US Patent 11590388 Braking and locking system for a treadmill

A system for a manual treadmill having a tread that rotates around a front axle and a rear axle and side rails on opposing sides of the tread includes a brake configured to slow rotation of at least one of the front axle or the rear axle, a controller, and a first presence sensor in communication with the controller, the first presence sensor positioned on a side rail and configured to detect a user on the side rail. The brake is not normally engaged during operation of the treadmill when the tread is moving and the first presence sensor does not detect the user on the side rail. The controller is configured to, in response to the first presence sensor subsequently detecting the user on the side rail, engage the brake.