FR2886862A1 - Exercise treadmill for use as e.g. entertainment equipment, has processor that counts number of instantaneous speed variations which are displayed by screen so that user knows number of footsteps walked or run by user on belt conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

The treadmill has a transmission device (26) connecting a motor (24) and a front roller (28) such that the motor drives a belt conveyor (30) which is moved by using the device (26) and the roller. A detector (32) controls the speed of a unit of a movement assembly (3). A processor detects instantaneous variations of the speed and counts the number of instantaneous speed variations. A screen (22) displays a speed variation result such that a user knows the number of footsteps walked or run by him/her on the belt conveyor. An independent claim is also included for a method for counting the number of footsteps of a user walking or running on an exercise treadmill.

Description

PODOMETER RUNNING MAT AND METHOD FOR COUNTING THE

  NUMBER OF STEPS OF A CURRENT OR WALKING USER

THE TREADMILL

  The present invention generally relates to exercise equipment and, more particularly, a treadmill whose function is to count the number of steps of a user walking or running on it.

  A treadmill is a common equipment for exercise and training. Prior art treadmills give the user only the speed of the carpet and the total distance traveled, etc. The new treadmill also provides the user with some of his physiological data such as heart rate, ventilation and calorie consumption. This information tells the user the exercise stage and its physiological state, so that the user can adjust the exercise.

  The main object of the present invention is to provide a treadmill which indicates to the user the number of steps which he makes on the carpet by walking or running.

  According to the invention, there is provided a treadmill comprising a base, a movement assembly having two rollers pivoting on the base and a movable belt mounted to rotate on the rollers; a detector for controlling a speed of an element of the movement assembly; a processor for detecting instantaneous variations in the speed of the element of the motion set and for counting instantaneous variations, and a display screen for presenting a number of instantaneous variations.

  In this treadmill, the detector comprises a light emitting device, a receiver and a light control. The light emitting device is mounted on the base to emit rays to the receiver, and the light control is coupled to the element of the motion assembly to rotate in synchronism with the member, which has openings. intended to come on the passage of rays from the light-emitting device, so that when the light control rotates, the receiver receives intermittent light signals and transmits signals to the processor to measure a lapse of time between two of the signals.

  The light control is a disc with a weight.

  Further, the light-emitting device and the receiver are mounted on the base, on either side of the treadmill, and the light-emitting device emits rays to the receiver, the light control being constituted by openings in the treadmill, so that during the movement of the treadmill, the receiver receives intermittent light signals and transmits the signals to the processor to measure a lapse of time between two of the signals.

  According to another embodiment, the light control is constituted by teeth on one edge of the conveyor belt.

  The detector may include a rotor and a switch. The rotor is connected to the element of the movement assembly on which magnets are present. The magnets produce a periodic magnetic field during rotation of the rotor, and the switch is closed and repeatedly opened by a periodic magnetic field to produce a series of digital signals.

  According to another embodiment, the detector may comprise a rotor and a coil. The coil can generate an induced current under the effect of the periodic magnetic field, the value of the induced current serving as an indication of the speed of the movement assembly.

  The detector may include a wheel pivoting on the base and pressing against the treadmill to rotate with the treadmill, and a tachometer connected to the wheel to detect the speed of the wheel.

  The invention further comprises a method of counting a number of steps taken by a person running or walking on the treadmill. The method comprises the steps of controlling the speed of an element of the treadmill motion assembly; detect instantaneous variations in speed; counting instantaneous variations in speed, and displaying some of the instantaneous variations in speed.

  In addition, the speed control of the treadmill motion set element includes the steps of emitting rays to a light control, the light control moving in synchronism with the element of the treadmill. a movement assembly and light control having apertures for engaging the ray path, such that when the light control turns, the rays become intermittent signals due to the light control; receive the signals; and measuring a lapse of time between two of the signals to calculate the speed of light control, the speed of light being indicative of the speed of the element of the motion set.

  The detection of instantaneous variations of the speed can comprise the steps of calculating a variation of the speed of the element of the movement set, and recording the variation of the speed as instantaneous variation if the variation of speed is greater than 0 , 02 degree / s2 or 0.15 km / h2.

  The speed control method of the treadmill motion set element may comprise the steps of creating a periodic magnetic field for a switch, the frequency of the periodic magnetic field being directly proportional to the speed of the treadmill. element of the movement assembly, and the switch being repeatedly closed and open to produce a series of ignition and extinguishing signals, and measuring a period of time between two of the ignition signals or between two of the signals to calculate the speed of the element of the movement set.

  In another embodiment, the speed control of the treadmill motion set element may comprise the steps of creating a periodic magnetic field for a moving plate and measuring the frequency of the digital signals to calculate the speed of the element of the movement set.

  The method of controlling the speed of the element of the treadmill motion assembly may include the step of providing a periodic magnetic field to a coil. A method for detecting instantaneous variations in speed may include the step of detecting instantaneous changes in coil-induced current.

  The method of controlling the speed of the element may include the step of measuring a current of a motor of the movement assembly. The current value is taken as an indication of the speed of the motion set. In addition, the method for detecting instantaneous variations in speed comprises the step of detecting instantaneous variations in the current.

  The invention will be better understood on studying the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the pedometer system of the first preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the detector of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a front view of the detector of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a top view of the detector support of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a diagram of the variations of the detected angular velocity; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the detector according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the detector according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the detector according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are top views of the detector according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the detector according to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the detector according to a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an exercise treadmill 1 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a pedestal 2, a movement assembly 3 mounted on the pedestal 2 and a pedometer system. The base 2 comprises a base 10, two vertical uprights 12 fixed to the base 10, two handles 14 mounted on the vertical uprights 12, a plate 16 fixed on the base 10 and a panel 18 with keys 20 and a screen. 22 are mounted at the top of the uprights 12. The movement assembly 3 comprises a motor 24, a transmission device 26, two rollers 28 (only one being shown, namely the front roller in Fig. 1) and a treadmill 30. The rollers 28 pivot at the front and rear of the base 10, and the treadmill 30 is mounted on the rollers 28. The transmission device 26 is a belt connecting the motor 24 and the roller before 28 so that the motor 24 drives the conveyor belt 30 which is moved via the transmission device 26 and the front roller 28.

  Fig. 2 represents the pedometer system according to the present invention, which comprises a detector 32, a processor 34 and the display screen 22. The detector 32 controls the speed of an element of the movement assembly 3. The processor 34 detects instantaneous variations in speed and counts a number of instantaneous variations in speed. Then, the result is displayed on the screen 22 so that the user knows how many steps he performs while walking or running on the treadmill 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the detector 32 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a light emitting device 36, a receiver 38 and a light control 40. The light emitting device 36 and the receiver 38 constitute a single element, and the element has a mounting bracket 42 to be fixed to the base 10 in the immediate vicinity of the front roller 28. The light emitting device 36 projects the infrared rays to the receiver 38. The light control 40 is a disk attached to the front roller 28 for rotation in synchronism with the roller 28. The light control 40 has on its margin a plurality of equidistant apertures 44. light emission and the receiver 38 are located on either side of the light control 40 and the light control 40 rotates so that the openings 44 come on the passage of infrared rays coming from the device 36 for transmitting light. light, so that the receiver 38 receives a series of intermittent light signals and converts the light signals into electrical signals and transmits them to the processor 34. No 40 is provided with two weights 46 on either side thereof.

  The processor 34 is installed in the panel 18 with a processing circuit and a counting circuit (not shown). The processing circuit receives the electrical signals sent by the receiver 38 and measures a lapse of time (At) between two signals. The included angles (a) between the apertures 44 are known, so can the angular velocity (c 1) of the light control 40 be obtained by dividing a by At. The angular velocity ()) is also an indication of the speed of the roller 28 of the movement assembly 3. In concrete terms, the frequency of the signals can serve as an indication of the speed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, while the movement assembly rotates at a substantially constant speed, the angular velocity (w) is also substantially constant. However, if a person runs or walks on the treadmill 30 and when the foot is placed on the treadmill 30, a load is exerted on the movement assembly 3 and slow the speed of all the elements (including the treadmill 30, the rollers 28, the transmission device 26 and the motor 24), so that the detector 32 detects an instantaneous variation of the angular velocity (w). The instantaneous variation of the angular velocity (w) is a substantially sinusoidal curve. The processor 34 records a "step" while an instantaneous variation of the angular velocity (w) is detected.

  A method for identifying instantaneous changes in angular velocity (w) is to calculate the change in angular velocity (w) (i.e., angular acceleration). Specifically, the processor is provided with a filter for eliminating extreme values. The other values are calculated for angular acceleration. When the angular acceleration exceeds 0.02 degree / s2 or the acceleration exceeds 0.15 km / h2, it is taken as a "step".

  The counting circuit of the processor 34 counts the number of individual steps and indicates the number on the screen 22.

  The detector can be used to control the speed of any element in the motion assembly, including the motor, the transmission device, the treadmill and the rollers, as well as to detect instantaneous variations in speed.

  Fig. 7 shows a detector 50 according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which comprises a light control 52, a light emitting device 54 and a receiver 56. The light control 52 consists of teeth on a The light emission device 54 and the receiver 56 are located on either side of the conveyor belt 58 associated with the teeth 52. The movement of the conveyor belt 58 causes the receiver 56 to receive, as before, a series of intermittent light signals. Fig. 8 shows a detector 62 according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the detector 50 according to the second preferred embodiment, except that the light control 64 is constituted by openings on a margin of the treadmill 66 Preferably, the detector 52 or 62 is fixed in the immediate vicinity of the roller 60 or 68, which makes it possible to reduce the effect of the vibrations of the treadmill.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a detector 70 according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a rotor 72 and a switch 74. The rotor 72 is a disk on which magnets 78 are fixed in a circle. The magnets 78 are equidistant. The switch 74 has a housing 80 and two conductive plates 82 therein. The plates 82 have ends attached to the housing 80 and have free ends 84 suspended. The free ends 84 of the plates 82 overlap. The plates 82 are electrically connected to the processor by a wire (not shown). As the magnet 78 of the rotor 72 approaches the plates 82, the free ends 84 of the plates 82 are in contact (Fig. 11). As the magnet 78 moves away from the plates 82, the free ends 84 of the plates 82 are separated (Fig. 10). In other words, the rotor 72 creates a periodic magnetic field frequency directly proportional to the speed of the rotor 72. The magnetic field causes the plates 82 of the switch 74 to touch and separate repeatedly. In this way, the switch 74 produces a series of digital signals by closing and opening. As before, the angular velocity (w) of the rotor 72 can be obtained by measuring the time interval between two closing signals or between two opening signals, or simply by measuring the frequency of the digital signals as an indication of the speed of the rotor 72. If the processor detects an instantaneous change in speed, it records a "step".

  As shown in FIG. 12, the fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a detector 86 having a rotor 88 with magnets 90 thereon and a coil 92. The rotor 88 produces a periodic magnetic field. Due to the electromagnetic induction, the coil 92 produces a current under the effect of the periodic magnetic field. While the user is walking on the treadmill, the load slows down the movement assembly as well as the rotor 90. The magnetic field is abruptly changed, so that the induced current also has an instantaneous variation. During the detection of the instantaneous variation of the current, the processor records a "step".

  The sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for counting the number of steps performed by a user walking or running on an exercise treadmill. The current in the motor is controlled as an indication of the speed of the motion set. As the user walks on the moving conveyor belt, the current in the motor increases, so that the delivered torque is increased. In this way, while the current in the motor is detected with instantaneous variation, the processor registers it as a "step".

  As shown in FIG. 13, a detector 94 according to the seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a wheel 96, a mounting bracket 98 and a tachometer 100. The wheel 96 pivots on the mounting bracket 98 and the tachometer 100 is coupled to the wheel 96 to detect the speed of rotation thereof. The mounting bracket 98 has two elongate slots 102 and two bolts 104 inserted into the slots and screwed into a frame 106 of the exercise treadmill, so that the mounting bracket 98 is movable to support the wheel 96 against a treadmill. in motion 108. The wheel 96 rotates with the moving conveyor 108 and the tachometer 100 controls the speed of the wheel 96. During the detection of an instantaneous variation of the speed of the wheel 96, the processor records "a step" .

  With the exception of the sixth preferred embodiment, the treadmill of the present invention may be a non-electric treadmill. In other words, the movement assembly comprises only the rollers and the conveyor belt, but not the motor or the transmission device.

Claims (15)

  An exercise treadmill (1), comprising: a pedestal (2); a motion assembly (3) having two rollers (28) pivoting on the pedestal (2), and a treadmill (30) mounted on the rollers (28) for rotation; a detector (32) for controlling the speed of an element of the movement assembly (3); a processor (34) for detecting instantaneous variations in the speed of the motion set element (3) and for counting instantaneous variations, and a screen (22) for displaying a number of instantaneous variations.   The exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 1, wherein the detector (32) comprises a light emitting device (36), a receiver (38) and a light control (40), and further wherein the light emitting device (36) is mounted on the base (2) to emit rays to the receiver (38), and the light control (40) is coupled to the element of the assembly movement member (3) for rotation in synchronism with the member, the control having apertures (44) for engaging the passage of rays from the light-emitting device (36) so that while the When the light control (40) rotates, the receiver (38) receives intermittent light signals and transmits the signals to the processor (34) to measure a lapse of time between two of the signals.   The exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 2, wherein the light control (40) is a disc having a weight (46) thereon.   The exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 1, wherein the detector (32) has a light emitting device (36), a receiver (38) and a light control (40), and further wherein the light emitting device (36) and the receiver (38) are mounted on the base (2) on either side of the treadmill, and the light emitting device (36) emits radii to the receiver (38), and the light control (40) is constituted by apertures (44) in the treadmill, so that while the treadmill (30) is in motion, the receiver (38) receives intermittent light signals and transmits the signals to the processor (34) to measure a lapse of time between two of the signals.   The exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 1, wherein the detector (50) comprises a light emitting device (54), a receiver (56) and a light control (52), and further wherein the light emitting device (54) and the receiver (56) are mounted on the base (2) on either side of the treadmill (58), and the device (54) for transmitting light light emits rays to the receiver (56), and the light control (52) is formed by teeth on one edge of the treadmill (58), so that while the treadmill (58) is in motion, the receiver (56) receives intermittent light signals and transmits the signals to the processor (34) to measure a lapse of time between two of the signals.   The exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 1, wherein the detector (30) comprises a rotor (72) and a switch (74), the rotor (70) being coupled to the element of the assembly of movement (3), on which magnets (78) are arranged, whereby the magnets (78) produce a periodic magnetic field during rotation of the rotor (72), and the switch (74) is closed and opened repeated by the periodic magnetic field to create a series of digital signals.   The exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 1, wherein the detector (86) includes a rotor (88) and a coil (92), the rotor (88) being coupled to the element of the assembly movement device (3), on which magnets (90) are arranged to produce a periodic magnetic field during the rotation of the rotor (88), whereby the coil (92) creates an inductive current through the periodic magnetic field, and the value of the inductive current is taken as an indication of the speed of the movement assembly (3).   Exercise treadmill (1) according to claim 1, wherein the detector (94) comprises a wheel (96) pivoting on the base (2) and pressing against the treadmill (108) to rotate with the treadmill (108), and a tachometer (100) coupled to the wheel (96) for detecting the speed of the wheel (96).   A method of counting a number of steps performed by a person walking or running on an exercise treadmill (1), the treadmill (1) having a pedestal (2) and a movement assembly (3), and the movement assembly (3) having a treadmill (30) and two rollers (28), comprising the steps of: controlling the velocity of an element of the movement assembly (3) of the exercise mat (1); detect instantaneous variations in speed; count instantaneous variations in speed, and display a number of instantaneous variations in speed.   The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3) of the exercise mat (1) comprises the steps of: radiating to a control (40). ), the light control (40) moving in synchronism with the element of the movement assembly (3), and the light control (40) having openings (44) intended to come on the passage of the rays, such that during rotation of the light control (40) the rays become intermittent signals by the light control (40); receiving the signals, and measuring a lapse of time between two of the signals to calculate the speed of the light control (40), the speed of the light control (40) serving as an indication of the speed of the light element. the movement assembly (3).   The method of claim 9, wherein detecting instantaneous variations in velocity comprises the steps of: calculating a variation of the velocity of the element of the movement assembly (3), and recording the variation of velocity as instantaneous variation while velocity variation is greater than 0.02 degree / s2 or 0.15 km / h2.   The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the speed of the element of the motion assembly (3) of the exercise mat (1) comprises the steps of: providing a periodic magnetic field to a switch (74), the frequency of the periodic magnetic field being directly proportional to the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3), and the switch (74) is closed and repeatedly opened to produce a series of signal signals switching on and off, and measuring a period of time between two of the ignition signals or between two of the extinction signals to calculate the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3).   The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3) of the exercise mat (1) comprises the steps of: providing a periodic magnetic field to a plate mobile (82), the frequency of the periodic magnetic field being directly proportional to the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3), and the switch being closed and repeatedly opened by the periodic magnetic field to produce a series of digital signals, and measure the frequency of the digital signals to calculate the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3).   The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the speed of the element of the motion assembly (3) of the exercise mat (1) comprises the step of providing a periodic magnetic field to a coil (92), the frequency of the periodic magnetic field being directly proportional to the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3), and the coil (92) producing an inductive current under the effect of the periodic magnetic field, and detection of the instantaneous variations of the speed comprises the step of detecting instantaneous variations of the induced current.   The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the speed of the element of the movement assembly (3) of the exercise mat (1) comprises the step of measuring a current of a motor of the movement assembly (3), the value of the current serving to indicate the speed of the movement assembly (3), and wherein the detection of the instantaneous variations of the speed comprises the step of detecting the instantaneous variations of the current.