Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Engagement Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjustable dumbbells often fail to securely engage weight members, especially when the weight exceeds 50 pounds, leading to potential disengagement and instability during use.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a receptacle with passages, handle mechanisms, spring-biased catches, and a cam-actuated system that ensures secure engagement of weight members by using protrusions, grooves, and arms, allowing for easy adjustment and prevention of disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single central handle bar is used to engage weight members, then the device structure remains simple, but the weight members become unstable and may disengage when the weight exceeds 50-70 pounds
Solution Approach 1:
The single central handle bar is divided into two separate handle bars, each independently engaging with weight members. This segmentation allows each handle bar to provide dedicated engagement points, improving stability and preventing disengagement of heavy weight members while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The two handle bars are combined with a carrier that slides within the receptacle, creating a unified engagement system. The carrier connects both handle bars and provides a common mounting point for weight members, ensuring stable engagement even with weights exceeding 70 pounds
2Device complexity
If weight members are engaged on the end portions of the handle bar, then the coupling structure remains simple, but the engagement becomes insecure for weights greater than 60-70 pounds
Solution Approach 1:
The handle bars are nested within chambers formed in housings, which are themselves mounted on the carrier. The weight members are nested within the engagement structure formed by the handle bars and carrier. This multi-level nesting provides secure retention for heavy weights while maintaining a compact, simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier acts as an intermediary component between the receptacle and the handle bars, and between the handle bars and the weight members. This intermediary structure provides additional engagement points and distributes the load, preventing disengagement of heavy weight members while keeping the coupling structure simple
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for stable and secure coupling of weight members across various weight ranges, enhancing user safety and convenience by preventing disengagement and enabling easy adjustment of weight standards.
Implementation Method 1
two spring biased catches slidably engaged in the grooves of each of the first and the second weight members and either extendible into the space of each of the first and the second weight members or engageable in the grooves of each of the first and the second weight members
Implementation Method 2
an actuator engageable with the first and the second seats of the cam member for moving the carrier downwardly relative to the receptacle, and to control an engagement of the first pole and the first stud with the arms
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable dumbbell device includes a dumbbell having two weight ring supported on a receptacle, a handle having two end housings to be coupled to the weight rings, two weight members engageable into the housing, two spring biased catches engaged in the weight member, two arms coupled to the spring biased catches for moving the spring biased catches into and out of the weight members, a carrier slidably engaged in the receptacle and having a pole and a stud of different height for engaging with the arms and for actuating the arms to disengage the spring biased catches from the weight members, and an actuator moves the carrier relative to the receptacle to control an engagement of the pole and the stud with the arms.