Patent Publication Number: US-8979717-B2

Title: Chin-up assemblies

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present utility patent application relates to and claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/583,053, filed Jan. 4, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to exercise equipment, and particularly to strength training equipment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Dillard U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,942 discloses an adjustable exercise device. First and second rigid bars may be connected together by a support to form an elongated bar assembly having a longitudinal axis. A pair of hand grips are spaced from one another, and each hand grip includes a mounting portion which is freely pivotally supported on a bar for pivotal movement about pivot axis extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bar assembly. A hand grip portion is supported on the mounting portion for swivel movement through 360 degrees about an axis of rotation disposed substantially perpendicular to and passing through the pivot axis at the point where the mounting portion is pivotally supported by the bar assembly. The swivel connection can be locked to prevent swiveling of the hand grip portion. 
     Mobley U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,866 discloses a chin-up bar assembly with sliding and swiveling handles. A chin up bar assembly is provided with a cross bar and a pair of handles slidably mounted on the cross bar. The handles are pivotally mounted for movement between locked and unlocked positions. When a user hangs from the handles, the handles automatically pivot to the locked position to frictionally engage the cross bar and prevent sliding movement of the handles along the cross bar. The handles also can be swiveled during use to exercise different muscles in the user&#39;s arms, chest and back. 
     Hauser et al U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,831 discloses a pull-up exercise assembly with rotatable handles and pivotable bar. An exercise assembly for performing a wide array of exercises including pull-ups and chin-ups is provided which includes a bar connected between rotatable swing arm assemblies. The swing arm assemblies extend along vertical faces of a frame and are adapted to rotate the bar from one position between the vertical faces to another position. The exercise assembly includes at least one handle assembly removably grasping the central bar and having a handle adapted to rotate 360 degrees during exercise. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. In some examples, chin-up assemblies are provided having a mount; a suspension member spaced from the mount; at least one handle that is movable along the suspension member and pivotable with respect to the suspension member; and an arm coupled to the handle. Pivoting of the handle with respect to the suspension member couples the arm to the mount to thereby fix the position of the handle along the suspension member. 
     In other examples, a chin-up assembly extends in a lateral direction, a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the lateral direction and a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the lateral direction and perpendicular to the vertical direction. The chin-up assembly has a mount extending in the lateral direction; a suspension member extending in the lateral direction and spaced from the mount in the transverse direction; and a handle that is pivotable about the suspension member in the transverse direction towards and away from the mount. Pivoting the handle away from the mount frees the handle to move along the suspension member in the lateral direction. Pivoting the handle towards the mount locks the handle so as to prevent the handle from moving in the lateral direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Examples of chin-up assemblies are described herein with reference to the following drawing figures. The same numbers are used throughout the drawing figures to reference like features and components. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a frame for exercise equipment having a chin-up assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the chin-up assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the chin-up assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial view of the chin-up assembly showing a handle that is movable along and pivotable with respect to a suspension member and mount. 
         FIG. 5  is a view of Section  5 - 5  taken in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a view of Section  6 - 6  taken in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. Various equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  depicts exercise equipment  10  including a chin-up assembly  12  mounted on two vertical support columns  14 . The exercise equipment  10  and chin-up assembly  12  extend in a lateral direction  16 , a vertical direction  18  that is perpendicular to the lateral direction  16  and a transverse direction  20  that is perpendicular to the lateral direction  16  and perpendicular to the vertical direction  18 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the chin-up assembly  12  includes a mount  22 , which in the example shown is a cross bar supported between end supports  24 ,  26 . The mount  22  in this example is a square tube; however it does not have to be a square tube and can, for example, comprise part of a wall surface or differently shaped member. The end supports  24 ,  26  are useful in the example shown for suspending the chin-up assembly  12  from the support columns  14 ; however these are optional structures that need not be included in the design. In the example shown, the end supports  24 ,  26  support the mount  22 , and alternately support the mount  22  in a spaced apart position from a wall surface (not shown) to provide space for a user to perform chin-ups on the assembly  12 . 
     A suspension member  28  is mounted to and spaced from the mount  22 . In this example, the suspension member  28  includes a cylindrical bar that is fixed to the mount  22  by end brackets  30 ,  32 . Opposing ends of the suspension member  28  are fixed to the end brackets  30 ,  32  by end pieces  34 ,  36 . The suspension member  28  is inserted through holes in the end brackets  30 ,  32  and the end pieces  34 ,  36  are fastened to the opposing ends of the suspension member  28  via, for example, set screws  29 . A center bracket  38  supports the middle of the suspension member  28 , providing additional strength and stability. 
     A pair of handles  40 ,  42  is connected to and laterally movable back and forth along the suspension member  28 . Each handle  40 ,  42  is rotatable in 360 degrees about a vertical axis  44  extending in the vertical direction  48 . In this example, each handle  40 ,  42  has a shank  41  that is connected by a bolt  46  to a sleeve  48  that extends along the noted vertical axis  44 . A flange  43  is provided on the shank  41  below the sleeve  48 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , lower and upper connection assemblies  50 ,  52  are provided on the ends of the sleeve  48  for facilitating the noted 360 degree rotation. The exact configuration of these assemblies  50 ,  52  can vary. In one example, the lower connection assembly  50  can include a bronze bushing  54  that is stacked on a washer  56  that is welded to the shaft of the respective handle  40 ,  42 . The upper connection assembly  52  can include a fender washer  58  stacked on top of a thrust bearing assembly  60 , which can include in series, a race, needle bearing, and race. The thrust bearing assembly  60  can be stacked on top of a bronze bushing  62 , which in turn can be stacked on the upper end of the sleeve  48 . The assemblies  50 ,  52  facilitate the noted 360 degree rotation of handles  30 ,  32  about the noted vertical axis  44 . As noted above, the exact configuration of the assemblies  50 ,  52  can vary from that which is shown and described. 
     Sleeves  64  are provided on the suspension member  22  and are slidable along and rotatable about the suspension member  28 . Each sleeve  64  is fixedly coupled to a respective sleeve  48 , such that the respective handle  40 ,  42  rotates with and slides with the sleeve  64 . Each sleeve  64  can have bronze bushings  66  at its ends, which facilitate easier sliding and rotating movement with respect to the suspension member  28 . Sleeves  48 ,  64  can be fixedly connected together, for example by welding. In the example shown, the handles  40 ,  42  extend transversely vertically downwardly with respect to the respective sleeves  64 . 
     An arm  68  radially extends in the transverse direction from the sleeve  64  into a recess  70  in the mount  22 . In the example shown, the recess  70  defines a plurality of cut outs  72  that are spaced along the mount  22  so as to define fixable positions for the handle  40 ,  42 , along the suspension member  22 , as will be described herein below. The cut outs  72  in the plurality can be scallop-shaped. The length of the arm  68  is sized so that its free end is selectively engageable with the respective scallop-shaped cut outs  72 . In this example, the arm  68  defines a cam follower  74  for residing in the scallop-shaped cut outs  72 . The cam follower  74  can include a roller bearing that is rollable with respect to the arm  68  and connected thereto via bolt  75 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , the handle  40 ,  42  and sleeve  48  are coupled to the sleeve  64  and arm  68  such that the weight of the handle  40 ,  42  normally cams the respective sleeve  64  and arm  68  towards the mount  22 , causing the cam follower  74  of the arm  68  to press against one of the cut outs  72  in the recess  70  of the mount  22 . The weight of the handles  40 ,  42 , sleeve  48  and noted assemblies  50 ,  52  can cam the arm  68  towards the mount  22  and into a respective cut out  72 , to thereby fix the position of the handle  40 ,  42  into the cut out  72  and with respect to the suspension member  28 . In use, the user applying downward force to the respective handle  40 ,  42 , by for example pulling on or hanging from the handle  40 ,  42  can further cam the arm  68  towards the mount  22  to thereby more firmly fix the axial position of the handle  40 ,  42  with respect to the suspension member  28 . Thus, when the user grasps the handles  40 ,  42  and suspends himself or herself from the handles  40 ,  42 , the users weight pulls down on the handles  40 ,  42  and rotates the sleeve  64  about the suspension member  28 , thus causing the arm  68  to move upwardly in the vertical direction  18 . This causes the cam follower  74  of the arm  68  to press against one of the cut outs  72  in the recess  70  of the mount  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , if the cam follower  74  is aligned with a peak  78  between two of the respective cut outs  72  at the time when the user pulls down on the handles  40 ,  42  in the vertical direction  18 , the rolling ability of the cam follower  74  will cause the arm  68  to move laterally off of the peak  78  (in either direction) and then upwardly into one or the other of the respective cut outs  72 . See Arrow  76 . 
     The lateral positions of the respective handles  40 ,  42  can be adjusted by pivoting the handles  40 ,  42  with respect to the vertical direction  18  and moving the respective handle  40 ,  42  in the lateral direction  16 . When the user lifts the handles  40 ,  42  (see arrow  80  in  FIG. 5 ), the cam follower  74  of the arm  68  can disengage with the cut out  72  in the recess  70  and thus move laterally and freely in either direction along the length of the recess  70  in the lateral direction (see Arrows  81 ). 
     By providing the user with handles  40 ,  42  that rotate, the user has the ability to work more muscles with each pull-up, therefore becoming a more efficient pull-up. Further, each handle  40 ,  42  can be incrementally freely laterally moved along the suspension member  28  (e.g. after the user lifts the handles  40 ,  42  in the direction of arrow  80 ). When the user applies weight to the handles  40 ,  42 , the handles  40 ,  42  will effectively lock into place and prevent movement laterally, but still allow free rotation of the handles  40 ,  42 . Subsequently, the handles  40 ,  42  will freely move laterally when the user&#39;s weight is no longer applied to the handles  40 ,  42  and the user lifts the handles  40 ,  42  in the direction of arrow  80 . When no weight is applied to the handles  40 ,  42  and the handles  40 ,  42  are lifted upwardly in the direction of arrow  80 , there is enough room in the recess  70  beneath the cut outs  72  that allows the arm  68  to move laterally and freely to allow for the noted adjustment. The handles  40 ,  42  can freely rotate the noted 360 degrees about the vertical axis  44 , which in part is assisted by the noted thrust washers to prevent friction between the handle components. Thus, in this example, the handles  40 ,  42  can rotate freely and smoothly about the vertical axis  44  regardless of whether the user is hanging from the handles  40 ,  42  or if no weight is being applied. 
     The present disclosure thus provides chin-up assemblies  12  having a suspension member  28  spaced from a mount  22 . At least one handle  40 ,  42  is movable along the suspension member  28  and pivotable with respect to the suspension member  28 . An arm  68  is coupled to the handle  40 ,  42  via the sleeves  48 ,  64 . Pivoting of the handle  40 ,  42  with respect to the suspension member  28  couples the arm  68  to the mount  22  by engaging the cam follower  74  with a cut out  72  in the recess  70  of the mount  22 , to thereby fix the position of the handle  40 ,  42  along the suspension member  28  in the noted lateral direction  16 . In the particular example shown and described, the mount  22  includes a cross bar that is supported between two end supports  24 ,  26  and defines a recess  70  into which the arm  68  extends. The recess has the noted plurality of cut outs  72  that are laterally spaced apart along the mount  22  and define fixable positions for the arm  68 , and thus the handles  40 ,  42 . The cut outs  72  in the plurality are scallop-shaped and the arm  68  fits into the cut outs  72 . The rolling cam follower  74  on the arm  68  fits in the cut outs  72 . As discussed, the rolling cam follower  74  laterally rolls off of a peak  78  located between adjacent cut outs  72  in the plurality when the handle  40 ,  42  is pivoted with respect to the suspension member  28 . 
     Although only a few examples have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the examples without materially departing from this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means plus function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, and whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures. It is the express intention of the Applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6, for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words “means for” together with an associated function.