Patent ID: 7722511

Claim:
A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises: (a) a plurality of individual weights that can be nested together to provide a stack of nested left weight plates and a stack of nested right weight plates that are separated by a gap; (b) a handle that may be dropped down into the gap between the stacks of nested left and right weight plates; (c) a selector that connects a desired number of weights to the handle; and (d) wherein each weight comprises: (i) a left weight plate and a right weight plate that are spaced apart but joined to one another by a front interconnecting member and a rear interconnecting member that extend horizontally and join the front and rear sides of the weight plates together, the weight plates and interconnecting members of each weight being separate and distinct from the weight plates and interconnecting members of the other weights and from the handle, and wherein the interconnecting members of each weight differ in length from the interconnecting members of the other weights such that the weight plates of different weights are spaced apart at progressively greater distances to allow the left and right weight plates to be nested with respect to one another in their respective stacks; (ii) wherein each left and right weight plate of each individual weight comprises a metallic inner weight plate and a non-metallic carrier that at least partially surrounds and encases the inner weight plate; (iii) wherein the carrier of each left and right weight plate includes a lug extending outwardly from a periphery of the carrier, wherein each left and right weight plate includes a front lug on a front side of the carrier and a rear lug on a rear side of the carrier with the front and rear lugs on the separated left and right weight plates being vertically aligned with one another, and wherein the opposite ends of the front interconnecting member are connected to the front lugs and the opposite ends of the rear interconnecting member are connected to the rear lugs; and (iv) wherein each lug has a passageway extending completely through the lug with the lug also having an annular, inwardly protruding abutment located in the passageway, and wherein each end of the interconnecting member is sized to extend partially into the passageway through one face of the lug to be received in the passageway with the interconnecting member being drawn up against the annular abutment inside the passageway by a threaded fastener having a shank that enters the passageway through the opposite face of the lug with a portion of the shank passing through the annular abutment to be received in a threaded bore in the end of the interconnecting member.