Quick release connection for jump rope

Abstract

Quick release connection for jump rope facilitating exchanging of cables with different weights and diameters on jump rope handles. The quick release connection for jump rope comprises the housing of quick release connection with a locking part attached. The locking part comprises a toothed pawl loaded with a spring engageing with the teeth of the linear rack attached to the cable adapter. The housing of the quick release connection has protruding first and second sidewalls, defining a holding channel including at least one guide rail, for receiving the cable adapter. The linear rack has at least one protruding part that is configured to move into at least one guide rail featured on at least one of the sidewalls of the holding channel. The possible insertion of the cable adapter into the holding channel is only in the longitudinal, reciprocating position.

Claims

1. A quick release connection for jump rope comprising a housing, a cable adapter, connecting parts and a locking part comprising a spring, a pin and an opening for the pin, wherein the housing comprises a first and a second sidewall, which are interconnected from above with a connecting part; at least one of the sidewalls has a longitudinal guide rail; the housing comprises a recess or locking part; the cable adapter comprises a linear rack with at least two teeth and at least one side having a protruding part; the locking part comprises a toothed pawl, which engages the at least two teeth of the linear rack; each of the at least two teeth of the linear rack and the toothed pawl is asymmetrical and has a trapezoidal profile, where legs of the trapezoid are two surfaces where a front leg is at an angle α to a straight line transversal to bases of the trapezoid, and a back leg is at angle an β to the straight line transversal to the bases, and wherein the angles α and β of each tooth are different, and the angle α is between 10 to 80 degrees and the angle β is between −45 to +45 degrees; and the sidewalls determine a holding channel, which is configured to receive the cable adapter, wherein the cable adapter is inserted into the holding channel of the housing determined by the sidewalls only in longitudinal back and forth position.

2. The quick release connection for jump rope according to claim 1, wherein the cable adapter comprises a socket for insertion of a cable.

3. The quick release connection for jump rope according to claim 1, wherein the rack is linear.

4. The quick release connection for jump rope according to the claim 1, wherein the first and the second sidewalls have a longitudinal guide rail.

5. The quick release connection for jump rope according the claim 1, wherein the cable adapter comprises at least one protruding part, which is configured to move into the guide rail on the sidewall attached to the housing.

6. The quick release connection for jump rope according to claim 1, wherein the cable adapter comprises at least one screw hole and at least one screw for locking the cable in a socket.

7. The quick release connection for jump rope accordingly to claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are configured at an angle to prevent the cable adapter from falling/moving out from the sidewalls.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

[0005] FIG. 1 shows a jump rope with quick release connections and handles.

[0006] FIG. 2 shows a jump rope with a cable adapter compatible with the housing of the quick release connection.

[0007] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the quick release connection in locked/connected position.

[0008] FIGS. 4A-C show a detailed view of the quick release connection (FIG. 3). FIG. 4A depicts the housing of the quick release connection, FIG. 4B shows a cable adapter compatible with the housing of the quick release connection, FIG. 4C shows additional components of the quick release connection.

[0009] FIG. 5 provides an end view of the quick release connection.

[0010] FIG. 6 provides an end view of the cable adapter compatible with the housing of the quick release connection.

[0011] FIG. 7 gives a perspective view of the cable adapter.

[0012] FIG. 8 gives a perspective view of the housing and locking part of the quick release connection.

[0013] FIG. 9 gives a perspective view of the housing of the quick release connection without the locking part.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The presented quick release connection for jump rope comprises a jump rope 1 and handles 2a, 2b and, for attachment of the jump rope to the handles, a quick release connection comprising the housing of the quick release connection 3 and a compatible cable adapter 4. Housing of the quick release connection 3 comprises an opening 3a for connecting the housing 3 with handle 2a, 2b, a recess 3b containing a locking part 5, an opening 3c for attachment of pin 5b of locking part 5. Locking part 5 comprises a spring 5d loaded toothed pawl 5a with pulling part 5e attached to it, pin 5b for attachment of toothed pawl 5a to the housing of the quick release connection 3, and an opening 5c for mounting pin 5b. The housing of quick release connection 3 also comprises two sidewalls 6, which are interconnected from above with a connecting part 7, whereas at least one sidewall 6 having a longitudinal guide rail 8. Guide rails 8 may also be present on both sidewalls 6. Cable adapter 4 comprises a linear rack 9, with at least one protruding part 10. Cable adapter 4 comprises a socket 11 for insertion of cable 1 and at least one screw hole 12 and screw 13 for locking cable 1.

[0015] The housing of quick release connection 3 has protruding first and second sidewalls 6, which are interconnected from above with a connecting part 7. The sidewalls 6 determine the holding channel, which is configured to receive the cable adapter 4, whereas the sidewalls 6 are configured at an angle to prevent the cable adapter 4 from falling/moving out from the sidewalls 6. Toothed pawl 5a with spring 5d is designed for locking the linear rack 9 attached to cable adapter 4.

[0016] Cable adapter 4 of the quick release connection comprises a linear rack with at least two teeth 9, with a protruding part 10 on at least one side or on both sides, configured for mechanical insertion between the sidewalls 6 of the housing of the quick release connection 3 and the guide rail(s) 8 attached to those. Due to the at least one protruding part 10 of the cable adapter 4 of the quick release connection, it stays in a secure position when connected between the sidewalls 6 and cannot move up, down, to left or right around its axis. Cable adapter 4 of the quick release connection can move in the holding channel determined by the sidewalls 6 attached to the housing of the quick release connection 3 only longitudinally back and forth.

[0017] The teeth of the toothed pawl 5a engages the teeth of the linear rack 9. The linear rack 9 and the toothed pawl 5a have interlocking teeth and each of their teeth is asymmetrical and has a trapezoidal profile, where the legs of the trapezoid are two surfaces where the front leg is at angle α to the straight line transversal to the bases, and the back leg is at angle β to the straight line transversal to the bases, whereas the angles α and β of each tooth may be different: angle α is 10 to 80 degrees and angle β is −45 to +45 degrees.

[0018] Locking of the quick release connection happens when the cable adapter 4 is inserted into the holding channel determined by the sidewalls 6 protruding from the housing of the quick release connection 3, causing the toothed pawl 5a loaded with a spring 5d to catch the linear rack 9 attached to the cable adapter 4. When the interlocking teeth move towards the locked position (forward), the toothed pawl 5a easily slides up over the edges of the teeth with a smaller angle (α), where the spring 5d forces it between the teeth after each tooth end passed. When the teeth move to the opposite direction (backwards), the toothed pawl 5a catches the steeper sloped edge (β) of the teeth encountered, thus locking against the teeth and preventing further movement in that direction. The deeper the cable adapter 4 of the quick release connection is pushed into the holding channel between sidewalls 6, the more teeth of the toothed pawl 5a are locked against the teeth of the linear rack 9 to achieve a secure locking, while a sufficiently secure locking is already achieved by locking the first tooth. Full locking is achieved when the first tooth of the toothed pawl 5a slides over the last tooth of the linear rack 9.

[0019] To open the quick release connection, the user shall pull up the pulling part 5e located on the toothed pawl 5a, resulting in a possibility to remove the cable adapter 4 with linear rack 9 from the holding channel determined by the sidewalls 6 of the housing of the quick release connection 3.

[0020] The main advantage of the disclosed quick release connection is that it is possible to open the quick release connection quickly by simply pulling up the pulling part 5e of the toothed pawl 5a by just one finger.

[0021] Another advantage of the presented solution is that the usability of the locking and the device is ensured even if the user has not fully inserted the cable adapter 4 into the housing of the quick release connection 3 (e.g. the first tooth of the toothed pawl 5a has reached beyond the first tooth of linear rack 9). In case of full locking, if the user touches the pulling part 5e of the pawl while using the device, the toothed pawl 5a may move back to a preceding tooth of linear rack 9, which still maintains a sufficiently secure attachment of the quick release connection.

[0022] The disclosed quick release connection enables the user to insert different cable adapters 4 with the properties of cable 1 into the housing of the quick release connection 3, so that the user can conveniently use a pre-configured training device with suitable weight level, using cables with different length and weight.

[0023] The user may also replace the cable in socket 11 of the cable adapter 4 with a cable of suitable length. For that, the screw(s) 13 shall be removed from the opening(s) 12 of the cable adapter 4, and the cable shall be cut to the length suitable for optimum use to achieve the best possible comfort of use. The user can also replace cable 1 with a new identical cable 1 when it becomes worn.

LIST OF MARKINGS

[0024] 1— cable; [0025] 2a and 2b— handles; [0026] 3— housing of the quick release connection; [0027] 3a— opening for connecting the housing 3 with handle 2a, 2b; [0028] 3b— recess where the locking part 5 is placed; [0029] 3c— opening for attaching pin 5b; [0030] 4— cable adapter; [0031] 5— locking part; [0032] 5a— toothed pawl; [0033] 5b— pin for attachment of toothed pawl 5a; [0034] 5c— opening for pin 5b; [0035] 5d— spring; [0036] 5 5e— pulling part of the grip; [0037] 6— sidewall; [0038] 7— connecting part of sidewalls; [0039] 8— guide rail(s); [0040] 9— linear rack; [0041] 10 10— protruding part on the side of the linear rack 9; [0042] 11— socket for attachment of cable 1 to the adapter 4 of the quick release connection; [0043] 12— screw hole for locking cable 1; [0044] 13— screw for locking cable 1 to socket 11.