U-SHAPED DUMBBELL AND ERGONOMIC KETTLEBELL
A dumbbell has a left weight, a right weight, and an arched handle connected to the tops of the weights. In preferred embodiments, the bottoms of the weights are flat, the weights are at least as wide as they are tall, and the weights are parallel to each other. This configuration combines the advantages of a dumbbell and a kettlebell. The arched handle enables kettlebell-like arm raises, while the dumbbell configuration keeps the weights from pressing into the wrist. The arched handle also enables stable placement of the dumbbell over legs, knees, elbows, and ankles.
This invention is in the field of exercise devices, specifically free weights.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe invention is an ergonomic and versatile improvement over traditional kettlebells and handheld dumbbells. Traditional kettlebells, handheld dumbbells, and ankle weights offer limited versatility when it comes to working out certain regions of the body, primarily because they are not ergonomically designed to contour to the body's natural curved shape, and as a result cannot be comfortably hooked onto a specific body region such as the back of the leg, on top of the ankles, or side of the leg to offer resistance to a specific part of the body.
3. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGYConventional kettlebells have a solid piece of steel, usually in a circular shape, see
The problem that occurs when the user is performing arm raises using a Traditional Kettlebell is that the weighted round steel ball (8) ends up putting uncomfortable painful pressure against the wrist and arm of the user. See
(1) Donkey kicks (see
The other option the user has for adding resistance weight while performing the donkey kicks and fire hydrants workouts is using a traditional hand-held dumbbell, see
But the problem with handheld dumbbells is that they are not designed for the legs because of the positioning of the handle (13) which is in the center of the side weight plates (14) and the lack of a curved handle, so as a result of their current design, hand-held dumbbells are extremely challenging to keep in place behind the back of the leg while performing the donkey kicks and fire hydrants, and oftentimes end up falling off the user's leg causing potential injuries to the user. In most cases, the user has to focus their energy on squeezing the handle with their leg at the top of each repetition in an attempt to prevent the hand-held dumbbell from falling off their leg, instead of focusing their energy on squeezing their glute muscle (which offers the best maximum results) as a result the user does not gain the best maximum results of the donkey kicks and fire hydrants workouts because of the challenges associated with trying to keep the hand-held dumbbell from falling off from the back of their leg.
(2) Standing Leg Raises (see example in
(3) Side Leg Raise workout (see example in
(4) Knee Tucks workout (see example in
(5) Supported Push-ups workout (see example in
(6) Extended kickback leg workout (see example in
Overall the traditional kettlebells put uncomfortable pressure on the wrists when lifted up over head and offer the user a limited amount of workouts because of their closed-shape design that prevents the user from being able to hook the weight onto various parts of their body, such as the back of their leg, their ankles, and side of the leg.
Traditional hand-held dumbbells' straight handle design does not offer the versatility of kettlebell's arched handles to perform workouts such as the kettlebell swings and deadlifts. And traditional hand-held dumbbell's lack of and arched handle and left and right side weight length does not allow for the weight to stay securely and safely behind the user's leg while performing the donkey kick and fire hydrant workouts, nor allow the user to hook the weight onto any other body parts (such as the back of the leg, top of the ankle, or the side of the leg for example) to offer the user additional versatility.
And ankle weights have limited uses, for example the user cannot use the ankle weights to perform workouts such as the deadlifts
The invention solves all of the problems stated above of using the prior art of traditional kettlebells, dumbbells, and ankle weights, all while offering the user additional versatility.
The invention is composed of three parts: a left weight, a right weight, and a handle. The left end of the handle is connected to the top part of the left weight, and the right end of the handle is connected to top part of right weight.
There is an opening between the base of the left weight and the base part of the right weight. This creates a space at the base between the bottom parts of the weights with the handle at the top. All together the three parts create an upside-down U shape that allows the user to hook the invention onto various parts of the body.
The handle can be gripped with one hand or both hands and it can be hooked behind the user's leg, the side of the leg or on top of the ankle. The handle of the invention can be straight or arched, the arched version allows the user to grip the Handle with their hands like a kettlebell to allow the user perform workouts.
The handle can be uniform in thickness or have varying thicknesses, so it can be thicker and thinner in various areas. The handle is smooth around the exterior for the user to comfortably grip, in other words, there are no sharp edges on the handle of the invention.
The weights can be in VARIOUS shapes and thicknesses, including a heart version, oval version, round version, rectangle version, and cylinder uniform version.
All parts can also be ALL UNIFORM in shape and thickness.
All parts can be one whole unit or be separated into parts and reconnected with male and female threads that can be twisted into each other at opposite ends.
The entire invention can be made of a hard material such as steel, metal or plastic material to maintain the upside down U shape. All parts can be solid or hollow on the inside. The solid version is made out of a heavy material such as steel. The hollow version has an opening at the top to allow a material such as water or sand to go inside of it and be sealed when attached to each other.
The separate interchangeable weights can be in any shape, length, width, weight, and size, as long as they are connected to the handle ends.
The side weights are not limited to being straight nor indented on both sides, in other words, they can be straight or indented at the base.
5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSSection (1) handle is indicated by the letter C and Part 1 (see
Section (2) the left weight is indicated by the letter A in all figs drawings and Section (3) the right weight is indicated by the letter B in all figs drawings. These parts are not limited to a particular shape, size, dimensions, circumference, or thickness. In other words parts, A and B can be in a variety of shapes and sizes such as the shape of a triangle as indicated in
Parts C the handle and parts A left weight and B right weight can be one solid unit or separated as illustrated in
The solid one-piece version of the invention can be made using one mold, with any hard material such as steel or cast iron. It can be left in its raw form, painted or coated in rubber.
In the version where all parts can come apart as illustrated in
The parts A left weight and B right weight can be attached and detached to and from the handle in multiple ways, one way is with Part 18 Male Threads and Part 19 Female Threads opening for male threads, where the female threads are screwed into the male threads securing the weight in place. See
The A left weight and B right weight can be in any shape and length and can also be configurable and interchangeable. For example in
Parts C the handle and parts A left weight and B right weight are not restricted to being solid on the inside. In other words, all of the parts of the invention can be hollow and filled with heavy material such as water or sand, illustrated in
The triangle version is especially user-friendly when getting filled up with heavy material because it ensures that there are no air holes, thus preventing any sloshing if filled with water. The hollow version is especially useful when traveling, allowing the weight to stay light for easy travel. Then when the user is ready to workout on the beach for example they can easily fill up the weight with sand or ocean water, for example, to allow the weight to become heavier with the contents. Then when the user is done with their workout they can easily empty Part 22 (Heavy material such as water or sand) out of the weights, as in
Part C Handle part of the invention can be straight or arched. The arched version is more user-friendly because it allows the user to place the invention behind the back of their leg allowing the invention to contour to the user's body more effectively, illustrated in
In addition, the arched handle version of the invention allows the user to comfortably grip the handle with both hands (either one or both) much like a traditional kettlebell to perform a wide variety of workouts. See
To increase in weight the invention's side weights parts, A and B can be increased in thickness, width, height, or circumference in various ways, as illustrated by the broken dashed line Part 6, Increased thickness of the invention, in
The two side weights indicated by Parts A and B of the invention vary in size and thickness depending on the amount of weight the invention needs to weigh. There is no specific weight or dimension that the invention is limited to, it can weigh as little as half a pound and as much as one hundred pounds or more. In
The reason for the indented base version of the invention is for the two side plates to wrap around the body more snugly. See
Another version of the invention that offers great support while performing the elevated push-up workout see
The handle (marked with the letter C) is connected to the side weights indicated by the letters A and B, these side weights grip and contour to the user's various body parts while performing a wide variety of workouts to offer the user weighted resistance to strengthen specific muscle regions. All three parts A, B, and C make one whole invention that consists of an open area between parts A and B, this open area allows for the user to use the invention in a variety of ways that are indicated in
The two sides parts A and B are connected to the handle at the top, creating an upside-down U shape with a space in between them. This open space and the upside-down U shape naturally contours to the user's curved body parts and as a result allows the user to hook the weight onto various parts of their body such as the back or their leg while performing donkey kicks and extended leg raises see
Here is a detailed breakdown explanation of why the invention is more safe, comfortable, and versatile for the user than all of the prior art kettlebells, dumbbells, and ankle weights combined based on the specific exercise performed:
(1) Donkey kicks and fire hydrants: The ergonomic shape of the invention see
Traditionally the user would use handheld dumbbells that do not have an offset weighted handle, because of this hand-held dumbbells are hard to grip with the back of the leg. They are uncomfortable to use and frequently end up falling off the leg causing potential injuries to the user. Because hand-held dumbbells are hard to grip with the back of the leg, the user focuses on squeezing the hand-held dumbbell instead of squeezing their glute muscles, which is ideal for maximum results during the donkey kick and fire hydrant workouts. The new invention solves this problem by safely and comfortably staying in place, giving the user the ability to focus on squeezing their glute muscles at the top of every rep for maximum gain results per repetition.
There is no other free weight that has the ability to contour to the leg in this way to offer weighted resistance in the ideal place for the best optional results while allowing the user to quickly take it off and on themselves. As mentioned above hand-held dumbbells do not have the arched shape design to contour to the natural curvature of the back of the leg, and the side weights are not long enough to grip the leg securely. And as a result, hand-held dumbbells are hard to keep in place behind the back of the leg and can end up falling off the leg causing the user potential injuries. And unlike ankle weights that take extra time to take on and off, the invention is super fast and easy to take on and off during interval training, allowing the user to maintain momentum for the best optional results when switching workouts.
(2) Standing Leg Raises: The problem with using ankle weights is that they take extra time to take on and off during interval training and offer limitations in the amount of weight they can go up in because they have to be attached to the user's body, as well as limitations on not being able to perform other workouts such as the deadlifts
The invention allows the user to easily hook it on top of their ankle in seconds, see
In addition, the new invention is easy to take on and off, making the transition from one workout to another super fast and effortless. This is especially important during high interval training where the user needs to quickly transition from one workout to the next without any rest. For example, the user would start in the standing position with the invention on the floor, then quickly and easily hook the invention to the top of their foot while performing the standing leg raises. When finished with their reps the user can easily transition into a single-leg deadlift see
(3) Side Leg Raise workout: Using ankle weights or resistance bands, as mentioned above ankle weights and resistance bands take extra time to take on and off which are not ideal during high interval training and ankle weights can be limited in weight because of being attached to the body. In addition resistance bands do not offer the full range of motion needed to isolate and target key muscles, so they are not as effective. The invention solves this problem because it can easily be placed on the side of the leg while performing the side leg raises, see
(4) Knee Tucks: the upside-down arched U-arched shape of the invention allows the user to easily place the weight on top of their ankles while performing the knee tucks workout, see
(5) Supported Push-ups: As mentioned above the triangle-wide base version of the invention see
(6) Arm Raises: the new invention has an open space that clears the area for the weight not to be in the way of the wrist see
The invention allows the user to perform all of the workouts that a traditional kettlebell does like the kettlebell swings and the deadlifts see
Overall the new invention is like a kettlebell, hand dumbbell, and ankle weights in one product, with the additional versatility of allowing the user to hook the weight safely and comfortably onto various body parts for extra resistance. This makes the new invention the most versatile free weight.
The preferred names for the parts of the invention and its environment are summarized below.
Part A Left side weight part of the invention
Part B Right side weight part of the invention
Part C Handle weight part of the invention
Part 1 Handle part of the Invention (also indicated by letter C)
Part 2 Exterior part of the invention (also indicated by letters A and B)
Part 3 Interior part of the invention (also indicated by letters A and B)
Part 4 Rim thickness part of the invention
Part 5 Base part of the invention
Part 6 Increased thickness of the invention
Part 7 Handle part of the Prior Art—Traditional Kettlebell
Part 8 Solid Weighed Part of Handle part of the Prior Art—Traditional Kettlebell
Part 9 Base part of the Prior Art—Traditional Kettlebell
Part 10 Hand and arm of a human user
Part 11 Lower leg part a human user (ankle and foot area)
Part 12 Leg part a human user
Part 13 Handle Part of Prior Art—Hand-Held Dumbbell
Part 14 Side Weight Plates (can be detached and attached) of Prior Art—Hand-Held Dumbbell
Part 15 Side Weights of Prior Art—Hand-Held Dumbbell
Part 16 Flat surface area such as the floor
Part 17 Area where part C the Handle can separate from parts A and B
Part 18 Male Threads
Part 19 Female Threads hole opening for male threads
Part 20 Hole opening for hollow version of parts A and B
Part 21 Funnel
Part 22 Heavy material such as water or sand
Claims
1. A dumbbell comprising:
- a left weight with a top, a bottom, a front, and a back;
- a right weight with a top, a bottom, a front, and a back;
- and an arched handle with a left end attached to the top of the left weight and a right end attached to the top of the right weight.
2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the left weight and the bottom of the right weight are flat.
3. The invention of claim 1, wherein
- the left weight has a left weight width defined as the distance from the back of the left weight to the front of the left weight;
- the left weight has a left weight height defined as the distance from the bottom of the left weight to the top of the left weight;
- the left weight width is at least as great as the left weight height;
- the right weight has a right weight width defined as the distance from the back of the right weight to the front of the right weight;
- the right weight has a right weight height defined as the distance from the bottom of the right weight to the top of the right weight;
- and the right weight width is at least as great as the right weight height.
4. The invention of claim 1, in which the left weight is parallel to the right weight.
5. The invention of claim 2, wherein
- the left weight has a left weight width defined as the distance from the back of the left weight to the front of the left weight;
- the left weight has a left weight height defined as the distance from the bottom of the left weight to the top of the left weight;
- the left weight width is at least as great as the left weight height;
- the right weight has a right weight width defined as the distance from the back of the right weight to the front of the right weight;
- the right weight has a right weight height defined as the distance from the bottom of the right weight to the top of the right weight;
- and the right weight width is at least as great as the right weight height.
6. The invention of claim 2, in which the left weight is parallel to the right weight.
7. The invention of claim 3, in which the left weight is parallel to the right weight.
8. The invention of claim 5, in which the left weight is parallel to the right weight.
9. The invention of claim 1, further comprising
- female screw threads at the left end and the right end of the handle;
- male screw threads at the top of the left weight and the top of the right weight, to fit into the female screw threads in the handle;
- female screw threads in the bottom of the left weight;
- a supplementary left weight with a top and a bottom, comprising male screw threads in the top that fit into the female screw threads of the left weight;
- female screw threads in the bottom of the right weight;
- and a supplementary right weight with a top and a bottom, comprising male screw threads on the top that fit into the female screw threads of the right weight.
10. The invention of claim 9, wherein
- the bottom of the supplementary left weight and the bottom of the supplementary right weight are flat;
- and the left weight is parallel to the right weight.
11. The invention of claim 1, wherein
- the left weight is hollow;
- the left weight has a sealable opening at the top for the insertion and removal of heavy material;
- the right weight is hollow;
- the right weight has a sealable opening at the top for the insertion and removal of heavy material;
- the handle is hollow;
- and the handle has a sealable opening for the insertion and removal of heavy material.
12. The invention of claim 11, wherein
- the bottom of the left weight and the bottom of the right weight are flat;
- the left weight is parallel to the right weight;
- the left weight has a left weight width defined as the distance from the back of the left weight to the front of the left weight;
- the left weight has a left weight height defined as the distance from the bottom of the left weight to the top of the left weight;
- the left weight width is at least as great as the left weight height;
- the right weight has a right weight width defined as the distance from the back of the right weight to the front of the right weight;
- the right weight has a right weight height defined as the distance from the bottom of the right weight to the top of the right weight;
- and the right weight width is at least as great as the right weight height.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 12, 2022
Publication Date: Apr 13, 2023
Inventor: Alina Kravchenko (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 17/964,831