US20060287165A1 - Muscle-powered vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A muscle-powered vehicle, comprising a treadmill, which is supported by a chassis and is adapted to be actuated by the thrust of the feet and legs of at least one user who walks or runs thereon; a system for travel over land or on water functionally connected to the treadmill by way of motion transmission means; and a steering system for directing the travel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• So-called home fitness, i.e., the set of gymnastic activities that can be conveniently performed in one's own home, is now becoming increasingly popular.
• One of the most widely used implements for complete exercise at home is the treadmill, thanks to the many advantages in terms of health and well-being that can be obtained by using it, such as for example the acquisition of muscular tone for the lower limbs (legs, calves and buttocks), the improvement of blood circulation and of cardiac and respiratory efficiency, and the reduction of fatty tissue.
• However, although the treadmill allows to perform physical activity at any time of day, including when it is raining, when it is too cold or too hot, and therefore in general if the climate is not ideal, or when it is too dark (or even in the latest hours of the day), on the other hand the use of the treadmill is relegated indeed to a closed or open environment which does not change, indeed because of the inherent characteristic of stationarity of the implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The aim of the present invention is to provide a muscle-powered vehicle which can be moved by way of the physical activity generally performed on a treadmill.
• Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a muscle-powered vehicle which can travel over land.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a muscle-power vehicle suitable for navigation.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a muscle-powered vehicle which allows to obtain all the advantages that cause treadmills to be appreciated and widespread, such as for example the acquisition of muscular tone for the lower limbs (legs, calves and buttocks), the improvement of blood circulation, of cardiac and respiratory efficiency, and the reduction of fatty tissue.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a muscle-powered vehicle which can be used easily in full safety even by a user who does not have particular prior training.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a muscle-powered vehicle which can be manufactured cheaply with known systems and technologies.
• This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a muscle-powered vehicle, characterized in that it is constituted by a treadmill which is supported by a chassis and is adapted to be actuated by the thrust of the feet and legs of at least one user who walks or runs thereon, means for travel over land or on water being functionally connected to the treadmill by way of motion transmission means, said vehicle being provided with steering means for directing its travel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle according to the invention in a first embodiment;
• FIG. 2 is a partially sectional top view of a vehicle according to the invention in the first embodiment ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle according to the invention in a second embodiment thereof;
• FIGS.4 to6 are top views of three variations of the second embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention as shown inFIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• With reference to the figures, a muscle-powered vehicle according to the invention is generally designated by thereference numeral10 in the first embodiment ofFIGS. 1 and 2.
• The muscle-poweredvehicle10 comprises a treadmill11, which is supported by achassis18 and is adapted to be actuated by the thrust of the feet and legs of auser12 who walks or runs on it.
• Travel means for travel over land or on water are provided that are functionally connected to the treadmill11 by way of motion transmission means.
• Thevehicle10 is provided with guiding (steering) means for directing its travel.
• The treadmill11 is constituted by two rollers, a firstfront roller13, relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, and a secondrear roller14.
• The tworollers13 and14 are surrounded by awalkable belt15, which is stretched between the rollers.
• Anupper portion15aof thebelt15 slides over a supportingsurface16 for theuser12, who walks or runs thereon.
• Thebelt15 transmits its motion, imparted by the thrust of the feet of theuser12, to the two front andrear rollers13 and14.
• The supportingsurface16 is provided by a plurality ofcontiguous bars17, each of which is provided with a series offree rollers17a, the set of which forms a surface which allows the sliding of thebelt15 and provides support for theuser12.
• The tworollers13 and14 and the supportingsurface16 are supported by thechassis18, to which the travel means and the guiding means are also rigidly coupled.
• The motion transmission means are of the flexible type and comprise at least one driving pulley orwheel19, which is rigidly coupled to the rotation shaft of therear roller14, and a corresponding drivenpulley20, which is associated with the movement means and is adapted to receive the driving torque by means of a flexible transmission element, such as a belt, chain or other equivalent element.
• In the example of the first embodiment of the invention described here, thevehicle10 is a watercraft and comprises a floating structure which is fixed to thechassis18.
• The travel means for moving thevehicle10 are formed by apropulsion impeller22.
• The guiding means are constituted by ahandlebar23 for steering arudder30.
• The floating structure is provided with two longitudinally elongatedlateral floats24.
• In this first watercraft-like embodiment of thevehicle10 according to the invention, the motion transmission means comprise a first flexibletorque transmission element21, such as a belt, between afirst driving pulley19 and a firstintermediate pulley26, and a second torqueflexible transmission element25, such as a second belt, between a secondintermediate pulley27, which is coaxial and rigidly coupled to the firstintermediate pulley26, and a drivenpulley20, which is keyed to theactuation shaft28 of theimpeller22.
• Theuser12 who runs on thebelt15, whose width is such as to allow the running of one or more users, moves, by means of therear roller14, thefirst belt21 and, by means of thesecond belt25, theimpeller22, producing the advancement of thevehicle10 in water.
• Therollers13 and14 are conveniently rigidly coupled to the respective shafts with the interposition of freewheel devices, which are suitable to prevent the user of thevehicle10, when he/she stops walking or running, from being dragged by thebelt15, which is kept in motion by the inertia of theimpeller22.
• As an alternative, thevehicle10 can lack the freewheel devices, so that backward running motion makes thevehicle10 travel in the opposite direction.
• FIG. 2 illustrates twodriving pulleys19, twofirst belts21, two firstintermediate pulleys26, two secondintermediate pulleys27, and two drivenpulleys20 with twosecond belts25.
• This configuration allows to obtain a balanced transmission of torque from therear roller14 and theimpeller22.
• With avehicle10 according to the invention, the user can combine the benefits of gymnastics provided by running on a treadmill with the pleasure and relaxation of a ride on a boat or paddleboat.
• For example, combining the motor activity of running with the therapeutic qualities of iodine-rich air, which can be inhaled by going for a sea trip on a watercraft such as thevehicle10, provides benefits not only in terms of acquisition of muscular tone for the lower limbs and of improvement of blood circulation, but also as regards the respiratory system, which is often afflicted by allergic rhinitides or other inflammations of the mouth, and the thyroid gland, which contains most of the iodine that is present in the human body.
• In a second embodiment, shown schematically in FIGS.3 to6, the vehicle according to the invention, here designated by thereference numeral110, is instead suitable to circulate on land.
• Thevehicle110 therefore comprises, rested on the ground, at least onefront wheel129 and at least onerear wheel130.
• FIG. 4 illustrates a first variation of said second embodiment, in which there is afront wheel129 and arear wheel130.
• The travel means are constituted in this embodiment by therear wheel130 and the guiding (steering) means are constituted by ahandlebar123 for controlling thefront wheel129, as in known bicycles.
• The wheels and the handlebar are rigidly coupled to the chassis, shown schematically by theline118, and the supportingsurface116, on which thebelt115 slides and which supports the weight of theuser112, is also associated with said chassis.
• The motion transmission means are constituted by a flexibletransmission torque element121, which is adapted to transmit the motion from a driving pulley orwheel119, which is rigidly coupled and coaxial with respect to the shaft of therear roller114, to a driven wheel orpulley120, which is coaxial and rigidly coupled to the shaft of therear wheel130.
• In particular, the flexibletorque transmission element121 is a chain suitable to transmit motion from adriving gear119, which is rigidly coupled and coaxial with respect to the shaft of therear roller114, to a drivengear120, which is coaxial and rigidly coupled to the shaft of therear wheel130.
• A second variation of thesecond embodiment110 is shown inFIG. 5, wherein therear wheels130 are two and thefront wheel129 is one, so as to form a sort of tricycle driven by thetreadmill111.
• A third variation of the second embodiment is shown schematically inFIG. 6.
• In this third variation, twofront wheels129 and tworear wheels130 are associated with thetreadmill111.
• In practice it has been found that the invention thus described solves the aim and the the intended objects.
• In particular, the present invention provides a muscle-powered vehicle which can be moved by means of the physical activity generally performed on a treadmill.
• Moreover, the present invention provides a muscle-powered vehicle which can travel over land.
• Moreover, the present invention provides a muscle-powered vehicle suitable for navigation.
• Further, the present invention provides a muscle-powered vehicle which allows to obtain all the advantages for which treadmills are appreciated and widespread, such as for example the acquisition of muscular tone for the lower limbs (legs, calves and buttocks), the improvement of blood circulation, of cardiac and respiratory efficiency, and the reduction of fatty tissue, and further allows to have the benefits of outdoor physical activity.
• Moreover, the present invention provides a muscle-powered vehicle which can be used easily in full safety even by a user who does not have particular prior training.
• Moreover, the present invention provides a muscle-powered vehicle which can be manufactured cheaply with known systems and technologies.
• The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
• In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
• The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2005A000181 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims (13)

1. A muscle-powered vehicle, comprising: a chassis; a treadmill, which is supported by said chassis and is adapted to be actuated by a feet thrust of at least one user who walks or runs thereon; travel means for travel over land or on water that are supported by said chassis and are functionally connected to said treadmill; motion transmission means mounted on the chassis for transmitting motion to said travel means; and guiding means supported on said chassis for directing travel of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle ofclaim 1, wherein said treadmill comprises: at least two rollers, namely a first front roller and a second rear roller; a belt which surrounds and is stretched between said front roller and said rear roller so as to be walkable; and a supporting surface for the at least one user who walks or runs thereon, an upper portion of said belt being slideable on said supporting surface, said belt being suitable to transmit motion imparted thereto by the thrust of the feet of the at least one user to said at least two front and rear rollers.

3. The vehicle ofclaim 2, wherein said supporting surface is provided by a plurality of contiguous bars, with free rollers supported thereon, which form a sliding surface for said belt and for supporting the user.

4. The vehicle ofclaim 2, wherein said at least two rollers and said supporting surface are supported by the chassis, to which the travel means and the guiding means are rigidly coupled.

5. The vehicle ofclaim 2, wherein said motion transmission means are flexible and comprise: at least one driving pulley, which is rigidly coupled to a rotation shaft of at least one of said front and rear rollers; at least one driven pulley, which is connected with said travel means; and at least one flexible torque transmission element, in driving cooperation with said driving pulley for transmitting driving torque to said driven pulley.

6. The vehicle ofclaim 1, being a watercraft, which comprises a floating structure which is fixed to said chassis, and wherein said travel means are formed by at least one propulsion impeller.

7. The vehicle ofclaim 6, wherein said guiding means are constituted by a rudder and handlebar for steering said rudder.

8. The vehicle ofclaim 6, wherein said floating structure is provided with two longitudinally elongated lateral floats.

9. The vehicle ofclaim 6, wherein said motion transmission means comprise: a first driving pulley; a first and a second intermediate pulleys; a driven pulley; a first flexible torque transmission element for transmitting actuation torque between the first driving pulley and the first intermediate pulley, and a second flexible torque transmission element for transmitting actuation torque between the second intermediate pulley, which is coaxial and rigidly coupled to the first intermediate pulley, and the driven pulley, which is keyed to a shaft for actuating the at least one propulsion impeller.

10. The vehicle ofclaim 5, adapted to travel over land and comprising, rested on the ground, at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel, said travel means being constituted by at least one of said front and rear wheels.

11. The vehicle ofclaim 10, wherein said guiding means are constituted by a handlebar for steering said at least one front wheel.

12. The vehicle ofclaim 11, wherein said motion transmission means comprise: a driving pulley which is rigidly coupled and coaxial with respect to the shaft of one of said front and rear rollers; a driven pulley which is coaxial and rigidly coupled to any of a shaft of said at least one rear wheel, and a shaft of said at least one front wheel; and a flexible transmission element, which is adapted to transmit motion from the driving pulley to the driven pulley.

13. The vehicle ofclaim 12, wherein said flexible transmission element is a chain which is suitable to transmit motion from said driving pulley that comprises a driving gear, which is rigidly coupled and coaxial with respect to the shaft of one of said front and rear rollers, to the driven pulley that comprises a driven gear, which is coaxial and rigidly coupled to the shaft of said at least one rear wheel.

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