| Safe grip weights -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Safe grip weightsRelated Patent Categories: Exercise Devices, User Manipulated Force Resisting Apparatus, Component Thereof, Or Accessory Therefor, Utilizing Weight ResistanceSafe grip weights description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060293155, Safe grip weights. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The difficulty of lifting and or working with a heavy object increases proportionately with its size. The difficulty of working with a heavy object is compounded when the object is also round in shape and has a smooth finish. This is the situation facing those familiar with the practice of "lifting weights". Those experienced in lifting weights normally engage in this practice to build-muscle mass. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,502 ('502) issued to Anastassi and U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,380 ('380) issued to Lien et. al. for further background and discussion on this subject. [0002] Those engaging in this practice that use "free weights" to train as compared to weight resistance machines, find themselves continually loading and unloading barbells or free weight which are heavy and cumbersome. Many times these weights have either no handle or just a simple hand-hole in the weight to be used as a handle to facilitate picking up the weight and to improve grip on the weight when picked up. Once upon a time the practice of lifting weights was the exclusive domain of power lifters, bodybuilders and football linemen. Injuries related to "slamming iron" within this group were considered a badge of honor for novice lifters. A frequent injury acquired is when one plate is loaded next to another and the tissue of the hands or fingers is pinched between the weight plates. Another injury common occurs if the weight plate slips as the plate is unloaded from the bar or placed on the ground and hands or fingers or caught between the weight plate and the ground or floor. [0003] More experienced lifters have learned over time to avoid the potential injuries related to loading and unloading heavy weights through caution and expertise. Over the last fifteen years, however, the practice of lifting weights has been found by trainers, coaches and athletes to potentially improve the performance of almost any athlete including sprinters, basketball and baseball players. The popularity of weightlifting then has greatly increased the number of people exposed to weight lifting as well as the potential exposure of novices or part-time lifters to the dangers and difficulties of lifting free weights. Unfortunately, no one, until now, has taught an apparatus to avoid this type of injury. In fact, the teachings of the prior art may have compounded the problem. [0004] The '502 patent issued in 1992 teaches incorporating openings into the outer portions of the face of the weight plate. This teaching improved the handling of heavy weights and allowed the user to pick the weight off the floor. The '502 patent teachings also provided the user with an opportunity to put his hands in harms away when he stacked more than one weight onto a barbell bar. [0005] The '380 patent issued in 2004 claims to also teach a system useful in preventing injuries and assisting a user in gripping a weight. The teachings do allow a user to insert his or her hands into a hand hole for use a grip. This assists the user with picking the weight up off the floor. The teaching then exacerbates the injury situation by ensuring that there is no virtually no space between the two weight plate hand holes as the weight plates are inserted onto the barbell bar and interlocked thus crushing the inattentive, novice and many times exhausted user's hands or fingers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] This invention generally relates to the field of exercise equipment and more specifically to weights or barbells. The weights as described herein are sometimes referred to by those using the weights as "free weights" or simply "plates". In accordance with the present invention, an improved weight plate is provided that is easily moved from a flat support surface. The weight plate includes a planar body having a central opening for receiving a barbell or dumbbell bar there through. [0007] The new ergonomic design as described herein shall work well for any human manipulated and controlled mass including free weights. The depth of the opening and the curvature of the area along with the width of the opening are purposefully designed to ergonomically fit the hand and or hand like device for a plurality of uses. This design creates a semi-protective area for insertion of a hand or hand like device. The size and shape of the area reduce the potential for unattended and damaging interaction between the hand and the side edges of the weight plates and the faces of the plates. The design disclosed could be expanded to also protect a hand-like device from interaction with the face or sides of the mass. [0008] The weight includes a disc member having a circular opening disposed in the center and a rounded outer rim or ring 11. Disposed on either side of the circular opening are a pair of diametrically opposed, circular openings. The openings are disposed parallel to one another and equidistant from the circular opening. The circular openings are positioned in the weight so that the fingers and thumb of a human hand can be disposed through the openings for sufficient gripping of the weight. The invention as disclosed a portion of the outer rim at the face edge of the weight plate has been removed at the point where the openings are to create a barbell grip. [0009] The problem solved by the invention as disclosed is to reduce the potential for the user's hands, after insertion into the barbell weight grip opening to come into contact with the weight plate face as the weight plates are inserted onto the barbell bar. The potential for smashing the user's hand between the edge formed between the face of the plate and the rim of the weight plate is dramatically reduced by the barbell grip while still allowing the practical advantage of barbell grip opening for insertion of the user's hand. Barbell grip 14 is sized so that an average human hand will be protected when the inner face of the weight plate contacts the outer face of the previously inserted weight plate, the inner edges forming the barbell grip to protect the user's hand or a hand like device. [0010] It is an objective of the invention as described to generally distribute the stress and forces applied to the point of interaction between the human user and the contact area of the heavy and or cumbersome object. It is another objective of the invention as described herein to improve the control of free weights as typically used in physical exercise. It is another object to make the control and manipulation of heavy objects, including free weights, safer. It is another objective of the invention as described to improve the user's control and manipulations of objects. Finally, it is a further object of the invention to improve a weight lifter's control and manipulation of the free weights. DETAILED DESCRIPTION--BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIGS. 1 and 2 show free weights barbell plates as they are commonly found in the prior art now. [0012] FIG. 1 is a top perspective showing common free weight barbell plates with hand openings located directly across from each other. [0013] FIG. 2 is a top side perspective showing how the lifter's hand engages with the free weight barbell plate as found in the prior art. [0014] FIGS. 3-6 show the preferred embodiment of the invention. [0015] FIG. 3 is a top side perspective showing how the lifter's hand engages with the grip found on the improved free weight barbell plate which is the subject of this invention. [0016] FIG. 4 is a top side perspective showing the stacking of multiple free weight barbell plates implementing the improved grip. [0017] FIG. 5 is a top side perspective showing a single improved grip barbell weight plate. [0018] FIG. 6 is a bottom side perspective showing a single improved grip barbell weight plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION--LISTING OF THE ELEMENTS [0019] TABLE-US-00001 NUMBER DESCRIPTION 10 Barbell Weight or "Plate" 11 Barbell Weight Ring or Rim 12 Barbell weight grip opening 13 Lifter's hand 14 Barbell Weight Grip 15 Plate Face 16 Barbell center hole 17 Barbell collar 18 Barbell bar DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Safe grip weights... Full patent description for Safe grip weights Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Safe grip weights patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Safe grip weights or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Spontaneous symmetrical weight shifting trainer device Next Patent Application: Therapeutic exercise device Industry Class: Exercise devices ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Safe grip weights patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.25511 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
