US20210260434A9

US20210260434A9 - Dumbell bar with two transverse handles

Info

Publication number: US20210260434A9
Application number: US16/762,805
Authority: US
Inventors: Werner Kovarik
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-11-10
Filing date: 2018-11-08
Publication date: 2021-08-26
Also published as: US20200298048A1; EP3706872A1; WO2019090372A1; AT520627A1; CN111699026A

Abstract

A training device having a beam (1), weight receptacles (2), and two handle attachments (3), which extend in a transverse direction in relation to the beam (1) and each comprise a handle part (4), is described. To design a training device of the type described at the outset in such a way that the risk of injury is avoided without an increase of the construction expenditure accompanying this, it is proposed that weight receptacles (2), on the side of each of which facing away from the beam (1) a handle (8) is rotatably mounted around the longitudinal axis of the handle attachments (3), are provided on the side of the handle attachments (3) opposite to the beam (1).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to a training device having a beam, weight receptacles, and two handle attachments, which extend in a transverse direction in relation to the beam and each comprise a handle part.

PRIOR ART

Training devices, in particular barbells, which comprise two extensions extending transversely in relation to a beam, are already known. In this case, the extensions represent shoulder rests for support (U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,628A). However, this has the disadvantage that the barbell has to be grasped in the overhand grip, whereby an unnatural, pronated hand and forearm position occurs, in which the wrists are strongly strained. In addition, there is an increased risk of falling and injury, since the user can be brought out of equilibrium in the event of even small center of gravity displacements of the device, since due to the predetermined position of shoulder girdle, hands, and weights along the same line of action, effective balancing movements are not possible.
Embodiments are also known from the prior art, in which the extensions extending transversely to a beam are formed as handle parts (U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,158A). However, this is also linked to the disadvantage here of not being able to perform rapid and joint-protecting position displacement of the arms. Together with the arrangement of the weights on extensions extended in the longitudinal direction of the beam and according to the above statements, this also contributes to an increased risk of injury.
Moreover, the guide elements displaceable on the beam, by which the handle parts can be fixed at the desired distance in relation to one another on the beam, are subjected to a high torque load due to the design. Since the friction-locked connection between guide elements and beam can suddenly loosen, a risk of injury to the user also exists here.
A training device having a beam, weight receptacles, and two handle attachments extending in a transverse direction in relation to the beam and each comprising a handle part is described in US2010056347A1. The training device disclosed therein moreover comprises forearm supports and is exclusively conceived for abdominal exercises, which are to be performed while lying on the back. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 9,005,087B1 discloses a training device for leg exercises, having a beam resting on the neck and shoulder girdle of the user and having weight receptacles. The training device comprises handles in this case, which are arranged at hip height of the user during usage of the device and are grasped by their hands, preferably in the underhand grip. However, the training devices disclosed in US2010056347A1 and in U.S. Pat. No. 9,005,087B1 have the disadvantage that exercises such as shoulder presses, for example, which require a wrist-protecting displacement of the arms of the user and the secure holding of the training device in an overhead position, cannot be carried out reasonably or only with a high level of stress of the wrist due to the design, because of which in the case of such training devices, an increased risk of injury of the user exists in particular in conjunction with overhead exercises, and/or inadvertently letting the training device fall during the execution of such overhead exercises. The invention is thus based on the object of designing a training device of the type described at the outset so that the risk of injury is avoided, without an increase of the construction expenditure accompanying this.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention achieves the stated object in that weight receptacles, on the side of which facing away from the beam a handle is rotatably mounted in each case around the longitudinal axis of the handle attachments, are provided on the side of the handle attachments opposite to the beam.
In order that the training device can be balanced out well by the user, so as not to lose the equilibrium in the event of small center of gravity displacements of the device, hands, weights, and beam are not supposed to be located in the same line of action if possible, namely the longitudinal axis of the beam. For this purpose, hands and weights are spaced apart from the body of the user in a transverse direction in relation to the beam, because the two handle attachments are applied in the transverse direction to the beam. For example, the training device according to the invention can be designed to be U-shaped, wherein the two handle attachments form the U legs protruding transversely from the beam as the base leg. Because weight receptacles are formed on the side of the handle attachments opposite to the beam, the center of gravity of the subject matter of the invention is displaced in the direction of the hands and is located in a plane between body and hands of the user during a typical use of the training device. As a result, balancing movements can be executed effectively and without great effort, whereby the risk of injury due to an equilibrium loss is avoided in the event of small center of gravity displacements. In order to avoid a harmful transverse force action on the wrists in the event of larger center of gravity displacements, hands, wrists, and forearms have to be able to be positioned rapidly and at any time along the same load path. Moreover, the respective center of gravity of the weights is supposed to spatially coincide with the arrangement of the handle parts or at least be located in the immediate vicinity thereof. For this reason, it is provided according to the invention that the handles are rotatably mounted on the weight receptacles, specifically rotatably around the handle parts. Therefore, forces can be absorbed in the best possible manner by the user, even or in particular also if the hands are located at different heights in relation to one another. Moreover, the design according to the invention not only permits the training device to be able to be raised from the shoulder girdle if necessary and held in an overhead position, but rather also permits the user to be able to tilt the handle attachments and thus the weights upward like a lever, wherein the beam placed on the shoulder girdle is used as a type of axis of rotation. Thus, for example, a shoulder press carried out using the subject matter of the invention can also have additional intensity levels, without weights having to be replaced. In addition, it is thus also relatively easily possible, for example, in the case of leg exercises, to adapt the strength of the isometric contraction of chest, shoulder, and arm musculature nearly continuously or very generally to carry out an array of diverse forms of exercise such as combined arm/leg exercises or arm/abdomen exercises. Due to the arrangement of the weights at a distance from the beam, wherein the two handle attachments connect the weights to the beam, the advantage additionally results that possibly severe injuries can be avoided if the training device is inadvertently dropped, because due to the constructive design according to the invention, a greater distance, specifically corresponding to the length of the handle attachments, remains between the weights coming to rest on an underlying surface and the beam. This length is therefore preferably selected so that it corresponds at least to the height of the thorax of the recumbent user, so that crushing can be prevented as described above. In contrast thereto, in conventional barbells, this distance corresponds to the radius of the weights used.
To curtail further risks of injury with respect to adjacent persons as well as possible and to avoid possible damage to floors, storage areas, or walls by the subject matter of the invention, the transition region between beam and handle attachments is curved in each case and is thus free of sharp corners.
To enable a good force transmission between the weight receptacles or the weights and the handles and thus to enable a long service life of the training device, on the one hand, and be able to replace worn parts easily, on the other hand, it is proposed according to the invention that the handle attachments, weight receptacles, and handle parts be integrally formed and the handles each be removably fastened on the handle parts. The handles thus secure the weight plates well fixed on the weight receptacles provided according to the invention, to avoid slipping of the plates and therefore center of gravity displacements. If needed, the handles can be removed rapidly to take away or add weight plates. In addition, removable handles are accompanied by the further advantage of also being able to be replaced themselves, whereby the training device can be adapted to the respective intended exercise via different handle shapes.
If, as mentioned above, one wishes to avoid a harmful transverse force action on the wrists even in the event of larger center of gravity displacements, the center of gravity of the weights should spatially coincide with the arrangement of the respective handle parts or at least be located in direct proximity thereto. This can be achieved in that the handle parts each comprise a removable closure on the side thereof facing away from the beam, because thus a separate fixation of the weights and/or the handles can be omitted and they can thus be arranged spatially closer to one another. In one preferred embodiment, the center of gravity of the weights is even located within the respective palms if weights can also be inserted into the handle attachments. This can be performed alternatively or additionally to weights externally attached on the weight receptacles, wherein it is fundamentally also conceivable according to the invention that the weight receptacles are designed for weights internally insertable via the handle parts.
The training device is supposed to be able to be optimally adapted depending on the shoulder width of the user, without having to use displaceable guide elements of the handle parts on the beam in this case, to avoid the risk of injury thus resulting. In addition, it is desirable to be able to perform such a size adaptation easily and without great time expenditure, wherein no additional constructive expenditure is thus supposed to result. For this reason, the beam of the training device according to the invention can comprise two telescopic elements, which are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another. Due to these measures, the training device can be adapted very easily to the shoulder width of the user, but also to the intended exercise, in that the length of the beam and therefore the spacing of the handle attachments in relation to one another can be varied. Moreover, there is no risk of injury as a result of suddenly loosening guide elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter according to the invention is illustrated in the drawing, specifically in a top view of an embodiment of the training device according to the invention.

WAYS OF EMBODYING THE INVENTION

A training device according to the invention comprises a beam 1, and also weight receptacles 2 and two handle attachments 3, which extend in a transverse direction in relation to the beam 1 and each in turn comprise one handle part 4. The weight receptacles 2 are provided on the side of the handle attachments 3 opposite to the beam 1, wherein a handle 8 is rotatably mounted around the longitudinal axis of the handle attachments 3 on the side thereof facing away from the beam 1. In a typical application of the training device according to the invention, the handles 8 are enclosed by the hands of the user and the beam 1 is supported on the neck and shoulder girdle of the user, so that the handle attachments 3 and the handle parts 4 point in the direction of vision of the user. The handle parts 4 and handles 8 and thus also the hands of the user are thus spaced apart farther from the body or from the beam 1 than the weight receptacles 2 including the weight plates 5 thereof. The beam 1 can be enclosed by a cushion 6 to protect the cervical vertebrae of the user.
Moreover, the material strength and the thickness of the cushion 6 can be selected so that it can also advantageously be used as a spacer, for example, when the training device is placed without weight plates 5 on the ground, in order to execute corresponding exercises. The user can accordingly enclose the beam 1 in each case in a region adjacent to the cushion 6 using the hands and perform push-ups.
Because the two handle attachments 3 each form a right angle with the beam 1 and the transition region 7 between beam 1 and the handle attachments 3 is rounded in each case, a U-shaped design of the training device according to the invention results, which is free of sharp corners. The training device therefore does not represent a risk with respect to injuries to adjacent persons or damage to walls and inventory.
The handle attachments 3, weight receptacles 2, and handle parts 4 are each integrally formed. To be able to replace and fix the weight plates 5 quickly and easily, the handles 8 are each removably fastened on the handle parts 4. The handles 8 as such can thus also be replaced easily if needed.
Moreover, the option exists of also inserting weights into the handle attachments 3 via a removable closure 9 of the handle parts 4 on the side thereof facing away from the beam 1.
To be able to adapt the training device according to the invention optimally to the demands and the shoulder width of the user, the beam 1 is designed so that it comprises two telescopic elements 10 displaceable one inside the other, which are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another. The length of the beam 1 and therefore the spacing of the handle attachments 3 in relation to one another may thus be varied. The fixing of the telescopic elements 10 in predetermined positions can be performed in this case via a spring pin 11, which engages in recesses 12 of the telescopic elements 10 provided for this purpose.

Claims

1. A training device comprising:

a beam,

weight receptacles, and

two handle attachments that extend in a transverse direction in relation to the beam and each comprise a handle part,

wherein a handle (8) is rotatably mounted on each handle part on a side of the weight receptacle that faces away from the beam so as to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the associated handle attachment on a side of the handle attachments opposite to the beam.

2. The training device according to claim 1, wherein a respective curved transition region is provided between the beam and each of the handle attachments.

3. The training device according to claim 1, wherein the handle attachments, weight receptacles, and handle parts are integrally formed and the handles are each removably secured on the associated handle parts.

4. The training device according to claim 1, wherein the handle parts each comprise a respective removable closure on a side thereof facing away from the beam.

5. The training device according to claim 1, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

6. The training device according to claim 2, wherein the handle attachments, weight receptacles, and handle parts are integrally formed and the handles are each removably secured on the associated handle parts.

7. The training device according to claim 2, wherein the handle parts each comprise a respective removable closure on a side thereof facing away from the beam.

8. The training device according to claim 3, wherein the handle parts each comprise a respective removable closure on a side thereof facing away from the beam.

9. The training device according to claim 6, wherein the handle parts each comprise a respective removable closure on a side thereof facing away from the beam.

10. The training device according to claim 2, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

11. The training device according to claim 3, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

12. The training device according to claim 4, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

13. The training device according to claim 6, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

14. The training device according to claim 7, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

15. The training device according to claim 8, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.

16. The training device according to claim 9, wherein the beam comprises two telescopic elements that are displaceable one inside the other and are fixable in predetermined positions in relation to one another.