The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 10, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 19, 1999
Rick Choy, Santa Ana, CA (US);
Unisen, Inc., Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a safety off switch for a treadmill exercise device. If the treadmill exercise device running belt is still rotating even after user has left the treadmill exercise device, then after a programmed time duration, the treadmill exercise device automatically turns off the running belt and powers itself down. Foot impacts by the user on the running belt create back electromotive forces at the motor which drives the running belt. The foot impacts by the user change the current requirements of the motor by creating pulses in the normally steady current requirements. In one embodiment, the detection of the changes in the number of pulses over a given time interval indicates when the user has left the treadmill exercise device. In another embodiment, signal processing of the changes in the current requirements of the motor with respect to time results in a representation which if below a certain threshold would indicate that the user is no longer using the treadmill exercise device. The conditions met in either embodiment result in, after a programmed time duration, the automatic powering down of the treadmill exercise device.