Patent Publication Number: US-2023158364-A1

Title: Exercise treadmill

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/906,195 filed 19 Jun. 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/833,991 filed 6 Dec. 2017, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     This document generally relates to the field of exercise treadmills and techniques for mounting components to allow rotation of pulleys in one direction and to prevent rotation of pulleys in the opposite direction. This document also relates to facilitating appropriate hand placement on treadmill handlebars and corresponding foot placement on treadmill belt. 
     Related Art 
     A typical treadmill has a looped running belt supported on each end by a roller assembly that rotates to allow a person (the treadmill user) to run, jog, or walk. There are motorized treadmills as well as manual treadmills. Treadmills, particularly of the manual (i.e., non-motorized) type, may be curved, to allow variation in exercise intensity. Manual treadmills preferably do not allow significant movement of the looped belt in the reverse direction, i.e., movement of the top surface from back to front. Preventing movement in the reverse direction may be achieved by installing a one-way clutch (a k a one-way bearing) on one of the roller assemblies. 
     A need in the art exist for new and better techniques for preventing reverse direction movement of looped belts on treadmills. A need in the art also exists for new and better designs of roller assemblies that allow rotation in one direction and prevent significant rotation in the opposite direction. A need in the art exists for techniques that help the user to coordinate treadmill handlebars gripping locations with the desired intensity and/or step length. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments, variants, and examples described in this document are directed to apparatus and methods that may satisfy one or more of the above described needs and/or other needs. Select examples show treadmills with stationary shaft and rotating roller. 
     In an embodiment, a treadmill includes a frame. The treadmill also includes a looped running belt. The treadmill additionally includes a first roller assembly that has a first roller tube, a first rotating pulley and a second rotating pulley mounted on the first roller tube so that the first and second rotating pulleys rotate together with the first roller tube, a first shaft fixedly mounted on the frame so that the first shaft does not rotate with the first and second rotating pulleys and the first roller tube, a first load bearing, a second load bearing, and a one-way device. The treadmill further includes a second roller assembly mounted on the frame. The looped running belt is supported by the second roller assembly, the first rotating pulley, and the second rotating pulley, so that the first and second rotating pulleys rotate with movement of the looped running belt. The first load bearing and the second load bearing are disposed between the first roller tube and the first shaft, so that the first roller tube and the first and second pulleys can rotate around the first shaft. The one-way device comprises an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring being fixedly coupled to the first shaft not to rotate on the first shaft, the outer ring is fixedly coupled to the roller tube to allow the roller tube to rotate in a first direction around the first shaft and to prevent the roller tube from rotating around the first shaft in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, the first and second directions being such that top surface of the looped running belt can move from front of the treadmill to rear of the treadmill and the top surface is prevented from moving from the rear of the treadmill to the front of the treadmill. 
     In an embodiment, a treadmill includes a frame; a looped running belt; and a first roller assembly comprising a first rotating pulley and a second rotating pulley, a second roller assembly comprising a third rotating pulley and a fourth rotating pulley, the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly being mounted on the frame, the looped running belt being supported by the first rotating pulley, the second rotating pulley, the third rotating pulley, and the fourth rotating pulley. The first roller assembly also comprises means for allowing top surface of the running belt to move from front to rear of the treadmill and for preventing the top surface from moving from rear to front of the treadmill. 
     These and other features and aspects of selected embodiments, variants, and examples consistent with the present disclosure will be better understood with reference to the following description, drawings, and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view illustrating selected components and features of a curved treadmill, in accordance with selected aspects of this disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3    are perspective views of the treadmill of  FIG.  1    with side shrouds removed; 
         FIG.  4    and  FIG.  5    are perspective views of the treadmill of  FIG.  1    with the shrouds and the looped running belt removed; 
         FIG.  6    is a side plan view of the treadmill of  FIG.  1    with the shrouds and the looped running belt removed; 
         FIG.  7    is a sectional view of the front roller assembly of the treadmill of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  8    is another perspective view of the treadmill of  FIG.  1    with a number of components removed; and 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view of a treadmill with color-coded vertical hand grip positions and corresponding color coded front foot placement positions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The words “embodiment,” “variant,” “example,” and similar words and expressions as used herein refer to a particular apparatus, process, or article of manufacture, and not necessarily to the same apparatus, process, or article of manufacture. Thus, “one embodiment” (or a similar expression) used in one place or context may refer to a particular apparatus, process, or article of manufacture; the same or a similar expression in a different place or context may refer to a different apparatus, process, or article of manufacture. The expression “alternative embodiment” and similar words and phrases are used to indicate one of a number of different possible embodiments, variants, or examples. The number of possible embodiments, variants, or examples is not necessarily limited to two or any other quantity. Characterization of an item as “exemplary” means that the item is used as an example. Such characterization does not necessarily mean that the embodiment, variant, or example is a preferred one; the embodiment, variant, or example may but need not be a currently preferred embodiment, variant, or example. All embodiments, variants, and examples are described for illustration purposes and do not necessarily strictly limit the invention(s) disclosed. 
     A “one-way device” refers to a one-way sprocket or a one-way clutch (a k a “one-way clutch bearing” or “one-way bearing”) or analogous type of ratcheting mechanism that allows rotation in one direction only. A “one-way clutch” means a sprag clutch, a rolling element that allows rotation in one direction but locks up to prevent movement in the other direction. A sprag clutch typically employs spring-loaded sprag rollers that allow one element to freewheel around another element, until the rotation direction is reversed. 
     A curved treadmill allows a user to walk/jog/run on a curved surface, for example, a surface that varies the incline from substantially flat horizontal (zero degrees) or even a slight negative setting (decline, say a decline of less than 10 degrees) to an incline that provides substantial increase in the exercise intensity, for example, 8-30 degrees from horizontal. 
     Some definitions have been explicitly provided above. Other and further explicit and implicit definitions and clarifications of definitions may be found throughout this document. 
       FIG.  1    is a perspective view illustrating selected components of a curved treadmill  100 . In this example, the treadmill  100  is a motorless treadmill. The treadmill  100  includes handlebars  105  attached to handlebar mounts  110 A/ 110 B, electronic monitor/controller module  115  attached substantially at the center of the handlebars  105 , a looped belt  120  made of a large number (e.g., 40-100) of individual slats  125 , and protective shrouds  130 A and  130 B on the sides of the treadmill. Step boards  122 A and  122 B on the tops of the shrouds  130 A and  130 B, respectively, provide traction surfaces that the user can step on when mounting and dismounting from the treadmill  100 . A raising bar  155  at the rear of the treadmill  100  allows the user to lift the rear of the treadmill  100  off the floor and move the treadmill  100  on its front wheels. 
       FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3    are perspective views of the treadmill  100  with the shrouds  130 A and  130 B removed. As can be seen in these Figures, the treadmill  100  further includes a longitudinal frame bar  135 A on the left side; another longitudinal frame bar  135 B (not shown in these Figures) is analogous to the frame bar  135 A mutatis mutandis and is disposed in a similar position on the right side of the treadmill  100 . (“Left” and “right” have been arbitrarily selected with reference to a user as the user would be walking/jogging/running forward on the treadmill  100 .) Vertical supports  138 A,  140 A, and  142 A support the curved assembly on the left side. Again, analogous arrangement mutatis mutandis is on the right side of the treadmill  100 . The treadmill  100  rests on front wheels  145 A and  145 B, and on adjustable non-wheeled supports in the rear  150 A (on the left side) and  150 B (on the right side, shown in  FIG.  4   ). 
       FIG.  4    and  FIG.  5    are perspective views of the treadmill  100  with the shrouds  130 A/ 130 B and the belt  120  removed, providing a better view of frame cross-members  160 A/ 160 B/ 160 C, which can be seen extending between the longitudinal frame bars  135 A/ 135 B. These Figures also show portions of a multi-component front roller assembly  170  and a multi-component rear roller assembly  190 . 
       FIG.  6    is a side view of the treadmill  100 . 
       FIG.  7    is a sectional view of the front roller assembly  170 , along the section AA (which is shown in  FIG.  6   ). 
     At the center of the front roller assembly is a shaft  172 . Through holes  174 A and  174 B on the ends of the shaft  172  receive bolts that secure the shaft  172  to the frame of the treadmill  100 . Note that the shaft  100  is not intended to rotate relative to the frame in response to the movement of the belt  120 . Oval indentation  176  in the surface of the shaft  172  is designed to receive a key that can be press-fit into the indentation  176 ; the key is intended to protrude from the shaft  172  and to fit into a corresponding bearing keyway on the surface of the inner ring of a one-way clutch bearing  178 , fixing (preventing rotation of) the inner ring of the one-way clutch  178  relative to the shaft  172 . It is possible to manufacture the shaft with the key being integral to the shaft. 
     A roller tube  180  surrounds the shaft  172 . It may be machined from metal, e.g., steel or iron. On the left side, a cylindrical metal insert  181 A is press-fitted inside the roller tube  180 . The one-way clutch  178  is press-fitted inside the insert  181 A. The insert  181 A also receives a conventional (not one-way) load bearing  182 A. The bearing  182 A may also be press-fitted into the insert  181 A. A pulley  183 A is fixedly attached (e.g., glued) onto the roller tube  180 . 
     On the right side of the assembly  170 , another pulley  183 B is fixedly attached (e.g., glued) onto the roller tube  180 , and a second cylindrical metal insert  181 B is press-fitted inside the roller tube  180 . The pulleys  183 A/B may be injection molded plastic. The second metal insert  181 B receives a second conventional load bearing  182 B, which may be press-fitted inside the insert  181 B. Note that the second insert  181 B may be (but need not be) shorter than the first insert  181 A, because there is no need for a second one-way clutch. (Of course, a second one-way clutch may also be employed on the right side.) 
     The pulleys  183 A and  183 B support the belt  120 , which on its inside has two sets of guiding protrusions running along the belt  120 . The guiding protrusions are set at such a width that each fits between the flanges of its corresponding pulley  183 A or  183 B. As can be seen in  FIG.  8   , which is another perspective view of the treadmill  100  with the shrouds  130 A/B and the belt  120  removed, there are rows  185 A and  185 B of supporting/guiding bearings interspersed with guiding pulleys, along the sides of the step boards  122 A/ 122 B of the treadmill  100 . The bearings and pulleys of the rows  185 A/B support the belt  120  and, together with the flanges of the pulleys  183 A/B guide (prevent excessive side slippage of) the belt  120 . The guiding protrusions of the belt  120  fit between the flanges of the guiding pulleys of the rows  185 A/B. 
     In operation, the roller tube  180  would be free to rotate around the shaft  172  in either direction, but for the presence of the one-way clutch  178 . The one-way clutch  178  allows rotation only in one direction. Viewed from the left side of the treadmill  100 , the roller tube  180  and the pulleys  183 A and  183 B can rotate clockwise, to allow the top surface of the belt  120  to move from the front to the rear of the treadmill  100  as the user walks/jogs/runs forward on the belt  120 . 
     The rear roller assembly  190  may be quite similar to the front roller assembly  170 . The assembly  190 , however, need not include a one-way clutch or another one-way device, because the belt  120  should not have significant movement in the undesirable direction due to the one-way clutch  178  on the front roller assembly  170 . The rear roller assembly  190  may also differ significantly from the front roller assembly  170 ; for example, the rear roller assembly may have pulleys mounted on a rotating shaft supported by a pair of bearings mounted in the frame of the treadmill. 
     In embodiments, another type of one-way device is employed in the stead of the one-way clutch bearing  178 . In embodiments, each side of the rear roller assembly  190  is analogous to the right side of the front roller assembly  170 . In embodiments, there is a one-way device on one end or both ends of the rear roller assembly  190 . In embodiments, a one-way clutch (or another one-way device) is installed on one, two, three, or all four ends of the roller assemblies  170  and/or  190 . In embodiments, the treadmill is a motorless treadmill, while in other embodiments the treadmill is motorized. 
       FIG.  9    is a perspective view of a treadmill  900  with color-coded vertical hand grip positions and corresponding color-coded front foot placement positions. The treadmill  900  (which is curved in the shown embodiment) includes a looped running belt  920 , handlebars  905 , handlebar mounts  910 A/ 910 B, shrouds  930 A/ 930 B, and electronic monitor/controller module  915 . The treadmill  900  also includes vertical grips  999 A and  999 B, which may be fastened in different positions on the handlebars  905 . The vertical grips  999 A/B may be fastened in different positions using, for example, locking screws. In the shown embodiment, there are three positions on each side for the vertical grips. The three pairs of handlebar positions are marked with bands or LEDs of different colors. For example, bands  992 A and  992 B may be yellow; bands  993 A and  993 B may be orange; and bands  994 A and  994 B may be red. Corresponding color strips are disposed on each side of the belt  920 . For example, color strips  998 A and  998 B may be yellow; color strips  997 A and  997 B may be may be orange; and color strips  996 A and  996 B may be red. The color strips may be glued, e.g., on the shrouds  930 A/ 930 B at the sides of the belt  920 . In embodiments, each color strip includes one or more LEDs of appropriate color (red LED for a red strip, orange LED for orange strip, etc.). The placement of the color bands  992 / 993 / 994  and the color strips  996 / 997 / 998  are “corresponding” in the sense that, for a user (the specific user in the case the placements are user-adjustable, or an average user), appropriate placements of the vertical grips  999 A/B and the strips  1096 / 1097 / 1098  are indicated by the same color for a given exercise level. In the shown embodiment, for example, yellow may correspond to walking, orange may correspond to jogging, and red may correspond to running. Thus, when the user intends to walk, he or she may place vertical grips at the yellow bands  992 A/B, and then place feet in the area between the yellow strips  998 A/B; when the user intends to jog, he or she may place the vertical grips at the orange bands  993 A/B, and then place feet in the area between the orange strips  997 A/B; and when the user intends to run, he or she may place the vertical grips at the red bands  994 A/B, and then place feet in the area between the red strips  996 A/B. 
     The electronic monitor/controller module may include a display and may be connected to sensor(s) (such as a speed sensor and/or a load sensor and/or a heart rate sensor), to provide information to the user of the treadmill regarding the user&#39;s workout. The information may include speed, distance, total caloric expenditure, current caloric burn rate, current heart rate, highest heart rate achieved during the workout, and other data. 
     The features described throughout this document may be present individually, or in any combination or permutation, except where the presence or absence of specific elements/limitations is inherently required, explicitly indicated, or otherwise made clear from the context. 
     Not every illustrated element is necessarily required in every embodiment in accordance with the concepts described in this document, while some elements that have not been specifically illustrated may be desirable in some embodiments in accordance with the concepts. 
     This document describes in detail the inventive treadmills and roller assemblies. This was done for illustration purposes and, therefore, the foregoing description is not necessarily intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention(s) described. Neither the specific embodiments of the invention(s) as a whole, nor those of its (or their, as the case may be) features necessarily limit the general principles underlying the invention(s). The specific features described herein may be used in some embodiments, but not in others, without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention(s) as set forth herein. Various physical arrangements of components and various step sequences also fall within the intended scope of the invention(s). Many additional modifications are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art that in some instances some features will be employed in the absence of a corresponding use of other features. The embodiments described above are illustrative and not necessarily limiting, although they or their selected features may be limiting for some claims. The illustrative examples therefore do not necessarily define the metes and bounds of the invention(s) and the legal protection afforded the invention(s).