Bidirectional Treadmill Safety via Position Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional treadmills lack effective safety mechanisms for backward walking, where users may struggle to press emergency switches due to their orientation, leading to potential accidents when their speed is slower than the belt speed.
Innovation Solution
A treadmill with a platform, driving device, and control unit that allows operation in both forward and reverse modes, featuring a detecting device to monitor user position and enable a reaction mechanism to slow or stop the belt when the user enters a warning area, ensuring safety during backward walking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the treadmill operates in reverse movement mode with the endless belt moving forward, then users can perform backward walking facing the front of the treadmill, but users may move forward excessively and hit the console or stumble on the driving device cover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by defining a warning area before the dangerous zone and implementing preliminary safety measures. The detecting device monitors user position in advance, and the control unit slows down or stops the endless belt before the user can reach the console or driving device cover, preventing accidents before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through the detecting device that continuously monitors the user's position on the platform. When the user enters the warning area, the system provides feedback by triggering the control unit to slow down or stop the endless belt, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism that responds to real-time user position.
2Ease of operation
If the treadmill operates in reverse movement mode, then users can face the front during backward walking, but users moving slower than belt speed will approach the console and may hit it or have feet pushed forward
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary action by monitoring user position and anticipating potential hazards. Before the user can hit the console or stumble, the detecting device identifies the warning area entry and triggers the control unit to slow down or stop the belt, preventing the harmful event.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback mechanism continuously monitors user position relative to the warning area and console. When the user approaches the dangerous zone, the system responds by adjusting belt speed or stopping, creating a real-time safety feedback loop that protects users facing the front during backward walking.
3Device complexity
If conventional treadmills lack reverse movement mode safety mechanisms, then the structure remains simple, but users cannot safely perform backward walking when their speed is slower than belt speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the warning area and pre-configuring the detecting device and control unit to monitor and respond to user position. This preliminary setup enables safe backward walking without requiring complex additional hardware, as the safety mechanism is integrated into the existing treadmill structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback principle enhances reliability by implementing a monitoring system that detects user position and triggers appropriate responses. This feedback mechanism provides safe backward walking capability while maintaining relatively simple device structure, as it uses existing components (detecting device, control unit) in a new safety configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a treadmill for allowing an exerciser to perform walking or running exercise on an endless belt. The treadmill is selected to be operated in a forward movement mode or in a reverse movement mode. In the reverse movement mode, a control unit of the treadmill controls a driving device to drive a top surface of the endless belt to slide forward for allowing the exerciser to simulate backward walking. When a detecting device detects that the exerciser enters a warning area in front of a normal range of movement, a reaction mechanism would be triggered to control the driving device to slow down or stop the endless belt. In the forward movement mode, the control unit controls the driving device to drive the top surface of the endless belt to slide backward and to disable the reaction mechanism.