Single Belt Omni Directional Treadmill

Abstract

A treadmill having a belt assembly allows a user to walk or run in any direction. A single helically wound belt over a flattened torus is powered by two independent drive systems. The drive systems are controlled by a combination of infrared cameras and a physical harness system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An omnidirectional treadmill comprising:
 a frame;   a plurality of cross beams coupled to one another to form a continuous loop having a substantially flat upper surface;   a cross-beam drive mechanism mounted to the frame and coupled to the plurality of cross beams to drive the continuous loop;   a single conveyor belt helically wound around each cross beam and passing between each adjacent cross beam at an underside thereof; and   a conveyor-belt drive mechanism coupled to the conveyor belt.   
     
     
         2 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cross beams are coupled to one another by being mounted on first and second drive chains, the first drive chain mounted between a first pair of sprocketed wheels and the second drive chain mounted between a second pair of sprocketed wheels, a first end of each cross beam mounted to the first drive chain and a second end of each cross beam mounted to the second drive chain, opposing ones of the first and second pair of sprocketed wheels each mounted on a common axle supported by the an axle frame coupled to the frame. 
     
     
         3 . The omindirectional treadmill of  claim 1  further comprising a drive motor coupled to one of the common axles of the sprocketed wheels. 
     
     
         4 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 1  wherein each cross beam has a hole formed in one side face at a selected position along its length and a rod extending out of a second face opposing the first face at the selected position, the rod of each cross beam extending into the hole of an adjacent cross beam. 
     
     
         5 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 1  further comprising a belt drive motor coupled to the single conveyor belt. 
     
     
         6 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 1  further comprising a tilt actuator coupled between the frame and the axle frame to tilt the substantially flat upper surface of the continuous loop at an angle disposed for a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         7 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 6  wherein the axle frame is mounted to the frame at a pair of opposed pivot points. 
     
     
         8 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 1  further comprising a user harness mounted to the frame. 
     
     
         9 . The omnidirectional treadmill of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a dynamic control interface includes a floating frame having sliding attachments to four vertical supports, a single cable traveling to all four of the vertical supports via pulleys to force the floating frame to remain level relative to the omnidirectional treadmill; and 
 an actuator coupled to one of the vertical supports to control the amount of vertical force exerted on the floating frame.