Motor-Assisted Arm-Driven Treadmill Speed Incline Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional treadmills, both motorized and motorless, fail to effectively separate control over speed and incline, leading to unnatural movements and excessive upper body strain, especially at low inclines and high speeds, which can result in undesirably fast workouts for users with less upper body strength.
Innovation Solution
A motor-assisted arm-driven treadmill that incorporates a small motor to assist the user's arm movement, allowing independent control over speed and incline, with the motor assist device capable of working against the belt to decouple speed and incline, and providing starting assistance and reducing upper body exercise intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a motorless treadmill relies on user weight and forward stride to rotate the belt rearwardly, then the device is lighter and less expensive, but the belt speed changes depend only on the amount of additional rearward force the user can apply, resulting in unnatural movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a motorized drive system with an arm-driven transmission system. The motor drives a drive roller that rotates the belt, while the arm member connected via transmission system provides additional force to enhance belt rotation. This merging allows the treadmill to maintain light weight without requiring the user to generate all the force needed for belt movement, thus achieving more natural movement patterns.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional motorless treadmills use incline to support the belt, then the belt rotates rearwardly as a result of user weight, but once the incline is set, faster running movement requires unnatural stride changes to impart sufficient force to the belt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the force generation system into three independent components: user weight (gravitational force), arm member force (transmission system), and motor force (drive roller). This segmentation allows each component to contribute independently to belt rotation, enabling natural speed variations without requiring unnatural stride changes or incline adjustments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional motorless treadmills allow independent control of incline and speed, then exercise characteristics can be altered, but the user must push down and forwardly on hand rails to change belt speed, which is not a natural change to stride
Solution Approach 1:
The arm member system is designed to automatically convert upper body movement into belt rotation force. When the user moves their arms naturally during running or walking, the transmission system automatically translates this motion into additional force that rotates the belt, eliminating the need to manually push on hand rails or alter stride patterns to control speed.
4Ease of operation
If a motor assists the arm movement to drive the belt, then upper body strain is reduced and natural movement is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The motorized drive roller serves multiple functions: it provides the primary belt rotation force, works in conjunction with the arm member transmission system to enhance belt rotation, and can operate independently to maintain belt movement during various exercise intensities. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving upper body strain reduction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to perform workouts with reduced upper body strain, allowing for more natural movement and independent control over speed and incline, improving exercise comfort and consistency across varying inclines and speeds.
Implementation Method 1
a motor assist device coupled to the endless belt, so that operation of the motor assist device will impart motion to the belt
Implementation Method 2
a transmission system linking the drive roller to the displaceable arm member
Implementation Method 3
a drive roller coupled to the belt for imparting motion to the belt
Implementation Method 4
these types of treadmills can feel unnatural to a user because changes to the belt speed depend only upon the amount of additional rearward force a user is able to apply
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for a treadmill or similar exercise device which utilizes a principally arm driven belt, but includes a motor assist which provides for additional drive to the belt. The motor assist device may constructively or destructively interact with the user provided motive force via the arms. Generally, the motor will allow for the device to utilize incline as well as to make the device easier to start from rest.