Methods and apparatus for adjusting weight resistance to exercise

• US 7,066,867 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Core Health & Fitness LLC
• Original Assignee: Mark Krull
• Inventors: Krull, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donnelly, Jerome W.
• Application Number:
  US10/270,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20040072661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 482108-110, 482106-107, 482/98
• US Class Current: 482/108
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00065 by increasing or reducing the number of resistance units
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/072 Dumb-bells, bar-bells or the like , e.g. weight discs having an integral peripheral handle
• 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: Y10S 482/908 Adjustable

Abstract

An exercise dumbbell includes a handle member and weight plates maintained in spaced relationship at opposite ends thereof. Weight selectors are movable into and out of engagement with different combinations of the weight plates to secure a desired amount of mass to the handle. The weight selectors are preferably nested within respective ends of the handle member and accessible via upwardly opening slots in the weight plates.

Claims

1. An exercise dumbbell, comprising:

a handle member having a first weight supporting section, a second weight supporting section, and a handle that extends therebetween and defines a longitudinal axis, wherein each said weight supporting section has an axially measured length that is bounded by a respective inner end and a respective outer end;

first weights sized and configured to be supported by the first weight supporting section;

second weights sized and configured to be supported by the second weight supporting section; and

a first weight selector associated with the first weight supporting section and the first weights, and a second weight selector associated with the second weight supporting section and the second weights, wherein each said weight selector is movably mounted on the handle member and movable between a respective first latched position, disposed entirely outboard from a respective inner end, and a respective second latched position, disposed entirely inboard from a respective outer end, displaced axially relative to a respective first latched position, and engaging a different combination of respective weights.

2. The exercise dumbbell of claim 1, wherein in each said latched position, each said weight selector is disposed entirely between a respective inner end and a respective outer end.

3. The exercise dumbbell of claim 1, wherein the first weights include a first weight plate and a second weight plate, and the second weights include another first weight plate and another second weight plate, and when in a respective first latched position, each said weight selector at least partially spans a respective first weight plate without underlying any portion of the respective first weight plate and without underlying any portion of a respective second weight plate, and when in a respective second latched position, each said weight selector at least partially underlies a respective second weight plate.

4. The exercise dumbbell of claim 3, wherein each of the first weights and the second weights includes a respective third weight plate, and each said weight selector is movable to another latched position, intermediate a respective first latched position and a respective second latched position, and at least partially underlying a respective third weight plate without underlying any portion of a respective first weight plate and without underlying any portion of a respective second weight plate.

5. The exercise dumbbell of claim 3, further comprising a separate means for connecting each said first weight plate to the handle assembly.

6. An exercise dumbbell, comprising:

a handle member having a first weight supporting section, a second weight supporting section, and a handle that extends therebetween and defines a longitudinal axis, wherein each said weight supporting section includes an axially extending bar;

first weights sized and configured to be supported by the first weight supporting section, wherein each of the first weights has an upwardly opening slot that accommodates a respective said bar;

second weights sized and configured to be supported by the second weight supporting section, wherein each of the second weights has an upwardly opening slot that accommodates a respective said bar;

a first weight selector and a second weight selector, wherein each said weight selector is movably mounted on a respective end of the handle member, and is configured and arranged to selectively engage at least one of the weights associated therewith, and to span at least one other of the weights associated therewith without underlying any portion of said at least one other of the weights; and

a first operator member and a second operator member, wherein each said operator member is connected to a respective weight selector and extends upward through at least one said slot in the weights associated therewith.

7. The exercise dumbbell of claim 6, further comprising a means for biasing each said operator member to remain in a desired axial location relative to a respective weight supporting section.

8. The exercise dumbbell of claim 6, wherein the first weights include a first weight plate and a second weight plate, and the second weights include another first weight plate and another second weight plate, and each said first weight plate has an upwardly opening notch that is configured to accommodate a respective weight selector without being connected to the handle assembly, and each said second weight plate has an upwardly bounded opening that is configured to accommodate a respective weight selector in a manner that connects the second weight plate to the handle assembly.

9. The exercise dumbbell of claim 8, further comprising an additional first weight selector movably mounted on a respective end of the handle assembly, and an additional second weight selector movably mounted on a respective end of the handle assembly, wherein each said additional weight selector is configured to selectively engage a respective said first weight plate.

10. The exercise dumbbell of claim 9, wherein each said second weight plate has an upwardly opening notch that is configured to accommodate a respective additional weight selector without being connected to the handle assembly, and each said first weight plate has an upwardly bounded opening that is configured to accommodate a respective additional weight selector in a manner that connects the first weight plate to the handle assembly.

11. An exercise dumbbell, comprising:

a handle member having a handle that defines a longitudinal axis, and axially spaced weight supports disposed at opposite ends of the handle;

first weight plates sized and configured to be supported by respective weight supports at a first end of the handle member, including an innermost first weight plate having an innermost surface that faces toward the handle, and an outermost first weight plate having an outermost surface that faces away from the handle;

a first weight selector movably mounted on the handle member and movable axially to a position disposed entirely between the innermost surface on the innermost first weight plate and the outermost surface on the outermost first weight plate, and underlying at least one of the first weight plates but less than all of the first weight plates;

second weight plates sized and configured to be supported by respective weight supports at a second end of the handle member, including an innermost second weight plate having an innermost surface that faces toward the handle, and an outermost second weight plate having an outermost surface that faces away from the handle; and

a second weight selector movably mounted on the handle member and movable axially to a position disposed entirely between the innermost surface on the innermost second weight plate and the outermost surface on the outermost second weight plate, and underlying at least one of the second weight plates but less than all of the second weight plates.

12. The exercise dumbbell of claim 11, further comprising a first operator member and a second operator member, wherein each said operator member is operatively connected to a respective weight selector, and each of the weight plates has an upwardly opening slot that accommodates axial travel of a respective operator member.

13. The exercise dumbbell of claim 11, wherein the first weight selector is operable to underlie all but one of the first weight plates and at least two of the first weight plates, and the second weight selector is operable to underlie all but one of the second weight plates and at least two of the second weight plates.

14. The exercise dumbbell of claim 13, further comprising a third weight selector movably mounted on the handle member and movable axially to a position disposed entirely between the innermost surface on the innermost first weight plate and the outermost surface on the outermost first weight plate, and underlying only said one of the first weight plates;

and a fourth weight selector movably mounted on the handle member and movable axially to a position disposed entirely between the innermost surface on the innermost second weight plate and the outermost surface on the outermost second weight plate, and underlying only said one of the second weight plates.

15. The exercise dumbbell of claim 14, wherein the first weight selector and the third weight selector are movable along laterally adjacent, parallel paths defined by the handle member, and the second weight selector and the fourth weight selector are movable along laterally adjacent, parallel paths defined by the handle member.

16. An exercise dumbbell, comprising:

a handle member having a first weight supporting section, a second weight supporting section, and a handle that extends therebetween and defines a longitudinal axis;

first weights sized and configured to be supported by the first weight supporting section;

a first weight selector confined to the first weight supporting section and selectively movable in a first direction to engage only a first subset of the first weights;

a second weight selector confined to the first weight supporting section and selectively movable in an opposite, second direction to engage only a second, complementary subset of the first weights;

second weights sized and configured to be supported by the second weight supporting section;

a third weight selector confined to the second weight supporting section and selectively movable in said first direction to engage only a first subset of the second weights; and

a fourth weight selector confined to the second weight supporting section and selectively movable in said second direction to engage only a second, complementary subset of the second weights.

17. The dumbbell of claim 16, wherein each weight in the first subset of the first weights has an upwardly opening notch that accommodates passage of the second weight selector without being engaged thereby.

18. The dumbbell of claim 17, wherein each weight in the second subset of the first weights has an upwardly opening notch that accommodates passage of the first weight selector without being engaged thereby.

19. The dumbbell of claim 16, wherein each of the weights has an upwardly opening slot that accommodates user access to each said weight selector associated therewith.

20. The dumbbell of claim 16, wherein an operator member associated with the first weight selector cooperates with an operator member associated with the second weight selector to provide a visual indication of how much force is required to lift the handle member and the weights currently secured thereto.