Squat Rack Holder Accessory

Abstract

A squat rack item holder may comprise a platform, pin flange, arm, and pin secured to the pin flange, and may be configured so that the squat rack item holder may be installed on a squat rack by inserting the pin through the holes in a squat rack post, and then rotating the squat rack item holder to a rest position such that a securement component prevents removal of the pin from the squat rack post while in the rest position/orientation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Squat racks are a commonly used type of gym equipment. Conventional squat racks comprise four square posts, each having a series of holes for receiving pins to secure attachments and/or accessories to the squat rack. Often, during a workout or other use of a squat rack, it would be convenient for a squat rack user to have a place to set a drink, pen, or other item. What is needed is an apparatus for conveniently storing/supporting a drink on other item on a squat rack.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A squat rack item holder may comprise a platform, pin flange, arm, and pin secured to the pin flange, and may be configured so that the squat rack item holder may be installed on a squat rack by inserting the pin through the holes in a squat rack post, and then rotating the squat rack item holder to a rest position such that a securement component prevents removal of the pin from the squat rack post while in the rest position/orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-J show various perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder. For the sake of clarity, FIG. 1E is a top-down perspective and FIG. 1F is a bottom-up perspective.

FIGS. 2A-B show two perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder in an intermediate installation position.

FIGS. 3A-D show four perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder as installed on a squat rack.

FIGS. 4A-J show various perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder. For the sake of clarity, FIG. 4E is a top-down perspective and FIG. 4F is a bottom-up perspective.

FIGS. 5A-B show two perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder in an intermediate installation position.

FIGS. 6A-D show four perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder as installed on a squat rack.

FIGS. 7A-J show various perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder. For the sake of clarity, FIG. 7E is a top-down perspective and FIG. 7F is a bottom-up perspective.

FIGS. 8A-B show two perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder in an intermediate installation position.

FIGS. 9A-D show four perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder as installed on a squat rack.

FIGS. 10A-J show various perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder. For the sake of clarity, FIG. 10E is a top-down perspective and FIG. 10F is a bottom-up perspective.

FIGS. 11A-B show two perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder in an intermediate installation position.

FIGS. 12A-D show four perspectives of an exemplary squat rack drink holder as installed on a squat rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/215,592 titled “Squat Rack Holder Accessory,” filed on Jun. 28, 2021, the first inventor of which is Andrew Bakker, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

A squat rack holder accessory is disclosed. In general, the accessory may be used for holding/storing a drink or other item on a squat rack or similar structure.

TABLE OF REFERENCE NUMBERS FROM DRAWINGS

The following table is for convenience only and should not be construed to supersede any potentially inconsistent disclosure herein.

Reference
Number Description
100    squat rack drink holder
110    platform
120a-e sides
130    arm
140    pin flange
150    pin
155    screw
200    squat rack drink holder
210    platform
220    wall
230    arm
240    flange
250    pin
300    squat rack drink holder
310    platform
320    front wall
330a-b side walls
340a-b flanges
345a-b flange-pin holes
350    pin
352    pin holder ring
354    spring-loaded retractable ball
400    squat rack drink holder
410    platform
420    front wall
430a-b side walls
440    back wall
450a-b stabilization arms
460    magnet
500    squat rack post

A squat rack drink holder may comprise, as described herein and as shown in the accompanying figures, at least a platform or other element for supporting a drink; a stabilization element, e.g., wall(s), for stabilizing and/or preventing the drink from falling or tipping; and a securing mechanism for securing the drink holder to a squat rack. Although the disclosure herein focuses on and references a drink, the invention disclosed herein may be used for holding and/or securing items other than a drink.

Although squat rack posts generally come in conventional sizes and dimensions, the invention disclosed herein may be scaled and/or adapted to work on many dimensions of a squat rack post. Conventionally, a squat rack post is made from 3-inch by 3-inch square tubing and has ⅝-inch or 1-inch holes for installing squat rack accessories. FIGS. 2A-B, 3A-D, 5A-B, 6A-D, 8A-B, 9A-D, 11A-B, and 12A-D show exemplary squat rack posts.

Side-Pin Design

As shown in FIGS. 1A-J, exemplary squat rack drink holder 100 may comprise a platform/support 110 to support (support, hang, or otherwise support/hold) a drink or other item, sides 120a-e to keep a drink or other item from moving or tipping, an arm 130 for maintaining position/orientation relative to a squat rack post, a pin flange 140 for securing a pin to the squat rack drink holder, and a pin 150 for interacting with one or more holes in a squat rack post. In some embodiments, sides 120 may be unnecessary, e.g., where it does not matter if an item tips/falls, or if the support is an apparatus/mechanism for hanging an item, or in any other support embodiment in which sides for preventing tipping or maintaining orientation/stability are unnecessary.

Although the embodiment in FIGS. 1A-J shows five sides 120a-e, other numbers of sides may be used.

In one embodiment, pin flange 140 may include a female-threaded hole for screw 155 to be used to secure pin flange 140 to pin 150, as shown in FIGS. 1C-H. Other mechanisms, including but not limited to hardware, epoxy, glue, and/or magnet(s) may be used to secure pin 155 to pin flange 140.

Pin 150 may be sufficiently long to go through the holes on both sides of a squat rack post, as shown in FIGS. 2A-B and 3A-D.

As shown in FIGS. 2A-B and 3A-D, squat rack drink holder 100 may be secured by rotating drink holder 100 90 degrees (or a sufficient amount so that pin 150 may be inserted into holes in squat rack post 500 without squat rack drink holder 100 obstructing the motion necessary to insert pin 150 into holes in squat rack post 500), inserting pin 150 through the holes in the squat rack post 500, and rotating (which for many embodiments will happen by gravity) squat rack drink holder 90 degrees (or a sufficient amount of rotation to reach a resting state) in the opposite direction so that arm 130 rests against the side of the squat rack post as shown at least in FIGS. 3A-D.

Pin 150 may be secured to pin flange 140 in many ways. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A-J, a 155 screw may be inserted through hole in pin flange 140 into a threaded female hole in pin 150. When the screw is tightened, pin 150 is clamped onto pin flange 140. Alternatively, pin 150 may be a monolithic component of drink holder 100, e.g., by a welding or other manufacturing processes. Other methods and/or techniques are known and may be used to secure pin 150 to pin flange 140.

In one embodiment, some or all of drink holder 100, and/or pin 150, may be monolithic. In another embodiment, some or all components of drink holder 100, and/or pin 150, may be secured to each other using mechanical means (e.g., screws, rivets, nuts bolts, friction fittings, etc.), chemical means (e.g., glue, adhesives, bonding compounds, epoxy, etc.), or other means. For example, platform 110 may be secured to sides 120 using rivets or nuts and bolts.

In one embodiment, drink holder 100 may be made from %-inch thick steel, or aluminum, or other metal or metal composite. Drink holder 100 may also be made from plastics, ceramics, composite materials, or any other material with sufficient rigidity and structural strength.

Although many of the panels/components shown in the figures are solid, this is not necessary as long as the component retains sufficient strength and rigidity. For example, as shown in at least FIGS. 1A-J and 2A-D, patterns and/or lettering may be cut into various components and/or panels without materially compromising the functionality of the drink holder.

In one embodiment, drink holder 100 may be manufactured by cutting and bending a metal sheet and then adding the pin as described herein.

In one embodiment, sides 120a-e of drink holder 100 may be approximately 2.25 inches tall. The sheet metal may be 11 gauge (⅛″ inches thick). Changing the dimensions of the designs, e.g., to scale, or for differently-sized squat racks, or for other applications, is trivial and within the scope of the disclosure herein. Additionally, the design(s) disclosed herein may be easily scaled and/or modified for squat rack posts having different shapes e.g., rectangle instead of square.

Additionally, the dimensions of pin 150 may be easily adjusted. Some squat rack posts use differently-size holes. ⅝-inch and 1-inch are common diameters for holes in squat rack posts. Pin 150 may have a diameter and length to fit comfortably and snugly into the holes in the squat rack post. In some embodiments, e.g., where pin 150 is secured to pin flange 140 using a screw, pin 150 may be interchangeable so that different pin sizes may be used.

Additionally, the platform and sides are not necessary to the functionality of the drink holder described herein. Many other mechanical shapes and/or patterns (other than a platform and sides) may be used for supporting and/or attaching an item, e.g., a drink.

Back-Pin Design

FIGS. 4A-J, 5A-B, and 6A-D show an alternative design of squat rack drink holder 200. Squat rack drink holder 200 is similar to drink holder 100, except that the pin in drink holder 200 is secured to the wall around the platform instead of to a flange/plate at the back of the apparatus.

As shown in FIGS. 4A-J, 5A-B, and 6A-D, wall 220 may continuously curve and wrap around platform 210. In other embodiments, wall 220 may be any other structure that provides stabilization for a drink on platform 210 and additionally provides a securement location for pin 250. As shown in FIGS. 5A-B and 6A-D, the components of drink holder 200 are dimensioned so that drink holder may be rotated for fitting pin 250 through a squat rack without obstruction from arm 230 or flange 240, and then rotated back to a resting position so that arm 230 resides against the side of squat rack 500 as shown in FIGS. 5A-B and 6A-D, and so that flange 240 prevents drink holder from being removed/uninstalled from squat rack 500 while drink holder 200 is in the resting position.

As shown in FIGS. 4A-6D, the part of wall 220 that holds pin 250 may be higher than the adjacent walls and may be referred to as a pin flange.

Through-Pin Design

FIGS. 7A-9D show an alternative design of squat rack drink holder 300. Drink holder 300 may comprise platform 310, front wall 320, side walls 330a-b, flanges 340a-b, flange-pin holes 345a-b, and pin 350. As shown in FIGS. 7A-9D, front wall 320 and side walls 330a-b may prevent a drink from tipping and keep the drink in place on platform 310. Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 9A-D, when installed on squat rack the squat rack acts as an additional side to keep the drink in place and prevent it from tipping. Although a fourth wall (in additional to front wall 320 and side walls 330a-b could be included on drink holder 300, the fourth wall may be unnecessary because the squat rack will act as a wall when drink holder 300 is installed. Flanges 340a-b may be secured/connected to side walls 330a-b and may comprise flange-pin holes 345a-b that are dimensioned to fit on a squat rack as shown in FIGS. 8A-9D and to allow for insertion of pin 350.

Pin 350 may comprise pin holder ring 352 and spring-loaded retractable ball 354. Neither pin holder ring 352 nor spring-loaded retractable ball 354 is strictly necessary. These features are included for convenience and/or improved performance. Pin holder ring 352 may serve two purposes. First, pin holder ring 352 may all for easier handling because it is a larger feature and has an opening, both of which may make it easier to hold and/or manipulate pin 350 with a hand and fingers. Second, pin holder ring is dimensioned to be too large to fit through flange-pin hole 345, thereby preventing pin 350 from sliding out (in the direction of spring-loaded retractable ball 354) of drink holder 300 and/or squat rack while instilled and/or in use. Spring-loaded retractable ball 354 may be a ball or other shape that protrudes past the surface of pin 350 in a default state, but may be pushed in, by apply pressure to compress a spring, so that it does not protrude past the surface in a compressed state. Spring-loaded retractable ball 354 may prevent pin 350 from sliding out (in the direction of pin holder ring 352) of drink holder 300 and/or squat rack while installed and/or in use.

Many other mechanisms and/or features are known in the art and may be used for preventing pin 350 from sliding out while in use. For example, in one alternative circular grooves in both ends of pin 350 may prevent pin 350 from sliding out while in use.

Although shown in FIGS. 7A-9D as a monolithic piece of metal, drink holder 300 may alternatively comprise one or more components secured to each other by any of many ways known in the art.

FIGS. 7A-9D show that flange-pin holes 345a-b may have a dual-sizing feature. This feature is not necessary and is merely for convenience. With the dual-sizing feature, it may be easier to insert pin 350 through flange-pin holes 345a-b, after which gravity will cause drink holder 300 to settle such that pin 350 is resting in the upper portion(s) of the dual-sized flange-pin holes.

FIGS. 8A-B show how drink holder 300 may be installed on squat rack.

Magnet Design

FIGS. 10A-12D show an alternative design for a squat rack drink holder 400. Drink holder 400 may comprise platform 410, front wall 420, side walls 430a-b, back wall 440, stabilization arms 450a-b, and magnet 460. Magnet 460 may be recessed in back wall 440 so that magnet 460 is generally flush with the surface of back wall 440. In one embodiment, magnet 460 may be a 90-pound magnet. Various sizes and strengths of magnets may be used depending on desired characteristics, e.g., stability and strength of magnetic force between drink holder 400 and squat rack.

Drink holder 400 may be dimensioned so that stabilization arms 450a-b fit around squat rack as shown in FIGS. 11A-12D.

In some embodiments, one or more magnets may be placed in back wall 440 and/or in stabilization arms 450a-b to achieve the desired magnetic force between drink holder 400 and squat rack.

Although FIGS. 10A-12D show stabilization arms 450a-b as flat plates, stabilization arms 450a-b could have different shapes and dimensions as long as they prevent rotation of drink holder 400 relative to squat rack when drink holder 400 is installed on squat rack.

In one embodiment, drink holder 400 may include one or more bumps or other protrusions designed to fit into the holes in a squat rack to provide a mechanical mechanism for preventing drink holder 400 from rotating (or slipping/falling) relative to squat rack. For example, one or more bumps may be placed on the inside surfaces of stabilization arms 450a-b and/or on back wall 440 (on the side of back wall 440 that will be adjacent to squat rack 500 when drink holder is installed on squat rack 500).

Note Regarding Significant Features

The description and figures disclosed are merely exemplary and representative of the scope of the disclosed invention. In general, the following features are important for some of the variations described herein: (1) pin adapter comprising a pin (or substantially similar or functional component) sized for holes/openings in a squat rack post. (2) an arm for gravity-resting/stabilization, where the arm is configured to rest on the squat rack post on a side that is not interfacing with the pin adapter; (3) a an item support/holder/hanging apparatus connected to the arm; and (4) an opening allowing for rotating the drink holder to a resting position after inserting the pin adapter into the squat rack post. In a preferred embodiment, either the item holder or a flange or similar component is opposite the securement point for the pin adapter so that, when the drink holder is rotated into the resting position, the item holder or flange prevents the pin adapter from sliding out of the squat rack post without rotating the drink holder out of the resting position.

Additionally, as noted herein above, many of the walls/sides are not required for functionality but do promote item stability.

Claims

1. A squat rack item holder, comprising: a platform;a pin flange;and arm; anda pin;wherein: the pin is secured to the pin flange such that the pin is oriented parallel to the platform;the arm is perpendicular to the platform;the pin flange is perpendicular to the platform;in an installed orientation the platform is parallel to a ground; andthe squat rack item holder is dimensioned and configured so that in at least one orientation the pin may be inserted through a squat rack post and, after such insertion, rotated to a rest position from which the pin cannot be removed from the squat rack.

2. The squat rack item holder of claim 1, wherein the arm is connected to the platform on a first end of the arm and to the pin flange on the other end of the arm.

3. The squat rack item holder of claim 1, wherein: the arm is connected on a first end of the arm to the platform and the arm is perpendicular to the platform;the arm is connected on a second end of the arm to a component that prevents removal of the pin from the squat rack when the squat rack item holder is in an installed position; andthe pin flange is perpendicular to and secured to the platform.

4. The squat rack item holder of claim 1, further comprising a wall connected to and perpendicular to the platform for stabilization of an item on the platform when the squat rack item holder is in an installed position.

5. The squat rack drink holder of claim 1, wherein the squat rack drink holder is dimensioned to be installed on a squat rack post that has approximately a three-inch by three-inch square cross section.