Lifting Assistance Device For Exercise Bars

Abstract

An apparatus for mounting to an exercise rack for vertically moving an exercise bar from a first location to a second location, which includes a lift bar, a lift cable connected to the lift bar, a cable retractor and retractor controls. The lift bar includes an elongate spacer having left and right end sections and a lift hook mounted proximate each of the end sections. The lift hooks releaseably engage the exercise bar. The lift bar then supports the exercise bar while it is moved from the first location to the second location and is then disconnected from the exercise bar. The cable retractor is connected to the cable and moves the cable to cause the lift bar to be moved between the first and second locations. The retractor controls are electrically connected to the cable retractor and are used by a user for controlling the operation of the retractor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lifting assistance apparatus configured for mounting to an exercise rack for use in vertically moving an exercise bar from a first selected location to a second selected location, the apparatus comprising:
 a lift bar for supporting the exercise bar while it is moved from the first location to the second location and then being disconnected from the exercise bar, the lift bar having:
 an elongate spacer having left and right end sections; and 
 a lift hook mounted proximate each of the end sections configured for releasable engagement with the exercise bar; 
   a lift cable mounted to the lift bar;   a cable retractor connected to the cable and configured to move the cable to cause the lift bar to be moved between the first and second locations; and   retractor controls electrically connected to the cable retractor for controlling the operation of the retractor.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a base member that includes left and right end sections and that may be removably mounted to a portion of the exercise rack, wherein the cable retractor is fixedly mounted to the base member. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising vertical members mounted proximate each of the left and right end sections and that are configured to mount to the exercise rack. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the vertical members are configured for removable insertion into hollow internal areas of left and right vertical posts of the exercise rack via openings located in tops of the posts such that the base member extends between the vertical posts. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the vertical members are configured for bolt-on attachment to left and right vertical posts of the exercise rack such that the base member extends between the vertical posts. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a pulley for redirecting the lift cable disposed along the length of the cable between the cable retractor and the lift bar. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising first and second base members that may be separately and removably mounted to portions of the exercise rack, wherein the cable retractor is fixedly mounted to the first base member and wherein the pulley is mounted to the second base member such that the cable extends from the cable retractor located on the first base member, over the pulley located on the second base member and then to the lift bar. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each of the lift hooks is a J-shaped hook having a connection end that is rotatably connected to the elongate spacer and a hook end having a hook section configured to support the exercise bar and having a lower surface configured to contact the exercise bar as the lift hook is lowered, wherein the lower surface is angled such that the lift hook rotates in a first direction when the lower surface contacts the exercise bar and the lift hook rotates in a second direction after the lift hook is lowered below the exercise bar such that the hook section is located directly below the bar. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising hook positioners fixedly mounted to the elongate spacer adjacent each side of the lift hooks, the hook positioners configured to position the lift hook at a desired location along the length of the elongate spacer and to prevent the lift hook from moving from the desired location. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the hook positioner is a collar that substantially encircles the elongate spacer and that is operable to be frictionally fixed at the selected location by a set screw that is passes through the collar and that contacts an outer surface of the elongate spacer. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cable retractor comprises:
 a drum for taking up and letting out the cable when the drum is rotated; 
 a connector shaft connected to the drum that rotates when the drum is rotated; and 
 a motor for turning the connector shaft to cause the drum to rotate in order to take up or let out the cable for moving the lift bar in a first or second direction. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lift cable comprises a left lift cable connected to the lift hook located at the left end of the elongate spacer, a right lift cable connected to the lift cable located at the right end of the elongate spacer, and wherein both the left and right lift cables are connected to the cable retractor. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the cable retractor comprises a left drum for taking up and letting out the left cable; a right drum for taking up and letting out the right cable; a left connector shaft connected between the left drum and a motor; and a right connector shaft connected between the right drum and the motor, wherein the motor turns both of the connectors and drums in order to take up or let out the cable for moving the lift bar in a first or second direction while maintaining a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lift cable is connected to the lift bar via the lift hook. 
     
     
         15 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a rack having:
 left and right spaced apart vertical posts; 
 pairs of mounting locations provided along the length of the vertical posts; 
 left and right exercise bar catches configured to be mounted to the vertical posts via the mounting locations and configured to provide vertical support for an exercise bar; 
   an exercise bar lifter mounted to the rack for use in connecting to an exercise bar, vertically moving the exercise bar from a first selected location on the rack to a second selected location on the rack while the left and right bar catches are moved from the first location to the second location, placing the exercise bar onto the repositioned bar catches and then disconnecting from the exercise bar, the lifter comprising:
 a lift bar having:
 an elongate spacer having left and right end sections; and 
 a lift hook mounted proximate each of the end sections configured for releasable engagement with the exercise bar; 
 
 a lift cable mounted to the lift bar; 
 a cable retractor connected to the cable and configured to move the cable to cause the lift bar to be moved between the first and second locations; and 
 retractor controls electrically connected to the cable retractor for controlling the operation of the retractor. 
   
     
     
         16 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the retractor controls are integrated into a vertical post of the rack. 
     
     
         17 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a limit switch for deactivating the cable retractor once the exercise bar contacts the switch in order to limit the range of movement of the exercise bar. 
     
     
         18 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a pulley for redirecting the lift cable disposed along the length of the cable between the cable retractor and the lift bar. 
     
     
         19 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 18  further wherein the rack comprises a front set of left and right vertical posts and rear set of left and right vertical posts and wherein the cable retractor is mounted to the rear set of posts and the pulley is mounted to the front set of posts. 
     
     
         20 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a constraint bar mounted to at least a portion of each of the left and right vertical posts of an exercise rack, wherein the spacer bar is sufficiently wide enough such that the left and right end sections contact the constraint bars such that the spacer bar is prevented from swinging beyond the constraint bar.