Selectorized Dumbbell Shock Absorbing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Selectorized dumbbells are prone to damage from impact shocks, leading to costly repairs or replacement, as they lack effective shock absorption mechanisms, and users often face difficulties in repairing bent or misaligned components.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a shock-absorbing system within the dumbbell's design, featuring flexible arms made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) or elastomer encasements, which deflect and reset upon impact, minimizing damage and allowing for easier disassembly and replacement of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If selectorized dumbbells use rigid weight plates and selector components, then structural strength is maintained, but impact shock resistance deteriorates causing damage to weights and selector
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates shock-absorbing elements at critical interfaces before impact occurs. Rubber or elastomeric materials are placed between weight plates and selector components, and between selector and handle, to cushion impact shocks before they reach structural components. This beforehand cushioning prevents damage without compromising structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines rigid materials (metal weight plates, selector components) with flexible materials (rubber, elastomers) to create a composite structure. The rigid portions maintain structural strength while the flexible portions absorb impact shocks. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between strength and shock resistance.
2Reliability
If selectorized dumbbells use precise tolerances for weight, selector and handle alignment, then operational reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates when components become bent or misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the dumbbell into separable modules: weight plates, selector components, and handle. Each can be independently removed and replaced. The shock-absorbing elements are also separate components that can be replaced without affecting other parts. This segmentation maintains precision through proper fitting interfaces while enabling easy replacement of damaged components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces shock-absorbing elements that change the mechanical parameters at critical interfaces. These elements provide controlled compliance that maintains alignment tolerances during normal operation but allows for easier realignment after impact by absorbing misalignment forces and enabling simple component removal and reinstallation.
3Ease of manufacture
If selectorized dumbbells are designed with simple replacement components, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases to incorporate shock absorption mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses rubber or elastomeric shells and thin film elements as shock-absorbing components. These flexible elements are relatively simple to manufacture using standard molding or fabrication processes. They are incorporated as separate components that interface with existing weight plates and selector parts, adding shock absorption without significantly complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The shock-absorbing elements serve as intermediary components between the rigid weight plates/selector and the handle. These intermediaries absorb impact shocks and protect the primary structural components. By placing the complexity in replaceable intermediary elements rather than in the core structural components, the overall device remains relatively simple to manufacture while gaining shock protection.
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
The shock-absorbing system significantly reduces the likelihood and severity of damage, increasing user satisfaction and reducing warranty costs by making the dumbbell more durable and easier to maintain.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating a shock-absorbing system within the dumbbell's design, featuring flexible arms made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) or elastomer encasements, which deflect and reset upon impact, minimizing damage
Implementation Method 2
flexible arms made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) or elastomer encasements, which deflect and reset upon impact
Data Source
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AI summary
A selectorized dumbbell comprises a plurality of individual weights that can be nested together to provide a stack of nested left weight plates and a stack of nested right weight plates that are separated by a gap, wherein each weight comprises a left weight plate and a right weight plate that are spaced apart but joined to one another by at least one interconnecting member, the weight plates and interconnecting member(s) of each weight being separate and distinct from the weight plates and interconnecting member(s) of the other weights and from a handle, and wherein the interconnecting member(s) of each weight differ in length from the interconnecting member(s) of the other weights such that the weight plates of different weights are spaced apart at progressively greater distances to allow the left and right weight plates to be nested with respect to one another in their respective stacks, wherein the handle may be dropped down into the gap between the stacks of nested left and right weight plates, a selector that connects a desired number of weights to the handle, wherein the selector comprises a connecting pin having at least one connecting prong that will pick up different numbers of weights depending upon which weight selection is used, characterized by each connecting prong of the connecting pin being flexible to absorb shock.