Patent Application
20240316381
The present invention relates to lifting bars for weight-lifting machines that support metal weight plates and use pins to removably secure the desired weight. More particularly, the weight plate holder pegs of the present invention permit the manual addition of weight plate(s), allowing users of the equipment to add weight plate(s) to change the weight load dispended, while the weight load is further determined by the distance of the secured weight plate(s) on the weight plate holder peg from a pivot point whereby the further away the weight plate(s) is from the pivot point the heavier the weight becomes, producing multiple weight loads with only one weight plate.
Strength training, also known as weight training, resistance training, and muscular training, has become a fundamental part of most exercise regimens due to the mounting evidence that supports its many scienced backed health improving benefits, of which include but are not limited to, building strength, burning calories efficiently, decreasing abdominal fat, decreasing risks of falls, lowering the risk of injury, improving heart health, managing blood sugar levels, promoting greater flexibility and mobility, strengthening bones, improving brain health, boosting one's mood, improving self-esteem, and promoting a better quality of life. Strength training can be achieved by physical movement through the use of equipment (e.g., selectorized, plate-load, and free-weight type units) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
However, these types of selectorized, plate-load, and free-weight type units currently on the market, have undergone very little upgrades and/or improvements. In particular, the selectorized unit relates to a single or multiple station weight lifting type exercise apparatus/machine having a series of weight plates on a weight stack, whereby the typical weight of each plate is ten to twenty pounds, with a typical weight stack of two hundred pounds or more, requiring at least ten to twenty individual weight plates per weight stack. Similarly, in regard to plate-load and free-weight units, multiple weight plates are required to achieve the user's desired weight load. These selectorized, plate-load, and free-weight units currently on the market are large in size, requiring a large space to accommodate them, are very costly to manufacture due to the materials needed to produce them, including the amount of steel required to manufacture the units themselves as well as the amount of steel required to produce the number of weight plates necessary to equip and operate these units. Moreover, steel production has a number of harmful impacts on the environment, including air emissions (CO, SOx, NOx, PM2), wastewater contaminants, hazardous wastes, and solid wastes, which can result in climate change, emissions to air, emissions to water, and waste in the form of slag, which is the limestone and iron ore impurities collected at the top of the molten iron, making up the largest portion of iron-making by-products.
In addition, these selectorized, plate-load, and free-weight units currently on the market are also costly to produce due to the mechanics and components of the units. Shipping these types of units is also very costly due to their large size and heavy weight. More importantly, they also pose a danger to the user due to their movable parts and heavy exposed weight stacks in regard to selectorized type units and heavy individual weight plates a user must secure to the unit in order to acquire the user's desired weight load in regard to plate-load and free-weight type units. The lifting and moving of these heavy weight plates required to achieve the user's desired weight load can also be dangerous and lead to injury.
Furthermore, another downside of the selectorized type unit is that it has a maximum weight load limit because additional weight plates cannot be added to the weight plate stack. This may lead to the user outgrowing the machine and not receiving the full workout effectiveness and/or benefits of the exercise.
However, even with the high costs to manufacture and ship these units, the amount of steel required to produce these units, the high retail cost, the large size and heavy weight of these units, and the dangers they pose, these selectorized, plate-load, and free-weight type units have not undergone any significant improvements. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,746,113 and 5,350,344 describe weight-lifting machines in which weight may be released by pushing a button on the lifting handle. However, these patents describe a complex device in which a computer-operated control mechanism for changing weights must be attached to the exterior of the weight set. Such a device requires a plurality of heavy weight plates on a weight stack, is costly to produce, causes unnecessary emissions to the environment, is maintenance-intensive, and occupies space needed for other purposes. Hence, there remains a need for a more simplified, convenient, safer, less costly, and environmentally friendlier means by which a user can achieve a desired weight load on an exercise machine and attain the full benefits of strength training.
These needs are met by the present invention. More particularly, the invention is a vast improvement to the present design of the existing machines of these types, as well as past and present patents relating to improvements of the existing machine of this type. In accordance with the present invention there is provided an exercise machine including:
The present invention includes exercise machines in which a lifting bar is predisposed horizontally, vertically, or any angle in between. While the means for securing the weight plates onto the weight plate holder pegs may be electrically operated and/or controlled, preferred devices in accordance with the present invention weight plates are secured to the weight plate holder pegs by purely manual means.
The weight plate(s) can also be positioned at different points of a lifting bar by way of an adjustable weight load holder that would manually or mechanically slide across the lifting bar instead of a series of pegs on the lifting bar, as referenced in U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/269,766, filed on Mar. 22, 2022.
The position of the weight plate(s) on the lifting bar produces a heavier or lighter weight load for the user. When the weight plate(s) is secured to the weight plate holder peg attached to the lifting bar that is the furthest from the pivot point, the weight load is at its heaviest setting for the user to perform the exercise. When the weight plate(s) is secured to the weight plate holder peg attached to the lifting bar that is nearest to the pivot point, the weight load is at its lightest setting for the user to perform the exercise. As the user secures the weight plate(s) to a weight plate holder peg further away from the pivot point, the weight load becomes heavier. As the user secures the weight plate(s) to a weight plate holder peg nearer to the pivot point, the weight load becomes lighter. Therefore, by distancing the weight plate(s) further away from the pivot point, the weight load increases, and by positioning the weight plate(s) closer to the pivot point, the weight load decreases. For instance, the weight load of a five-pound weight plate can increase to fifty pounds or heavier when that same five-pound weight plate is positioned further away from the pivot point and can decrease to a one-pound weight load or less when that same five-pound weight plate is positioned nearest to the pivot point.
This invention allows for a safer, more effective workout, while also drastically reducing the manufacturing and retail costs in comparison to current selectorized units, plate-load units, and/or free-weight type strength training units, since the invention only requires a minimum amount of weight plates (as few as one), as opposed to a much heavier and dangerous weight stack, or weight plates on a typical weight stack or weight composition of previous units. The invention would require only ten percent or less of the steel needed to produce the invention itself, as well as the weight plates needed to achieve the same weight load as the current selectorized units, plate-load units, and/or free-weight type strength training units would require, thus making the invention much less expensive and much less harmful to the environment. The present invention is a much lighter unit, due to the reduced number of weight plates it requires to achieve the same weight load as the current selectorized type units, free-weight units, and/or plate-load units require, also necessitating fewer shipping packages, which vastly reduces the cost of shipping and makes the unit easier to transport and assemble.
In addition, the unit can now be fully enclosed without the user coming into contact with dangerous heavy weight stacks and/or movable parts while performing a workout. The invention can be built as a single station (one exercise) unit, or a multi-station (multi-exercise) unit.
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many more other intended advantages can be readily attained by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the following drawings, wherein:
The device of the present invention is shown in
Although the weight machine is shown as a cable operated device, the present invention is generally applicable to any weight training machine, of which many types are known in the art. For clarity of illustration, the frame of the weight-lifting machine is not depicted.
Thus, the lifting bar 10 can be oriented vertically, horizontally, or any angle in between. There may be more weight plates used than the one weight plate 13 that is depicted in
As shown in
It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that the invention may be provided using some or all of the mentioned features and components without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to the skilled artisan that the embodiments described above are specific examples of a single broader invention which may have greater scope than any of the singular descriptions taught. There may be many alterations made in the descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/269,766, filed on Mar. 22, 2022. The entire disclosure is included herein in its entirety at least by reference.
