Patent Application
20140274480
The present invention relates to a device to modify the travel of a strikeable object after the object has been struck or thrown.
In sports such as baseball, tennis, squash, golf, badminton, hockey, and soccer, a player hits, kicks, or throws a strikeable object over a relatively long distance at relatively high speed. A strikeable object may be, but is not limited to, a ball, a shuttlecock, or a puck. The word “ball” will be used herein as an example of any such strikeable object. Many players of such sports practice to improve their strength and skill in controlling the speed and direction of the strikeable object. However, limitations in a practice area, such as limited space, safety hazards, or obstacles that would interfere with or be damaged by a moving strikeable object, may make it impractical to allow an object to travel freely after being struck or thrown. Furthermore, it is sometimes desirable to present a strikeable object to a player in a manner convenient for repetitive practice, exercise, or physical therapy. Also, some players practice alone for enjoyment, to warm up before a game, or when other players are not available.
Some devices use a net or cage to capture a struck or thrown object. Some devices have a strikeable object with a plurality of holes wherein air flowing through the holes reduces the speed and the distance traveled by the object. Other devices attach a parachute to a strikeable object to achieve similar results. In some devices, the speed of the strikeable object is reduced but the direction of travel is not modified, so the object may land in a location from which it can not be easily or safely retrieved or the object may cause damage upon impacting another object. Other devices attach an elastic tether to a strikeable object to cause a struck or thrown object to return to the player. Some devices return the strikeable object to the player at a relatively high speed, which can be intimidating or unsafe for novice or young players. Some devices have limited portability or are difficult for young or inexperienced players to set up, and some devices are not suitable for indoor use.
The present invention relates to a device to modify the travel of a strikeable object after the object has been struck or thrown. The invention includes a device comprising a strikeable object coupled to a sail. In some embodiments, the strikeable object is a ball. The sail is formed with three or more sides and has a shape and size to provide an effective amount of aerodynamic resistance to reduce the speed of a strikeable object placed in motion by a player. In some embodiments, the sail has a relatively large, flat surface. In other embodiments, the sail has a curved surface. The sail area may be symmetric or asymmetric relative to a reference line through the device. A strikeable object having at least one through-hole is adjustably coupled to the sail by a line passing slidably through the strikeable object and through a sleeve on the sail. Alternatively, the line is attached to the sail. In some embodiments, the strikeable object is detachable from the sail, enabling changes in the type of strikeable object used or replacement of a worn strikeable object.
A line connected to an end of a device built in accord with the invention permits attachment of the device to an external anchor. In some embodiments, the line is a suspension line that adjustably couples the strikeable object to the sail and adjustably couples the sail to the external anchor. In other embodiments, a first line is the suspension line and a second line is an adjustment line that adjustably couples the ball to the sail. The suspension line and adjustment line may be permanently attached to the sail or alternatively may be removably attached to the sail.
An external anchor may be a bracket, hook, clip, shackle, or similar connection hardware coupled to a wall, pole, support stand, beam, ceiling, fence, or similar stable structure, a hole formed in such a structure, or connection hardware coupled to a surface upon which the player stands, such as a stake driven into the ground or a shackle connected to a playing surface or to a heavy base such as a concrete block or heavy metal plate. Preferred external anchors will be displaced by a relatively small amount by a force from placing the strikeable object in motion or by a force from the object reaching a limit of its travel. An adjustable separation distance between the sail and the external anchor is set to a distance selected by the player. In some embodiments, the player may set an adjustable separation distance between the strikeable object and the sail or between the strikeable object and a surface upon which the player stands.
A spreader holds the sail open. In one embodiment, the spreader comprises a sleeve attached to the sail and a relatively stiff spreader bar positioned within the sleeve. Alternatively, the spreader bar is attached to the sail, to the suspension line, or both. In another embodiment, the spreader comprises flexible material, for example sail material, rolled into a cylindrical spiral attached to the sail.
The sail is suspended at one end from an external anchor. The strikeable object is suspended from an opposite end of the sail. A distance measured from the external anchor to the strikeable object, plus an additional distance from material stretching, corresponds to a limit of travel for the strikeable object after the player sets the strikeable object in motion. After reaching the limit of travel, the strikeable object returns to the rest position and may be struck or thrown again.
A maximum speed of the strikeable object is reached shortly after the strikeable object is placed in motion and leaves the rest position. Thereafter, the speed of the moving strikeable object is reduced by aerodynamic resistance acting against a large surface of the sail, with lesser contributions to aerodynamic resistance from other parts of the embodiments of the invention. The sail is effective in reducing the speed of the strikeable object while the strikeable object and sail are moving together through the air. In some embodiments, the sail is formed with an aperture to alter the aerodynamic resistance of the sail. A size, shape, position, and number of apertures are selected to give an effective amount of aerodynamic resistance for a combination of size and weight of strikeable object. Alternatively, the sail has an aperture with an adjustable closure to permit a player to adapt the aerodynamic resistance of the sail to strikeable objects having a variety of sizes and weights. In some embodiments, an asymmetric sail affects the path of a moving strikeable object.
This section summarizes some features of the present embodiment. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become better understood with regard to the following description and upon reference to the following drawings, wherein:
Embodiments of the invention include a device intended to modify the travel of a strikeable object after the strikeable object has been struck or thrown. Devices built in accord with the invention are particularly suited for use with various kinds of balls, and the example embodiments below will be described using a ball as the strikeable object. Some of the benefits of the embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, portability, safety, ease of set-up by young or inexperienced players, return of the ball to its initial rest position after being struck or thrown, suitability for use indoors or outdoors, suitability for unsupervised individual practice, adjustable separation of the sail and the external anchor, adjustable separation of the ball relative to the sail or relative to a surface upon which a player stands to accommodate players of different sizes or different preferred practice motions, and detachable coupling of the ball to the sail to enable use of different types of balls or replacement of a worn ball. Other benefits include use as an aid to improve a player's strength and coordination, development of muscle memory, and use as a physical therapy device.
An embodiment of the invention illustrated in
Alternative sail shapes include, but are not limited to, triangular, rectangular, or cross shape. The sail may be formed with more sail area on one side of a central axis of the embodiment than the other side of the central axis and is referred to herein as an asymmetric sail. In some embodiments an asymmetric sail causes a moving ball to travel on a preferred path. In the embodiment shown in
The material of the sail 3 is chosen for strength, flexibility, resistance to damage from abrasion, sunlight, and moisture, light weight, and ease of forming into a desired shape. Examples of sail materials include, but are not limited to, woven fabric made from cotton, nylon, or polyester, blends that include these materials, fabrics made from these materials having an open weave to permit air to flow through holes in the weave, and nonwoven materials such as polyester formed into thin, strong, flexible sheets. The sail may alternatively be formed from a stiff or flexible material.
In the embodiment of
A spreader may alternatively be located a preferred distance from an edge of the sail, as shown in
In embodiments of the invention wherein a portion of the sail 3 is free to slide along the suspension line 1 and wherein the material of the sail is sufficiently flexible, a length of the sail 3 may be adjusted by sliding an end of the sail toward the opposite end. The resulting shortened and folded or wrinkled sail will have a different amount of aerodynamic resistance compared to a sail stretched to its full length. Such a change in the length of the sail 3 may be made to affect a rate or direction of travel by a struck or thrown ball 7 or other strikeable object coupled to the embodiment.
In some embodiments, a spreader bar holds a side of the sail apart from another side of the sail by a preferred amount. A spreader bar may optionally be formed with an aperture through which a line passes. The aperture may optionally be sized for a clearance fit of the line or a compression fit of the line. A spreader bar having an aperture sized for a compression fit of a line may be adjustably positioned along the line and will be held in place after adjustment by compression of the line. The aperture may optionally be a through-hole separated by a preferred distance from an end of the spreader bar, or a slot extending from an end of the spreader bar toward a center point along a long dimension of the spreader bar. The walls of the slot may optionally be non-parallel to enhance compression of the line.
A top view of an example of an upper spreader bar 5 is shown in
In an alternative embodiment shown in
In embodiments such as the one shown in
The embodiment of
In the embodiment shown in
In other embodiments, a line for coupling the ball 7 to the sail 3 is an adjustment line 10, a separate line from the suspension line 1. An embodiment having an adjustment line 10 and a suspension line 1 is shown in
An enlarged cross section in
As shown in
By positioning a first adjustable line restraint 8 on the suspension line 1 and a second adjustable line restraint 8 on the adjustment line 10, the position of the ball 7 may be adjusted to a preferred separation distance between the ball and the external anchor 9, as shown in
The material of the suspension line 1 and adjustment line 10 is chosen to be strong enough to withstand repeated impulse loads from striking or throwing the ball, have good abrasion resistance, and resist damage from sunlight and moisture. Examples materials include, but are not limited to, nylon, polyester, metal wire, blends of these materials with each other or with other materials, and lines formed from joined segments of these and other materials.
In some embodiments, the position of the upper spreader 2 on the suspension line 1 is adjustable. In other embodiments, the upper spreader 2 is prevented from slipping along the suspension line 1 by knots formed in the suspension line 1 underneath and adjacent to the upper spreader 2. In some embodiments, a ferrule attached to the suspension line 1 prevents the upper spreader 2 from slipping along the line. Alternatively, a ferrule is attached to the suspension line with a sliding fit and reduces wear on the suspension line 1. In other embodiments, the suspension line 1 is permanently attached by adhesive, fusing, or sewing to the sail 3, thereby preventing the sail 3 and upper spreader 2 from slipping along the line. A lower spreader 4 may optionally be adjustable or prevented from slipping along the suspension line 1 in a manner comparable to that of the upper spreader 2. In other embodiments, the lower spreader 4 is optionally adjustable or prevented from slipping along the adjustment line 10.
The aerodynamic resistance generated by the sail 3 may be modified by forming an aperture in a large surface of the sail. Examples of embodiments having a sail 3 with an aperture 13 are shown in
In the embodiment of
The present disclosure is to be taken as illustrative rather than as limiting the scope, nature, or spirit of the subject matter claimed below. Numerous modifications and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the disclosure, including use of equivalent functional and/or structural substitutes for elements described herein, use of equivalent functional couplings for couplings described herein, or use of equivalent functional steps for steps described herein. Such insubstantial variations are to be considered within the scope of what is contemplated here. Moreover, if plural examples are given for specific means, or steps, and extrapolation between or beyond such given examples is obvious in view of the present disclosure, then the disclosure is to be deemed as effectively disclosing and thus covering at least such extrapolations.
Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, ordinary terms have their corresponding ordinary meanings within the respective contexts of their presentations, and ordinary terms of art have their corresponding regular meanings.
