Variable-Mass Dumbbell Port Design for Rapid Weight Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dumbbell systems require significant time and effort to change the attached mass, making them inefficient for quick transitions between sets and exercises, and pose health risks in communal gym environments due to high transmission of respiratory illnesses.
Innovation Solution
Dumbbell systems with incrementally-variable mass designs, including grip, weight-engagement devices, and telescoping mechanisms, allowing for quick and easy adjustment of weight increments using pins and ports, enabling versatile and safe home workouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional dumbbell systems use removable cuffs with friction or complicated mechanisms to hold weight plates, then the mass can be changed, but it takes considerable time and effort to change the amount of mass between sets and exercises
Solution Approach 1:
The dumbbell system is divided into modular components: a handle with multiple engagement ports at different positions, and weight plates with corresponding engagement features. Each weight plate can be independently selected and attached at specific ports, allowing rapid reconfiguration of mass without complex mechanisms or time-consuming adjustments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional gym environments provide numerous dumbbells and barbells for various weights, then exercise variety is available, but it creates high transmission risk of respiratory illnesses due to high turnover of clientele
Solution Approach 1:
A single dumbbell handle with multiple engagement ports serves multiple functions by accommodating different weight plates and configurations for various exercises. This universal design eliminates the need for numerous separate dumbbells, reducing the number of shared equipment pieces in communal gyms and thereby lowering transmission risk while maintaining exercise variety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If dumbbell technology uses complicated mechanisms to allow selection of desired mass, then mass selection capability is improved, but the system becomes more complex and requires more effort to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is pre-equipped with multiple engagement ports positioned at specific locations, and weight plates are designed with corresponding engagement features that align with these ports. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for complicated selection mechanisms during use; the user simply attaches the desired weight plate to the appropriate port, reducing operational complexity while maintaining full mass selection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Dumbbell systems provide a grip; a weight-engagement device having weight-engagement ports; a plurality of weight plates, each weight plate having a grip-engagement port; wherein the plurality of weight plates provides an incrementally-variable mass of weights. Further, a telescoping dumbbell system provides a cylindrical base comprising a grab and optionally a circular bearing race rotationally supporting the grab; a base weight selecting pin slidably attached to the cylindrical base; a first plurality of nested weight cylinders; and wherein the first plurality of nested weight cylinders provides an incrementally-expandable mass of weights. A dumbbell comprises a grip, a weight plate permanently affixed to the grip, the weight plate defining an opening about the grip sufficient in size for a human hand to grasp the grip, and two or more stacking structures on the weight plate. A barbell system engaging any of the foregoing dumbbell systems, dumbbells, or telescoping dumbbell system also appears.