US20080096738A1

US20080096738A1 - Impact Absorption Possible Dumbbell and Barbell Disk

Info

Publication number: US20080096738A1
Application number: US11/794,881
Authority: US
Inventors: Yun-Hwan Kim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-01-10
Filing date: 2005-07-07
Publication date: 2008-04-24
Also published as: JP2008526349A; WO2006073230A1; KR100495274B1; CN101098735A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an impact absorbing dumbbell and an impact absorbing barbell disk. The impact absorbing dumbbell includes an outer cover prepared by cutting a flexible member into a dumbbell and sewing the cut flexible member, thereby having a dumbbell shape, a cylindrical tubular body installed inside the middle portion of the outer cover for serving as a handle and keeping the dumbbell shape, and weight constituent powder charged in the outer cover. The impact absorbing barbell disk includes an outer cover prepared by cutting a flexible member into a barbell disk and sewing the cut flexible member, thereby having a barbell disk shape, weight constituent powder charged in the outer cover, and a bushing made of metal or synthetic resin, the bushing being inserted and fixed in the central shaft hole of the outer cover.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a dumbbell and a barbell disk, both being capable of absorbing impact, in which the impact absorbing dumbbell and the impact absorbing barbell disk include a flexible outer cover having a dumbbell shape or a barbell disk shape and are made of synthetic fabric, natural fabric or synthetic rubber, and weight constituent powder, such as iron powder or sand, charged in the flexible outer cover. The dumbbell and the barbell disk further include a cylindrical tubular body made of synthetic resin, foam resin, sponge, EVA or the like installed inside or outside the dumbbell, and serving as a handle of a dumbbell, or a bushing installed in a central hole of the outer cover having a doughnut shape and made of synthetic resin or metal.

BACKGROUND ART

A general dumbbell was made by processing iron, and was structured such that weights are coupled to both ends of a cylindrical bar, which can be easily held with the hands. The conventional dumbbell has the disadvantage of easily rusting. Accordingly, the conventional dumbbell has not been used for a long time.
An improved dumbbell is made of metal by a molding method using a molding cast, and the metal dumbbell is coated with synthetic resin capable of having many different colors.
Aluminum, which is the material generally used for manufacturing the improved dumbbell, has an advantage of being relatively cheap with respect to other metals, but the improved dumbbell made by molding has the disadvantage of being brittle, so that it can easily break when it is dropped. Thus, there is a problem in that a user can be harmed by broken pieces of the dumbbell, and the manufacturer of the dumbbell must compensate for damages, due to the product liability (PL) law, when a user is injured. Further, if the dumbbell is dropped on a body part of a user, such as the top of a foot, the body part can be injured or broken.
In order to solve these problems, a new type of dumbbell comprising a dumbbell outer cover made of synthetic resin and iron powder or sand charged in the dumbbell outer cover has been suggested. The new type of dumbbell is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0005189 and Korean Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0039172. However, this dumbbell, which can overcome the disadvantage of the brittle dumbbell made of metal through a molding method, also has the disadvantage of not being able to absorb impact when the dumbbell is dropped.
The above-referenced prior arts disclose sufficient methods of overcoming safety concerns about a body part of a user being injured when the dumbbell is dropped onto the body part of a user. Further, in a prior art, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0291028, it is disclosed that a dumbbell made by charging water and iron powder in a non-rigid resin cover can reduce impact applied to a body part of a user when it is dropped onto the body part of a user.
However, in all the above described dumbbells, the outer covers of the dumbbells are made of synthetic resin through an extrusion molding method, and the outer covers made by the extrusion molding method are not flexible but rigid. Accordingly, when the dumbbells are dropped on a body part of a user, the dumbbells cannot completely absorb impact that could cause damage to a user's body part, but only alleviate the degree of impact applied to a user.
That is, due to the non-flexible characteristic of synthetic resin, the initial outer contour of the outer cover made of the synthetic resin is maintained. Accordingly, even though the outer cover is charged with iron powder or sand, the dumbbell poorly absorbs impact because the contour of the outer cover does not change in response to an external pressure.
Further, since a molding cast is needed to manufacture a synthetic resin outer cover of the dumbbell through an extrusion molding method, the manufacturing cost is high because when expense is incurred when preparing the molding cast is incurred.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present invention is devised in consideration of the aforementioned problems and situations, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an impact absorbing dumbbell and barbell disk, which almost never break and are capable of protecting a user from injuring when they hit a body part of a user, by absorbing impact.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact absorbing dumbbell and barbell disk that can be manufactured without using an extrusion molding cast, thereby being capable of being manufactured at low cost.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the above described objects, there is provided an impact absorbable dumbbell and an impact absorbable barbell disk comprising an outer cover, prepared by cutting and sewing a flexible member, and weight constituent powder, such as iron powder or sand, which is charged in the outer cover, has a predetermined weight, and can freely move in the outer cover, so that the outer contour of the dumbbell freely varies.
The flexible member is prepared by cutting fabric, made of natural fiber or synthetic fiber, or synthetic rubber into a predetermined shape and sewing the fabric or the rubber into a dumbbell or a barbell disk shape.
In order to maintain the shape of a dumbbell, a cylindrical tubular body is installed inside or outside the outer cover, which is made of synthetic resin, foam resin, sponge, or EVA in order to absorb impact. In the case of a barbell disk having a doughnut shape, a bushing having a cylindrical shape is inserted in a central shaft hole of the outer cover of the barbell disk, so that a shaft bar can be easily inserted through the center shaft hole. The bushing is made of synthetic resin or metal.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

As known from the above description, the impact absorbable dumbbell and the impact absorbable barbell disk according to the present invention have excellent ability to absorb impact and overcome the problem of the conventional dumbbell and barbell disk, which can only slightly alleviate impact but cannot completely absorb impact. Accordingly, the dumbbell and the barbell disk according to the present invention can prevent a user from being injured when the user drops them on a body part, particularly on the foot, and are almost never broken or damaged when they collide against rigid objects. The dumbbell and the barbell disk according to the present invention can be manufactured at low cost because a molding cast is not necessary in a manufacturing process thereof. Accordingly, manufacturers can provide customers with dumbbells and barbell disks with quality and at a price that will ensure competitiveness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a dumbbell in a partially cut away state, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the dumbbell shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a dumbbell in a partially cut away state, according to a further one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the dumbbell shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a barbell disk in a partially cut away state, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the barbell disk shown in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are longitudinal sectional views illustrating a barbell disk according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a dumbbell in a partially cut away state according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 illustrates a longitudinal section of the dumbbell shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cylindrical tubular body 12 is installed inside a flexible outer cover 11 in order to form the shape of the dumbbell 10.
The dumbbell 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises the flexible outer cover 11 prepared by cutting and sewing a flexible member into a dumbbell shape, the cylindrical tubular body 12 inserted in the middle portion of the outer cover 11 to allow a user to easily hold the dumbbell 10 and to make the outer cover maintain a dumbbell shape, and iron powder 13 or sand 13 charged in the outer cover 11.
The flexible outer cover 11 is made of fiber but is not specifically limited thereto. For example, the flexible outer cover 11 can be made of synthetic fabric made by processing synthetic resin into synthetic fiber and weaving the synthetic fiber, natural fabric prepared by extracting a yam from a natural substance, such as cottons, and weaving the yarn, or synthetic rubber, such as Neoprene. The flexible outer cover 11 can be prepared from any material selected from among the above described materials or their equivalents.
The cylindrical tubular body 12 must be made of a material capable of maintaining a dumbbell shape having a thin middle portion serving as a handle and enlarged end portions provided at both ends of the thin middle portion while the outer cover is charged with weight constituent powder, such as iron powder or sand, having a predetermined weight, and capable of absorbing impact. For example, the tubular body 12 is made of synthetic resin, such as EVA or PVC, or foam resin having a predetermined rigidity, such as sponge. Thanks to the tubular body 12, the contour of a holding portion of the flexible outer cover 11 can be maintained, and further, the contour of the dumbbell is maintained.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

FIG. 3 illustrates a dumbbell in a partially cut away state, according to a further embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 illustrates a longitudinal section of the dumbbell shown in FIG. 3. A cylindrical tubular body 12 is installed in the outer surface of a flexible outer cover 11. The dumbbell according to this embodiment is the same as the dumbbell shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that the tubular body 12 is installed outside the outer cover 11, instead of being installed inside the outer cover 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the dumbbell 10 comprises the flexible outer cover 11 prepared by cutting a flexible material into a dumbbell shape and sewing it, the cylindrical tubular body 12 installed outside the dumbbell-shaped flexible outer cover 11, particularly in a middle portion of the outer cover 11, to allow a user to comfortably hold the dumbbell 10, and weight constituent powder 13 charged in the flexible outer cover 11.
The flexible outer cover 11 is not specifically limited, and it has flexibility. As described above, the flexible outer cover 11 is made of synthetic fabric, natural fabric, synthetic rubber or their equivalents. The cylindrical tubular body 12 is made of synthetic resin, such as EVA or PVC, or foam resin, such as sponge, having relatively high rigidity.
FIG. 5 illustrates a barbell disk in a partially cut away state, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the barbell disk 20 shown in FIG. 5, to be installed on both end portions of a central shaft bar of a barbell.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the barbell disk 20 comprises a flexible outer cover 21 having a doughnut shape with a central shaft hole, weight constituent power 22 charged in the flexible outer cover 21 and a bushing 23 provided in the central shaft hole of the outer cover 21.
The flexible outer cover 21 is made of a flexible material, such as fabric. As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the material of the flexible outer cover 21 can be selected from the group consisting of synthetic fabric, natural fabric, synthetic rubber and their equivalents. The bushing 23 is made of synthetic resin or metal.
The bushing 23 can be fixed to the flexible outer cover 21 by applying an adhesive on the outer surface of the bushing 23 and attaching the outer surface of the bushing 23 to the surface of the central shaft hole of the flexible outer cover 21. Alternatively the bushing 23 can be coupled to the flexible outer cover 21 by placing the bushing 23 in the central shaft hole of the flexible outer cover 21 and riveting the bushing 23 and the flexible outer cover 21 together.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a cross-section of a barbell disk according to a still further embodiment of the present invention, and in particular illustrate the coupling state between the flexible outer cover 21 and the bushing 23.
Referring to FIG. 7, the bushing 23 is structured such that it has a length longer than the width of the flexible outer cover 21 and has outward protrusions. The opposite ends of the outer cover 21 in a width direction are positioned to be in close contact with the inner surfaces of respective outward protrusions, so that the flexible outer cover 21 can be stably fixed on the circumferential outer surface of the bushing 23. Thanks to this structure, the flexible outer cover 21 and the bushing 23 are not easily separated from each other. In particular, in the case that the flexible outer cover 21 is made of synthetic rubber, it is possible to easily detach the flexible outer cover 21 from the bushing 23 due to elasticity of the rubber.
Referring to FIG. 8, when sewing the flexible outer cover 21, the inner space defined in the flexible outer cover 21 is divided into a plurality of compartments by dividing members. In this case, the weight constituent powder is separately charged in the separated compartments in the outer cover, so that the weight constituent power moves in a small space. Accordingly, it is relatively easy to maintain the contour of the barbell disk.
Since the outer cover 11 and 21 is prepared by selecting a flexible member, cutting the flexible member into a desired shape, and sewing the flexible member having the desired shape, a molding cast for manufacturing the flexible cover 11 and 21 is not required.
The dumbbell and the barbell disk are not broken by external impact, and can completely absorb impact when they are bump against a rigid object or a human body regardless of the degree of impact since the bumped portion becomes depressed as the weight constituent powder moves in the space in the outer cover of the dumbbell or the barbell disk. The depth of the depression formed in the dumbbell or the barbell disk varies according to the degree of impact.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. An impact absorbing dumbbell as an exercise implement, comprising:

an outer cover prepared by cutting a flexible member into a dumbbell and sewing the cut flexible member, thereby having a dumbbell shape;

a cylindrical tubular body installed inside a middle portion of the outer cover for serving as a handle and keeping the dumbbell shape; and weight constituent powder charged in the outer cover.

2. The impact absorbing dumbbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical tubular body is installed to encompass the middle portion of the outer cover instead of being installed to be inserted in the outer cover.

3. The impact absorbing dumbbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible outer cover is made of synthetic fabric, natural fabric, or synthetic rubber.

4. The impact absorbing dumbbell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical tubular body is made of synthetic resin, such as EVA or PVC, foam resin having high rigidity, or synthetic rubber.

5. An impact absorbing barbell disk having a central shaft hole, serving as an exercise implement, comprising: an outer cover prepared by cutting a flexible member into a barbell disk and sewing the cut flexible member, thereby having a barbell disk shape; weight constituent powder charged in the outer cover; and a bushing made of metal or synthetic resin, the bushing being inserted and fixed in the central shaft hole of the outer cover.

6. The impact absorbing barbell as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least two sheets of the flexible members having the same shape are sewn so as to overlap in order to divide an inner space of the flexible outer cover into a plurality of compartments, so that the weight constituent power is separately charged in the compartments.

7. The impact absorbing barbell as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible outer cover is made of synthetic fabric, natural fabric, or synthetic rubber.

8. The impact absorbing dumbbell as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible outer cover is made of synthetic fabric, natural fabric, or synthetic rubber.

9. The impact absorbing dumbbell as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cylindrical tubular body is made of synthetic resin, such as EVA or PVC, foam resin having high rigidity, or synthetic rubber.

10. The impact absorbing barbell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the flexible outer cover is made of synthetic fabric, natural fabric, or synthetic rubber.