Stair Climber Tread Stopping Member for Toe Pinch Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stair climber apparatuses often cause discomfort or injury due to the risk of the operator's toe being pinched by the riser as it pivots, especially when stepping onto the uppermost tread surface, as the riser transitions from one angle to another.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a stopping member with a transversely extending stop surface on each tread to prevent the operator's foot from overshooting the pivot axis, combined with interdigitated projections along the pivot axis that define recesses for the stopping members, ensuring the toe is protected from being pinched by the riser as it pivots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the riser is allowed to pivot freely to provide stair climbing motion, then the exercise function is improved, but the risk of toe pinching increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopping member is positioned in advance on the tread to prevent the harmful action of toe pinching before it can occur. As the riser pivots during stair climbing motion, the stopping member makes contact with the operator's toe to block further movement, thereby preventing the toe from being pinched between the riser and the pivot axis.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopping member acts as an intermediary element between the operator's toe and the pivot axis. It mediates the interaction by providing a physical barrier that stops the toe's forward motion, preventing direct contact between the toe and the potentially harmful pivot point while allowing the riser to continue its pivoting motion.
2Reliability
If the stopping member is added to prevent toe pinching, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopping member is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently added to each tread assembly. This segmentation allows the safety feature to be implemented without redesigning the entire stair climber apparatus, and individual stopping members can be easily installed, removed, or replaced without affecting other parts of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopping member is placed locally at the specific location where the hazard occurs (on the tread near the pivot axis). This localized approach provides safety precisely where needed without adding complexity to other parts of the apparatus. The stopping member only affects the local interaction between the operator's toe and the riser pivot point.
Data Source
AI summary
A stair climber apparatus has a frame and a plurality of stairs that are pivotably connected together in series and travel in a loop with respect to the frame. The plurality of stairs comprises a first stair having a tread and a riser. The tread and riser are pivotably connected together at a first pivot axis. The tread has a tread surface that supports an operator's foot. A stopping member is on the tread. The stopping member has a stop surface that extends transversely to and upwardly from the tread surface and prevents the operator's foot from overshooting the first pivot axis and engaging the riser as the operator steps onto the tread surface when the riser is pivoted away from the tread.