US20120322627A1

US20120322627A1 - Collapsible Kettlebell

Info

Publication number: US20120322627A1
Application number: US13/528,692
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest Emerson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-20
Filing date: 2012-06-20
Publication date: 2012-12-20

Abstract

A kettlebell having a housing which is configurable to an as-used configuration by filling a cavity in the housing with fill material. The kettlebell is returnable to a substantially planar stored configuration by emptying the cavity. The fill material can be varied from a group of different fill materials to vary the weight of the kettlebell in the as-used configuration. The housing has straps engaged to minimize twisting of the housing when the handle engaged to the housing is gripped by a user during exercise.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/499,074, which was filed on Jun. 20, 2012 and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment. More particularly the device relates to a kettlebell style exercised device which is manufactured of reinforced fabric material providing a collapsibility to the device lacking in conventional kettlebell, and including an aperture for operative emptying and filling of weighted material as needed.
2. Prior Art
Kettlebells have been used as exercise equipment for hundreds of years providing weight resistance strength training as well as other workout types. It is believed that exercises employing the free weight style devices, provide a better workout and with the correct exercise regime, enhance muscle definition.
Conventional kettlebells used for exercise, consist of a generally spherical weighed mass which is formed of cast iron or other heavy metal. A handle portion extending from a designated top surface of the weighted mass, provides a means for the user to grip and hold during exercises as well as during movement to and from a stored position. In general the mass providing the weight resistance for the exercise, is solid or thickly cored metal. The formed mass or weight is manufactured as big, or as small as needed, in both weight and diameter and circumferential configurations so as to provide the desired employable weight for the user for a specific workout regimen.
Many users choose home workout regimens rather than traveling to a gym for convenience or other reasons. However, at home, such users conventionally wish to continue the employment of the increasingly popular kettlebell exercise devices which are usually provided in a large plurality of sizes and weights in commercial gym venues. Such home workouts eliminate the costs associated with joining a gym, which conventionally involves monthly payments given any amount of participation. However, such home-based exercise regimens and workouts conventionally still require the employment of a range of weights which are made available to users at a commercial gym.
It is however, impractical for home-based users of exercise equipment, to purchase, store, and maintain the variety of weights and resistive exercise components that are made available at commercial gyms. This is not only due to the cost, but also due to the limited storage ability of the home user, and other concerns. Consequently, such concerns render it unworkable for the home-based exercise equipment user to go to the expense in money, storage accommodation, and other concerns to obtain all of the various weights generally required for their desired gym-equivalent workout routine. Such users, while wishing to perform the wide variety of exercises that a variety of gym-available equipment provides, and are therefor limited in the exercise regimes to routines which employ a smaller selection of weights and equipment. Additionally, in the case of heavy metal kettlebells, movement and storage increase the negatives that can be attributed to employing steel or cast iron exercise equipment that is not overly conducive to home use.
As a result, prior art has shown many attempts to provide exercise devices with compact adjustable weights, such as that found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,814 to Krull. However, this and similar devices continue to fall short in ease of storage and transportation.
As such there is a continuing and unmet need for a kettlebell device that can be easily stored and transported from storage for use. Such a device should also be easily adjusted in weight to allow for uses with the different exercise regimens requiring such differing weights and configurations, as needed. Further, such a device should be strong and durable, however, it should be comfortable to use during exercising. Finally, to accommodate users who desire to employ a device with a traditional kettlebell feel and style, such a device should also be comparable in use to the traditional kettlebell.
The forgoing examples of related art and limitation related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in prior art and achieves the above noted goals through the provision of a kettlebell device comprising a fabric exterior housing, which is reinforced with webbing type fabric material. An interior of the housing defines a surrounded cavity which can be filled from provided containers or available other materials, such as metal shavings, ball bearings, rocks, pebbles, liquid, sand, cementacous material, or polymeric material to accommodate the user's desired weight. The housing material may be similar to webbing fabric found in car seatbelts and has all the strength characteristics of such.
The housing of the kettlebell device, also referred to as the body of the device, is generally formed by sewing fabric to resemble a shell of a traditional kettlebell, comprising one or a plurality of sidewalls having an interior surface defining the holding cavity. There is included a handle portion extending from a top of the body. The handle preferably includes a reinforcing interior skeleton structure, such as a durable plastic beading, or a formed plastic or aluminum rib, or the like, which is encased in the fabric material mentioned above for added reinforcement and durability.
There may also be preferably included a gripping member circumferentially engaged about the handle portion at the upper most section of the handle. This gripping member portion provides a means for padded and enhanced gripping for the user. The gripping member is directly connected to the handle portion which is directly engaged to the exterior reinforcing fabric, of the device. It is this reinforcing fabric which is positioned and sewn or attached to the exterior, in an inverted “V” shape which extends from a center aligned with the handle, and over all four corners of the exterior housing to vector forces evenly and to bear and support the weight housed in the internal cavity of the device when the cavity is filled, rather than the fabric surrounding the weight.
In a first as-used mode the interior cavity of the device is filled with weighted material such as sand, rocks, or liquid, through an aperture formed on at least one sidewall of the device. In the case of the liquid the device may additionally include a water sealed bladder member encased within the cavity body. The bladder may comprise a sidewall which engages the interior sidewall of the housing and includes a complimentary aperture aligned and corresponding with the aperture of the housing. The user simply adds the desired amount of fill material to the interior cavity to achieve the desired weighted needed for a specific workout regimen. As such, the device alleviates the need for a plurality of differently weighted kettlebells. The device may additionally include appropriate reinforcements of the sidewall fabric material as needed.
In accordance with at least one preferred mode, the fill aperture of the device is disposed on a bottom side surface of the housing, and substantially opposite the handle portion. The aperture may include a releasable closure providing access to the interior cavity for operative filling and sealed closure. The releasable closure may be provided by hook and loop fastener, snap fits, or other suitable means. To fill the cavity, the user will simply invert the device to access the fill aperture and operatively fill the device as needed. Utility is provided in that when the user desires to empty the device, they can simply hold the handle portions in the as used mode and open the aperture positioned opposite the handle portion, and gravity will easily draw the material out of the cavity through the opened aperture.
In a storage or transport mode of the device, the interior cavity of the device is emptied of all fill material and remains hollowed insofar as to allow the device to collapse easily for storage or transportation as needed. The collapsibility is easily provided due to the flexible nature of the fabric material. It is noted that in the stored mode the device remains fairly lightweight in that it is emptied of all fill material and is comprised of only the shell of fabric material. Great advantage is found over prior art in that a once bulky, heavy, potentially injurious, and cumbersome kettlebell can now be easily stored when not in use.
With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect the activity or action of the listed elements.
It is an object of the invention to provide a kettlebell exercise device that can be adjusted in weight due to operative filling of weighted fill material into the device.
It is another object of the invention to provide a kettlebell that is made of fabric or other reinforced flexible material for collapsibility of the device when not in use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a kettlebell device with a reinforced handle portion including a gripping member for secure grip by a user.
These and other objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the device in a first mode ready for filling with fill material.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the device.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the device with the fill aperture closed.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the device in the as used mode with fill aperture closed in secured engagement to the end wall of the device.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the device in the as used mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.
Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-7, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1-4 views of the kettlebell device 10 of the present invention. In general, and described in more detail immediately below, the device 10 comprises a plurality of sidewalls defining an interior cavity for holding weighted media, which is formed of durable fabric such as ripstop nylon, viny coated nylon scrim, canvas, or other woven or non woven high denier fabric. Reinforcing means of the formed cavity is provided by flexible webbing material formed of nylon or polyester or the like in a durable fabric such as those found in car seatbelts. However, the device 10 can be formed of any material suitable for the intended use of the device 10 as will become apparent upon further disclosure, and is anticipated.
The device 10 has a collapsible housing 11 having an interior cavity 40 formed by the interior surface 42 of one or a plurality of sidewalls 12, a bottom endwall 14, and top endwall 16. The housing 11 if empty, is collapsible to a substantially planar configuration. The sidewalls 12 and endwalls 14, 16 are preferably engaged about their respective peripheral edges via sewing or other techniques known in the art for engaging such a fabric. However, the device 10 can be formed by any suitable means known in the art and should not be considered limited by the depictions in the figures.
It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device is shown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner.
The device 10 further includes a handle portion 18 communicating from a first sidewall 12 over the top endwall 16 to an opposite sidewall 12. Alternatively, the handle portion 18 may be engaged directly to the top endwall 16 as needed. Those skilled in the art may recognize other suitable configurations of the handle portion 18, and are anticipated. The handle portion 18 is made of similar fabric material but may also include an rigid plastic or metal internal skeletal structure for added support. The handle 18 additionally includes a gripping member 20 such as a soft plastic or rubber engaged at a substantially central location on the handle portion 18. In use the grip member 20 provides means for engagement with a users hand providing a gripping surface. The gripping member 20 may be permanently or rotationally engaged to the handle portion 18 as needed. The grip member 20 may similarly be formed over the internal skeletal structure.
It is within the intended scope of the device 10 to be substantially weighted via the addition of fill material, it is particularly preferred that the device 10 include a means to reinforce the structural strength of the sidewalls 12. This may be accomplished by one or a plurality of operatively engaged reinforcement strip portions 21 employed on one or a plurality of sidewalls 12. The strip portions 21 are formed of strong material such as nylon webbing or seat belt fabric and configured in an engagement with the sidewalls 12, using sewing or adhesive or other means, preferably extend from the bottom endwall 14 in an inverted “V” shape, to the top endwall 16 at or near an engagement point of the handle portion 16. In this manner, the majority of the weight and force of added fill material is transferred to the handle 18 and grip member 20 of the device 10 during carrying, raising, lowering, swinging, and rapid movements. This inverted “V” shape is especially preferred as it provides a means to vector the forces of the filling material against the bottom endwall 14 which occur especially during swinging of the device, directly to the handle in two equal vectored force communications. This arrangement it has been found, provides a means to maintain the handle 18 aligned with the axis of the user's grip thereon, during rapid movements and swinging which commonly occur with kettlebell exercises and to avoid a twisting of the device 10 which occurs without it. This will help insure the longevity and strength of the device 10 and help avoid wrist and arm strains to the user which occur with conventional exercise devices.
In use the device 10 is filled with fill material (not shown) such as one or a combination of fill materials from a group including metal. shavings, ball bearings, rocks, pebbles, liquid, sand, cementaceous material, polymeric material, or the like insofar as to weight the device 10 to be employable as a conventional weighted kettlebell in the manner desired for the exercise anticipated by the user. As such there is additionally included is a fill material communicated into and out of the device comprising a tube like structure formed of a cylindrical sidewall extension 22, similarly of flexible fabric, extending from the bottom endwall 14 and including a proximal end 24 communicating to a distal end 26.
The distal end 26 is configured with an operative fill aperture 28. The aperture 28 and passageway of the cylindrical sidewall extension 22 has a first or filling configuration, which provides a funnel to direct weight bearing material from the aperture 28 and to a communication through the bottom endwall 14 providing access to the interior cavity 40 of the device 10 via the fill aperture 28. Further, in order to maintain a flat bottom endwall 14 for resting the device in the as used mode, the funnel provided by cylindrical sidewall extension 22 is formed of fabric which allows the cylindrical sidewall extension 22 to assume a stored configuration where it flattens after filling and is then securable against the bottom endwall 14 as to not substantially extend below the endwall 14. In this manner the device 10 can be rested on the bottom endwall 14 without obstruction, as is disclosed shortly below.
To aid in the easy filling, or refilling of the device, with any of a plurality of providable materials, the fill aperture 28 includes a releasable closure, such as hook and loop fasteners 30 or other engageable fasteners or suitable closure means, employed in the interior surface of the cylindrical sidewall extension 22 at or near the distal end 26 as can be seen in FIG. 5.
In this fashion, the means for closure provided by the fasteners, may be opened, and the cylindrical sidewall extension 22 extended to the extended configuration of FIG. 8 for filling or emptying. In the extended configuration initially, the device 10 may be filled from a mating container 25 holding the material and weight of choice. The mating containers 25 may be provided with user-chooseable fillings in a kit featuring a plurality of differently-filled mating containers 25.
The filling provided for use in the mating containers 25 may be one or a combination of pourable materials of differing weights and mass, such as those from a group including, metal shavings, ball bearings, rocks, pebbles, liquid, sand, cementaceous material, and polymeric material. The user thus is afforded a choice of the type of fill material to use with the exercise regime anticipated.
Alternatively, once the device 10 has been filled, it may be emptied easily by the user to change the material or for storage in a flat configuration. Emptying is the reverse of filling and is done in the same targeted fashion by placing the cylindrical sidewall extension 22 downward and engaging the aperture 28, operatively with a spout 27 of the container 25 used for filling or for storing fill material for the device 10.
Hook and loop fabric 30 may be positioned on the spout 27 to keep the fill material draining into the container 25. Also the size diameter of the spout 27 is shown smaller than the diameter of the tubular structure provided by the sidewall 22, the sizes may be reversed, or made substantially equal, where the tubular structure of the sidewall extension 22 will engage within the interior of the wall forming the spout 27 may be larger than the sidewall extension 22 with a storage compartment or bag, which avoids spilling of the filling material.
The mated engagement of the container 25 housing the fill material, with the device 10 in this fashion, allows for easy initial filling, and subsequent emptying for storage, or for refilling the device with material of different weight or mass characteristics as desired Spilling is also avoided by engagement of the aperture 28 with a filling component sized to allow an engagement therewith.
It is again noted that the closure means be any means for releasable closure such as hook and loop fabric 30 snaps, mating fasteners, zippers, or other means known in the art. Also shown on the bottom endwall 14 is an additional securement strap 32 extending along the width of the device 10 and engaged to the bottom endwall 14 at first edge 34 and a second edge 36. Hook and loop fabric 30 works best in the mode of the device with the container 25 since it allows for easy engagement which any container of any material configured for engagement with the tubular structure formed by the sidewall extension 22.
With our without the container 25 component, when the device 10 has been filled and the aperture 28 closed, the cylindrical tube structure formed by the sidewall extension 22 is foldable and can be placed in a secured planar engagement when tucked under an open side edge 33 of a securement strap 32 such that the distal end 26 remains in a sandwiched engagement between the bottom endwall 14, and securement strap 32, as shown in FIG. 6.
This means for flattened securement of the sidewall extension 22 ensures that no fill material can leak from the aperture 28 during sudden and jarring motions commonly associated with kettlebell exercises, but that the device may easily be drained for storage and refilled by a simple removal from the engagement with the securement strap 32. A bottom view of the device 10 in the as used mode with cylindrical sidewall 22 engaged under the strap 32 is shown in FIG. 6.
This invention has other applications, potentially, and one skilled in the art could discover these. The explication of the features of this invention does not limit the claims of this application; other applications developed by those skilled in the art will be included in this invention.
While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A kettlebell device comprising:

a collapsible housing having an interior cavity defined by a plurality of surrounding sidewalls;

said interior cavity configured for holding fill material, said fill material providing means for weighting said housing;

a handle engaged to a first side of said housing;

an aperture communicating with said cavity;

releasable means for closure of said fill aperture;

said housing collapsible to a substantially planar configuration when empty;

said cavity fillable through said aperture with said fill material, thereby configuring said housing to an as-used configuration; and

whereby said housing is configured to said planar configuration for storage by when said cavity is emptied of said fill material and configured to said as-used configuration when said cavity is filled with said fill material via said aperture to provide a weight to said housing.

2. The kettlebell device of claim 1 further comprising;

said handle engaged to a first reinforcement strap engaged aligned therewith, said reinforcement strap communicating from a first side to a second side of said housing;

a pair of second reinforcement straps engaged at respective first ends with a first end said first reinforcement strap at or adjacent to said first side of said housing;

said pair of second reinforcement straps engaged at respective second ends with a second end of said first reinforcement strap at or adjacent to said second side of said housing;

said pair of second reinforcement straps extending in an inverted “V” shape from said first end of said first reinforcement strap and said second end of said first reinforcement strap, to corner portions of said housing;

said pair of second reinforcement straps extending in parallel separate paths between two respective said corner portions of said housing; and

said “V” shape providing means for even vectoring of force to said handle during a swing or movement of said hosing by a user gripping said handle to thereby provide a means for preventing a twisting of said housing.

3. The kettlebell device of claim 1 further comprising:

said aperture positioned at a distal end of a tube extending from one of said sidewalls of said housing;

said tube foldable to a folded, substantially planar position abutting said one of said sidewalls;

said tube in said folded position providing means for sealing said aperture; and

means for maintaining said tube in said folded position; and

whereby said cavity is fillable with said fill material through said tube and said tube in said folded position provides means for sealing said cavity.

4. The kettlebell device of claim 2 further comprising:

means for maintaining said tube in said folded position; and

5. The kettlebell device of claim 1 further comprising:

said fill material being one or a combination of fill materials from a group of fill materials including, metal shavings, ball bearings, rocks, pebbles, liquid, sand, cementaceous material, and polymeric material; and

employing one or a mix of said fill materials from said group of fill materials, to fill said cavity providing means to vary said weight.

6. The kettlebell device of claim 2 further comprising:

7. The kettlebell device of claim 3 further comprising:

8. The kettlebell device of claim 4 further comprising:

9. The kettlebell device of claim 1 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

said fill material positionable within said cavity to configure said housing to said as-used configuration; and

said fill material returnable to said mating container to reconfigure said housing to said planar configuration for storage.

10. The kettlebell device of claim 2 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

11. The kettlebell device of claim 3 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

12. The kettlebell device of claim 4 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

13. The kettlebell device of claim 5 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

14. The kettlebell device of claim 6 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

15. The kettlebell device of claim 7 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

16. The kettlebell device of claim 8 further comprising:

said fill material housed in a mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

17. The kettlebell device of claim 8 further comprising:

said fill material from a group of fill materials each housed in a separate said mating container;

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;

one or a mixture of a plurality of said fill materials positionable within said cavity to configure said housing to said as-used configuration through an engagement of said aperture with said spout; and

a choosing of said one or said mixture of fill materials from said group of fill materials, providing means for a user to vary said weight of said housing in said as-used configuration.

18. The kettlebell device of claim 16 further comprising:

said mating container having a spout configured to engage with said aperture;