Apparatus and Method for a Quick-Release of Weights
The present embodiment disclose apparatus and methods for allowing users to quick-release of weights from a cylindrical bar with the release of a push-button, said coupled locking pin releases open the latch to be removed from the bar, thereby allowing release of at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar. Other embodiments include an attachable quick-release of weights apparatus for a cylindrical bar with opposable ends. In yet other embodiments, an object of the claimed invention to provide for an integrated quick-release of weights apparatus for a cylindrical bar with opposable ends.
Product Inspiration
In a case study regarding strength training and detraining in different populations, Mario C. Marques, Adam Zajac, Ana Pereira, and Aldo M. Costa collectively reported (2011, p. 7) that many researchers have demonstrated that a specific strength training program can improve maximal strength and the rate of force production, reduce the incidence of muscle-skeletal injury, and contribute to faster injury recovery times, thereby minimizing the number of missed practice sessions or competitions [for athletes]. Simultaneously increasing lean mass and strength for multiple muscle groups, unlike exercises such as the bicep curl which isolates only one muscle group, the bench press and weighted squat have been conventionally incorporated into the workout regimes of nearly all professional sports and still are the most popular exercises among power and weightlifters. Due to the lack of professional training and immense popularity for the use of the bench press and weighted squat, many users, including professional athletes, are prone to severe to lethal injuries as these exercises typically incorporate heavy amounts of weight in order to be effective.
Although the bench press and weighted squat exercises typically require an additional user, or “spotter,” to stand-by in case of an accident, a majority of spotters do not provide their full attention to the user maneuvering the weight during these exercises. Even if the spotter is providing their full attention, many spotters lack the physical strength to individually lift the weight off the struggling user during an accident. In many cases, although the troubled user is eventually freed from the crushing weight, the damage has already been done to the user due to the lack of instantaneous relief. In addition, there are many workout users who perform these exercises alone. As a result, when the user is in trouble, they are either forced to painfully roll the weight off their body or squeeze their body through an opening with less pressure as the rest of their body is being violently crushed. In a few cases, bench press and squat accidents have resulted in users' death.
A case study was done regarding the causes of injuries sustained at fitness facilities presenting to Victorian emergency departments. Shannon E. Gray and Caroline F. Finch both reported (2015, p. 3) that there were at least 2,873 cases associated with injuries that occurred at fitness facilities that specified the exact cause of the injury over the course of 14 years. Out of a total of at least 2,873 cases, there were 807 cases (28.1%) that reported that an injury occurred during exercise at a fitness facility but did not state the specific exercise being participated in at the time of injury. Similarly, there were 210 cases (7.3%) that stated an injury occurred when using, or due to, a piece of fitness equipment but did not further specify the exact type. The cases that did not specify the fitness activity or equipment were removed. Out of the 1,856 fully documented cases associated with injuries that occurred at fitness facilities that specified the exact cause of the injury reported to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD), all free weight activities (general free weights, dumbbells, squats, lunges and deadlifts, bench press, barbell) accounted for 55.2% of all specified activity cases. More specifically, bench press accounted for 2.5%, squats, lunges, or deadlifts accounted for 3.0%, and barbell accounted for 1.5% of all specified activity cases. Amongst the specific causes, overexertion/strenuous/unnatural movements were associated with the highest number of fitness injury-related ED presentations (36.2%) followed by crushed by falling/dropped weights (16.3%).
In reference to [0003], although speculation, it may be assumed that many of the unspecified and incomplete documented injuries may have been skewed towards men. As there is a stigma that men should not reach out for help or be dependent, the data for documented injuries may be highly skewed towards women, explaining the relatively small amount of injuries reported for male-dominated exercises regarding the deadlift, bench press, squat, and barbell. In addition, it is highly possible that many injuries resulting from the deadlift, bench press, squat, and barbell were not documented at all due to the said stigma among men.
The barbell, bench press, and squat equipment were invented during the early 1900s. As of today, over a century later, there has been little to no improvement of these equipment in terms of providing a direct, instantaneous and insurable safety feature for the user, despite the potential dangerous outcomes of these accidents. This static improvement of user's safety for the use of dangerous equipment can be related to the automobile industry and its integration of seatbelts. Despite the obvious fact that one with a seatbelt on will be far more likely to survive an automobile accident than one who does not have a seatbelt on, this safety feature was implemented in 1984, nearly a century after the first automobile was invented. Because seatbelts were not fully integrated in society back then, it was difficult to quantify the need for it. An apparatus for a quick-release of weights is facing the same dilemma as the integration of seatbelts.
FIELDThe field of the invention relates to any apparatus for a quick-release of weights. Specifically, the invention relates to a cylindrical bar with opposable ends; said bar disposed with a latch at each of the opposable ends, wherein said latch is cylindrical and configured to open at one end to close shut over the cylindrical bar at each of the opposable ends of the bar to cause an instantaneous release of weights.
RELATED ARTFitness equipment having universal functionality are well known in the fitness trade. Fitness equipment of this type usually have no safe-fail feature integrated in the cylindrical bar itself, with a safety weight rack only located on the upper mount and or base rack of the cylindrical bar designed for compound movements, such as the weight bench, weight squat, weight over-head press, weight rows, etc. All of these components and or safety features are fixedly mounted to the base frame of the weight rack. While universal, they do not represent a fitness equipment that provides the user an insurance of safety in case the upper safety rack cannot be reached. Some of the references known in the prior art describes a universal weight rack, but provides a preliminary safety rack when the cylindrical bar is held only near the weight rack of the base frame.
The weight rack of the base frame—which compromises the safety factor and overall versatility—prevents the user from instantly relieving the weight of the cylindrical bar, forcing the fatigued user to struggle to insure their safety by attempting to rack the cylindrical bar on the safety rack. Even if the cylindrical bar is held near the safety rack, the fatigued user may fail to successfully mount the cylindrical bar on the preliminary safety rack, as additional effort is required for the user to hoist the cylindrical bar above and onto the safety rack.
Fitness garments such as weighted gloves, ankle weights, weighted vests, shirts, pants, shorts, footwear, etc, may further complicate the user from successfully racking the cylindrical bar on the safety rack. Additionally, the prior art does not disclose any alternative means for achieving quick-release of weights on-the-fly, with respect to fitness garments. Currently, the only existing method for achieving quick-release of weights visa-a-visa fitness garments is by hoisting the cylindrical bar above and onto the safety rack. Additionally, the designed constraints presented from fitness garments result in awkward body and or finger positioning while racking the weight onto the safety rack. Subsequently, one's daily and, or fitness routine may be severely compromised. At the moment, one cannot effectively engage in racking the cylindrical bar, while insuring one's physical safety.
SUMMARYThese and other features and improvements of the present application will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.
The present invention fills a void left behind by the current art by providing for an apparatus that instantaneously releases weight from a cylindrical bar with opposable ends.
It is an object of the claimed invention to provide for an attachable quick-release of weights apparatus for a cylindrical bar with opposable ends. Said bar is attached with a quick-release of weights apparatus with a latch at each of the opposable ends, wherein said latch is cylindrical and configured to open at one end to close shut over the cylindrical bar at each of the opposable ends of the bar to cause an instantaneous release of weights.
It is an object of the claimed invention to provide for an integrated quick-release of weights apparatus for a cylindrical bar with opposable ends. Said bar disposed with a latch at each of the opposable ends, wherein said latch is cylindrical and configured to open at one end to close shut over the cylindrical bar at each of the opposable ends of the bar to cause an instantaneous release of weights.
In one embodiment, the quick-release of weights apparatus may be a push-button coupled to a locking pin. The closed latch at each of the opposable ends with one side in contact with a face of at least one weight and a second side with a push-button coupled to a locking pin, whereby when the button is pushed, said coupled locking pin releases open the latch to be removed from the bar, thereby allowing release of the at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar. In another embodiment, the quick-release of weights apparatus may be locking pin coupled to a button, whereby when a button is pushed on a side of the latch, a locking pin coupled to the button releases open the latch to be removed from the bar. In other embodiments, the quick-release of weights apparatus may be a closed latch at each of the opposable ends with one side in contact with a face of at least one weight and a second side with a push-button coupled to a locking pin, whereby when the button is pushed, said coupled locking pin releases open the latch to be removed from the bar, thereby allowing release of the at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing of the various embodiments of said bar disposed with a quick-release of weights apparatus and or of said bar integrated with a quick-release of weights apparatus. In one method for a quick-release of weights, said method comprising the steps of: placing at each of an opposable end of cylindrical bar with a latch; configuring each latch to open at one end and to close shut over the each of the opposable ends of the bar; and pushing a button on a side of the latch, whereby the button is coupled to a locking pin releasing open the latch to be removed from the bar, thereby releasing the weights from the bar. In another method for a quick-release of weights, said method comprising the steps of: configuring a cylindrical latch to open at one end and to close shut over each of an opposable end of a cylindrical bar; and pushing a button on a side of the latch, whereby the button is coupled to a locking pin releasing open the latch to be removed from the bar.
Aspects of the advantages of this invention may be realized in other applications, aside from the intended application of weight-training, sports, or fitness. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
The drawings illustrate the design and utility of embodiments of the present invention, in which similar elements are referred to by common reference numerals. In order to better appreciate the advantages and objects of the embodiments of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings that illustrate these embodiments. Reference to “Mechanism of Release” or (MOR) are used for any means of releasing bar such as a button, latch, handle, hand pedal, foot pedal, and or any embodiment for releasing bar. A continuation reference of “Quick Release Mechanism” or (QRM) are used for any means of releasing the bar after the MOR has been activated such as a latch, locking-pin, lock, knob, gear, and or any embodiment for releasing bar after MOR activation. However, the drawings depict only some embodiments of the invention, and should not be taken as limiting its scope. With this caveat, embodiments of the inventions will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Now in
Now in
Now in
Now in
The inventor provides an apparatus for a quick-release of weights enabling an quick-release of weights of at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of a cylindrical bar with opposable ends. The new system incorporates a mechanism controlled by a user to allow the release of the at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar. The present invention is described in enabling detail in the following examples, which may represent more than one embodiment of the present invention.
Reference to “Mechanism of Release” or (MOR) are used for any means of releasing bar such as a button, latch, handle, hand pedal, foot pedal, and or any embodiment for releasing bar or vice versa, meaning any reference to a button, latch, handle, hand pedal, and or any embodiment for releasing bar is a MOR. A continuation reference of “Quick Release Mechanism” or (QRM) are used for any means of releasing the bar after the MOR has been activated such as a latch, locking-pin, lock, knob, gear, and or any embodiment for releasing bar after MOR activation or vice versa, meaning any reference to a latch, locking-pin, lock, knob, gear, and or any embodiment for releasing bar after MOR activation. Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.
The present embodiments discloses an apparatus for allowing users to quick-release of weights from a cylindrical bar disposed with a single or plurality of latches 120 in
Now in reference to
While not shown in
While not shown in
Now in reference to
While not shown in
While not shown in
While not shown in
Now in reference to
While not shown in
While not shown in
While not shown in
Now in
While not shown in
While not shown in
While not shown in
While not shown in
While not shown in
Claims
1. An apparatus for a quick-release of weights, said apparatus comprising:
- a cylindrical bar with opposable ends; At least one latch disposed on each of the opposable ends of aid bar, wherein said latch is cylindrical and configured to open at one end and close shut over the cylindrical bar at each of the opposable ends of the bar; and said latch at each of the opposable ends with one side in contact with the face of at least one weight and the first side of said latch with a Mechanism of Release (MOR) and or button coupled to a Quick Release Mechanism (QRM) and or locking pin, whereby when the MOR is activated, said coupled locking pin releases open the latch, thereby allowing release of the at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QRM and or latch is to securely close shut over the bar, allowing for a user to then slide in the weights with the face of at least one weight facing the first side of the closed QRM and or latch with at least one QRM of lock, latch, clip, hook and or any embodiments of quick release mechanism.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical bar is configured to the QRM and or latch to securely close shut over the bar, allowing for a user to then slide in the weights with the face of at least one weight facing the first side of the closed QRM and or latch, using hand-pedal and or MOR to release open QRM and or latch.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the open QRM and or latch remains on the bar after pushing the MOR and or hand-pedal for instance.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the open latch is released from the bar after pushing the MOR and or hand-pedal for instance.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising any conventional method known in the art, such as a foot pedal placed on a floor near a foot of a user, whereby pressing the foot pedal and or MOR, activates the latch to open and release at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising any conventional method known in the art, such as a hand pedal near hand of a user, whereby pressing hand pedal and or MOR, activates the latch release open at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a button disposed proximately to a hand grip portion of the cylindrical bar, whereby pressing button and or MOR, activates the latch no open and release at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
9. An apparatus for a quick-release of weights, said apparatus comprising:
- At least one latch at each of an opposable end of a cylindrical bar, wherein said latch is cylindrical and configured to open at one end to close shut over the cylindrical bar at each of the opposable ends of the bar; and
- said latch at each of the opposable ends with one side in contact with the face of at least one weight and the first side of said latch with a Mechanism of Release (MOR) and or button coupled no a Quick Release Mechanism (QRM) and or locking pin, whereby when the MOR is activated, said coupled locking pin releases open the latch, thereby allowing release of the at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the QRM and or latch is to securely close shut over the bar, allowing for a user to then slide in the weights with the face of at least one weight facing the first side of the closed QRM and or latch with at least one QRM of lock, latch, clip, hook and or any embodiments of quick release mechanism.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cylindrical bar is configured to the QRM and or latch to securely close shut over the bar, allowing for a user to then slide in the weights with the face of at least one weight facing the first side of the closed QRM and or latch, using hand-pedal and or MOR to release open QRM and or latch.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the open QRM and or latch remains on the bar after pushing the MOR and or hand-pedal for instance.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the open latch is released from the bar after pushing the MOR and or hand-pedal for instance.
14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising any conventional method known in the art, such as a foot pedal placed on a floor near a foot of a user, whereby pressing the foot pedal and or MOR, activates the latch to open and release at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising any conventional method known in the art, such as a hand pedal near hand of a user, whereby pressing hand pedal and or MOR, activates the latch release open at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a button disposed proximately to a hand grip portion of the cylindrical bar, whereby pressing button and or MOR, activates the latch to open and release at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
17. A method for a quick-release of weights, said method comprising the steps of:
- placing at least one latch at each of an opposable end of a cylindrical bar; configuring each of the at least one latch to open at one end and to close shut over each of the opposable ends of the bar; and pushing a button on a side of the latch, whereby the button is coupled to a locking pin releasing open the latch for the weights to be released from the bar.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the QRM and or latch is to securely close shut over the bar, allowing for a user to then slide in the weights with the face of at least one weight facing the first side of the closed QRM and or latch with at least one QRM of lock, latch, clip, hook and or any embodiments of quick release mechanism.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the cylindrical bar is configured to the QRM and or latch to securely close shut over the bar, allowing for a user to then slide in the weights with the face of at least one weight facing the first side of the closed QRM and or latch, using hand-pedal and or MOR to release open QRM and or latch.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the open QRM and or latch remains on the bar after pushing the MOR and or hand-pedal for instance.
21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the open latch is released from the bar after pushing the MOR and or hand-pedal for instance.
22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising any conventional method known in the art, such as a foot pedal placed on a floor near a foot of a user, whereby pressing the foot pedal and or MOR, activates the latch to open and release at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising any conventional method known in the art, such as a hand pedal near hand of a user, whereby pressing hand pedal and or MOR, activates the latch release open at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a button disposed proximately to a hand grip portion of the cylindrical bar, whereby pressing button and or MOR, activates the latch to open and release at least one weight from at least one end of the opposable ends of the bar.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 24, 2020
Publication Date: Oct 28, 2021
Inventor: Joshua Kwon (Ridgewood, NJ)
Application Number: 16/857,552