Treadmill with pedometer and method of counting the number of steps of user running or walking on treadmill

Abstract

A treadmill includes a base, a motion assembly and a pedometer system. The pedometer system has a sensor mounted on the base to monitor a speed of an element of the motion assembly, such as a motor, a transmission device, rollers or a running belt, a processor mounted on the base to detect instant variations of the speed of the element of the motion and count the instant variations, and a display mounted on the base to show a number of the instant variations. As a result, people running or walking on the treadmill of the present invention is informed the number of steps of running or walking.

1 . A treadmill, comprising: 
 a base;    a motion assembly having two roller pivoted on the base and a running belt mounted on the rollers for rotation;    a sensor for monitoring a speed of an element of the motion assembly;    a processor for detecting instant variations of the speed of the element of the motion and to count the instant variations, and    a display for showing a number of the instant variations.    
   
   
       2 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a light emitting device, a receiver and a light gate, and further wherein the light emitting device is mounted on the base to emit rays to the receiver, and the light gate is connected to the element of the motion to rotate along with the element in synchronism, which has apertures to be moved to a path of the rays from the light emitting device, such that while the light gate is rotated, the receiver receives intermittent light signals and transfer the signals to the processor to measure a time between two of the signals.  
   
   
       3 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the light gate is a disk with a weigh member thereon.  
   
   
       4 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a light emitting device, a receiver and a light gate, and further wherein the light emitting device and the receiver are mounted on the base at opposite sides of the running belt, and the light emitting device emits rays to the receiver, and the light gate is apertures on the running belt, such that while the running belt is running, the receiver receives intermittent light signals and transfer the signals to the processor to measure a time between two of the signals.  
   
   
       5 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a light emitting device, a receiver and a light gate, and further wherein the light emitting device and the receiver are mounted on the base at opposite sides of the running belt, and the light emitting device emits rays to the receiver, and the light gate is teeth on an edge of the running belt, such that while the running belt is running, the receiver receives intermittent light signals and transfer the signals to the processor to measure a time between two of the signals.  
   
   
       6 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a rotor and a switch, wherein the rotor is connected to the element of the motion assembly, on which magnets are provided, whereby the magnets produce a periodical magnetic field while the rotor is rotating, and the switch is turned on and turned off repeatedly by periodical magnetic field to generate a serious of digital signals.  
   
   
       7 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a rotor and a coil, wherein the rotor is connected to the element of the motion assembly, on which magnets are provided to produce a periodical magnetic field while the rotor is rotating, whereby the coil generates an induction current by the periodical magnetic field, and a value of the induction current is taken as an indication of the speed of the motion assembly.  
   
   
       8 . The treadmill as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the senor has a wheel pivoted on the base and pressing the running belt to rotate along with the running belt and a tachometer connected to the wheel to detect a speed of the wheel.  
   
   
       9 . A method of counting a number of steps that a person runs or walks on a treadmill, wherein the treadmill has a base and a motion assembly, and the motion assembly has a running and two rollers, comprising the steps of: 
 monitoring a speed of an element of the motion assembly of the treadmill;    detecting instant variations of the speed;    counting the instant variations of the speed, and    display a number of the instant variations of the speed.    
   
   
       10 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein a method of monitoring the speed of the element of the motion assembly of the treadmill comprises the steps of: 
 emitting rays to a light gate, wherein the light gate is moved along with the element of the motion assembly in synchronism, and the light gate has apertures to be moved to a path of the rays, so that while the light gate is rotating, the rays becomes intermittent signals by the light gate;    receiving the signals, and    measuring a time between two of the signals to calculate a speed of the light gate, wherein the speed of the light gate is taken as an indication of the speed of the element of the motion assembly.    
   
   
       11 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein a method of detecting instant variations of the speed comprises the steps of: 
 calculating a variation of the speed of the element of the motion assembly, and    recording the variation of the speed as the instant variation while the variation of speed is greater than 0.02 degree/sec 2  or 0.15 km/hr 2 .    
   
   
       12 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein a method of monitoring the speed of the element of the motion assembly of the treadmill comprises the steps of: 
 providing a periodical magnetic field to a switch, wherein a frequency of the periodical magnetic field is directly proportional to the speed of the element of the motion assembly, and the switch is turned on and turned of repeatedly to produce a serious of ON and OFF signals, and    measuring a time between two of the ON signals or between two of the OFF signals to calculate the speed of the element of the motion assembly.    
   
   
       13 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein a method of monitoring the speed of the element of the motion assembly of the treadmill comprises the steps of: 
 providing a periodical magnetic field to a movable plate, wherein a frequency of the periodical magnetic field is directly proportional to the speed of the element of the motion assembly, and the switch is repeatedly by the periodical magnetic field to produce a serious of digital signals, and    measuring a frequency the digital signals to calculate the speed of the element of the motion assembly.    
   
   
       14 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein a method of monitoring the speed of the element of the motion assembly of the treadmill comprises the step of providing a periodical magnetic field to a coil, wherein a frequency of the periodical magnetic field is directly proportional to the speed of the element of the motion assembly, and the coil generates an induction current by the periodical magnetic field, and a method of detecting the instant variations of the speed comprises the step of detecting instant variations of the induction current.  
   
   
       15 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein a method of monitoring the speed of the element of the motion assembly of the treadmill comprises the step of measuring a current of a motor of the motion assembly, wherein a value of the current is taken as an indication of the speed of the motion assembly, and a method of detecting the instant variations of the speed comprises the step of detecting instant variations of the current.