The Running Training Machine

Abstract

The invention is a stationary running machine for indoor use. It offers a natural running gait to the user and also significantly lower impact than when running on a normal running surface. It also has no rotating parts. It uses a spring system to offer an upward force vector to reduce the effective impact weight of the user. By lifting the body up during running, the invention makes it easier for the user to run and reduces the strike impact. The invention also acts to bring the user back to their initial position after each step so that there is no need for a moving conveyor belt, like used in a treadmill, to keep the user in a central position on the machine while the user is running on the machine. The invention may include a suitable running ramp, that can further offer cushioning and/or rebounding properties.

1 . A Band that has spring, memory or elastic properties or is connected to springs or materials or objects with spring, memory or elastic properties that hangs below the two connection point at its ends and that can be used to hold a person back when running or walking.  
     
     
         2 . A Band as described in  claim 1  that may have a width from 5 cms to 50 cms and in length from 5 cms to 3 metres.  
     
     
         3 . A Band as described in  claim 1  or  2  that has a secondary band with spring or elastic properties or is connected to materials or objects that have spring or elastic properties.  
     
     
         4 . A Band as described in  claim 3  that has a secondary band that may vary in width from 5 cms to 50 cms and in length from 5 cms to 3 metres.  
     
     
         5 . A Band as described in any of claims  1 - 4  that has or is amenable to having connections at its ends to eyelets or hooks or clips that enable it to be used in doorways, or connected to frames, or to beams, or to straps that go over bars and or that enable it to be connected to objects like those described in  claim 6 .  
     
     
         6 . A Band as described in any of claims  1 - 5  that has a rigid or semi-rigid transverse section attached or inclusive in the Band at or near both its ends.  
     
     
         7 . A band as described in  claim 6  that has the rigid section attached with adhesive tape and stitching and or staples or by any method that uses a material to go through the tape and the Band.  
     
     
         8 . A length of padded material and or rubber or soft material 5 to 50 cms long to which is connected to one, two or more straps that can go over the top of a door and the door be closed on the straps, to which objects (like the Band described in any of claims  1 - 7 ) can be connected to.  
     
     
         9 . The object claimed in  claim 8  when used with any of the Bands claimed in claims  1 - 7 .  
     
     
         10 . An angled ramp that that it can be used with a Band as described in any of the claims  1 - 7 , with width and breadth dimensions of the ramp being from 20 cms to 3 metres (as allocated for each individual user on the ramp) with an angle of the zone for running of between 0 and 60 degrees as measured form the horizontal.  
     
     
         11 . An angled ramp as described in  claim 10  that has cushioning or spring or rebounding properties.  
     
     
         12 . An angled ramp as described in  claim 11  with its spring or rebounding properties created by using materials for the area that the user will run on that have spring or cushioning properties.  
     
     
         13 . An angled ramp as described in  claim 8  with its spring or rebounding properties created by using springs or elastic materials in the joins of the construction of the ramp.  
     
     
         14 . An angled ramp as described in  claim 8  with its spring or rebounding properties created by using springs or elastic materials in the construction of the sections that support the area that the user runs on.  
     
     
         15 . An angled ramp as described in  claim 8  with any permutation or combination of the features described in claims  12 - 14 .  
     
     
         16 . A supporting frame to hold a band as described in any of the claims  1 - 7  such that the ends of the band can be held by the frame above 0.5 metre above the running surface and so that the midsection of the band can be below the height of the ends of the band.  
     
     
         17 . A supporting frame as described in  claim 16  that has hooks or eyelets or holes to which a band as claimed in claims  1 - 7  can directly or indirectly be attached.