U.S. patent application number 10/058007 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-07 for adjustable dumbbell.
Invention is credited to Chen, James, Tsai, Tony.
Application Number | 20030148862 10/058007 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27658225 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030148862 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, James ; et
al. |
August 7, 2003 |
Adjustable dumbbell
Abstract
An adjustable dumbbell is constructed to comprise a weight
carrier pan, the weight carrier pan having a predetermined number
of insertion slots. A plurality of flat weights are received in the
insertion slots of the weight carrier pan, each having a center
through hole. A support bar unit has two bearing plates, a center
sleeve connected between the bearing plates, and two suspension
racks respectively fixedly fastened to the bearing plates at an
outer side, each suspension racks having a predetermined number of
insertion slots for the positioning of the weights respectively. A
selector is installed in the support bar unit and has two rod
members mounted in the center sleeve of the support bar unit, and
an adjusting mechanism controlled to move the rod members axially
out of two distal ends of the center sleeve into the center holes
of the weights to selectively secure the weights to the support bar
unit for exercising.
Inventors: |
Chen, James; (Taichung,
TW) ; Tsai, Tony; (Skokie, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.
624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
27658225 |
Appl. No.: |
10/058007 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/00065 20130101;
A63B 21/075 20130101; A63B 21/063 20151001; A63B 21/0726 20130101;
A63B 21/0728 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/108 |
International
Class: |
A63B 021/072; A63B
021/075 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An adjustable dumbbell comprising: a weight carrier pan having a
plurality of insertion slots symmetrically disposed on the inside
at two ends thereof; a plurality of flat weights capably received
in the insertion slots of said weight carrier pan, said weights
each having a center through hole; a support bar unit adapted to
selectively hold said weights for exercising, said support bar unit
having two bearing plates disposed in parallel, a center sleeve
connected between said bearing plates, and two suspension racks
respectively fixedly fastened to said bearing plates at an outer
side, said suspension racks each having a plurality of insertion
slots for the positioning of said weights respectively; and a
selector installed in said support bar unit and controlled to
selectively secure said weights to said support bar unit for
exercising, said selector having two rod members mounted in said
center sleeve of said support bar unit, and an adjusting mechanism
controlled to move said rod members axially in and out of two
distal ends of said center sleeve, thereby enabling said rod
members to be selectively inserted into the center holes of said
weights to selectively secure said weights to said support bar
unit.
2. The adjustable dumbbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
suspension racks are shaped like a cap, each having an opening
facing downwards and symmetrical pairs of partition plates
respectively fixedly provided at two sides, said partition plates
defining with the periphery of the respective suspension rack said
insertion slots of the suspension rack.
3. The adjustable dumbbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
suspension racks are shaped like a substantially inverted U-shaped
frame bar respectively fixedly fastened to said bearing plates at
an outer side, each having a plurality of partition plates
symmetrically disposed at two sides and defining said insertion
slots of the suspension rack.
4. The adjustable dumbbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
weight carrier pan is provided with a plurality of partition plates
symmetrically disposed at two sides and defining said insertion
slots of the weight carrier pan.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a dumbbell and, more
particularly, to an adjustable dumbbell.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A conventional dumbbell is an integrated member having a
particular gravity weight. For different exercising requirements,
different dumbbells of different gravity weights shall be used. It
is expensive to prepare a number of dumbbells of different gravity
weights. In order to eliminate this problem, adjustable dumbbells
are developed. There is known an adjustable dumbbell, which
comprises weight carrier means carrying a number of weights, and
selector controlled to select weights for exercising. According to
this design, each weight comprises two heavy plate members disposed
at two sides, and connecting rods connected between the heavy plate
members. These weights are bulky. Before selection, the weights are
arranged in stacks. When received in the weight carrier means, the
weights are not stably kept in a good order for easy selection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The primary object of the present invention is to provide an
adjustable dumbbell, which has a simple construction and a nice
outer looking.
[0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
adjustable dumbbell, which keeps weights positively in a good order
for selection.
[0005] To achieve the objects of the present invention, the
adjustable dumbbell comprises a weight carrier pan, the weight
carrier pan having a predetermined number of insertion slots. A
plurality of flat weights are received in the insertion slots of
the weight carrier pan, each having a center through hole. A
support bar unit has two bearing plates, a center sleeve connected
between the bearing plates, and two suspension racks respectively
fixedly fastened to the bearing plates at an outer side, each
suspension racks having a predetermined number of insertion slots
for the positioning of the weights respectively. A selector is
installed in the support bar unit and has two rod members mounted
in the center sleeve of the support bar unit, and an adjusting
mechanism controlled to move the rod members axially out of two
distal ends of the center sleeve into the center holes of the
weights to selectively secure the weights to the support bar unit
for exercising.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable dumbbell
constructed according to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.
1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adjustable dumbbell
constructed according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.
3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an adjustable dumbbell 20
according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention
is shown comprised of a weight carrier pan 30, weights 40, a
support bar unit 50, and a selector 60.
[0011] The weight carrier pan 30 is a rectangular pan, comprising
an upright peripheral wall 31, a holding space 32 surrounded by the
upright peripheral wall 31, pairs of partition plates 34
symmetrically disposed at two sides in the holding space 32, and
insertion slots 33 defined in the holding space 32 at two sides and
separated by the partition plates 34 for holding the weights
40.
[0012] The weights 40 are rectangular heavy plate members
receivable in the insertion slots 33 of the weight carrier pan 30,
each having a center through hole 41 for mounting.
[0013] The support bar unit 50 comprises two bearing plates 51 and
52 disposed in parallel, the bearing plates 51 and 52 each having a
center through hole 511 or 521, a center sleeve 53 inserted into
the center through holes 511 and 521 of the bearing plates 51 and
52 and connected between the bearing plates 51 and 52, the center
sleeve 53 defining an axially extended through hole 54 and having a
view window 531, four bars 55 connected between the bearing plates
51 and 52 in four corners around the center sleeve 53 for the
holding of the hand to exercise the adjustable dumbbell, two
cap-like suspension racks 56 respectively fixedly fastened to the
bearing plates 51 and 52 at an outer side with the respective
opening facing downwards, the cap-like suspension racks 56 having a
width corresponding to the width of the weights 40 and a height not
greater than the height of the weights 40, symmetrical pairs of
partition plates 57 respectively fixedly provided in the cap-like
suspension racks 56, and a plurality of downward insertion slots 58
respectively defined in the cap-like suspension racks 56 and
separated by the partition plates 57 for receiving the weights 40.
Further, the left bearing plate 51 has a view window 512 through
which the user can visually check the number of weights 40 mounted
on the support bar unit 50. The right bearing plate 52 further
comprises a blind hole 522 disposed on the inside, and a retaining
device 59 mounted in the blind hole 522. The retaining device 59
comprises a spring 591 mounted in the blind hole 522, and a steel
ball 592 supported on the spring 591.
[0014] The selector 60 comprises a coupling tube 61 mounted in the
center sleeve 53 of the support bar unit 50, a first nut 611
fixedly fastened to one end of the connecting tube 61, the first
nut 611 being externally threaded, a second nut 612 fixedly
fastened to the other end of the coupling tube 61, a left-handed
screw rod 62 of semicircular cross section threaded into the second
nut 612 and rotated in and out of one end of the axially extended
through hole 54 of the center sleeve 53, a right-handed screw rod
63 threaded into the first nut 611, a control knob 64 mounted in
the right bearing plate 52 and meshed with the externally threaded
first nut 611, a locking member 651 adapted to lock the control
knob 64, a slide switch 65 for controlling the locking member 651
to lock/unlock the control knob 64, a display wheel 66 mounted in
the left bearing plate 51 above the left-handed screw rod 62, a
rack 661 fixedly provided at the display wheel 66, an upper ratchet
662 meshed with the rack 661, and a lower ratchet 663 connected to
the upper ratchet 662 and meshed with the left-handed screw rod 62.
Further, the right-handed screw rod 63 has numerical signs that can
be viewed through the view window 531 in the center sleeve 53. When
rotating the control knob 64, the first nut 611 is driven to rotate
the coupling tube 61, thereby causing the left-handed screw rod 62
and the right-handed screw rod 63 to be respectively rotated out of
the bearing plates 51 and 52 and inserted into the center through
holes 41 of the selected weights 40, and at the same time the user
can view the corresponding numerical sign on the right-handed screw
rod 63 through the view window 531 and the corresponding numerical
sign on the rack 661 through the view window 512.
[0015] When in use, move the slide switch 65 rightwards to
disengage the locking member 651 from the control knob 64, and then
rotate the control knob 64 to extend the left-handed screw rod 62
and the right-handed screw rod 63 out of the axially extended
through hole 54 of the center sleeve 53 into center through holes
41 of the selected weights 40, and then move the slide switch 65
leftwards to engage the locking member 651 into the control knob 64
and the lock the control knob 64. At this time, the selected
weights 40 are secured to respective downward insertion slots 58 in
the cap-like suspension racks 56 and separated by the partition
plates 57. When the user lifted the support bar unit 50, the
selected weights 40 are stably lifted with the left-handed screw
rod 62 and the right-handed screw rod 63 from the weight carrier
pan 30 for exercising. The other weights 40 are left in the holding
space 32 of the weight carrier pan 30, and kept in good order in
the insertion slots 33 by the upright peripheral wall 31 and the
partition plates 34.
[0016] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an adjustable dumbbell constructed
according to a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention. According to this embodiment, the suspension racks 85
are shaped like a substantially inverted U-shaped frame bar
respectively fixedly fastened to the two bearing plates 81 and 82
of the support bar unit 80 of the adjustable dumbbell 70 at an
outer side. Each suspension rack 85 has a plurality of partition
plates 87 respectively inwardly extended from the two opposite side
rods thereof, defining a predetermined number of insertion slots 88
adapted for receiving the weights 40 stably.
* * * * *