Patent Publication Number: US-11383125-B2

Title: Weightlifting bar handle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 63/073,228 filed on Sep. 1, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of handles removably attachable to weightlifting barbells and dumbbells. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Previous weightlifting barbell handles are usually removably attached to weightlifting bars via a sleeve portion sliding over an end portion of a respective weightlifting bar before placing weights/plates thereon. This is inconvenient since a user would need to remove the weights/plates whenever they want to remove or replace the handle. Furthermore, these sleeve portions are formed to receive and attach to bars of only one specific diameter. 
     Previous weightlifting dumbbell handles are removably attached to dumbbell bars via a detachable connector spaced from its respective hand grip. These detachable connectors are formed to receive bars of only one specific diameter. Furthermore, previous dumbbell handles are formed having only one hand grip member thereby limiting a user to lift the dumbbell with only one hand. 
     Therefore, a need exists to provide a weightlifting bar handle that can be more easily releasably attached to barbell or dumbbell bars having various diameters. Furthermore, the weightlifting handle must also have two spaced hand grip members to thereby offer a user a means to lift and exercise barbells and dumbbells with two hands. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in previous weightlifting handles, the present invention provides an improved weightlifting handle having two spaced grip members connected to two spaced weightlifting bar connector portions adapted to respectively removably attach to barbells and dumbbells of differing diameters. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, an improved weightlifting handle, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows a top view illustrating the improved weightlifting handle attached to a dumbbell according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view illustrating the improved weightlifting handle attached to a dumbbell according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view illustrating the improved weightlifting handle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view illustrating the improved weightlifting handle attached to a sleeve of an Olympic weightlifting bar according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to an improved weightlifting handle having two spaced grip members connected to two spaced weightlifting bar connector portions adapted to respectively removably attach to barbells and dumbbells of differing diameters. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , the improved weightlifting handle  100  has two spaced grip members  110  connected to a first weightlifting bar connector portion  120  and a second weightlifting bar connector portion  140 . The first weightlifting bar connector portion  120  is adapted to respectively removably attach to barbells and dumbbells having a diameter of between 1 inch and 1.5 inches. The second weightlifting bar connector portion  140  is adapted to respectively removably attach to barbells and/or barbell sleeves as used in Olympic weightlifting bars, and dumbbells having a diameter of between 2 inches and 2.5 inches. When using the first weightlifting bar connector portion  120  set screw  125  is used to securely and releasably retain the bar therein. When using the second weightlifting bar connector portion  140  set screw  145  is used to securely and releasably retain the bar therein. The first weightlifting bar connector portion  120  further incorporates curved edge  221  of a first side plate  200  and curved edge  222  of a second side plate  201 . The second weightlifting bar connector portion  140  further incorporates curved plate members  141  and  142  and  144 . Set screw  145  is used in conjunction with set screw aperture  146  in curved plate  142 , and set screw  125  is used in conjunction with set screw aperture  148  in curved plate  144 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a 1-inch diameter dumbbell  300  is placed within first weightlifting bar connector portion  120 , and set screw  125  is tightened. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a 2-inch diameter barbell  400 , usually an end sleeve of a standard Olympic weightlifting bar, is placed within second weightlifting bar connector portion  140 , and set screw  145  is tightened. 
     Once the improved weightlifting bar handle  100  is securely attached to either a dumbbell  300  or a barbell  400 , a weightlifter can choose between holding the improved weightlifting bar handle with either one hand or both hands to perform various exercises. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the improved weightlifting bar handle comprises a first side plate  200  including a first curved edge  221  sized and shaped to accommodate a weightlifting bar of a first diameter, and two spaced second curved edges  207  and  209  defining a circular shape that is sized and shaped to accommodate the circular shape of a weightlifting bar and/or sleeve of a second diameter. The first curved edge  221  is spaced from the two spaced second curved edges  207  and  209 , and wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter. The improved weightlifting bar handle further comprises a second side plate  201  that is spaced from said first side plate  200  and includes a first curved edge  222  also sized and shaped to accommodate a weightlifting bar of said first diameter, wherein the first curved edge of said first side plate and said first curved edge of said second side plate form the first weightlifting bar connector portion  120 . The improved weightlifting bar handle further comprises a first curved plate  144  including a first set screw aperture  148 , wherein the first curved plate  144  is connected to a first ( 207 ) of the two spaced second curved edges and is connected between the first and second side plates  200  and  201 ; and a second curved plate, that may be formed as two spaced curved plate portions  141  and  142 , that includes a second set screw aperture  146 , wherein one of the second curved plate portions ( 141 ) is connected to the second ( 209 ) of said two spaced second curved edges, wherein said second curved plate ( 141  and  142 ) is connected between the first and second side plates ( 200  and  201 ) and is spaced from the first curved plate, and wherein the first curved plate and the second curved plate form a second weightlifting bar connector portion  140 . The second weightlifting bar connector portion has a diameter that is larger than the first weightlifting bar connector portion. The improved weightlifting bar handle further comprises a first grip  110  connected between the first and second plates ( 200  and  201 ) and is spaced from the first and second weightlifting bar connector portions; a second grip  110  connected between the first and second plates and is spaced from the first grip, wherein the second grip is spaced from the first and second weightlifting bar connector portions, and wherein said first and second grips are sized, shaped, positioned, and adapted such that a user can grip one or both of the first and second grips at the same time and manipulate an attached weightlifting bar. The improved weightlifting bar handle further comprises a first set screw  125  removably and adjustably placed within the first set screw aperture  148  of the first curved plate  144 , and is adapted to adjustably extend into the first weightlifting bar connector portion  120 , to thereby releasably hold a weightlifting bar therein; and a second set screw  145  removably and adjustably placed within said second set screw aperture  146  of said second curved plate, and is adapted to adjustably extend into said second weightlifting bar connector portion, to thereby releasably hold a weightlifting bar within said second weightlifting bar connector portion. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the improved weightlifting bar handle  100  can be releasably attached to weightlifting bars of varying diameters. The improved weightlifting bar handle  100  can be gripped by either one hand of a user or both hands of a user. 
     The first curved plate  144  may further include a set screw extension  149  extending outwardly from the first weightlifting bar connector portion and incorporates the first set screw aperture  148  therethrough. As mentioned previously, the second curved plate may formed from a first curved plate portion  141  connected to and extending from the first plate  200 , and a second curved plate portion  142  connected to and extending from the second plate  201 , wherein the second curved plate portion  142  incorporates the second set screw aperture  146  therethrough. 
     The improved weightlifting bar handle may further comprise a connector plate  170  connected between said first and second side plates ( 200  and  201 ) and provides increased stability to the improved weightlifting handle. The connector plate  170  includes an aperture  172  therethrough adopted to allow weightlifting attachments, ie.,  174 , to be releasably connected thereto. 
     The improved weightlifting bar handle  100  may formed from cast iron, steel, aluminum, brass, ceramic, or carbon fiber. 
     One important advantage of the instant configuration over the prior art is that the improved weightlifting bar handle can be quickly and easily attached and detached from respective dumbbells or barbells without removing any weight plates, especially when some weight plates are permanent features upon the weight bar, as in many dumbbells. 
     Another important advantage of the instant configuration over the prior art is that the instant handle can be quickly and easily attached and detached from dumbbells and barbells of varying diameters. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.