Manual Treadmill Speed Control via Resistance and Elevation Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual treadmills lack the ability to accurately set and maintain a target exercise speed, making it difficult for users to achieve specific exercise intensity and calorie consumption, as the rotating speed of the belt is influenced by user effort, stride length, and elevation angle, which limits the flexibility of exercise programs.
Innovation Solution
A manual treadmill with a control unit that adjusts resistance and elevation angle automatically to maintain a target exercise speed, using a sensing apparatus to monitor current speed and produce control signals to adjust resistance and elevation, ensuring the belt rotates at the desired speed regardless of user effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a manual treadmill uses user-driven force to rotate the continuous belt, then the treadmill structure remains simple and cost-effective, but the rotating speed cannot be accurately controlled or set to a target speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where a sensing apparatus continuously monitors the actual rotating speed of the continuous belt and feeds this information to a control unit. The control unit compares the actual speed with the target speed and automatically adjusts the resistance applying apparatus to correct any deviations, thereby achieving precise speed control while maintaining the manual treadmill's simple structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual treadmill system performs self-regulation by automatically adjusting the resistance applying apparatus based on real-time speed feedback. The system serves itself by monitoring its own operating parameters and making corrections without external intervention, enabling accurate target speed achievement while avoiding complex motorized components.
2Speed
If the elevation angle of the exercise surface is adjusted to control exercise speed, then the rotating speed can be influenced, but the elevation angle changes limit the freedom and selectivity of exercise programs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the sensing apparatus to monitor actual speed and automatically adjusts only the resistance applying apparatus, not the elevation angle. This allows speed control through resistance adjustment while maintaining a fixed, comfortable elevation angle, thereby preserving exercise program flexibility and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the elevation angle to control speed, the system changes the resistance parameter of the resistance applying apparatus. This parameter substitution allows speed control without affecting the exercise surface geometry, maintaining elevation angle consistency and preserving exercise versatility.
3Ease of operation
If resistance is manually adjusted by the user to change exercise speed, then the relative level of exercise speed can be modified, but the absolute target exercise speed cannot be set and maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives real-time feedback from the sensing apparatus about the actual rotating speed and automatically adjusts the resistance applying apparatus to achieve and maintain the target speed. This eliminates the need for manual resistance adjustment while ensuring precise target speed accuracy through automated feedback control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical resistance adjustment with an automated control system that uses sensing apparatus and control algorithms. This substitution eliminates manual intervention requirements while achieving more precise and consistent target speed control through electronic sensing and automated actuation.
Data Source
AI summary
A treadmill which is driven by movement of a user includes a frame, a continuous belt mounted around the frame, a sensor and a control unit. The continuous belt has a top surface for allowing a user to perform walking, jogging or running thereon. The sensor is configured to detect a rotation speed of the continuous belt. The control unit is configured to control a resistance of the continuous belt and an elevation angle of the top surface of the continuous belt for adjusting the rotation speed of the continuous belt to a predetermined speed. When the rotation speed of the continuous belt is slower than the predetermined speed even the resistance has reached a lower limit of available resistance settings, the control unit is operable to increase the elevation angle of the top surface of the continuous belt to further increase the rotation speed of the continuous belt.