Selectorized dumbbell having keyboard selector with discrete connecting pins for individual weights

• US 7,520,845 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PowerBlock Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intellex Incorporated
• Inventors: Towley, Carl K. III, Olson, Gregory S., Ryder, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathew; Fenn C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tecco; Andrew M
• Application Number:
  US11/498,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 482/92, 482/93, 482/98, 482106-108, 482/148, 482/908
• US Class Current: 482/106
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00065 by increasing or reducing the number of resistance units
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/063 Weight selecting means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0726 Dumb bells, i.e. with a central bar to be held by a single hand, and with weights at the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0728 with means for fixing weights on bars, i.e. fixing olympic discs or bumper plates on bar-bells or dumb-bells
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/075 with variable weights , e.g. weight systems with weight selecting means for bar-bells or dumb-bells

Abstract

A selector of a selectorized dumbbell comprises a keyboard having a plurality of keys that can be depressed into a weight selecting position. In this weight selecting position, a cam actuator on each key forces a pair of connecting pins apart to couple a particular weight to the handle. Preferably, to minimize the risk of accidental weight detachment from the handle, a pair of keys and two pairs of connecting pins couple each weight to the handle in a redundant fashion. The pins in each pair slide apart from one another to couple a weight to the handle and slide towards one another to uncouple a weight from the handle with the sliding motion of the pins being perpendicular to the axis of a hand grip of the handle.

Claims

1. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights which provide a set of nested left weight plates and a set of nested right weight plates separated by a gap;

(b) a handle having a hand grip, wherein the handle is insertable into the gap between the sets of nested left and right weight plates with the hand grip extending along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to that of the weight plates; and

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of weights to the handle, wherein the selector includes a keyboard that is operable by a user to select the weights that are to be coupled to the handle, and wherein the keyboard is carried on the handle beneath the hand grip.

2. The dumbbell of claim 1, wherein the keyboard has a plurality of keys which can each be selectively moved by the user between a weight selecting position and a weight non-selecting position, wherein the number of weights coupled to the handle is related to the number of keys moved into the weight selecting positions thereof.

3. The dumbbell of claim 2, wherein the keys are biased into the selecting and non-selecting positions thereof such that the keys will not remain in positions between the selecting and non-selecting positions.

4. The dumbbell of claim 3, wherein the keys are bi-stably retained in both the selecting position and the non-selecting position.

5. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights;

(b) a handle; and

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of weights to the handle, wherein the selector includes a keyboard that is operable by a user to select the weights that are to be coupled to the handle, wherein the keyboard has a plurality of keys which can each be selectively moved by the user between a weight selecting position and a weight non-selecting position, wherein the number of weights coupled to the handle is related to the number of keys moved into the weight selecting positions thereof, and wherein a pair of keys controls the selection of each weight such that the pair of keys for a particular weight must both be moved into their selecting positions for that particular weight to be coupled to the handle.

6. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights;

(b) a handle; and

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of weights to the handle, wherein the selector includes a keyboard that is operable by a user to select the weights that are to be coupled to the handle, wherein the nested weights are disposed in a set of weights beginning with an innermost weight and a plurality of outer weights that lead to an outermost weight, wherein the keyboard includes a plurality of keys that are disposed in a set of keys having a similar arrangement of an innermost key and a plurality of outer keys that lead to an outermost key, and wherein the keys in the set of keys are interlocked to one another such that depressing one key in the set requires that any of the keys inside of the depressed key also be depressed.

7. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) an array of nested weights comprising a stack of nested left weight plates and a stack of nested right weight plates;

(b) a handle having a left end and a right end; and

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of left weight plates to the left end of the handle and selected numbers of right weight plates to the right end of the handle, wherein the selector includes a plurality of keys equal to the number of the weight plates with the keys being placed on a keyboard in an arrangement in which all the keys are directly adjacent one another in a single, substantially continuous, unbroken row of keys and with the arrangement of keys corresponding to that of the array of nested left and right weight plates, wherein the keys are selectively actuable by a user such that actuation of a key in the keyboard selects for coupling to the handle that weight plate whose position in the array of weight plates is the same as the position of the actuated key in the keyboard.

8. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights;

(b) a handle;

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of weights to the handle, wherein the selector includes a plurality of connecting pins, and wherein at least a first pair of connecting pins is used to couple each separate and discrete weight to the handle; and

further including a cam actuator for each pair of connecting pins, wherein the cam actuator has a selecting position in which the cam actuator has cammed the pair of connecting pins apart to engage the pair of connecting pins to the weight to couple the weight to the handle.

9. The dumbbell of claim 8, wherein the connecting pins are carried on the handle even when the connecting pins are not in use.

10. The dumbbell of claim 8, wherein the connecting pins are spring biased towards one another to bias the cam actuator into a non-selecting position.

11. The dumbbell of claim 10, wherein the cam actuator is bi-stably retained in either the selecting or non-selecting positions.

12. The dumbbell of claim 11, wherein each cam actuator is carried on an underside of a separate depressible key such that a particular cam actuator moves between the non-selecting and selecting positions by depressing the key that carries the particular cam actuator.

13. The dumbbell of claim 8, wherein a second pair of separate and discrete connecting pins is further used to couple each weight to the handle.

14. The dumbbell of claim 13, wherein the first and second pairs of connecting pins engage each weight at locations that are disposed on either side of a centerline of the weight.

15. The dumbbell of claim 8,wherein the selector also includes a plurality of keys on a keyboard with at least one key being provided for moving each connecting pin in the at least first pair of connecting pins that couples each weight to the handle.

16. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights;

(b) a handle;

(c) a separate pair of connecting pins for connecting each of the weights to the handle; and

(d) wherein the connecting pins in each pair are aligned on a common axis with the pins extending outwardly along the axis away from one another to couple a weight to the handle and the pins extending inwardly along the axis towards one another to uncouple the weight from the handle.

17. The dumbbell of claim 16, wherein the pins in each pair of pins are spring biased towards one another.

18. The dumbbell of claim 17, wherein the pins in each pair of pins have heads that are adjacent one another at a junction therebetween under the influence of the spring biasing.

19. The dumbbell of claim 18, further including an actuator acting against the heads at the junction therebetween to force the heads of the pins apart when the actuator is forced vertically through the junction between the heads.

20. The dumbbell of claim 19, wherein the heads of the pins are arrow shaped.

21. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights;

(b) a handle; and

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of weights to the handle, wherein the selector includes a pin array having a plurality of connecting pins whose length increases from one pin to the next, and wherein the connecting pins in the pin array are continuously carried on the handle regardless of whether the connecting pins are in a weight uncoupling position on the handle in which the pins are spaced from the weights or whether the connecting pins have been moved on the handle into a weight coupling position in which the pins are engaged with the weights.

22. The dumbbell of claim 21, wherein two identical pin arrays are present in the selector with the pin arrays acting in opposite directions.

23. The dumbbell of claim 22, wherein the weights have a pair of sets of nested side walls, and wherein one pin array coacts with one set of nested side walls and the other pin array coacts with the other set of nested side walls when coupling the weights to the handle.

24. The dumbbell of claim 21, wherein the handle has a hand grip, and wherein the pin array is carried on the handle beneath the hand grip.

25. The dumbbell of claim 24, wherein the pins in the pin array move on the handle in a direction perpendicular to the hand grip.

26. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of nested weights which provide a set of nested left weight plates and a set of nested right weight plates separated by a gap, wherein the weights include apertures therein;

(b) a handle having a hand grip, wherein the hand is insertable into the gap between the sets of the nested left and right weight plates with the handle extending along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to that of the weight plates; and

(c) a selector for coupling selected numbers of weights to the handle, wherein the selector includes a plurality of individually movable connecting pins continuously carried on the handle regardless of whether the connecting pins are in a weight uncoupling position on the handle in which the pins are spaced from the weights or whether the connecting pins have been moved on the handle into a weight coupling position in which the pins are engaged with the weights, with the connecting pins being received in the apertures for connecting the weights to the handle, and wherein the apertures and connecting pins are configured to permit the handle to be inserted into the gap in a first position or in a second position that is 180°

reversed from the first position without affecting the ability of the apertures and the connecting pins to couple the weights to the handle.