Adjustable exercise bell

• US 7,052,445 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ira Ekhaus
• Original Assignee: Ira Ekhaus
• Inventors: Ekhaus, Ira
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US10/823,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20060035767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 482 20- 22, 482/44, 482/49, 482/50, 482/79, 482/93, 482/94, 482/98, 482104-109, 482/139, 482/908, 482/14, 482/92, 482/110, 482/148, D21/681, D21/682, 164/05, 16D/IG.8, 164/06, 164/08, 164/11, 164/22, 164/26, 164/30, 164/34
• US Class Current: 482/93
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0601 Special physical structures of used masses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/072 Dumb-bells, bar-bells or the like , e.g. weight discs having an integral peripheral handle

Abstract

This invention pertains to an improved adjustable kettlebell that has a stack of standard weight plates, a rounded grip section, a support bar serving to hold the weight stack, and flexible attachment members with cutouts for the support bar. The flexible attachment members provide a mechanically compliant clamping arrangement to accommodate weight stack of varying widths, and the cutouts allowing adjustment to the relative distance between the grip axis and the support bar axis. The improved adjustable kettlebell of the current invention serves as a close physical approximation to a solid cast kettlebell with a wide combination of standard weight plates.

Claims

1. An adjustable kettlebell comprising:

a handle with a grip section having a grip section axis;

two or more attachment members extending from the handle, wherein the two or more attachment members are configured as blade-like attachment members formed from a springy material to be deformable between a first position and a second position with a resilient mechanical compliance with respect to the handle;

a support bar, aligned along a weight plate axis, substantially parallel to the handle grip section axis, wherein the support bar is configured to support at least one weight plate between the attachment members; and

at least one weight stack.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said attachment members resiliently deflect to clamp tightly against a variety of weight stack widths.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a segment of said attachment members can flex within the grip section.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said supporting bar has a smooth overall profile lacking in excessive protrusions.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said supporting bar comprised a bolts/washer combination tightened on either side of elongated nut.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said supporting bar comprises an elongated nut, a captive washer and at least one bolts/washer combination.

7. The device of claim 1, having a roughly hemispherical end caps to further approximate a spheroidal shape of a solid kettlebell.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a protective band surrounding the weight stack accommodates different form factors and provides additional padding.

9. The adjustable kettlebell in claim 1, wherein the two or more attachment members are each configured with an asymmetric cross-section.

10. The adjustable kettlebell in claim 9, wherein the asymmetric cross-section is configured with a greater breadth in a direction perpendicular to the weight plate axis then in a direction parallel to the weight plate axis.

11. The adjustable kettlebell of claim 1, wherein the two or more attachment members are configured with an internal pivot point.

12. The adjustable kettlebell of claim 1, wherein the two or more attachment members are configured with an asymmetric mechanical compliance.

13. The adjustable kettlebell of claim 1, wherein the two or more attachment members are configured to provide an adjustable distance between the grip section and the weight plate axis.

14. An adjustable kettlebell, comprising:

a handle having a grip section with a grip section axis, two or more attachment members extending from the handle, a support bar, wherein the support bar is configured to support at least one weight plate between the attachment members, at least one weight stack, wherein the two or more attachment members are configured as blade-like attachment members formed from a springy material to be deformable between a first position and a second position with a resilient mechanical compliance with respect to the handle and said supporting bar is aligned along a weight plate axis, nominally parallel to the axis of the grip-section of the handle; and

wherein said attachment members are configured to provide an adjustable distance between the grip section and the weight plate axis.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said attachment members resiliently deflect to clamp tightly against a variety of weight stack widths.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein a segment of said attachment members can flex within the grip section.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein said supporting bar has a smooth overall profile lacking in excessive protrusions.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein said supporting bar comprised a bolts/washer combination tightened on either side of an elongated nut.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein said supporting bar comprises an elongated nut, a captive washer and at least one bolts/washer combination.

20. The device of claim 14, having a roughly hemispherical end caps to further approximate a spheroidal shape of a solid kettlebell.

21. The device of claim 14, wherein a protective band surrounding the weight stack accommodates different form factors and provides additional padding.

22. An adjustable kettlebell, comprising:

a handle with a grip section having a grip section axis, two or more attachment members, a support bar, at least one weight stack, wherein the two or more attachment members are configured as blade-like attachment members formed from a springy material to be deformable between a first position and a second position with a resilient mechanical compliance with respect to the handle and said support bar is aligned along a weight plate axis, which is nominally parallel to a handle grip-section axis and support bar is configured to support at least one weight plate between the attachment members; and

wherein said two or more attachment members are configured to provide an adjustable distance between the grip section and the plate axis, and wherein said two or more attachment members are flexibly configured to clamp tightly against weight stack of different widths.