Blow-moldable water-filled freeweights
First Claim
1. A unitary jug stackable with others of its kind, and capable of being produced by the technique of blow-molding from a two piece mold, said jug comprising:
- a shell enclosing a hollow interior, said shell comprising a walled exterior surrounding a walled aperture which fully penetrates said jug from one side thereof through to an opposing side, the aperture having a midsection where it is narrowest and widening toward its open ends, where it merges with said sides;
an elongate tubular handle within and spanning said aperture at said narrowest midsection so that the jug is rotationally stable about the handle;
closable entry means for admitting material to the interior of said jug;
corresponding mutually engagable contours formed respectively on each said side in the region surrounding the periphery of said aperture and configured so that the contour of one side is fitably engagable with the corresponding contour on the opposing side, such that said jug is stackable with others of its kind, one said side being shaped to provide a stable base for supporting a stack of said jugs on a planar support surface;
two inner parting lines defined within said aperture, one on either side of the handle, each describing a closed curve which follows the length of the handle and the narrowest part of the aperture;
an outer parting line defined following said exterior wall at its widest point;
wherein the exterior and aperture walls, where they flank said handle, extend substantially parallel to the length of the handle so that the minimum distance between any said inner parting line and said outer parting line, in any given region, is at least about one half of the distance between said first side and said opposing side in said given region, so that a maximum blow ratio of about two is not exceeded.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A blow-moldable container, having a centrally located, generally tubular handle spanning a central recess has improved balance and ergonomics over existing blow-molded containers. Such a balanced container has great utility as a handheld freeweight, or as a container for pourable substances. An integrally molded base allows our container to be stood upright on end like a regular bottle. Products may be marketed in such containers under the premise that the consumer automatically acquires a freeweight by purchasing the product. The inclusion of fitably engageable contours on its top and bottom surfaces makes such a container stackable with others of its kind, for ease of packaging, shipping, and storage. A graduated set of handheld fillable freeweights may thus be compactly stored without a special rack. Since blow-molding offers great economy of production for sufficiently large numbers of containers, the average person will now be able to afford an entire graduated set of freeweights. Such freeweights may be shipped empty, and filled with water by the consumer, slashing shipping costs, and thereby further reducing the cost to the consumer. Blow-moldable, two-handed freeweights (barbells) are also disclosed. These also may be provided with contours offering enhanced stackability. Voids to fitably engage a user'"'"'s feet further add to their utility. A deck member, as well as base members, may be stackably combined with the freeweights to form a stepping platform for aerobics, or an exercise bench. Methods for attaching fillable auxiliary weights to our handheld freeweights are also shown.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A unitary jug stackable with others of its kind, and capable of being produced by the technique of blow-molding from a two piece mold, said jug comprising:
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a shell enclosing a hollow interior, said shell comprising a walled exterior surrounding a walled aperture which fully penetrates said jug from one side thereof through to an opposing side, the aperture having a midsection where it is narrowest and widening toward its open ends, where it merges with said sides;
an elongate tubular handle within and spanning said aperture at said narrowest midsection so that the jug is rotationally stable about the handle;
closable entry means for admitting material to the interior of said jug;
corresponding mutually engagable contours formed respectively on each said side in the region surrounding the periphery of said aperture and configured so that the contour of one side is fitably engagable with the corresponding contour on the opposing side, such that said jug is stackable with others of its kind, one said side being shaped to provide a stable base for supporting a stack of said jugs on a planar support surface;
two inner parting lines defined within said aperture, one on either side of the handle, each describing a closed curve which follows the length of the handle and the narrowest part of the aperture;
an outer parting line defined following said exterior wall at its widest point;
wherein the exterior and aperture walls, where they flank said handle, extend substantially parallel to the length of the handle so that the minimum distance between any said inner parting line and said outer parting line, in any given region, is at least about one half of the distance between said first side and said opposing side in said given region, so that a maximum blow ratio of about two is not exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A ballast fillable barbell capable of being produced by the technique of blow-molding comprising:
an elongate fillable vessel having entry means for admitting a ballast material to the interior of the vessel, a walled exterior at each end of the vessel surrounding a walled aperture penetrating the vessel from one side thereof through to the opposite side, an elongate handle spanning each aperture, the length of each handle being oriented at an angle to a longitudinal center line passing through the center of mass of said fillable vessel, wherein the exterior and aperture walls, where they flank said handle, extend substantially parallel to the length of the handle so as to be oriented at the same angle as the handle, thereby maintaining a substantially constant blow ratio. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A ballast fillable barbell capable of being produced by the technique of blowmolding comprising:
an elongate fillable vessel having entry means for admitting a ballast material to the interior of the vessel, a walled exterior at each end of the vessel surrounding a walled aperture penetrating the vessel from one side thereof through to the opposite side, an elongate handle spanning each aperature, wherein the exterior and aperture walls, where they flank said handle, extend substantially parallel to the length of the handle so as to be oriented at the same angle as the handle, thereby maintaining a substantially constant blow ratio, wherein two male protrusions are formed on opposite ends of said vessel, and further comprising additional weights having female holes engagable with said protrusions. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A step exercise apparatus, comprising:
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a deck member;
at least one pair of pylons, the pylons each having an aperture penetrating from one side thereof through to the opposite side and a handle spanning the aperture for use of the pylons as dumbbells; and
means for securely engaging a bottom surface of the deck member to a top surface of each pylon so that the deck may be raised for step exercises. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification