Hand-held adjustable exercise apparatus

[0001] An adjustable apparatus that is intended to be operated by a human user for the purpose of facilitating the conditioning or developing of a muscle or group of muscles of the user by repetitive or continuous activity of the user.

[0002] Historically, many varieties of exercise devices have been available worldwide, intended to increase human body muscular strength. To obtain a full body work out protocol routine, the user must employ a variety of multiple exercise machines designed for a small quantity of specific muscle groups. This current invention is a single hand-held gravitational weighted device that allows for a full body workout protocol routine while allowing the user to select and isolate a large quantity of specific individual muscle groups. No prior art allows for such broad capabilities in a single hand-held device. Prior art devices employ torsional turning and twisting members, friction disc resistance devices, hydraulic devices, gravitational weighted devices, and spring loaded devices as disclosed in BERGDORF, U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,799 (Aug. 24, 1999); YU, U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,377 B1 (Aug. 10, 2004); BRUGGEMANN, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,681 (Apr. 9, 1996). These prior art devices typically have handle(s) intended to be grasped by the hands of the user, in order to perform the required exercise maneuvers. Such a device is further disclosed by SCHOTT in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,999. These devices are limited to resistive rotational exercise protocols that are limited to strengthening the hands, wrists and forearms, and do not consider the upper arms or shoulders, or weight bearing load enhancement, or full body enhancement. Similar devices utilizing handles are disclosed in FERBER, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,596; BROWN, U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,059; OSTERMAN, U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,214; DEAN, U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,438; ROEHLK, U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,921, and also do not provide full body muscle strength development. More muscle groups can be exercised by use of a large floor mounted apparatus, which requires the user to sit or lay down on the device, as disclosed in DALEBOUT, U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,552 B2 (May 26, 2009), but is not hand-held and is massive complex mechanical device. The instant invention was developed to accomplish more effective exercise protocols, and speed muscle strength development, in multiple muscle groups, which cannot be accomplished with the prior art. As an example, a well-known muscle building protocol, which is one of many central elements to this invention, is termed the “curl”. The “curl” is performed by placing both hands on a conventional dumbbell bar and curling the weighted bar up, to a horizontal position, by moving the forearms up, by bending the elbows, while maintaining the upper arms in a down vertical position. This repetitive exercise protocol produces gravitational load on the bicep muscles, and improves their strength level. The prior art “curl” apparatus' are primarily limited to bicep muscle strength building. With the instant invention, the handles are adjusted to allow specific changes in the distance, between the hands, and the rotational angles of the hands and forearms, relative to a vertical or horizontal plane.

[0003] Changes in the separation distance between hands, and rotational angular changes of the hands and forearms, allows the user of the device to select and isolate specific muscle groups, to his or her selection, to be worked, that are not available in prior art hand-held devices, as said prior art devices, do not allow isolation of muscle groups other than the bicep or forearm muscle group. Therefore, a full body workout protocol is not possible with prior art hand-held devices. An important feature of the instant invention is the curved shape of the bar that the handles are attached to. This curve shaped bar conforms to the human body shape, and surrounds the user, so that the center of gravity of the weighted bar is aligned with the user's center of gravity, thereby allowing both upper and lower body exercise protocol while the user is in a standing position. This advantageous feature will be recognized to those skilled in the art. For example, this instant invention identifies one single hand-held device that can be used to isolate and individually exercise muscles such as the: Abductor Policies Longus, Extensor Pollicis Brevis, First Dorsal Interosseous, Abductor Pollicis, Opponens Pollicis, Abductor Pollicis Brevis, Flexor Pollicis Longus, Flexor Digitorum Superficialis, Extensor Retinaculum, Extensor Pollicis Brevis (wrist and hand); Flexore Capri Ulnaris, Flexore Capri Radialis, Palmaris Longus, Extensor Capri Radialis Brevis, Extensor Capri Radialis Longus, Extensor Digiti Minimi, Extensor Carpi Ulnaris, Extensor Digitorum, Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (lower arm); Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Biceps Brachi, Triceps Brachi—Lateral Head, Long Head, Medial Head (upper arm); Anterior Deltoid, Posterior Deltoid, Middle Deltoid, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor (shoulder); Pectoris Major Clavicular Head, Pectoris Major Sternocostal Head, Pectoralis Major Abdominal Head (chest); Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Aponeurotic Insertion of Latissimus Dorsi, External Oblique, Lliocostalis, Spinalis Thoracis, Longissimus Thoracis, Serratus Posterior Inferior, Quadratus Lumborum (back); Rectus Abdominis, Internal Oblique (abdomen); Gluteus Maximus (buttocks); Lliopsoas, Pectineus, Abductor Longus, Gracilis, Sartorius, Rectus Femorus Quadricep, Vastus Lateralis Quadricep, Vastus Medialis Quadricep, Vastus Intermedius Quadricep, Gastrocnemius Medial Head and Lateral Head, Soleus, Peroneus Longus, Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Digitorum Longus, Peroneus Brevis, Flexor Digitorum Longus, Extensor Hallucis Longus, Peroneus Tertius, Lateral Malleolus, Extensor Retinaculum, Extensor Digitorum Brevis (lower legs, ankles and feet). No prior art, of a single hand-held device, can address all these muscle groups.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows an exercise bar 1 provided with two identical handle members 2 at a separation distance between them. The separation distance can be adjusted by moving slide mechanism 4 either closer together or farther apart to accommodate the desires of the person using the device. Handles 2 may be tilted through a 90 degree arc to accommodate the desires of the user for isolating specific muscle groups to be concentrated on. The handles have bell shaped hemispherical cups 3 on each end to protect the user's hands and fingers from impact or abrasion injuries. Two wheel shaped discs 5 are located near the outside ends of the bar 1 to allow the exercise device to be set or positioned on a flat plane, or floor, and prevent any part or section of the bar 1 or handle 2 mechanisms from contracting the flat plane or floor.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows the handle 2 rotational or tilting features, and the ability to change the separation distance between handles 2 by moving slide mechanism 4.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows an enhanced view of the tilting capability of the handle(s) 2 relative to the slide mechanism 4 and handle locking pedestal 6.

[0014] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the handle (2) interface feature with the slide mechanism 4 and locking pin 9 engagement into locking slot 7.

[0015] FIG. 5 shows the details of the slide mechanism 4 and clevis pin 11 that engages through hole 12.

[0016] FIG. 6 shows the details of the handle 2 tilting locking mechanism consisting of a locking pin 9 that is held in place under pressure from spring 10.

[0017] FIG. 7 shows the entire exercise device with optional weights 13 held in place by end coupling 14 and spacer 8.