Dual direction exercise treadmill for simulating a dragging or pulling action

Abstract

An exercise treadmill having an endless moveable surface looped around rollers or pulleys to form an upper run and a lower run, the movable surface being rotated when one of the rollers or pulleys is rotated, and an exercise surface for walking or running while exercising, a weight resistance mechanism for providing a weight resistance for simulating the dragging or pulling of a load, wherein the weight resistance can be adjusted and set to a specific weight resistance setting; a movable hand grip controller operatively attached to the weight resistance mechanism for operating and controlling the exercise treadmill and the weight resistance mechanism, wherein the endless movable surface moves in a direction simulating walking or running backwards, and wherein the weight resistance mechanism applies an approximately constant and static force to the hand grip controller generally only in the same as the direction the endless movable surface moves and opposite a pulling direction, whereby operation of the treadmill simulates the dragging or pulling of a load by a combination of the actuation of the weight resistance mechanism to simulate the load and the walking or running backwards to provide the dragging or pulling action.

Description

STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application is a continuation-in-part of (i) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 935,828 having a filing date of 6 Nov. 2007, currently pending, (ii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 385,512 having a filing date of 20 Mar. 2006, currently pending, (iii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 289,916 having a filing date of 30 Nov. 2005, currently pending and allowed, (iv) WIPO International Patent Application No. PCT / US2007 / 062988 having an International Filing Date of 28 Feb. 2007, currently pending and which designated the US for a continuation-in-part patent application filing, and (v) WIPO International Patent Application No. PCT / US2005 / 043244 having an International Filing Date of 30 Nov. 2005, currently pending and which designated the US for a continuation-in-part patent application filing.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]This invention relates to the general technical field of exercise, physical fitne...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The present invention is a cardiovascular cross training device that addresses many needs not met with the current industry offering of treadmills, elliptical devices, stationary bicycles, and stepping devices. Backward walking is incorporated into the fitness and physical rehabilitation programs prescribed by many professional fitness trainers, physical therapists, sports medicine professionals and strength and conditioning professionals. Additionally, many athletes use weight loaded sled dragging (such as a hand held horizontal load) to augment their lower body strength training as well as their overall aerobic and anaerobic conditioning programs. The present invention combines these features in a versatile cross training device.

[0013]The muscle activity of the lower body is much greater in backward walking versus forward walking and the heart rate is elevated 30% to 35% higher over the same forward walking speed. Thus, a person can expend more energy in a shorter period of time walking backwards. Adding the additional load factor of a hand held horizontal resistance (that is, a simulated dragging or pulling motion) and the energy expenditure and muscle loading to the lower body is increased. This increased energy output allows an individual to achieve and maintain their desired heart rate walking or running at a fraction of the speed of any forward motion oriented exercise.

[0014]Further, the overall force of impact on the legs and body is reduced at a backward walk versus forward motion oriented exercises due to the reduced stride length, foot pattern contact and lower extremity kinematics pattern. The sheer force to the knees is reduced because the sheer force is reversed while walking backwards. Moreover, the range of motion of the knee joint is reduced to incorporating a nearly isometric pattern following contact compared to a more stressful eccentric loading. This can be very beneficial to the exercisers with knee joint injuries or those who experience knee pain during forward motion oriented exercises. Most knee joint injuries can even continue to heal during a backward walking training program. Hip joint stress is reduced during backward walking because the overall range of motion of the hip joint is reduced by incorporating greater hip flexation but much less hip extension.

[0015]During backward walking the hamstring muscles are stretched prior to activation and foot plant due to hip flexation. Given the prestretch, the load is not introduced until the weight bearing phase of the movement where the hamstring muscle is much more capable of accepting the load factors. Subsequently, it is more beneficial and less injury prone to add additional hand held horizontal resistance (actual or simulated dragging or pulling motion, hereinafter referred to collectively as a dragging motion or a backward dragging motion) to the ham string muscle in a backward walking motion. Therefore, during a backward dragging motion the user can achieve greater blood flow to and activation of the hamstring muscles at a slower walking speed than walking without the added load factor of the dragging motion.

[0017]The movable resistance arm can be at least one section pivotally or otherwise movably connected to the fixed console support structure and operatively connected to the weight resistance mechanism via additional sections, linkages, and / or cables or the like. In this embodiment, the movable resistance arm can have a hand grip bar or portion and on which a hand controller can be mounted. Alternatively, the movable resistance arm can be a hand grip bar operatively connected to the weight resistance mechanism via additional sections, linkages, and / or cables or the like, but not necessarily connected to the fixed console support structure. Also alternatively, the movable resistance arm can be a hand grip bar operatively connected to the weight resistance mechanism via cables or the like, and not connected to the fixed console support structure, although the fixed console support can have a cable support device. In another embodiment, the movable resistance arm can be eliminated and the console support structure itself can be pivotable relative to the treadmill base, with the hand grip controller being operatively part of the console support structure. In yet another embodiment, there is no movable resistance arm but only a hand grip controller operatively connected to the weight resistance mechanism via a cable or cables.

[0020]In a preferred embodiment, the weight resistance mechanism is a moment arm mechanism comprising a moment arm, an adjustable weight, and a drive mechanism for moving the adjustable weight relative to or along the moment arm. As the adjustable weight is adjusted along the moment arm relative to a pivot point of the moment arm, the weight resistance of the moment arm is increased or decreased, thus simulating the dragging or pulling of various or varying load weights. The moment arm is operatively connected to the hand grip controller via the main cable, thus transferring the weight resistance effect to the user. Thus, when the user pulls on the hand grip controller, so as to activate the moment arm, the moment arm creates a constant and static counterforce equivalent to the specific weight amount set by the user.

Problems solved by technology

However, with the exception of this inventor's inventions, this inventor is unaware of any specific exercise treadmill that is structured to allow the user to comfortably simulate a dragging or pulling motion; that is, a backwards walking motion either on a level plane or uphill.

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