Treadmill providing constant torque at multiple inclines

Abstract

Treadmills or similar exercise devices which utilize a motor driven belt which can be used to provide a powered running surface, but can also be used to provide a resistance to movement of the belt to allow a user to have to manually drive the belt at a constant resistance or torque regardless of incline. This later mode of operation is akin to the pushing or pulling of a weight sled and can be arranged so that a user can be required to supply a constant torque over a range of inclines.

1 . A treadmill comprising:
 an endless belt arranged to rotate about at least one roller;   a motor, the motor being configured to rotate said roller so as to rotate the endless belt in either direction; and   a controller, said controller altering speed and direction of said motor;   wherein, said controller controls said motor to rotate said endless belt at a variable speed effective to cause the amount of force required by a user disposed on said endless belt to rotate said endless belt is constant across a plurality of inclines of said endless belt.   
     
     
         2 . The treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said amount of force required by a user is a constant amount of force. 
     
     
         3 . The treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said constant relation is based on a weight of a user. 
     
     
         4 . The treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said roller rotates said endless belt in a direction opposing a direction a user is pushing said belt. 
     
     
         5 . The treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said motor changes direction of said endless belt rotation during a user exercise. 
     
     
         6 . The treadmill of  claim 1  further comprising two sets of handgrips. 
     
     
         7 . The treadmill of  claim 6  wherein one of said two sets of handgrips is positioned for a user standing upright and the other of said two sets of handgrips is positioned for a user leaning over. 
     
     
         8 . The treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said amount of force required by a user simulates said user pushing a weight sled. 
     
     
         9 . The treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said amount of force required by a user simulates said user pulling a weight sled. 
     
     
         10 . A method of controlling operation of a treadmill comprising:
 providing a treadmill including:
 a running belt arranged to rotate about at least one roller; and 
 a motor, the motor being configured to rotate said roller so as to rotate the running belt a first direction and an opposing second direction; and 
   activating said motor to rotate said running belt in said first direction at a first speed when said running belt is at a first incline;   instructing a user to push said running belt in said second direction;   altering an incline of said running belt from said first incline to a second incline; and   altering a speed of said running belt from said first speed to a second speed;   wherein said alteration of said speed from said first speed to said second speed occurs in constant relation to said alteration of said incline from said first incline to said second incline.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein an amount of force required by said user to push said running belt in said second direction is the same at said first incline and said first speed as at said second incline and said second speed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said constant relation is based on a weight of said user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said treadmill further includes two sets of handgrips. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein one of said two sets of handgrips is positioned for a user standing upright and the other of said two sets of handgrips is positioned for a user leaning over. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said second speed is zero. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said amount of force required by a user simulates said user pulling a weight sled.