Treadmill with front and rear incline mechanisms

Abstract

A treadmill includes a front lift mechanism and a rear lift mechanism. The treadmill simulates an uphill grade by lifting the front lift mechanism to lift the front of an exercise deck of the treadmill. The treadmill simulates cresting a hill by lifting a rear end of the treadmill after the front end is lifted. A downhill grade is simulated by lowering the front end of the treadmill after the rear end is lifted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating a treadmill, comprising:
 increasing an incline of an exercise deck from a first deck angle to a second deck angle by actuating a front incline mechanism;   after increasing the incline of the exercise deck from the first deck angle to the second deck angle, decreasing the incline of the exercise deck from the second deck angle to a third deck angle by actuating a rear incline mechanism; and   after decreasing the incline, further decreasing the incline of the exercise deck from the third deck angle to a fourth deck angle by retracting the front incline mechanism, wherein the fourth deck angle is less than 0°.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising increasing the incline of the exercise deck from the fourth deck angle to a fifth deck angle by retracting the rear incline mechanism after further decreasing the incline. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the fifth deck angle is 0°. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the fifth deck angle is the same as the first deck angle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first deck angle is 0°. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third deck angle is 0°. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third deck angle is parallel to the first deck angle. 
     
     
         8 . A method for operating a treadmill, comprising:
 raising a front end of an exercise deck with a front incline mechanism from a first front end height to a second front end height;   after raising the front end, raising a rear end of the exercise deck with a rear incline mechanism from a first rear end height to a second rear end height; and   after raising the rear end, lowering the front end of the exercise deck with the front incline mechanism from the second front end height to a third front end height.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second front end height is the same as the second rear end height. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the third front end height is lower than the second rear end height. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising lowering the rear end of the exercise deck with the rear incline mechanism from the second rear end height to a third rear end height after lowering the front end of the treadmill. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the third front end height is the same as the third rear end height. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first front end height is the same as the third front end height and the first rear end height is the same as the third rear end height. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first front end height, the third front end height, the first rear end height and the third rear end height are all the same. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a lift rate for the rear end height is non-zero for an entirety of a workout. 
     
     
         16 . A treadmill, comprising:
 an exercise deck including a frame on a bottom of the exercise deck, the frame including a front end and a rear end;   a front base rotationally connected to the front end of the frame;   a rear base rotationally connected to the rear end of the frame;   a front pulley connected to the exercise deck;   a rear pulley connected to the exercise deck;   a tread belt strung around the exercise deck from the front pulley to the rear pulley;   a drive motor configured to rotate the front pulley such that the front pulley rotates the tread belt across a top of the exercise deck from the front pulley to the rear pulley;   a front lift mechanism including a front lift motor attached to the front end of the frame, the front lift motor extending and retracting a front extension member connected to the front base, wherein when the front extension member is extended, the front base rotates and lifts the front end of the frame; and   a rear lift mechanism including a rear lift motor attached to the rear end of the frame, the rear lift motor operating a rear extension member, wherein when the rear extension member is extended, the rear base rotates and lifts the rear end of the frame.   
     
     
         17 . The treadmill of  claim 16 , wherein the treadmill is supported on a support surface by the front base and the rear base. 
     
     
         18 . The treadmill of  claim 16 , wherein the frame includes a first beam, a second beam parallel to the first beam, a front support member between the first beam and the second beam at the front end of the frame, and a rear support member between the first beam and the second beam at the rear end of the frame, and wherein the front lift motor is attached to the frame at the front support member and the rear lift motor is attached to the frame at the rear support member. 
     
     
         19 . The treadmill of  claim 16 , wherein the front lift motor extends and retracts the front extension member independent of a height of the rear end of the frame. 
     
     
         20 . The treadmill of  claim 16 , wherein the front extension member lifts the front end of the frame with a maximum front lift and the rear extension member lifts the rear end of the frame with a maximum rear lift, the maximum front lift being the same as the maximum rear lift.