Automatic Speed Control Apparatus for Treadmill and Control Method Thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic speed control apparatus for a treadmill and the control method including a deck, a track belt of endlessly rotating on the upper and the bottom face of the deck, and a driving unit for driving unit for driving the track belt comprising: at least one front load sensor located in the front part of the track belt for measuring load from a user on the track belt; at least one rear load sensor located in the rear part of the track belt for measuring load from the user on the track belt, wherein the proceeding speed of the track belt is controlled based on the user's location or movement on the track belt by comparing the measured values from the front load sensor and the rear load sensor and catching the user's location based on the comparison therebetween, whereby the proceeding speed can be automatically controlled corresponding with the user's running speed without the user's direct operation.

1 . A speed control apparatus for a treadmill including a deck, a track belt of endlessly rotating on the upper and the bottom face of the deck, and a driving unit for driving the track belt comprising:
 at least one front load sensor in the front part of the track belt for measuring load transferred via the deck which supports the user on the track belt; and   at least one rear load sensor in the rear part of the track belt for measuring load transferred via the deck which supports the user on the track belt;   wherein the location of the user on the track belt is sensed as being more biasedly located at the front part, as the measured value by the front load sensor is larger than the measured value by the rear load sensor; and wherein the location of the user on the track belt is sensed as being more biasedly located at the rear part, as the measured value by the rear load sensor is larger than the measured value by the front load sensor, and wherein the speed of the track belt is controlled in accordance with the location of the user on the track belt.   
   
   
       2 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the track belt is accelerated when the user locates at the front part of the track belt, and the track belt is decelerated when the user locates at the rear part of the track belt. 
   
   
       3 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the deck is supported at its both sides on the deck supports which is protruded from a frame of the treadmill; and wherein the front load sensor and the rear load sensor are located at the deck support for measuring the loads transferred via the deck. 
   
   
       4 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the front load sensor and the rear load sensor are formed as at least one load cell respectively. 
   
   
       5 . A speed control apparatus for a treadmill including a deck, a track belt of endlessly rotating on the upper and the bottom face of the deck, and a driving unit for driving the track belt comprising:
 at least one front strain gauge in the front part of the track belt for being deformed by the load transferred via the deck which supports the user on the track belt; and   at least one rear strain gauge in the rear part of the track belt for being deformed by the load transferred via the deck which supports the user on the track belt;   wherein the front strain gauge and the rear strain gauge comprises at least one wheatston bridge circuit; wherein the location of the user on the track belt is sensed by the bridge voltage of the wheatston bridge; and wherein the speed of the track belt is controlled in accordance with the location of the user on the track belt.   
   
   
       6 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the rear strain gauge and the front strain gauge have same resistance with each other. 
   
   
       7 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the track belt is accelerated when the user locates at the front part of the track belt, and the track belt is decelerated when the user locates at the rear part of the track belt. 
   
   
       8 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the driving unit controls the degree of the acceleration or the deceleration in accordance with the bridge voltage of the wheatston bridge circuit. 
   
   
       9 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the treadmill further includes a frame for supporting the deck; and wherein each of the front strain gauge and the rear strain gauge is attached on the surface of one of bending members which are protruded from the frame for supporting the deck so that the each of the strain gauges is integrally deformed with the each of the bending members. 
   
   
       10 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the allowable range of a user's bias not to change the speed of the track belt is stored and preset in a form of the initial preset voltage ΔVset; and wherein the speed of the track belt is changed only when the absolute value of the bridge voltage exceeds the absolute value of the initial preset voltage ΔVset. 
   
   
       11 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the averaged value of the measured bridge voltage ΔV of the wheatston bridge for a predetermined period right after starting an exercise is stored as a reference bridge voltage ΔVref, and wherein the speed of the track belt is changedly controlled by the difference between the bridge voltage ΔV and the reference bridge voltage ΔVref. 
   
   
       12 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the speed of the track belt is changedly controlled only when the absolute difference (ΔV−ΔVref) between the bridge voltage ΔV and the reference bridge voltage ΔVref exceeds the initial preset voltage ΔVset. 
   
   
       13 . A speed control apparatus for treadmill including a deck, a track belt of endlessly rotating on the upper and the bottom face of the deck, and a driving unit for driving the track belt comprising:
 an accelerating area set at the front part on the track belt for accelerating the speed of the track belt when a user is located at the accelerating area;   a decelerating area set at the rear part on the track belt for decelerating the speed of the track belt when the user is located at the decelerating area;   at least one front load sensor in the front part of the track belt for measuring load transferred via the deck which supports the user on the track belt; and   at least one rear load sensor in the rear part of the track belt for measuring load transferred via the deck which supports the user on the track belt;   wherein the location of the user is sensed by comparing the measured values from the front load sensor and of the rear load sensor, and thus, the track belt is accelerated when the user is on the accelerating area and the track belt is decelerated when the user is on the decelerating area.   
   
   
       14 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a constant speed area set at the middle part on the track belt for maintaining the speed of the track belt at the time when the user reaches the constant speed area.   
   
   
       15 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the accelerating area and the decelerating area are divided into plural areas respectively, and the acceleration of the divided areas and the deceleration thereof are set differently with one another. 
   
   
       16 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the speed of the track belt is accelerated while the user moves forward although the user is not located at the accelerating area;
 and wherein the speed of the track belt is decelerated while the user moves backward although the user is not located at the decelerating area.   
   
   
       17 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the speed of the track belt is firstly controlled by the user's movement, and then, the speed of the track belt is secondly controlled by the user's location. 
   
   
       18 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the values measured by the front load sensor and the rear load sensor are averaged for a predetermined unit time. 
   
   
       19 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein in case that the difference between averaged measured values in accordance with the time becomes lower than the predetermined value;
 and wherein the speed of the track belt is decelerated for an instance when the speed of the track belt is being accelerated; and the speed of the track belt is accelerated for an instance when the speed of the track belt is being decelerated.   
   
   
       20 . The speed control apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein in case that the difference between averaged measured values in accordance with the time becomes lower than the predetermined value;
 the acceleration degree of the track belt is lowered for an instance when the speed of the track belt is being accelerated; and the deceleration degree of the track belt is lowered for an instance when the speed of the track belt is being decelerated.