Exercise Bar Locking Collar for Quick-Change Grip Widths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise bar assemblies lack a simple and efficient mechanism for quickly and easily replacing center bars of varying lengths to accommodate different grip positions and user anatomies, as well as provide secure attachment to prevent accidental dislocation during use.
Innovation Solution
A locking assembly is provided that allows for easy removal and replacement of center bars with a center bar assembly featuring a tubular portion, a retaining washer with radial recesses and projections, and a locking mechanism using a safety pin to prevent rotation, ensuring secure engagement with hand grip assemblies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the center bar assembly uses a fixed length design, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the adaptability for different grip positions and user anatomies is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The center bar assembly is divided into multiple interchangeable center bar portions of different lengths. Each portion can be independently selected and attached to the hand grip assemblies, allowing the system to adapt to different grip positions and user anatomies without requiring a completely different assembly structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting mechanism with cylindrical collar, retaining washer, and orientation stud is designed to universally accommodate multiple center bar portions of different lengths. This universal interface allows the same mounting structure to work with various center bar configurations, providing versatility while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the center bar length is made adjustable, then the versatility for different exercises is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable center bar system is segmented into standardized portions that can be easily interchanged. The segmentation allows for simple length adjustments without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, as users can simply attach different length portions using the standardized mounting interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The center bar assembly transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic adjustable-length design through the use of interchangeable portions. The mounting mechanism with cylindrical collar and retaining washer enables dynamic reconfiguration of the center bar length to suit different exercise requirements.
3Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is added to the center bar assembly, then the reliability of the connection is improved, but the ease of quick replacement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The orientation stud with circumferential channels and the retaining washer with corresponding features are pre-configured to automatically align during assembly. This preliminary alignment feature ensures that the locking mechanism engages correctly without requiring complex adjustment or multiple steps, maintaining ease of quick replacement while ensuring secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-aligning and self-locking through the interaction between the orientation stud's circumferential channels and the retaining washer's features. When the center bar portion is inserted, the components automatically engage and lock into position without requiring additional manual intervention, providing both security and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise bar assembly includes a pair of hand grip assemblies, each with a corresponding plate bar assembly to support a weight. The hand grip assemblies are connected to each other by a center bar assembly that allows the user to select a particular length of center bar assembly for a particular spacing of the hand grip assemblies. The center bar assembly is engageable to each hand grip assembly and locked in place using a rotatable retaining washer that is rotatable between one position in which the center bar assembly can be connected to a hand grip assembly, and a second position in which the center bar assembly cannot be removed from the hand grip assembly. A locking mechanism arrangement is provided that prevents rotation of the retaining washer away from the second position.