Weight selection system for fitness training equipment

• US 7,614,981 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guofang Cao
• Original Assignee: Guofang Cao
• Inventors: Cao, Guofang
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Loan H
• Assistant Examiner(s): GINSBERG, OREN ISAAC
• Application Number:
  US11/760,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20080305936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 482 92- 94, 482 98-103, 482106-108
• 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 stack selection system for fitness equipment. A central stem having offset lateral movement is eliminated by the present invention. The select pin is easier for insertion to the selected desired weight due to the lack of accumulated thickness that plagued the industry. A moving block is used to intuitively select the desired weight, when said moving block is moved up and down on a rail. A safety pin is built in to each plate, so that said moving block cannot be moved unless the weight plates are in the released and settled state. A dial on a belt assembly, which drives the up/down movement of said moving block, furthers the intuitive selection means of dialing into the desired weight for training purpose.

Claims

1. Weight selection system for fitness equipment, comprising:

a. A plurality of separably engageable link-connectors that can be connected vertically;

b. A plurality of weight plates each having a vertical center hole for engageably receiving one link-connector;

c. A select pin that can be slidably fitted through a hole on the side of each weight plate to each link-connector, said select pin further having a pulling spring to cause the select pin engage one link-connector when the pulling spring is in its natural compressed state; and

,

d. A vertical rail along side said plurality of weight plates, said rail contains a moving block with a triangular tip to push out the select pin at the selected plate in order to disengage the select pin from the link-connector.

2. Weight selection system for fitness equipment of claim 1, further comprising:

e. A vertical G-pin on each select pin; and

,

h. A guide-slot is formed on one side of each weight plate, so that said G-pin travels along said guide-slot, preventing the select pin from rotating.

3. Weight selection system for fitness equipment of claim 2, further comprising:

g. A T-pin on each select pin; and

,

h. A park-slot is formed on the triangular tip of said moving block, so that the T-pin of select pin is parked on the triangular tip when being selected at the pulled out state.

4. Weight selection system for fitness equipment of claim 3, further comprising:

i. A set including a wedge pin and safety pin on each weight plate, wherein said wedge pin is placed vertically through a hole to slidably engage said safety pin which is horizontally placed inside a hole of the weight plate, whereby the wedge pin in a pushed down state will compress a position spring inside of said safety pin, disengaging said safety pin from said moving block.

5. Weight selection system for fitness equipment of claim 4, further comprising:

j. A vertical belting assembly connected to said moving block;

k. A dialing wheel at a top end of said belting assembly, whereby said dialing wheel turns to control the up/down travel and position of said moving block, forming an intuitive user selection system for fitness equipment.