Patent Application
20140073493
1. Field of the Inventive Concepts
The inventive concepts disclosed herein relate generally to the weight lifting and fitness industry. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the inventive concepts relate to a support apparatus that allows for the staging or positioning of weightlifting equipment. In use, the weights are substantially prevented from being dropped either intentionally or unintentionally, thereby precluding damage to physical structures and/or physiologic injury.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Numerous mechanisms have been suggested in the weight lifting industry that are intended to allow a user to perform an exercise while also reducing the likelihood of injury by controlling the path and/or drop or fall rate of the weight. One example of this is what is commonly referred to as a “Smith Machine” or “Smith Press.” This equipment allows a user to install or remove weights onto a fully supported bar that can then be lifted through a predetermined range of motion using linear bearings and a counterbalance system to help control the weight and reduce the potential for injury. In recent years, there has been a movement by weight lifters to target smaller stabilizer muscles by implementing more free-weight exercises that do not force the body part being targeted to move in a restricted or guided path. At the same time, weight lifting equipment manufacturers have moved toward designing equipment with reduced restrictions but still providing a relatively safe exercise platform.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concept. This description should be read to include one or more and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Further, use of the term “plurality” is meant to convey “more than one” unless expressly stated to the contrary.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Referring now to the drawings,
Weight lifting free-weights 52 are well known in the art. In general, weight lifting free-weights 52 are weights that do not constrain users to specific, fixed movements. Non-exclusive examples of weight lifting free-weights 52 include dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls, sandbells, and kettlebells. For purposes of illustration, a single barbell with disc weights is shown as the weight lifting free-weight 52 in use in
The support frame 54 is structured to support the weight of the weight lifting free-weight(s) 52, either in a static state or from an accelerated state, such as acceleration by gravity as when a weight is dropped. The support frame 54 may be an integral frame, a frame that is provided as part of a kit, or a pre-existing frame or rack that may be found in the location of use, for example, in a gym setting, and so on. In one embodiment, a free-standing mobile support frame 54 may be utilized, as shown in
In one embodiment, illustrated in
The second end of the main portion 90 of the elongated strap can be attached to the weight lifting free-weight 52. Therefore, when the first and second reels 80, 82 are in the unlocked condition, the user can move the weight lifting free-weight 52 and exercise without constraint as to the path taken with the free-weight 52. In one embodiment, in the unlocked condition, the first and second reels 80, 82 may freely release the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 when tension is exerted on the elongated strap 84 away from the first and second reels 80, 82, and then automatically re-spool or retract the first and second spooling portions 92, 94, when the tension is released. In one embodiment, each of the first and second reels 80, 82 is capable of supporting a minimum of about 2,000 pounds.
In one embodiment, the predetermined rate that triggers the locked condition of the first and second reels 80, 82 is about 0.7 g, where g is acceleration due to gravity at the Earth's surface. In such a case, a dropped weight lifting free-weight 52 would cause the first and second reels 80, 82 to lock, preventing the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 from unspooling.
In one embodiment, the unlocked condition of the first and second reels 80, 82 may be reinstated from the locked condition upon spooling the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 of the main portion 86 of the elongated strap 84 onto the first and second reels 80, 82.
Non-exclusive examples of reels which are constructed with a locked and unlocked condition can be found in U.S. Publication No. 2003/0059269, entitled “Cargo Restraint Apparatus”, filed Sep. 24, 2002; U.S. Publication No. 2006/0188354, entitled “Cargo Restraint Apparatus”, filed Feb. 24, 2006; and U.S. Publication No. 2009/0053684, entitled “Seatbelt Demonstration Kit and Method for Teaching Proper Seatbelt Usage”, filed Aug. 23, 2007, all of which are expressly incorporated herein in their entirety.
Non-limiting examples of reels that may be utilized in the construction of the retractor assembly 56 are produced by the following manufacturers: Hornling Industrial Inc., Red Wood Enterprise Co., Klippan Safety, or APV Safety Products. However, the use of these reels is not to be considered limiting; any other product known in the art or otherwise capable of functioning in accordance with the present inventive concept(s) may be used in the construction of the retractor assembly 56.
In one embodiment, the first reel 80 and the second reel 82 are arranged in a back-to-back relationship as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the first spooling portion 92 and the second spooling portion 94 converge with each other to form the second end 90 of the main portion 86 of the elongated strap 84. The second end 90 of the main portion 86 may be formed by the attachment of substantially equal lengths of the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 to one another. The second end 90 of the main portion 86 may be formed by the attachment of a shorter first spooling portion 92 to a longer second spooling portion 94.
The elongated strap 84 may be made of a webbed material. The webbed material may be sewn together in one or more locations to provide connections and/or mounting areas for attachment hardware. By way of example, the elongated strap 84 may be made of a two-inch wide webbing that is rated to withstand a minimum of about 3,000 pounds. It will be understood that any width of webbing, any other material, and/or any minimum weight rating requirement may be used as long as the elongated strap 84 can function in accordance with the presently disclosed inventive concepts. Non-exclusive examples of alternative materials for the elongated strap 84 include rope, wire, thread, and chain.
Returning to
In the embodiment shown in
The first weight-connecting strap 102 may have a receiving fitting 130 positioned between the proximal end 104 and the distal end 106 and a connector 132 positioned at the distal end 106 such that when the connector 132 is connected to the receiving fitting 130, a first free-weight receiving loop 134 is formed by the first weight-connecting strap 102 about a first portion of the free-weight 52, as shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
The support strap 170 may be made of a webbed material. The webbed material may be sewn together in one or more locations to provide connections and/or mounting areas for attachment hardware. By way of example, the support strap 170 may be made of a two-inch wide webbing that is rated to withstand a minimum of about 3,000 pounds. It will be understood that any width of webbing, any other material, and/or any minimum weight rating requirement may be used as long as the support strap 170 can function in accordance with the presently disclosed inventive concepts. Non-exclusive examples of alternative materials for the support strap 170 include rope, wire, thread, and chain.
As illustrated in
It will be understood that although one retractor assembly 56 has been described for purposes of brevity, a plurality of retractor assemblies 56 may be used with the support frame 54. For example, two retractor assemblies 56 may be used on a long barbell. In another example, two retractor assemblies 56 may be used, one on each of two dumbbells, allowing the user to exercise with the two dumbbells simultaneously. In such an example, the two retractor assemblies 56 may be in a spaced apart relationship on the support frame 54.
Returning now to
The user may attach the first and second weight-connecting straps 102, 108 of the elongated strap 84 to the weight lifting free-weight 52 (shown in
The user may attach the first and second weight-connecting straps 102, 108 of the main portion 86 of the elongated strap 84 to the weight lifting free-weight 52 while the free-weight 52 is on the ground or in a free-weight support stand (not shown), for example. After attachment, the user may position the free-weight 52 at a desirable raised location and then allow the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 of the first end 88 of the main portion 86 of the elongated strap 84 to unspool at a rate greater than the predetermined rate, thus triggering the locked condition of the first and second reels 80, 82. In this way, the user can suspend the free-weight 52 at a desired location, for example, above the user.
By way of example, the user may wish to perform flat bench press exercises by suspending the free-weight 52 above the user when the user is below the support frame 54. When the user is ready to perform the exercise, the user may unlock the first and second reels 80, 82 by spooling the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 of the first end 88 of the main portion 86 of the elongated strap 84 onto the first and second reels 80, 82. In one embodiment, the spooling is automated when a user removes tension from the elongated strap 84, the first and second reels 80, 82 then spool the first and second spooling portions 92, 94.
The user may then perform the desired exercise, moving the free-weight 52 along the user-defined path with the elongated strap 84 traveling freely with the free-weight 52. When the user has completed the desired exercise, the user may again suspend the free-weight 52 by returning at least one of the first and second reels 80, 82 to the locked condition by allowing at least one of the first and second spooling portions 92, 94 to unspool at a rate faster than the predetermined rate. For example, if the predetermined rate is set at about 0.7 g's, the user may pull faster than that rate on the free-weight 52 in a direction away from the first and second reels 80, 82, or simply drop the free-weight 52, to trigger the locked condition. Alternatively, the free-weight 52 may be lowered to the floor.
Non-exclusive examples of weight lifting exercises with which the support apparatus may be used include flat bench press, inclined bench press, declined bench press, shoulder press, skull crusher/triceps extension (dumbbells or E-Z Curl bar), shrugs, stationary lunges, dumbbell squats, standing rows, and so on. In use, the free-weights 52 are substantially prevented from being dropped either intentionally or unintentionally, thereby precluding damage to physical structures and/or physiologic injury. Free-weights 52 may also be staged or positioned with the apparatus.
While several embodiments of the inventive concepts have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the inventive concepts disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.
The present patent application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application U.S. Ser. No. 61/700,552 titled SAFETY APPARATUS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME, filed on Sep. 13, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61700552 | Sep 2012 | US |
