Treadmill including selectable operating modes and related methods

Abstract

A treadmill may include a frame, a deck carried by the frame, and a belt movable over the deck to provide a moving contact surface for feet of a user. The treadmill may also include a handrail carried by the frame to be grasped by the user, and a belt drive arrangement carried by the frame and coupled to the belt. The belt drive arrangement may be operable in a selected operating mode. The operating mode may include a set pace mode with the speed of the belt set to a fixed pace, and a freewheel mode with the belt operationally decoupled from the belt drive arrangement. The operating mode may also include a sled push mode with selectable resistance provided to the belt as the user pushes against the handrail.

1 . A treadmill comprising:
 a frame;   a deck carried by the frame;   a belt movable over the deck to provide a moving contact surface for feet of a user;   a handrail carried by the frame to be grasped by the user; and   a belt drive arrangement carried by the frame and coupled to the belt, the belt drive arrangement operable in a selected one of a plurality of operating modes comprising
 a set pace mode with the speed of the belt set to a fixed pace, 
 a freewheel mode with the belt operationally decoupled from the belt drive arrangement, and 
 a sled push mode with selectable resistance provided to the belt as the user pushes against the handrail. 
   
     
     
         2 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises a protocol mode with the speed of the belt set based upon a user-program associated with the user. 
     
     
         3 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises an adaptive protocol mode with the speed of the belt set based upon a user-program associated with the user and a plurality of sensors obtaining data associated with user during operation of the treadmill. 
     
     
         4 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , comprising a controller coupled to the belt drive arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The treadmill of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to wirelessly obtain user identification data for each user of a plurality of users. 
     
     
         6 . The treadmill of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to collect performance data associated with each user of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         7 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , comprising a vertical drive arrangement configured to selectively raise and lower a forward end of the deck. 
     
     
         8 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , wherein the belt drive arrangement comprises a motor and a flywheel coupled thereto. 
     
     
         9 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , comprising a respective foot landing pad on the deck on each opposite side of the belt. 
     
     
         10 . The treadmill of  claim 1 , comprising a user gait sensing arrangement carried by the deck. 
     
     
         11 . The treadmill of  claim 10 , wherein the user gait sensing arrangement comprises:
 a first series of optical emitters carried by the deck along a first side of the belt; and   a second series of optical receivers carried by the deck along a second side of the belt.   
     
     
         12 . The treadmill of  claim 11 , wherein the first series of optical emitters and second series of optical receivers are substantially flush with adjacent portions of the deck. 
     
     
         13 . A treadmill comprising:
 a frame;   a deck carried by the frame;   a belt movable over the deck to provide a moving contact surface for feet of a user;   a handrail carried by the frame to be grasped by the user;   a belt drive arrangement carried by the frame and coupled to the belt, the belt drive arrangement operable in a selected one of a plurality of operating modes comprising
 a set pace mode with the speed of the belt set to a fixed pace, 
 a freewheel mode with the belt operationally decoupled from the belt drive arrangement, and 
 a sled push mode with selectable resistance provided to the belt as the user pushes against the handrail; 
   a vertical drive arrangement configured to selectively raise and lower a forward end of the deck; and   a controller coupled to the belt drive arrangement and the vertical drive arrangement.   
     
     
         14 . The treadmill of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises a protocol mode with the speed of the belt set based upon a user-program associated with the user. 
     
     
         15 . The treadmill of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises an adaptive protocol mode with the speed of the belt set based upon a user-program associated with the user and a plurality of sensors obtaining data associated with user during operation of the treadmill. 
     
     
         16 . The treadmill of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to wirelessly obtain user identification data for each user of a plurality of users. 
     
     
         17 . The treadmill of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to collect performance data associated with each user of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         18 . The treadmill of  claim 13 , wherein the belt drive arrangement comprises a motor and a flywheel coupled thereto. 
     
     
         19 . The treadmill of  claim 13 , comprising a respective foot landing pad on the deck on each opposite side of the belt. 
     
     
         20 . The treadmill of  claim 13 , comprising a user gait sensing arrangement carried by the deck. 
     
     
         21 . The treadmill of  claim 20 , wherein the user gait sensing arrangement comprises:
 a first series of optical emitters carried by the deck along a first side of the belt; and   a second series of optical receivers carried by the deck along a second side of the belt.   
     
     
         22 . The treadmill of  claim 17 , wherein the first series of optical emitters and second series of optical receivers are substantially flush with adjacent portions of the deck. 
     
     
         23 . A method for operating a treadmill comprising a frame, a deck carried by the frame, a belt movable over the deck and configured to provide a moving contact surface for feet of a user, a handrail carried by the frame and configured to be grasped by the user, and a belt drive arrangement carried by the frame and coupled to the belt, the method comprising:
 selectively configuring the drive arrangement to operate in one of a plurality of operating modes comprising
 a set pace mode with the speed of the belt set to a fixed pace, 
 a freewheel mode with the belt operationally decoupled from the belt drive arrangement, and 
 a sled push mode with selectable resistance provided to the belt as the user pushes against the handrail. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises a protocol mode with the speed of the belt set based upon a user-program associated with the user. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises an adaptive protocol mode with the speed of the belt set based upon a user-program associated with the user and a plurality of sensors obtaining data associated with user during operation of the treadmill. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , comprising:
 wirelessly obtaining user identification data for each user of a plurality of users; and   collecting performance data associated with each user of the plurality of users.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , comprising operating a vertical drive arrangement to selectively raise and lower a forward end of the deck. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising sensing a gait of the user. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein sensing the gait of the user comprises:
 operating a first series of optical emitters carried by the deck along a first side of the belt; and   operating a second series of optical receivers carried by the deck along a second side of the belt.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first series of optical emitters and second series of optical receivers are substantially flush with adjacent portions of the deck.