensors  40 , along with the operation of the running belt  32  and then the user intends to lift the foot, the detectable position can be set as the pace stop point; meanwhile, the control panel  50  can receive the stop signal to stop the running belt  32 . In this way, the user only needs to repeatedly step with the feet on the running platform  30  between the two detectable positions to reach the rehabilitational effect. 
         [0025]    In conclusion, the running belt  32  of the rehabilitation treadmill  10  of the present invention can be automatically activated or stopped subject to the user&#39;s pace through the placement of the pace sensors  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  and the modes executed by the control panel  50 , so the chances that the inconveniently mobile person falls down can be effectively lowered to lead to safe operation.