Weight plate with externally actuated internal locking device

• US 7,608,021 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Core Health & Fitness LLC
• Original Assignee: Mark Nalley
• Inventors: Nalley, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Loan H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US11/349,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 482 92- 94, 482 98-103, 482106-108, 482104-109
• US Class Current: 482/98
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0628 for vertical array of weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/063 Weight selecting means

Abstract

A weight plate for use with physical fitness equipment is disclosed including a plate body with a centrally located locking connector and two outwardly disposed throughbores. The body additionally has an internal bore within the thickness of the plate body which communicates with the locking connector. A selector pin is movably mounted within the internal bore to selectively engage the plate body to a locking connector in an adjacent weight plate. A toggle lever is mounted in a cartridge mounted within the weight plate to selectively position the selector pin.

Claims

1. Physical fitness apparatus, comprising:

a first weight plate having a bore hole formed vertically therethrough and an internal bore running transversely therein and communicating with said bore hole;

a second weight plate to be detachably connected to said first weight plate and having a bore hole formed vertically therethrough and an internal bore running transversely therein and communicating with said bore hole;

a first connector located in the bore hole through said first weight plate and a second connector located in the bore hole through said second weight plate;

each of the first and second connectors of said first and second weight plates having a hollow head at one end thereof and an aperture formed in said hollow head and axially aligned with a respective one of the internal bores in said first and second weight plates, each of said first and second connectors also having a coupling tail located at the opposite end thereof and a coupling hole formed in said coupling tail, the coupling tail of the first connector located in the bore hole of said first weight plate extending below said first weight plate for receipt within the hollow head of the second connector located in the bore hole of said second weight plate;

a locking pin mounted for reciprocal movement between unlocked and locked positions within the internal bore of each one of said first and second weight plates, said locking pin having a locking slot formed therein; and

a lever arm communicating with each locking pin of each one of said first and second weight plates at the locking slot formed in said locking pin, each lever arm moving between a first position and a second position to correspondingly apply one of a pushing force or a pulling force to said locking pin,

the lever arm which communicates with the locking pin of said second weight plate moving from the first position to the second position to exert the pushing force on said locking pin at said locking slot thereof and thereby cause said locking pin to move from said unlocked position to said locked position and ride through the internal bore in said second weight plate for receipt by the aperture formed in the hollow head of said second connector and the coupling hole formed in the coupling tail of said first connector received by the hollow head of said second connector, whereby said first weight plate is detachably connected to said second weight plate.

2. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a spring cooperating with each lever arm communicating with each locking pin of each one of said first and second weight plates for exerting a force on said lever arm for holding said lever arm in one of said first or second positions.

3. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein said spring is a coil spring.

4. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 2, further comprising a locking cartridge having a cartridge body attached to said second weight plate, the lever arm which communicates with the locking pin of said second weight plate being surrounded by said cartridge body and moving between said first and second positions therewithin, one end of said spring connected to said lever arm and the opposite end of said spring connected to said cartridge body.

5. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein said second weight plate has a cartridge cavity extending inwardly thereof, the cartridge body of said locking cartridge being received within said cartridge cavity.

6. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 4, further comprising a pivot connected between the lever arm which communicates with the locking pin of said second weight plate and the cartridge body of the locking cartridge of said second weight plate, said lever arm rotating at said pivot within said cartridge body between said first and second positions to correspondingly apply said pushing and pulling forces to the locking pin of said second weight plate to cause said locking pin to move between said locked and unlocked positions.

7. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein one end of said lever arm surrounded by the cartridge body of the locking cartridge of said second weight plate is received within the locking slot formed in the locking pin of said second weight plate, and the opposite end of said lever arm extends outwardly from said cartridge body at which to receive a force for causing said lever arm to move to one of said first or second positions.

8. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein the cartridge body of the locking cartridge of said second weight plate has a guide slot formed therein for receipt of the opposite end of said lever arm, said opposite end moving back and forth through said guide slot for causing said lever arm to move between said first and second positions.

9. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second weight plates are detachably connected in opposing face-to-face engagement one against the other.

10. Physical fitness apparatus, comprising:

a first weight plate having a bore hole formed vertically therethrough and an internal bore running transversely therein and communicating with said bore hole;

a second weight plate to be detachably connected to said first weight plate and having a bore hole formed vertically therethrough and an internal bore running transversely therein and communicating with said bore hole;

a first connector located in the bore hole through said first weight plate and a second connector located in the bore hole through said second weight plate;

each of the first and second connectors of said first and second weight plates having a hollow head at one end thereof and an aperture formed in said hollow head and axially aligned with a respective one of the internal bores in said first and second weight plates, each of said first and second connectors also having a coupling tail located at the opposite end thereof and a coupling hole formed in said coupling tail, the coupling tail of the first connector located in the bore hole of said first weight plate extending below said first weight plate for receipt within the hollow head of the second connector located in the bore hole of said second weight plate;

a locking pin mounted for reciprocal movement between unlocked and locked positions within the internal bore of each one of said first and second weight plates;

a lever arm coupled to each locking pin of each one of said first and second weight plates and adapted to move between first and second positions; and

a spring cooperating with each lever arm of each one of said first and second weight plates for exerting a force on said lever arm for holding said lever arm in one of said first or second positions and said locking pin in one of said unlocked or locked positions,

the lever arm coupled to the locking pin of said second weight plate moving from the first position to the second position to cause said locking pin to move from the unlocked position to the locked position so as to ride through the internal bore in said second weight plate for receipt by the aperture formed in the hollow head of said second connector and the coupling hole formed in the coupling tail of said first connector received by the hollow head of said second connector, whereby said first weight plate is detachably connected to said second weight plate.

11. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 10, further comprising a locking cartridge having a cartridge body attached to said second weight plate, the lever arm which is coupled to the locking pin of said second weight plate being surrounded by said cartridge body and moving between said first and second positions therewithin, one end of said spring connected to said lever arm and the opposite end of said spring connected to said cartridge body.

12. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 11, wherein said second weight plate has a cartridge cavity extending inwardly thereof, the cartridge body of said locking cartridge being received within said cartridge cavity.

13. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 11, further comprising a pivot connected between the lever arm which is coupled to the locking pin of said second weight plate and the cartridge body of the locking cartridge of said second weight plate, said lever arm rotating at said pivot within said cartridge body between said first and second positions to correspondingly apply pushing and pulling forces to said locking pin to cause said locking pin to move between said locked and unlocked positions.

14. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 13, wherein the locking body of the locking cartridge of said second weight plate has a guide slot formed therein for receipt therethrough of said lever arm, said lever arm moving back and forth through said guide slot for causing said lever arm to rotate between said first and second positions.

15. Physical fitness apparatus, comprising:

a first weight plate having a bore hole formed vertically therethrough and an internal bore running transversely therein and communicating with said bore hole;

a second weight plate to be detachably connected to said first weight plate and having a bore hole formed vertically therethrough and an internal bore running transversely therein and communicating with said bore hole;

a first connector located in the bore hole through said first weight plate and a second connector located in the bore hole through said second weight plate;

each of the first and second connectors of said first and second weight plates having a hollow head at one end thereof and an aperture formed in said hollow head and axially aligned with a respective one of the internal bores in said first and second weight plates, each of said first and second connectors also having a coupling tail located at the opposite end thereof and a coupling hole formed in said coupling tail, the coupling tail of the first connector located in the bore hole of said first weight plate extending below said first weight plate for receipt within the hollow head of the second connector located in the bore hole of said second weight plate;

a locking pin mounted for reciprocal movement between unlocked and locked positions within the internal bore of each one of said first and second weight plates; and

a locking cartridge having a cartridge body attached to said second weight plate and a lever arm surrounded by and pivotally connected to said cartridge body so as to rotate therewithin between first and second positions, one end of said lever arm coupled to the locking pin of said second weight plate at a location within said cartridge body and the opposite end of said lever arm extending outwardly from said cartridge body at which to receive a rotational force to cause said lever arm to rotate between said first and second positions,

said lever arm rotating from the first position to the second position to exert a pushing force on said locking pin to cause said locking pin to move in a first direction through the internal bore in said second weight plate from said unlocked position to said locked position to be received by the aperture formed in the hollow head of said second connector and the coupling hole formed in the coupling tail of said first connector received by the hollow head of said second connector, whereby said first weight plate is detachably connected to said second weight plate, said lever arm rotating from the second position to the first position to exert a pulling force on said locking pin to cause said locking pin to move in an opposite direction through the internal bore in said second weight plate from said locked position to said unlocked position to be removed from the aperture formed in the hollow head of said second connector and the coupling tail of said first connector received by the hollow head of said second connector, whereby said first weight plate is detached from said second weight plate.

16. The physical fitness apparatus recited in claim 15, wherein said first and second weight plates are detachably connected in face-to-face engagement one against the other.