Pivotal Unit For Barbell

Abstract

A barbell includes a rod and two tubular members are respectively mounted to the two ends of the rod. Two pivotal units are respectively located in the two tubular members and mounted to the two ends of the rod. Each pivotal unit has a washer, a bearing, a sleeve and a positioning member. The washer has a recess defined in one side thereof. The bearing is securely connected to the inside of the tubular member and a first end of the bearing contacts the washer. The sleeve is located in the bearing and securely mounted to the rod, a first end of the sleeve is movably engaged with the recess of the washer. The positioning member is a U-shaped manner and engaged with a groove defined in the rod. The positioning member contacts two respective seconds of the sleeve and the bearing.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a barbell, and more particularly, to a pivotal unit for a barbell.

BACKGROUND

The conventional barbell is used for weight training and generally comprises a rod with two pivotal units mounted to two ends of the rod. Multiple weights are removably connected to the two pivotal units. The user grabs the center of the rod and lifts the barbell to train the muscles. The pivotal units ensure that the weights are automatically adjusted to a balance status relative to the rod so that the user does not need to rotate the rod by his/her wrists and this action can easily injure the wrists.

FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose the conventional barbell and the rod 70 with proper flexibility and two pivotal units 80 are mounted to two ends of the rod 70. Each of the two ends of the rod 70 has a groove 71. A needle roller bearing 72, a first ring 73, two positioning members 74, a second ring 75, two clips 76 and an end piece 77 are mounted to the rod 70 and located in the opening 81 of the tubular member of the pivotal unit 80. The two positioning members 74 are engaged with the groove 71. The first ring 73 contacts one end of the needle roller bearing 72 and the other end of the needle roller bearing 72 is in contact with a shoulder 82 in the tubular member. By the needle roller bearing 72, the rod 70 is rotatable relative to the tubular member of the pivotal unit 80. The second ring 75 contacts the positioning members 74, and one of the clips 76 contacts the second ring 75. By the positioning members 74, the tubular member does not moved relative to the rod 70. The end piece 77 is cooperated with the other clip 76 to seal the end of the barbell.

However, because the material of the needle roller bearing 72 is harder than that of the rod 70, so that when the rod 70 is rotatable relative to the needle roller bearing 72, the rod 70 is worn by the friction between the needle roller bearing 72 and the rod 70. Besides, when the user puts the barbell to the floor, the impact also makes the rod 70 by worn out by the needle roller bearing 72. The pivotal unit 80 eventually cannot rotate smoothly relative to the rod 70.

The two positioning members 74 are difficult to be engaged with the groove 71 of the rod 70 when assembling the barbell. There is not proper positioning design to position the two positioning members 74 so that the assembling processes take a longer time.

There are too many parts involved in the pivotal unit and the clips 76 are thin and not strong enough so that they are easily deformed and the pivotal unit 80 may shift along the rod 70.

The present invention intends to provide a barbell which improves the shortcomings mentioned in the conventional barbell.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a barbell and comprises a rod having two grooves respectively defined in two ends thereof and two tubular members are respectively mounted to the two ends of the rod. Two pivotal units are respectively located in the two tubular members and mounted to the rod. Each pivotal unit has a washer, a bearing, a sleeve, and a positioning member. The washer has a recess defined in one side thereof. The bearing is securely connected to the inside of the tubular member, and a first end of the bearing contacts the washer. The sleeve is securely mounted to the rod and located in the bearing, and it first end of the sleeve is movably engaged with the recess of the washer. The positioning member is a U-shaped member and has an opening. The positioning member is connected to the rod and engaged with the groove via the opening. The positioning member contacts two respective seconds of the sleeve and the bearing.

Alternatively, the present invention provides a barbell and comprises a rod having two grooves respectively defined in two ends thereof. Two tubular members are respectively mounted to the two ends of the rod. Each tubular member has two open ends. Two pivotal units are respectively located in the two tubular members and each pivotal unit has a self-lubricating sleeve and a positioning member. The self-lubricating sleeve is mounted to the rod. The positioning member is a U-shaped member and has an opening. The positioning member is connected to the rod and engaged with the groove via the opening. The positioning member contacts the self-lubricating sleeve.

The pivotal unit has a sleeve which is securely mounted to the rod and located within the bearing, the bearing and the sleeve are made by harder material when compared with that of the rod. Therefore, thanks to the sleeve mounted to the rod, the rod is not worn by the nearing when the rod together with the sleeve are rotatable relative to the bearing. The bearing and the sleeve can also be replaced by a self-lubricating sleeve.

The number of the parts of the pivotal unit of the present invention is reduced so that the barbell can be assembled quickly.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the barbell or the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the pivotal unit of the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view to show the sleeve, and the recess of the washer of the pivotal unit of the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the second embodiment of the pivotal unit of the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view to show the conventional barbell, and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the conventional barbell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the barbell 1 of the present invention comprises a rod 10 with proper flexibility and two grooves 11 are respectively defined in two ends of the rod 10. Two tubular members 20 are respectively mounted to the two ends of the rod 10 and the weights 12 are mounted to the tubular members 20. Each tubular member 20 has two open ends 21 and a stop 13 is connected to the end away from the distal end of the rod 10 so as to position the weights 12.

Two pivotal units 30 are respectively located in the two tubular members 20 and mounted to the two ends of the rod 10. Each pivotal unit 30 has a washer 31, a bearing 32, a sleeve 33, a positioning member 34 and an end piece 35. The rod 10 extends through the two tubular members 20 and a shoulder 22 is formed in the inner periphery of each of the two open ends 21 of the tubular member 20. The washer 31 has a recess 311 defined in one side thereof. The bearing 32 is securely connected to the inside of the tubular member 20, and a first end of the bearing 32 contacts the washer 31 which contacts against the shoulder 22. The sleeve 33 is securely mounted to the rod 10 and located in the bearing 32 which directly contacts the sleeve 33 instead of the rod 10. The A first end of the sleeve 33 is movably engaged with the recess 311 of the washer 31 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The positioning member 34 is a U-shaped member and has an opening 341. The positioning member 34 is connected to the rod 10 and engaged with the groove 11 via the opening 341. The positioning member 34 contacts two respective seconds of the sleeve 33 and the bearing 32. One of the two ends of the rod 10 extends beyond the positioning member 34 and the end piece 35 is mounted to the end of the rod 10 and connected to the open end 21 of the tubular member 20. The end piece 35 contacts the positioning member 34 so as to position the pivotal unit 30 along the axial direction thereof.

It is noted that another pivotal unit 30 are located in the inner end of each tubular member 20, wherein the inner end is located away from the end piece 35 and cooperated with the stop 13, so that the pivotal unit 30 in the inner end of the tubular member 20 comprises the bearing 32, the sleeve 33 in the bearing 32 and the washer 31 the recess 311.

The sleeve 33 is made by the same material as the bearing 32, and the sleeve 33 is securely mounted to and co-rotated with the rod 10, so that when the rod 10 is rotatable relative to the bearing 32, the rod 10 is protected from being worn out by the bearing 32. The recess 311 provides a space for the sleeve 33 so that the sleeve 33 is not securely restricted by the washer 31 and the positioning member 34 from the two ends thereof, and the sleeve 33 is rotatable relative to the bearing 32.

The positioning member 34 is a single member which can be easily and quickly engaged with the groove 11 of the rod 10 by the opening 341. This allows the assemblers to quickly assemble the barbell. The bearing 32 is ensured not to move axially by the washer 31 and the positioning member 34. The end piece 35 is connected to the open end 21 to the tubular member 20 and the end piece 35 contacts the positioning member 34 so that the pivotal unit 30 is well positioned.

FIG. 6 shows the second embodiment of the pivotal unit 300 which comprises a self-lubricating sleeve 330 and a positioning member 34 only. The self-lubricating sleeve 330 is mounted to the rod 10 and the positioning member 34 contacts the self-lubricating sleeve 330. The end piece 35 is connected to the open end 21 of the tubular member 20 and contacts the positioning member 34 so that the pivotal unit 30 is well positioned. The self-lubricating sleeve 330 and the tubular member 30 are rotatable relative to the rod 10 without the need of the sleeve as mentioned in the previous embodiment.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A barbell comprising:

a rod having two grooves respectively defined in two ends thereof, two tubular members respectively mounted to the two ends of the rod, each tubular member having two open ends, and

two pivotal units respectively located in the two tubular members and mounted to the two ends of the rod, each pivotal unit having a washer, a bearing, a sleeve and a positioning member, the washer having a recess defined in one side thereof, the bearing being connected to the tabular member, a first end of the bearing contacting the washer, the sleeve securely mounted to the rod and located in the bearing, a first end of the sleeve being movably engaged with the recess of the washer, the positioning member being a U-shaped member and having an opening, the positioning member connected to the rod and engaged with the groove via the opening, the positioning member contacting two respective seconds of sleeve and the bearing.

2. The barbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod extends through the two tubular members and as shoulder is formed in an inner periphery or each of the two open ends of the tubular member, the washer contacts the shoulder.

3. The barbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the two ends of the rod extends beyond the positioning member and an end piece is mounted to the end of the rod and connected to the open end of the tubular member, the end piece contacts the positioning member.

4. A barbell comprising:

a rod having two grooves respectively defined in two ends thereof, two tubular members respectively mounted to the two ends of the rod, each tubular member having two open ends, and

two pivotal units respectively located, in the two tubular members and mounted to the two ends of the rod, each pivotal unit having a self-lubricating sleeve and a positioning member, the self-lubricating sleeve mounted to the rod, the positioning member being a U-shaped member and having an opening, the positioning member connected to the rod and engaged with the groove via the opening, the positioning member contacting the self-lubricating sleeve.

5. The barbell as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rod extends through the two tubular members and a shoulder is formed in an inner periphery of each of the two open ends of the tubular member, the self-lubricating sleeve contacts the shoulder.

6. The barbell as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the two ends of the rod extends beyond the positioning member and an end piece is mounted to the end of the rod and connected to the open end of the tubular member, the end piece contacts the positioning member.