Lord Corporation

Matthew B Brown

J David Carlson

Mark R Jolly

Robert H Marjoram

Richard S Gureghian

Douglas F LeRoy

A controllable platform suspension system (20) for treadmills (18) and other platforms and devices therefor which exhibit controllability of the impact condition of the platform, such as a treadmill deck (36). In the treadmill application, user-selectable damping/stiffness is provided to simulate variable track conditions, such as pavement, rubber, grass, gravel, sand, and the like. The controllable suspension system (20) comprises spring mounts (40) or the like or a flexible deck (36) for allowing movement of the deck (36) relative to the frame (22) at a contact location (29) due to impact and a controllable device such as an Electrorheological (ER) device, Electrophoretic (EP) device, Electromechanical Hydraulic (Semi-Active) device, controllable mounting, or a Magnetorheological (MR) device, such as an MR brake (42a, 42a, 42b), MR damper (42d), or MR mount (42c, 42e, 42f) interconnecting between the frame (22) and platform (36) to provide the user-variable impact restraint. Various MR devices are described which exhibit controllability in a first direction (ex. bound) and substantially unrestricted motion in a second direction (ex. rebound).

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Matthew B Brown