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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus used with free weights. More particularly, the present weight bar locking mechanism creates a locking mechanism that helps maintain a bar in a parallel relationship to the ground and prevents the weight from being unintentionally displaced.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Many people exercise using weights to increase their strength, for general conditioning and or for rehabilitation. While some strength training equipment use cables or other resistance means, there are still a large number of people that prefer to use free weights connected with a rod. Some exercises use a straight rod while others use a curl bar that can take a variety of spline shaped bends that allow the wrists of the person lifting the weight to be in a more natural pronate or supination position.
Because the curl bar includes multiple bends, the bar is often difficult to balance when it is placed in a stanchion. While the curl bar can be placed on supports placed near the weights, in use a person performing a weight bar generally leans forward and lifts the weight from a central location where balancing the curl bar on a narrow support is difficult. A number of patents and or publications have been made to address these issues. Exemplary examples of patents and or publication that try to address this/these problem(s) are identified and discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,764 issued on Mar. 17, 1998 to James P. Angeles discloses a Self-Locking Quick Release bracket. The bracket pieces are separate and are located on separate stanchions. The locking mechanism on each stanchion retains the weight at an extreme end where the weights are secured to the lifting bar. This patent does not provide a locking mechanism that is located at the center of the bar where a user places and lifts the curl bar. The locking bar simply holds the weight to prevent the weight from being accidentally knocked off the stanchion. The bracket is tilted to remove the weight from the bracket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,433 issued on Sep. 10, 2002 to Gilbert Reyes discloses a Weight-Bar Support Structure with Retractable Arms. As the weight is removed the arms retract to allow the weight to be lifted from the support structure. Without lifting the bar, the weight can't be removed from the support structure. The support structure is also located at the opposing ends of the lifting bar as opposed to located in the center of the weight plates. This patent requires movement or sliding of the bar to remove the bar from the support structure as opposed to a locking mechanism that is rotated to allow the bar to be lifted or removed from a central position.
What is needed is a weight bar locking mechanism that retains the curl bar or straight bar in a horizontal locked position until the lock is released to allow a user to exercise. Once the exercise is complete the curl bar or straight bar is placed onto the locking mechanism where the curl bar or straight bar is retained and locked against accidental dislodging.
It is an object of the weight bar locking mechanism to operate with a curling bar or straight bar. A curling bar typically has a unique zig-sag or bent configuration that allows a person to grip the bar with a more natural rotation of the wrists of the person who is exercising. Curl bars have only limited areas where the bar can be rested where the bar is perpendicular to the weights placed on the ends of the curl bar.
It is an object of the weight bar locking mechanism for the mechanism to retain a curl be on the central portion of the curl bar that is concentric with the weights placed on the ends of the curl bar. The central area is typically fairly narrow in dimension and placing the curl bar on this central area can be difficult and if the bar is not placed into the central area the curl be can be unbalanced. The locking mechanism captures both the top and bottom of the curl bar to lock the bar and prevents the curl bar from falling if the curl bar is not properly placed onto the locking mechanism.
It is another object of the weight bar locking mechanism to lock the curl bar with an over-center mechanism. As a curl bar is placed onto the locking mechanism the mechanism flips from an open condition to a locked position as the curl bar is retained in a molder with a locking mechanism that retains the curl bar in a pinched keeper that both centers the curl bar and retains the curl bar.
It is still another object of the weight bar locking mechanism to retain the curl bar in a parallel structure that prevents one side of the curl bar from tipping off of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism forces the retained sides of the curl bar like a torsion bar type arrangement that forces both sides of the curl bar to be essentially parallel with the horizon.
Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.
The parallel placed sides 30 and 40 each having a slot 43 formed with a front surface 41 and a rear surface 42 sized to accept a rod or tube member 18. The rod member 18 is a weight bar or other type shaft. Between said parallel placed side 30, 40 is a first flapper 50 having at least two arms connected through a first common pivot 82. Also between the parallel placed side 30, 40 is a second flapper 60 having at least one arm connected through a second pivot 70. The first flapper 50 has at least one of the two arms having with a step 54 where at least one arm 60 of said second flapper engages into the step 54 to prevent the first flapper 50 from rotating on the first common pivot 82.
The weight bar locking mechanism 20 further including at least one spring 100, 101 (shown in
Thus, specific embodiments of a weight bar locking mechanism have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/107,154 filed Jan. 23, 2015 the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62107154 | Jan 2015 | US |