초록 ▼

A treadmill (1) having a track assembly that allows a user (3) to walk or run in any arbitrary direction. A movable user support has a plurality of rotatable members that rotate about axes normal to the direction of movement of the user support (2). Separate power drive mechanism (7) (8) concurrentl

A treadmill (1) having a track assembly that allows a user (3) to walk or run in any arbitrary direction. A movable user support has a plurality of rotatable members that rotate about axes normal to the direction of movement of the user support (2). Separate power drive mechanism (7) (8) concurrently move the user support (2) and rotate the members to omni-directional user movement. A control (4) for the power driven mechanism (7) (8) is responsive to the directional orientation of the user on the user support (2) to cause the user support (2) to operate in the direction of the orientation of the user (3).

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] An apparatus for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction having a frame, a track assembly mounted on the frame, the track assembly having a user active surface means for supporting the user walking or running thereon characterized by the user active surface means h

[ I claim:] [1.] An apparatus for allowing a user to walk or run in any arbitrary direction having a frame, a track assembly mounted on the frame, the track assembly having a user active surface means for supporting the user walking or running thereon characterized by the user active surface means having a plurality of side-by-side endless first belts, sleeve means for accommodating opposite ends of the first belts whereby the first belts can be moved around the sleeve means, support means for each first belt located between the sleeve means, means for pivotally connecting adjacent support means to provide an endless second belt, roller means mounted on the frame supporting opposite ends of the second belt, first drive means for rotating at least one of the roller means to move the second belt in a first direction, and second drive means for moving the second belt in a second direction whereby the combined movements of the first and second belts results in omni-directional user movement of the active surface means, and controls means responsive to directional orientation of the user on the user active surface means to selectively control the operation of the first and second drive means thereby control the directional user movement to conform with the orientation of the user on the user active surface.