Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELL
I, Joal 011ivier (the Applicant and Inventor) of 315 Gordon Road, Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan,
Canada, do hereby declare the invention described as follows, and pray that a
patent be granted
to me by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. My intent is for this
application to serve as a
"first application" as defined at https://www.ic.qc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-
internetopic.nsf/encilwr03683.html as it appeared on the 17th day of April,
2020 in order to
establish a filing date; and for a "second application" or modification to
this application to follow in
order to fulfill requirements for a complete patent application.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates generally to an adjustable dumbbell system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dumbbells are ubiquitous devices used for weight-training exercises. The
strength of dumbbell
users varies, and for a given user, the most effective amount of weight for an
exercise varies
from exercise to exercise, or from one point in time to another. As such,
users typically desire a
plurality of conventional fixed-weight dumbbells, or a dumbbell system which
enables removal
and replacement of a variety of weights. In a home or a small gym, it may be
inconvenient or
impractical to store a plurality of dumbbells, and it is inconvenient and time-
consuming to remove
and replace weights in dumbbells that enable it.
In response to these issues, adjustable dumbbells have been developed which
allow users to
rapidly change the weight. In many adjustable dumbbell systems, a change to
the weight of the
dumbbell is performed by placing the dumbbell in a dedicated base and
manipulating a selector,
which connects or disconnects weight elements from the dumbbell as necessary
to achieve the
desired weight. Many of these adjustable dumbbells are bulkier than their
traditional counterparts
due to their complex or delicate mechanisms, do not allow small increments of
weight
adjustment, or compromise on ergonomics.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, an adjustable dumbbell system, may comprise a dumbbell
with a bar
assembly and weight elements (plates) that may be selectably connected to the
bar assembly,
and a stand which may support the dumbbell or any idle weight elements in a
ready position. The
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weight elements may be defined by only a thickness and a profile shape and may
have no gaps
between them when either mounted to the bar assembly or supported idle on the
stand.
The bar assembly may comprise a hand-grip and a mechanism to selectably
connect weight
elements to the bar assembly. Actuation of the selection mechanism may be
enacted by rotating
the hand-grip about the bar assembly's long axis to actuate sliding lock tabs
which may
selectably engage notches in individual weight elements, allowing the user to
increase or
decrease the quantity of weight elements locked to the bar assembly. The bar
assembly may
have a pattern of notches which may engage features of the weight elements to
lock weight
elements to the bar assembly in the direction of the long axis of the bar
assembly.
In preferred embodiments, weight elements may be profile-cut steel plate, the
bar assembly may
be four pieces of profile-cut steel plate bolted or welded together and may
have a molded-plastic
hand-grip and a plastic gap-filler between the hand-grip and the steel
components of the bar
assembly, and the stand may be profile-cut and bent steel plate.
A detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is
given in the
following. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be
construed as being
limited to this exact embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of
the specification,
illustrate an example of the disclosure and, together with the foregoing
general description and
the following detailed description, delineate the principles of these
examples.
Figure 1 is an isometric view of an adjustable dumbbell system in accordance
with an example of
the present disclosure;
Figure 2 is a proximal isometric view of the bar assembly of FIG. 1;
Figure 3 is an isometric view of the weight element of FIG. 1;
Figure 4 is an isometric view of the handle of FIG. 2;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the handle of FIG. 2 taken along line 5-
5 of FIG. 4;
Figure 6 is an isometric view of a sliding lock tab of FIG. 2;
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Figure 7 is a top plan view of the bar assembly of FIG. 2 with the sliding
lock tabs half extended;
Figure 8 is a side view of the bar assembly of FIG. 2 with the sliding lock
tabs half extended;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bar assembly of FIG. 2 taken along
line 9-9 of FIG. 8
with the sliding lock tabs half extended;
Figure 10 is an isometric view of the adjustable dumbbell system of FIG. 1
showing the dumbbell
raised from the stand, dumbbell having approximately two-thirds of the weight
elements
connected to the bar assembly;
Figure 11 is an end view of the adjustable dumbbell system as portrayed in
FIG. 10;
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable dumbbell system as
portrayed in FIG. 10
taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11;
Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable dumbbell system as
portrayed in FIG. 10
taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 11;
Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable dumbbell system as
portrayed in FIG. 10
taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 11;
The drawings are not necessarily to scale. The claimed subject matter is not
necessarily limited
to the examples or arrangements illustrated herein. In some instances,
elements not necessary
for understanding the disclosure may not be illustrated in detail to avoid
unnecessarily obscuring
the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order
to provide a more
thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, some well-known
elements are
not shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the
disclosure. The following
description of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise
form of any exemplary embodiment. Accordingly, the description and drawings
are to be
regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
The present invention is directed to an adjustable dumbbell system for weight
training exercises.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-04-17
Referring to FIG. 1, an adjustable dumbbell system 100 is illustrated, which
may comprise a
dumbbell 101, a bar assembly 102, two stacks 103 of weight elements 104, and a
stand 105 to
hold the dumbbell 101 while it is not in use, or any un-selected weight
elements 104 while the
dumbbell 101 is in use. The weight elements 104 comprising each stack 103 may
not have gaps
between them except where the dumbbell 101 is separated from weight elements
left idle on the
stand 105.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the bar assembly 102 may have two ends 106, onto
which a
selectable quantity of weight elements 104 may be locked, which may start with
the innermost
weight elements 104, progressively adding to the stacks 103 outward as the
selected weight
quantity is increased. Weight elements 104 may be restrained from moving
distally along the
long axis of the bar assembly 102 by pluralities of notches 108 at each end
106, arranged so that
the tab 113 on each weight element 104 has a notch 108 to be restrained by,
said tabs 113 may
be laterally alternated from one weight element 104 to the next in the stack
103. Weight
elements 104 may be restrained from rotating or moving proximally along the
long axis of the bar
assembly 102 by flat surfaces 111 on the bar assembly which contact the
innermost weight
element 104; any portion of the stack 103 of weight elements 104 that may be
locked to the bar
assembly 102 may also benefit from this restraint as there may not be gaps
between weight
elements 104. The weight elements 104 may be selectably locked to the bar
assembly 102 with
the bottom 115 of the big notch 114 being held up to the bottom side of the
bar assembly 102 by
virtue of sliding lock tabs 109 which may be positionable along the long axis
of the bar assembly
102 and otherwise restrained to the bar assembly 102 by the guideway 110, and
may bear
against small notches 116 when the are extended to pass through said notches,
serving to
restrain weight elements 104 such that the notches 108 remain engaged to the
tabs 113. The
position of the sliding lock tabs 109 along the guideway 110 may dictate the
quantity of weight
elements 104 locked to the bar assembly 102.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the hand grip 107, which may be rotatably
connected to the bar
assembly 102, may have internal threads 118 at each end, which may be of
opposite hand on
each end, which may engage partial external threads 120 on the lock tabs 109.
Referring to FIG.
7, rotation of the hand grip 107 by the user may impart linear motion to the
lock tabs 109 by
virtue of the internal threads 118 of the handle meshing with the partial
external threads 120 on
the lock tabs 109. Referring to FIG. 8, the hand grip 107 may be equipped with
a device to
restrain rotation while the dumbbell is in use to prevent the tabs 109 from
being retracted, which
may ensure weight elements 104 are prevented from falling off; said device may
be a removable
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-04-17
pin inserted through hole 112 which may pass through the hand grip 107 and the
bar assembly
102.
Referring again to FIG. 1, at rest, the weight elements 104 may be arranged in
the stand 105
with the bar assembly 102 placed down in the slot in the stacks 103 formed
collectively by the
big notches 114 in the weight elements 104.
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, when the bar assembly 102 is lifted from the
stand 105, a quantity
of weight elements 104 are pulled out with the bar assembly 102, said quantity
may be
dependent upon the position of the lock tabs 109 as set by the user; any
remaining weight
elements 104 may be held in a ready position in the stand 105 by virtue of
notches 121 in the
stand 105 matching the notches 117 of the weight elements 104 in the remaining
stack, in a
manner similar to that of the notches 108 in the bar assembly 102 matching the
tabs 113 in the
weight elements 104.
Referring to FIGS. 12, 13, and 14, the adjustable dumbbell system 100 as
arranged as in FIGS.
and 11 is shown in several cross-sectional views in order to describe the
system for
selectably locking the weight elements 104 to the bar assembly 102 with
further clarity.
Referring to FIG. 12, the sliding lock tab 109 on one end 106 of the bar
assembly 102 which may
be confined by the guideway 116 is shown deployed in a position such that it
passes through the
small notches 116 of several weight elements 104, ensuring the bottoms 115 of
the large
notches 114 remain engaged with the notches 108 of the bar assembly 102.
Referring to FIG. 13, the notches 108 on the near side of the bar assembly 102
as cut by section
line 13-13 in FIG. 11 may restrain the tabs 113 on every second weight element
104 in the
direction of the bar assembly's 102 long axis; and referring to FIG. 14, the
notches 108 on the far
side of the bar assembly 102 as cut by section line 14-14 in FIG. 11 may
restrain the tabs 113 on
the remaining weight elements 104 in the direction of the bar assembly's 102
long axis.
In other embodiments of the invention, the notches 108 may be identical from
one to the next,
and the large notch 114 and bottom of the large notch 115 in each weight
element 114 may be
shaped to engage the bar assembly's 102 notches 108. In still other
embodiments, notches 108
may be substituted with tabs or some other protrusion and may require a gap
between weight
elements or additional processing to accommodate said tabs or protrusions. In
still other
embodiments, the arrangements of notches 108 may be on opposite faces of the
bar assembly
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102 rather than on the 'bottom' of it.
As will be clear to those skilled in the art, embodiments according to the
present invention may
present numerous advantages over prior art:
= The design of the weight elements permits, but is not limited to,
fabrication by
inexpensive profile-cutting of steel plate, or stamp-and-die cutting;
= The V-arrangement of the weight elements allows the dumbbell to self-
guide into the
stand (which may contain idle weights), and allows a tightly packed
arrangement of
weight elements; and
= The tightly packed arrangement of the weight elements prevents weight
elements from
clattering when in use, and results in overall compactness of the dumbbell.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
present invention. The
scope of any claims should not be limited by the exemplary embodiments set
forth in the
foregoing but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the
specification as a
whole.
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