Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing weight resistance
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-17
2004-08-03
Lucchesi, Nicholas D. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing weight resistance
C482S050000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06770016
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to barbells and dumbbells (hereinafter collectively, “bar bells”), and more specifically to the type of barbell and dumbbell known in the fitness industry and in athletics as a “thick bar” or, alternatively, a “fat bar”.
Thick bars have handles of substantially greater outer diameter (“O.D.”), at least in the region gripped by the user, than the handles of conventional bars. While the handles of conventional barbells and dumbbells have outer diameters of 27-33 mm (1.062-1.3 inches), the outer diameter of a thick bar handle is typically 50-77 mm (approx. 2-3 inches). As used herein, the term “thick bar” will be used to mean a bar bell or dumbbell having a handle with an O.D. equal to or greater than approximately 45 mm (approx. 1¾ inches) in the regions gripped by the user.
Thick bars are favored by serious strength athletes (including weightlifters) to build the powerful grip highly desired by competitors in those fields. By having to grab and hold on to an O.D. equal to or greater than approximately 45 mm during training, the athlete is constantly recruiting all of the synergistic muscles in the hand, wrist and forearm. Compared with using conventional barbells and dumbbells, the athlete has to work harder to hold and balance the larger O.D. handle. This harder effort promotes more rapid muscular development in the forearms and hands. This increased muscular development helps reduce injuries to the hand and forearm, and helps develop a powerful grip.
Previous attempts at producing thick handle barbells and dumbbells have suffered from the serious deficiency of not having a rotatable sleeve. Without a rotating sleeve, weight plates mounted on the ends of the thick bar cannot rotate smoothly, if at all, about the axis of the bar during normal lifting movements. During lifting, especially with rotational lifting movements, weight plates which cannot rotate freely generate a substantial torque that transfers back to the lifter's wrist/skeletal system. The weight lifted by serious strength athletes ranges from 100-500 lbs. or more, and the torque transfer can not only be painful, but can also cause an “overuse injury” to the athlete. For safety and comfort reasons, a rotating sleeve on a thick bar makes strength training more productive and safer.
An additional and strong preference in the athletic community is that thick bars accommodate standard “Olympic” plates. As is known in the art, Olympic plates have a central bar-accommodating hole sized to accommodate a bar having a 50 millimeter O.D. Olympic plates are readily available and are used in virtually all weightlifting contests.
Another strong preference is that the weight of the thick bar handle be somewhere between 40-50 lbs. so that it approximates the weight of a conventional barbell handle(approx. 45 lbs. (20 kg.)).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention herein provides a thick bar that permits free rotation of weight plates during weightlifting movements. In its preferred embodiment, a thick bar constructed in accordance with the invention weighs less than 50 lbs., and accommodates Olympic weights.
Briefly, the invention herein is a barbell comprising a generally cylindrical bar of generally annular cross-section having an outer diameter of between approximately 1.5 inches and 3.5 inches and extending longitudinally between a pair of end regions. A rod member is securely inserted within each end region of the bar. Each rod member has an outer segment extending longitudinally outward beyond the respective end region of the bar, the segment having an O.D. less than the O.D. of the bar.
Generally cylindrical sleeves are mounted on the outer segments of the rod members for rotation thereabout the bar's longitudinal axis. The outer diameter of each sleeve is sized to accommodate the central hole of one or more weight plates.
Dumbbells differ from barbells in the longitudinal dimension, but can be constructed in the same manner as the foregoing barbell. For the sake of brevity, the term “barbell” will accordingly be used to collectively mean barbells and dumbbells when referring to, and when claiming, the invention.
REFERENCES:
Power System 2000 Fall Winter Catalog, pp. 37,41 (Power Systems, Inc., Knoxville, TN).
Iron Mind, vol. 10, 2000-2001; pp. 20, 38, 40 (iron Mind Enterprises, Inc., (Nevada City, CA).
“Homemade Revolving Thick Bar”; The Grip Page; (date unknown); http://grippage.com/article.php?sid=3).
“Portable Grips For “Thick Bar” Holds”; The Grip Page; (date unknown); http://grippage.com/article.php?sid?sid=25).
“How To Make An Inexpensive Thick handled Bar”; Schutz; (date unknown); http://www.hardgainer.com/ideas/ideas001.html.
“How To Make Your Onw Thick Bar”; (date unknown); www.cyberpump.com/tips/tip45.html.
“The PDA Bar Clan”; (date unknown); http://fractionalplates.com/equipment/bars.html.
“Analu\ysis Of Thick Bar Lifting”; The Cable/Bar Guy; (date unknown); www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/thick.htm.
Anderson Karl
Grace Tom
Ace Specialty, Inc.
Lucchesi Nicholas D.
Nguyen Tam
Seldon Robert A.
LandOfFree
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