U.S. patent application number 10/680663 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-07 for exercise weight system.
Invention is credited to Landfair, Craig D..
Application Number | 20040198567 10/680663 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33100998 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040198567 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Landfair, Craig D. |
October 7, 2004 |
Exercise weight system
Abstract
The present invention uses an inertial force exercise device
comprised of an ergonomically snug grip handle bar, racking collars
on either side of the handle including head plates in combination
with a storage racking system that enables appropriate mating with
the racking collars of the inertial force exercise device. The
racking collars are comprised of a circumferential groove that mate
with a "U" shaped spaces or openings on the racking storage unit.
This way, the outer surfaces of the dense extremities of the
exercise device are not exposed to the rack to become damaged. The
invention therefore isolates the outer surfaces on the dense
extremities of the exercise device from physically contacting the
storage rack. The storage system is also space efficient because
the slots need not be configured to accommodate the largest size
dense extremity, but only the racking collars of the exercise
device.
Inventors: |
Landfair, Craig D.;
(Ventura, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICES OF KAMRAN FATTAHI
6345 BALBOA BLVD, SUITE 330 (BLDG. 2)
ENCINO
CA
91316
US
|
Family ID: |
33100998 |
Appl. No.: |
10/680663 |
Filed: |
October 7, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60417451 |
Oct 10, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
482/106 ;
482/104 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/0726 20130101;
A63B 71/0036 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/106 ;
482/104 |
International
Class: |
A63B 021/078; A63B
021/075; A63B 021/072 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Exercise weight system, comprising: an inertial force exercise
device with dense body extremities; and a storage unit for storing
said exercise device where outside surfaces of said dense body
extremities of said exercise device are isolated from said storage
unit and do not physically contact said storage unit when said
device is stored thereon.
2. The exercise weight system of claim 1, where said inertial force
exercise device further comprises of an ergonomic snug grip central
handle bar having a middle portion with a diameter that gradually
decreases in length towards a distal end of said middle portion,
near proximal ends of two end portions; and said two end portions
comprise of diameters that gradually increase in length from their
respective said proximal ends towards respective said dense body
extremities of said inertial force exercise device.
3. The exercise weight system of claim 1, where said inertial force
exercise device further comprises of an ergonomic snug grip central
handle bar having of at least one circumferential groove at a
distal end thereof; said at least one circumferential groove
comprises a cylinder coupled to a collar at one end and an inside
face of one said dense body extremities at a second end, with a
diameter of said cylinder narrower than diameters of either of said
collar and said inside face of one said dense body extremities.
4. The exercise weight system of claim 1, where said storage unit
comprises of at least one faceplate having at least one slot
comprised of a "U" shape at a lower section of said slot and
beveled edges at a top section to thereby accommodate said inertial
force exercise device for storage.
5. Exercise weight system, comprising: an inertial force exercise
device with dense body extremities; said device comprised of an
ergonomic snug grip central handle bar with at least one storage
groove coupled on a side of said handle bar; and a storage unit
comprised of a faceplate having at least one "U" shaped slot that
accommodates said storage groove of said exercise device for
storage.
6. The exercise weight system of claim 5, where said inertial force
exercise device further comprises of an ergonomic snug grip central
handle bar having a middle portion with a diameter that gradually
decreases in length towards a distal end of said middle portion,
near proximal ends of two end portions; and said two end portions
comprise of diameters that gradually increase in length from their
respective said proximal ends towards respective said dense body
extremities of said inertial force exercise device.
7. The exercise weight system of claim 5, where said inertial force
exercise device further comprises of an ergonomic snug grip central
handle bar having of at least one circumferential groove at a
distal end thereof; said at least one circumferential groove
comprises a cylinder coupled to a collar at one end and an inside
face of one said dense body extremities at a second end, with a
diameter of said cylinder narrower than diameters of either of said
collar and said inside face of one said dense body extremities.
8. Exercise weight system, comprising: an inertial force exercise
device with dense body extremities; said device comprised of an
ergonomic snug grip central handle bar having a middle portion and
two end portions; said middle portion of said handle bar having a
diameter that gradually decreases in length towards a distal end of
said middle portion, near proximal ends of said two end portions;
said two end portions comprise of diameters that gradually increase
in length from their respective said proximal ends towards
respective said dense body extremity of said exercise device; said
exercise device is comprised of at least one circumferential groove
at a distal end of at least one of said two end portions; said at
least one circumferential groove comprises a cylinder coupled to a
collar at one end and an inside face of one said dense body
extremity at a second end, with a diameter of said cylinder
narrower than diameters of either of said collar and said inside
face of one said dense body extremity; and at least one faceplate
having at least one slot comprised of a "U" shape at a lower
section of said slot and beveled edges at a top section to thereby
accommodate said circumferential groove of said exercise device for
storage; said at least one faceplate coupled to a frame structure
to form a storage unit.
9. Exercise weight system of claim 8, where said at least one
faceplate is coupled to said frame structure at a 15 degree from a
vertical.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority from related U.S.
Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/417,451, filed Oct. 10,
2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1) Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to exercise devices,
and in particular to devices used for weight training and weight
lifting, such as dumbbells, barbells, and their respective storage
racks.
[0004] 2) Description of Related Art
[0005] Dumbbells and barbells are inertial force exercise devices
with dense body extremities. They comprise of a central handle bar
for griping the devices, with weight heads or plates attached at or
near either end of the bar. In general, the heads may comprise of
removable circular weight plates so that different or additional
weight heads may be attached as desired to vary the weight of the
device. Dumbbells and barbells with non-removable weight heads or
plates comprise of circular weight plates permanently attached to
their central handle bar.
[0006] In either case (removable or non-removable weight plates),
when a user wants to change the amount of weight used for exercise,
the user must switch to another higher or lower weight dumbbell
with permanently attached weights or change the removable weight
plates coupled thereto. This usually requires the user to return
the dumbbell to an equipment storage rack to select another
dumbbell or weight plates of higher or lower weight. Inherent to
most weight training equipment is the fact that they are bulky,
difficult to balance and control, and dangerous to handle as the
amount of weight increases since users handling them can easily
lose control and drop the devices, especially when they have
exercised for a while and are fatigued.
[0007] Dumbbells and barbells are therefore often used in a rough
manner, and commonly dropped or banged against the storage racks,
damaging their plates and the storage rack. Currently, round plate
dumbbells are-stored on racks comprised of concave plastic lune or
crescent shaped saddles supported by long flat trays. In general,
the sizes and the spacing of each saddle are configured in
accordance with the largest head plate of a dumbbell that the
saddles must accommodate. This way, regardless of the size of the
dumbbell plates, the dumbbell can be stored on any saddle
positioned anywhere along the rack tray. This method of storage is
not space efficient because saddles must be evenly spaced on the
tray rack, and each saddle must have the same bulky size. A
further, more fundamental disadvantage inherent in such a storage
method is the use of the dumbbell head or weight plates for the
storage. Rough handling the dumbbells by dropping them may damage
the rack saddles and may damage the head or weight plates when they
hit the rack tray.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention uses an inertial force exercise device
comprised of an ergonomically snug grip handle bar, racking collars
on either side of the central handle, including head weight plates
in combination with a storage racking system that enables
appropriate mating with the racking collars of the inertial force
exercise device.
[0009] The racking collars are comprised of a circumferential
groove that mate with a "U" shaped spaces or openings lined along
the racking storage unit. The users align one of the grooves of the
inertial force exercise device with a slot along the rack
faceplates to store the device thereon. The weight plates or dense
body extremities of the inertial force exercise device do not
contact the racks. The grooves on the exercise device isolate the
weight plate's outer surfaces from physically contacting the
storage rack. The storage system is also space efficient because
the "U" shaped storage spaces or slots along the racks take less
space, and no longer need to accommodate the largest weight plates
of an exercise device; they function as mortises to accommodate a
smaller sized groove on a side of the inertial force exercise
device.
[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the
following detailed description of preferred non-limiting
embodiments, taken together with the drawings and the claims that
follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] It is to be understood that the drawings are to be used for
the purposes of exemplary illustration only and not as a definition
of the limits of the invention.
[0012] Referring to the drawings in which like reference numbers
present corresponding parts throughout:
[0013] FIG. 1A is an exemplary front view illustration of an
inertial force exercise device in accordance with the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 1B is an exemplary cross-sectional view along a
vertical axis of the handle of the inertial force exercise device
of FIG. 1A, illustrating its gripping recessed grooves in
accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 1C is an exemplary cross-sectional view along the axis
or shaft of the inertial force exercise device of FIG. 1A in
accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is an exemplary perspective view of the combined
inertial force exercise device of FIG. 1A to 1C and a storage unit
therefor in accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exemplary side view of the combined inertial
force exercise device of FIG. 1A to 1C and a storage unit therefor
in accordance with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is an exemplary perspective view of the combined
inertial force exercise device of FIG. 1A to 1C and a storage unit
therefor, with the device of FIG. 1A to 1C stored on the storage
unit in accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is an exemplary side view of the combined inertial
force exercise device of FIG. 1A to 1C and a storage unit therefor,
with the device of FIG. 1A to 1C stored on the storage unit in
accordance with the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 is an exemplary top view of the combined inertial
force exercise device of FIG. 1A to 1C and a storage unit therefor,
with the device of FIG. 1A to 1C stored on the storage unit in
accordance with the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 7 is an exemplary perspective illustration of a storage
unit for the exercise device of FIG. 1A to 1C in accordance with
the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 8 is an exemplary side view of the storage unit
illustrated in FIG. 7 in accordance with the present invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of an inertial force
exercise device 1 with dense body extremities 2 and 16 in
accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, the exercise
device 1 comprises of an approximately cylindrical ergonomic snug
grip handle bar 40. The handle 40 comprises a middle portion 36 and
two edge grip end portions 8 and 10 that are contiguous with and
uniformly integral part of the middle portion 36. The diameter of
the middle portion 36 at section 30, moving towards the proximal
ends of the two edge grip portions 8 and 10, at sections 28 and 32,
respectively, gradually decreases. Thereafter, beyond the proximal
sections 28 and 32, the diameter of the handle 40 increases at the
distal ends of the portions 8 and 10 as illustrated. The diameters
of the two distal ends of the portions 8 and 10 are graduated to
meet at near the top of the respective collars 22 and 24 of the
device 1.
[0024] This innovative construction method for the handle 40
requires minimum amount of handle length to achieve a secure grip.
The larger diameter section indicated by the dashed line 30 of the
middle portion 36 of handle 40 occupies or fills-in the incurvate
section of the palm when users curl their hand to grip the handle
40. The grip is further secured by the gripping recessed grooves 41
on handle 40 along the axis 46 of the exercise device 1. The
vertical cross-sectional view along the dashed line 30 of recessed
grooves 41 are better illustrated in FIG. 1B. As the user's hand
firmly grip the handle 40, the skin of their fingers and hands is
pressed within and fill-in the grooves 41, creating friction for
better secure grip.
[0025] Referring back to FIG. 1A, the two distal edge grips 8 and
10 raised to the top of the respective collars 22 and 24 snug the
two outer edges of the hand to prevent the exercise device 1 from
sliding along the indicated axis 46. When gripping the exercise
device 1, the virtual axis running through a curled hand parallels
axis 46 of the device 1. During exercise, the movement and the
weight of the device 1 creates a momentum that forces it to move
within the hand along this axis. Repeated movement of the device 1
by extending and closing the arms when it is held in parallel to
the user body with the axis 46 perpendicular to the ground helps
develop, amongst others, the biceps and brachioradialis muscles.
The fatigue from the intensity of the exercise may compel users to
loosen their grip on the device 1, and the perspiration from their
hands due to the intense exercise acts as a lubricant, both of
which dangerously exasperate the movement of device 1 along the
axis 46. The two edge grips 8 and 10 act as "stops", terminating
the sliding of the device along this axis, while the larger
diameter section 30 of the handle 40 provides for a snug or tight
grip of the device 1.
[0026] The approximately cylindrical ergonomic snug grip handle bar
40 is further connected at either ends to reel like structures 42
and 44, which comprise of cylinders 6 and 12, respectively, with
respective collars 22 and 24 forming one base or wider part of the
reels 42 and 44, and the respective inside faces 4 and 14 of each
dense extremity 2 and 16 the other base or wider part. The
circumferential grooves 20 and 26 formed by the respective reel
like structures 42 and 44 enable cantilever storage of the inertial
force exercise device 1 on a commensurate storage unit (shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3). If permanently attached, the dense extremities 2
and 16 may be hydraulically pressed onto the handle 40, using an
internal crush-cone to permanently secure all components for use.
FIG. 1C is an exemplary cross-sectional view along the axis 46
showing shaft or bar 7 of the inertial force exercise device 1 of
FIG. 1A in accordance with the present invention. The shaft or bar
7 is permanently secured to the two extremities 2 and 16 through
respective cylinders 6 and 12. This figure also illustrates the
surface profile of the ergonomic handle.
[0027] As illustrated in both FIGS. 2 and 3, each exercise device 1
uses one of the circumferential grooves 20 or 26 to mate with a
corresponding slot 50 in a rack faceplate 54 for cantilever storage
of the devices 1. The storage unit or rack 52 comprises of a
plurality of faceplates 54 having slots 50 lined along its frame
length. Each slot 50 comprises of a concave "U" shaped groove at
its lower portion 56, and is open at the top, with outwardly
beveled or slanted edges 58 at near the top thereof. The slots 50
form as cavities into which one of the circumferential grooves 20
or 26 fits when storing the device 1. This fixes device 1 at one
extremity (20 or 26) and free at the other. Each slot 50 may also
advantageously have a cover 62 to protect both the edges of the
slot 50 and the circumferential grooves 20 or 26 of device 1 from
abrasion or other damage during storage or removal of device 1.
[0028] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, at inserted (or stored)
position, the slots 50 act like mortises into which one of the
grooves 20 or 26 of the device 1 rests. The support for maintaining
the inertial force exercise device 1 within the slot 50 is achieved
by an inside face wall 4 or 14 of device 1 juxtaposed against the
outside wall of the cover 62, with the cylinder 6 or 12 of device 1
resting on the lower "U" shaped portion 56 of the slot 50 and the
collar 22 or 24 of device 1 abutting the inside wall of the cover
62. This allows for cantilever storage of the device 1 where one
side is fixed (stored) and the other side of the device is
free.
[0029] Rack faceplates 54 may be fixed or mounted on walls or other
structures to form a complete storage unit 52. FIGS. 7 and 8
illustrate an exemplary stand-alone version of a storage unit 52
having two rack faceplates 54 attached to two exemplary frames
stands 70 and 72. In this exemplary illustration, the distal ends
of the rack faceplates 54 are coupled to the rigid frame stands 70
and 72 by fasteners (not shown) through corresponding apertures 60
located on both the rack faceplates 54 and each of the stands 70
and 72. As illustrated in FIG. 8, in general, regardless of where
the rack faceplates 54 are mounted, it is preferred that they be
positioned at approximately 15 degrees off vertical to accommodate
a natural and ergonomic positioning of the exercise device 1. This
racking method allows for the ergonomic and space efficient racking
arrangement, while safely storing the inertial force exercise
device 1 for future use. The exercise device 1 and the rack
faceplates 54 are space efficient because slots 50 do not have to
comprise of sizes that accommodate the largest dense extremities 2
and 16 of the device 1. In fact, the system does not depend on the
dense extremities 2 or 16 for the storage of device 1. The system
uses a groove 20 or 26 to "hang" the inertial exercise device 1
without the outer surfaces of its dense extremities 2 and 16
touching the storage unit. Accordingly, this circumferential
cantilever system prevents damage to any visible surface of the
inertial force exercise device 1 because they do not contact the
rack during removal or insertion.
[0030] While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been
described, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will
occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the inertial force
exercise device 1 may comprise of dumbbells or barbells. The two
dense extremities 2 and 16 may comprise of removable weight plates
so that different or additional weight plates may be attached as
desired to vary the weight of the device. They may also comprise of
non-removable weight plates permanently attached to the central
handle bar of the device 1. Although illustrated as circular, the
two dense extremities 2 and 16 may comprise of any shape, size, and
weight appropriate for exercise. The shapes may include, but not be
limited to, any four sided or polygon shape dense extremities or
weight plates. The collars and the circumferential grooves of the
inertial force exercise device 1 could also be formed of any shape
and size. In addition, although two symmetrical storage collars 22
and 24, and grooves 20 and 26 are illustrated and described, a
single collar and groove may be used on only one side of the device
1 with the other "filled-in" having no groove or channel. As to the
storage units, it is possible to use a variety of different
fastening methods to attached faceplate 54 to supporting structures
or to other faceplates 54. Two or more faceplates 54 may be
attached to one another at any appropriate angles at their distal
ends to form a triangle, a rectangle, or a polygon, all supported
by a frame structure. Such variations and alternate embodiments are
contemplated, and can be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *