EP2520341A1

EP2520341A1 - Exercise weight

Info

Publication number: EP2520341A1
Application number: EP12166590A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mark Bellamy; Robert Coleman
Original assignee: Performance Technology Ltd
Current assignee: LEISURE LINES (GB) LIMITED
Priority date: 2011-05-03
Filing date: 2012-05-03
Publication date: 2012-11-07
Also published as: GB201207756D0; GB2490595B; GB201107234D0; GB2490595A

Abstract

An exercise weight (10) is disclosed comprising an inner container that may be filled with a flowable substance and is slidably received within a cylindrical outer case (12) having an openable axial end cap (22). In the invention, a restraint (26a,26b) is provided within, and secured to, the outer case (12) to restrain the inner container (50,60,70,80) from impacting the removable end cap (24) when the outer case (12) of the weight is subjected to speed changes.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an exercise weight comprising a inner container that is filled with a flowable substance and is slidably received within a cylindrical outer case having a removable or openable axial end cap.

Background of the invention

It has previously been proposed by the present Applicants to perform various physical exercises using as a weight a cylindrical case that is only partially filled with a flowable solid, usually sand. The weight may be carried, for example across the shoulders, while walking and running, swung as the body is rotated, or thrown and caught. The partial filling of the case gives it some degree of compliance so that it is less likely to cause injury. The exercise weight also has some flexibility allowing the user to perform a whole range of purposely designed exercises.
In the known exercise weight, the cylindrical outer case is made of a strong material and is permanently closed at one end. At the opposite axial end, the case is closed by a removable end cap. Two axially spaced straps, or handles, project from the cylindrical surface of the case to enable the exercise weight to be gripped.
Before the removable end cap is secured to the outer case, a sack containing the desired weight of sand is placed within the case. If the sack is not itself made of a water impermeable material, it is placed within a plastics bag and sealed before it is loaded into the outer case. This prevents ingress of water and moisture that can change the weight of the sand and more importantly interfere with the ability of the sand to move around freely within the case.
The plastic bag containing the sand cannot be a tight fit in the outer case. Aside from the fact that it is desired for the exercise weight to have some flexibility, the volume of sand needed to make up the desired weight varies with the grain size and moisture content of the sand. The inner plastic bag can therefore slide axially within the outer cylindrical case.
A problem that has been experienced with the known exercise weights of this type is that there is a tendency when the exercise weight is thrown or undergoes sudden changes in speed for the inner plastics bag to dislodge the end cap and burst out of the outer case.

Object of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a more robust exercise weight that reduces the risk of the end cap being forced off the outer case.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided an exercise weight comprising an inner container that is filled with a flowable substance and is slidably received within a cylindrical outer case having an openable or removable axial end cap, characterised in that a restraint is provided within, and secured to, the outer case to restrain the inner container from impacting the removable end cap when the outer case of the weight is subjected to speed changes.
The restraint may suitably comprise one or more straps.
Each strap may be formed in two parts fastened to one another in any convenient manner such as by the use of hook and loop tape or a buckle.
It is preferred for the inner container to be impermeable to air, water and moisture.
Movement of the inner container within the outer case, resulting from sudden changes in speed of the exercise weight, can compress the air between the inner container and the end cap, thereby applying pressure to dislodge the end cap.
For this reason, in an embodiment of the invention, ventilation holes are provided in the outer case, preferably in the end cap, to prevent such a build-up of air pressure within the outer case.
For added comfort and safety when using the exercise weight, it is desirable for the outer case to be padded. The padding may be of a thick felt or a stiff sponge. When such padding is present, it is advantageous for it to cover the ventilation holes so as to prevent leakage of sand while allowing air to escape.
In the known exercise weight, the end cap is retained on the cylindrical case by means of hook and loop tape, such as Velcro^® tape. In an embodiment of the present invention, a zip fastener is used as the means of securing the end cap of the outer case to permit opening and closing of the case. Aside from the ease of use, a zip fastener allows the end cap to form a butt joint with the outer case without any overlapping edge that can catch on the user.
If desired, additional reinforcement ties or straps may be provided around the circumference of the outer case to reduce the forces acting to separate the two halves of the zip fastener. Such ties or straps may if desired make use of hook and loop tape.
To avoid injury from the slider(s) of the zip fastener, a cover flap may be sewn to the exterior of the outer case to overlie the opposite ends of the zip fastener so as to provide a pocket within which the slider(s) may be concealed when the exercise weight is in use.
The outer case may be formed of leather or a canvas material but it is preferred to use a nylon fabric which has been found to be best suited to withstand wear.
The invention further provides a kit that includes an exercise weight as set out above and a plurality of inner containers that are receivable individually, or more than one at a time, within the outer case of the exercise weight. The inner containers may include a rigid tube or one capable of holding a liquid, such as water.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, there is provided exercise weight kit a cylindrical outer case having a removable or openable axial end cap and a plurality of inner containers that are each receivable individually, or at the same time as at least one other inner container, within the outer case of the exercise weight.
In an embodiment of the invention, the inner containers may include a rigid tube and/or one capable of holding a liquid, such as water.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which .

Figure 1 is a side view of an exercise weight of the invention,
Figure 2 is an end view of the weight in Figure 1 with the end cap in the closed position,
Figure 3 is a similar view to that of Figure 2, with the end cap in an open position and the inner container retraining strap fastened,
Figure 4 is a similar view to that of Figure 4, with the end cap in an open position and the inner bag retraining strap undone, and
Figure 5 is a view showing a kit that includes an exercise weight as shown in Figures 1 to 4 and a variety of different inner containers that may be placed within the outer case of the exercise weight.

Detailed description of the drawings

Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings all show the outer case of an exercise weight. The case 10 has a cylindrical body 12 made of a strong synthetic fabric, such as nylon, to which two axially spaced straps 14 and 16 are securely attached to enable the weight to be gripped during the performance of exercises. The illustrated case 10 is also provided with a central handle 18, that may be used if the case is to be carried with one hand.
One end the case is permanently closed. An end closure 20 is securely stitched to the cylindrical sleeve forming the main body 12 of the exercise weight. At its opposite end, the body 12 has an openable axial end cap 22. The case 10 is padded with a felt lining 24 that is also used to line the end closure 20 and the openable end cap 22.
The need for an openable or removable end cap 22 arises from the fact that the case 10 is normally transported empty and filled with the desired weight of a flowable substance prior to use. This may be done by first lining the case with a water impermeable plastics bag which is conveniently the same bag used to package and protect the outer case 12 during transportation. Next a container, such a flexible sack is placed within the plastics bag and filled with a flowable solid such as sand. The inner container and the plastics bag are then suitably sealed.
Known exercise weights of the type described above suffer from the disadvantages that there is a tendency for the end cap 22 to separate from the cylindrical body 12. This is believed to be caused by the inner container sliding within the outer case and ramming the end cap 22 when it is subject to sudden accelerations and decelerations.
In order to avoid this problem, the outer case 12 is provided with a restraint in the form of strap 26, shown in Figures 3 and 4. The strap 26 is formed of two halves 26a and 26b that are secured to one another by means of hook and loop tape, though it is possible to use an alternative fastening such as a buckle. The strap 26 is securely sewn to the outer case 12 and transfers the force of the sliding inner sack to the outer case before it can impact the removable end cap 22.
Because plastics bag is air impermeable and is a close fit in the padded outer case, it tends also to act as a piston and the pressure ahead of it will act to dislodge the end cap 22. To reduce this effect, the end cap 22 and the end closure 20 have ventilation holes to allow air to escape. The padding 24 covering the ventilation holes is itself porous and does not prevent the passage of air but it will effectively prevent sand from escaping from the outer case if the inner plastics bag should be damaged.
The end cap 22 is secured to the cylindrical sleeve of the outer case by means of a zip fastener 28. The zip fastener extends around little at least most of the perimeter of the cap to allow the end of the cylinder to be exposed completely but the end cap remains secured to the rest of the outer case 12 by a flap 32 that covers the ends of the zip fastener. When the zip is closed, the sliders of the zip fastener can be stored behind the flap to prevent them from causing injury to the user.
For additional strength, the zip fastener 28 is reinforced by three ties 30 that may once again use hook and loop tape.
An advantage of using a zip fastener is that it is simpler to use, seals around the periphery of the outer case more effectively and it allows the end cap to fit flush with the rest of the outer case without a projecting lip to catch on the user when the weight is being used to perform exercises.
As described above, and as has hitherto been conventional, the mass within the exercise weight comprises a flowable solid and it is retained within a single container. It is not essential for the flowable substance to be a flowable solid, such as sand, it may alternatively be a liquid, such as water. Furthermore, the same flowable substance, or a variety of different flowable substances with differing dynamic characteristics, may be loaded into separate inner containers. It is further possible for some of the inner containers to be made of a rigid material.
To allow such flexibility, the exercise weight described in Figures 1 to 4 may form part of a kit as shown in Figure 5. The kit of Figure 5 includes, in addition to the outer case 10, a variety of inner containers that include a large flexible sack 60 that may be filled with a flowable solid, several smaller flexible inner sacks 50, of which only one is shown in the drawing, a rigid tube 70 that may be filled with a liquid or a flowable solid and a cylindrical flexible sealed walled water bottle 80.
The kit of Figure 5 allows the mass and the dynamic properties of the mass used within the weight to be varied extensively to suit the exercise being performed. If, for example, the exercise weight is to be carried across the shoulders, then a rigid tube 70 filled with the desired flowable substance, be it water or sand, may provide the desired mass. The padding 24 of the outer case will in this case provide sufficient flexibility to avoid discomfort.
For other exercises, the water bottle 80 allows the mass to be selected conveniently and the extent to which the bottle 80 is filled will affect the surging resulting from the water moving around within the bottle. The water bottle 80 may furthermore be combined with other inner containers 50 filled with sand to achieve still further control over the dynamic properties of the mass used to fill the outer case 10.

Claims

An exercise weight (10) comprising an inner container that is fillable with a flowable substance and is slidably received within a cylindrical outer case (12) having a removable or openable axial end cap (22), characterised in that a restraint (26a,26b) is provided within, and secured to, the outer case to restrain the inner container (50,60,70,80) from impacting the removable end cap (24) when the outer case (12) of the weight is subjected to speed changes.
An exercise weight as claimed in claim 1, wherein the restraint comprises at least one strap (26a,26b).
An exercise weight as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner container is impermeable to air, water and moisture.
An exercise weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein ventilation holes are provided in the outer case (12).
An exercise weight as claimed in claim 4, wherein ventilation holes are provided in the end cap (24).
An exercise weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer case (12) is padded by a lining (24) of a thick felt or a stiff sponge.
An exercise weight as claimed in claim 6 when appended to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the padding (24) covers the ventilation holes so to prevent leakage of the flowable substance while allowing air to escape.
An exercise weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a zip fastener (28) is used to secure the end cap (22) of the outer case (12).
An exercise weight as claimed in claim 8, wherein additional reinforcement ties or straps (30) are provided around the circumference of the outer case (120 to reduce the forces acting to separate the two halves of the zip fastener (28).
An exercise weight as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein a cover flap (32) is sewn to the exterior of the outer case (12) to overlie the opposite ends of the zip fastener (28) so as to provide a pocket within which the slider(s) may be concealed when the exercise weight is in use.
An exercise weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer case (12) is made of a nylon fabric.
A kit including an exercise weight (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, the kit comprising a plurality of inner containers (50,60,70,80) that are each receivable individually, or at the same time as at least one other inner container, within the outer case (12) of the exercise weight (10).
A kit as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one (70) of the inner containers is a rigid tube.
A kit as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein at least one (80) of the inner containers is capable of holding a liquid.