Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing weight resistance
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-15
2001-12-11
Mulcahy, John (Department: 3739)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing weight resistance
C482S093000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328678
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a weightlifting assembly, namely a barbell, which incorporates a locking system in order to prevent separation, spreading or rolling of weight plates from the bar. Furthermore, the present invention features improved oversized weight plates adapted to interlockingly engage with one another for enabling the user to maintain proper handling and body positioning when lifting the weight plates.
2. Background of the Invention
No longer a male dominated sport, weightlifting has gained increased popularity among the general population. The daily user currently recognizes barbells and weight plates to be effective strength training devices available for sculpting one's physique while allowing the user to build both flexibility and balance. Further, physical therapists utilize these weightlifting devices and therapies to aid patients in healing muscle and joint injuries, while also increasing muscle mass, if so desired. However, the present weightlifting devices have several disadvantages pertaining to both the barbell assembly and the weight plates thereby preventing the user from obtaining optimal results.
Traditionally, the use of barbells primarily required the user to remove collars at either end of the bar in order to add or remove weight plates which consumed valuable time and energy. Within the past few years, snap-action locking devices have been utilized to decrease the amount of energy required to loosen the collar before its removal. However, it was still necessary for the collar to be removed from the bar in order for the weight plates to be slipped on or off the end of the bar.
An example of a traditional locking device is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,908 issued to Speyer on Oct. 21, 1975 disclosing a barbell having a detachably mounted weight supporting bar. The '908 patent provides a barbell for supporting removable weights including a hollow rod having flanges affixed at each of it terminal ends and a pair of bar members. In particular, each of the bar members has a locking device affixed thereto in order to retain the bar member in the hollow interior of the rod and retarding the movement of the bar member axially of the rod. The locking device features an eccentrically mounted, rotatable camming member affixed to the end of each of the bar members whereby the camming member is lockingly engageable with the rod in response to rotation of the bar member in either direction.
Aside from the barbells as a unit, conventional weight plates have themselves presented numerous disadvantages to the user. Typically, weight plates are disc-shaped and have an opening in the center for mounting the weight plates onto a barbell bar. A primary problem is that weight plates are difficult for the user to maneuver and pick up when lying flat against an adjacent hard surface such as the floor or another weight plate. Further, if a weight plate is laying flat on a smooth surface, such as a weight mat, it may be impossible for the user to pick the weight plate up without moving it across the floor to a location where the user can properly grasp and handle the plate.
Some weight plates include a raised flange formed around the periphery of one side of the plate. The flange enables a user to grip the weight plate easily in order to lift and carry the plate. However, when the weight plate Is left in a downward position with the flange abutting the floor or another adjacent weight, the user is confronted with the same difficulty of lifting and raising the weight plate.
An example of such a weight plate is demonstrated in U.S. Design Pat. No. 355,007 issued to Rojas et al. on Jan. 31, 1995 entitled Weight-lifting Plate. Here, the Rojas patent discloses an ornamental weight-lifting plate having a raised flange on both sides of the plate and a pair of diametrically opposed openings within the plate. However, this patent fails to disclose an interlocking weight plate designed to avoid rolling, spreading or improper weight shifting of the plate across the bar.
Another example is U.S. Design Pat. No. 194,042 issued to Guthormsen on Nov. 13, 1962 entitled Bar Bell or Similar Article. The '042 patent discloses an ornamental weight plate having a staggered cross section. Each side of a plate includes four projections located ninety degrees from one another. However, this particular design does not allocate the projections to be of sufficient height to enable a user to place their fingers between the plate and an adjacent surface in order to aid in maneuvering the plates.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,355 issued to Standish on Dec. 29, 1998 discloses a Manipulatable Weight Plate. This weight plate includes a disk body having two generally opposed sides that are oriented radially with respect to the central axis and terminates in circumferential edges. An outer periphery surface extends between the circumferential edges of the two sides where at least one recess is contained in the disk body and opens into the outer periphery surface. Here, the '355 weight plate allows radial insertion of at least one human finger therein so that the user's finger can apply an axial force against the disk body to displace it away from an adjacent surface that is contacting one of the sides of the disk body. However, due to unsuitable body and hand positioning, improper handling, lifting and control along with medical injuries will result.
In view of the above described deficiencies associated with the use of conventional weightlifting devices, such as barbells and weight plates, the present invention has been developed to alleviate these drawbacks and provide further benefits to the user. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to several alternative embodiments of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention in its several disclosed embodiments alleviates the drawbacks described above with respect to conventionally designed barbells and weight plates and incorporates several additional beneficial features.
As described herein above, a standard barbell comprises an elongate handle or bar and a plurality of separate removable end weights mounted upon the bar. The end weights are generally disc-shaped and have an opening in the center for mounting the weight plate onto a barbell bar. Some weight plates specifically include a raised flange formed around the periphery of one side of the plate. Further, many barbells require the removal of collars at either end of the bar in order to add or remove weights by passing the bar through a centrally disposed bore in the weight. Unlike the abovementioned conventionally designed weightlifting devices, the present invention is an improved weightlifting assembly which in one aspect incorporates a locking system, namely a collar, with an incorporated locking system to allow the user to add, remove and fasten the weight plates to the barbell in a safe and efficient manner.
The present weightlifting assembly comprises a bar, one or more collars permanently affixed at either end of the bar, weight plates of an improved design and a conventional securement mechanism. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide improved weight plates having off-set body portions that effectively establish raised flanges that have beveled edges. Preferably, the raised flanges are positioned on two opposing sides of each plate and are radially oriented with respect to the central bore. The raised flanges preferably have a 50% rise from the balance of the weight plate. In turn, the beveled edges allow the flanges of each weight plate to interlockingly engage an adjacent plate in order to releasably fasten those plates together and create a form-fit unit. Further, each weight plate is configured to fittingly abut a collar, where each collar has a locking system that is engageable with the adapted weight plates in order to secure the plates to the bar. Each collar may serve as a 2.5 pound weight plate substitute and may be constructe
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Mulcahy John
LandOfFree
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