Patent Publication Number: US-2021187340-A1

Title: Adjustable exercise device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an adjustable exercise device, and more particularly to an adjustable barbell, kettle bell, or dumbbell having a solid and stable structure or configuration for solidly and stably coupling the weight members of the dumbbell together and for preventing the weight members of the adjustable dumbbell from being disengaged or separated from each other, and arranged for allowing the weight or the size or the standard of the weight members or of the adjustable exercise device or the adjustable dumbbell to be suitably increased. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various kinds of typical adjustable barbells, kettle bells, or dumbbells have been developed and provided for conducting various exercise operations, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,413 to Kupferman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,997 to Roth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,093 to Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,214 to Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 7,731,641 to Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 7,811,213 to Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 9,616,273 to Chen, and U.S. Pat. No. 10,343,010 to Chen disclose several of the typical adjustable dumbbells each including a number of weight rings or weight members that may be selectively or adjustably secured together for adjusting the weight of the dumbbells. 
     Normally, in the typical adjustable dumbbells, a single central handle bar is provided to be engaged with or between the weight rings or the weight members, and the weight rings or the weight members are to be disposed and engaged on the end portions of the central handle bar. 
     When the weight rings or the weight members include a relatively smaller weight, such as a weight less than fifty (50) pounds, for example, the weight rings or the weight members may be solidly and stably engaged on the end portions of the central handle bar. 
     However, when the weight rings or the weight members include a relatively greater weight, such as a weight greater than sixty or seventy pounds, for example, the weight rings or the weight members may not be solidly and stably engaged on the end portions of the central handle bar, and may have a good chance to be disengaged or separated from the handle bar, or the user may feel that the weight rings or the weight members may not be solidly and stably held and carried with the central handle bar. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional adjustable barbells, kettle bells, or dumbbells. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable barbell, kettle bell, or dumbbell including a solid and stable structure or configuration for solidly and stably coupling the weight members of the dumbbell together and for preventing the weight members of the adjustable dumbbell from being disengaged or separated from each other. 
     The other objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable barbell, kettle bell, or dumbbell arranged for allowing the weight or the size or the standard of the weight members or of the adjustable exercise device or the adjustable dumbbell to be suitably increased. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an adjustable dumbbell comprising a receptacle, a first weight and a second weight engageable to the receptacle, the first weight including an orifice formed in the first weight, and the second weight including an aperture formed in the second weight, and a handle mechanism including a handle bar having two end portions, and a first and a second housings disposed on the end portions of the handle bar respectively, a first and a second tubular members engaged between the first and the second housings and offset or separated from each other, the first and the second tubular members each including a bore formed in the first and the second tubular members respectively, the first housing including an opening formed in the first housing and aligned with the bore of the first tubular member, and the second housing including a hole formed in the second housing and aligned with the bore of the second tubular member, a first latch slidably received and engaged in the bore of the first tubular member and extendible out of the opening of the first housing for engaging with the orifice of the first weight and for retaining the first weight to the first housing, and a second latch slidably received and engaged in the bore of the second tubular member and extendible out of the aperture of the second housing for engaging with the hole of the second weight and for retaining the second weight to the second housing and for allowing the weights to be solidly and stably coupled and retained to the housings, and for preventing the weights from being disengaged or separated from the housings of the handle mechanism, and for allowing the weight or the size or the standard or the volume of the weight members to be suitably increased. 
     The handle mechanism includes a first and a second spring biased knobs attached to the first and the second latches respectively for actuating and moving the latches to engage with the first and/or the second weights and for detachably or changeably attaching the weights to the housings of the handle mechanism respectively. 
     The first and the second tubular members each include a groove communicating with the bore of the tubular member for slidably receiving and engaging with the spring biased knob and for guiding and limiting the spring biased knob and the latches to move relative to the tubular members and the weights. The first and the second tubular members each include a plurality of cavities communicating with the bore of the tubular member for receiving and engaging with the spring biased knob and for anchoring or positioning the spring biased knob to the tubular member at the required or predetermined position. 
     The first and the second housings each include an anchoring member, such as a dovetail slot formed in an outer side portion, and the first and the second weights each include an anchoring element, such as a dovetail formed on an inner side portion for engaging with the anchoring member and for anchoring and retaining the first and the second weights to the first and the second housings respectively. The first and the second weights each include an anchoring member formed in an outer side portion for engaging with the anchoring elements of the other weights. 
     A third weight includes an anchoring element formed on an inner side portion for engaging with the anchoring member of the first weight and for anchoring and retaining the first and the third weights together, the third weight includes an orifice formed in the third weight and aligned with the orifice of the first weight for receiving and engaging with the first latch, a fourth weight includes an anchoring element formed on an inner side portion for engaging with the anchoring member of the second weight and for anchoring and retaining the second and the fourth weights together, and the fourth weight includes an aperture formed in the fourth weight and aligned with the aperture of the second weight for receiving and engaging with the second latch. 
     The receptacle includes one or more partitions extended from receptacle and disposed between the first and the second weights for anchoring and positioning the weights in place. The partition includes a notch formed in the partition for receiving and engaging with the handle bar and for solidly and stably anchoring and positioning the handle bar of the handle mechanism in place. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial exploded view of an adjustable dumbbell in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the adjustable dumbbell; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the adjustable dumbbell, taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is another cross sectional view of the adjustable dumbbell, taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a further cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 , illustrating the operation of the adjustable dumbbell assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-4 , an adjustable exercise device, such as an adjustable barbell, kettle bell, or dumbbell in accordance with the present invention comprises a supporting base or receptacle  10  including one or more (such as two) depressions or recesses or compartments  11  formed therein for selectively receiving or engaging with two groups of weights  20 ,  21 , such as weight rings or plates or members or elements, and including one or more (such as two) spacer plates or partitions  12 ,  13  extended upwardly therefrom and disposed and arranged or located between the two compartments  11  of the receptacle  10 , and/or disposed and arranged or located between the two groups of the weights  20 ,  21 , and the partitions  12 ,  13  are disengaged or separated from each other, best shown in  FIG. 1 . The partitions  12 ,  13  each include a cavity or notch  14  formed therein, such as formed in the middle or intermediate portion thereof. 
     As also best shown in  FIG. 1 , the weights  20 ,  21  each include a projection or anchoring element or dovetail  23  formed or provided on the inner side portion thereof, i.e. faced or directed toward the partitions  12 ,  13 , and an anchoring member  24 , such as dovetail slot  24  formed therein, such as formed in the outer side portion thereof, i.e. faced or directed away from each other and away from the partitions  12 ,  13 , for receiving or engaging with the anchoring element or dovetail  23  of the other weights  20 ,  21  and for anchoring or retaining or positioning the weights  20 ,  21  together, and arranged for allowing the weights  20 ,  21  to be moved up and down relative to each other, but arranged for preventing the weights  20 ,  21  from being moved sidewise relative to each other and for preventing the weights  20 ,  21  from being disengaged or separated from each other. One or the first group of the weights  20  each include an orifice  25  formed therein and aligned with each other, and the other or the second group of the weights  21  each include an aperture  26  formed therein and aligned with each other, 
     The adjustable exercise device further comprises a handle mechanism  3  to be disposed and engaged between the two groups of the weights  20 ,  21 , the handle mechanism  3  includes a central handle bar  30  having one or more (such as two) end portions  31 , and having one or more (such as two) housings  32 ,  33  disposed or extended radially and outwardly from the end portions  31  thereof respectively. The housings  32 ,  33  each include an anchoring member  34 , such as a dovetail slot  34  formed therein, such as formed in the outer side portion thereof, i.e. faced or directed toward the weights  20 ,  21  for receiving or engaging with the dovetail  23  of the weights  20 ,  21  and for anchoring or retaining or positioning the weights  20 ,  21  to the housings  32 ,  33 , and arranged for allowing the weights  20 ,  21  to be detachably or changeably or removably and/or adjustably attached or mounted or secured to the housings  32 ,  33  and/or the end portions  31  of the handle bar  30  of the handle mechanism  3 . 
     The handle mechanism  3  further includes one or more (such as two) barrels or tubular members  40 ,  41  disposed and engaged between the housings  32 ,  33  and offset or spaced or separated from each other, or the tubular members  40 ,  41  are arranged or disposed opposite to each other. The tubular members  40 ,  41  each include a chamber or bore  42  formed therein ( FIGS. 3-5 ). One or the first housing  32  includes an opening  35  formed therein ( FIGS. 4-5 ) and aligned with the bore  42  of the first tubular member  40 , and the other or the second housing  33  includes a cavity or hole  36  formed therein and aligned with the bore  42  of the second tubular member  41 , and two sliding members or latches  50 ,  51 , such as the first latch  50  and the second latch  51  are slidably received or engaged in the bores  42  of the tubular members  40 ,  41  respectively, and extendible out of the opening  35  and the hole  36  of the housings  32 ,  33  respectively for selectively engaging with or into the orifices  25  of the first group of the weights  20  and the apertures  26  of the second group of the weights  21  respectively. 
     For example, as shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , the first latch  50  is extendible out of the opening  35  of the first housing  32  and engageable with the orifices  25  of the first group of the weights  20  for selectively and detachably or changeably anchoring or retaining or positioning or coupling a required or predetermined number of the weights  20  to the first housing  32  and the handle bar  30  of the handle mechanism  3 . Similarly, the second latch  51  is extendible out of the hole  36  of the second housing  33  and engageable with the apertures  26  of the second group of the weights  21  for selectively and detachably or changeably anchoring or retaining or positioning or coupling a required or predetermined number of the weights  21  to the second housing  33  and the handle bar  30  of the handle mechanism  3 . A first and a second spring biased buttons or knobs  52 ,  53  are attached or mounted to the latches  50 ,  51  respectively for actuating or moving the latches  50 ,  51  to engage with the weights  20 ,  21  selectively and respectively. 
     For example, the tubular members  40 ,  41  each include a slot or groove  43  formed therein and communicating with the bore  42  of the tubular members  40 ,  41  respectively for slidably receiving or engaging with the spring biased knob  52 ,  53  and for guiding and limiting the spring biased knob  52 ,  53  and the latches  50 ,  51  to slide and to move relative to the tubular members  40 ,  41  and the weights  20 ,  21  respectively. The tubular members  40 ,  41  each further include one or more cavities  44  formed therein and communicating with the bore  42  of the tubular members  40 ,  41  respectively for receiving or engaging with the spring biased knob  52 ,  53  and for anchoring or retaining or positioning the spring biased knob  52 ,  53  to the tubular members  40 ,  41  and thus for anchoring or retaining or positioning the required or predetermined number of the weights  20 ,  21  to the housings  32 ,  33  and the handle bar  30  of the handle mechanism  3 . 
     In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , the latches  50 ,  51  may be actuated to move relative to the tubular members  40 ,  41  with the spring biased knob  52 ,  53 , to engage with the required or predetermined number of the weights  20 ,  21 , and to anchor or retain or position the required or predetermined number of the weights  20 ,  21  to the housings  32 ,  33  and the handle bar  30  of the handle mechanism  3 . It is to be noted that the housings  32 ,  33  may be solidly and stably engaged and coupled together with the handle bar  30  and the tubular members  40 ,  41 , and the weights  20 ,  21  may be solidly and stably engaged and coupled to the housings  32 ,  33  with the latches  50 ,  51  such that the weight or the size or the standard of the weights  20 ,  21  may be suitably increased, or the weight or the size or the standard of the adjustable exercise device or the adjustable dumbbell may be suitably increased. The handle bar  30  may be solidly and stably received or engaged or rested in the notches  14  of the partitions  12 ,  13 . 
     Accordingly, the adjustable dumbbell in accordance with the present invention includes a solid and stable structure or configuration for solidly and stably coupling the weight members of the dumbbell together and for preventing the weight members of the adjustable dumbbell from being disengaged or separated from each other, and arranged for allowing the weight or the size or the standard of the weight members or of the adjustable exercise device or the adjustable dumbbell to be suitably increased. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.