Patent Application
20080026917
Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms, such as top, bottom, up, down, over, above, and below may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. The words “connect,” “couple,” and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct and immediate connections, but also include connections through mediate elements or devices.
The dummy of the present invention is intended primarily for use in teaching and training in the martial arts and self-defense. For that reason, the dummy is relatively heavy and rugged to take into account the blow-impact magnitudes and speeds delivered thereto by a user with arms, knees, leg kicks, head-butts and others as can employed in the aforementioned disciplines. Because the dummy is intended for heavy-duty use, it easily can be employed in other sports training such as for boxing, wrestling, grappling etc.
Referring to
A number of suspender elements such as chain lengths 18 are carried by the fixture 16. The chain lengths 18 are securely affixed to an upper part location of the core member as at 24.
To mount the suit 14 in place on the core member 12, the suit is manipulated to pass a lower end length section of the core member through an opening in the bounded receiving nether region 26 of a bottom part 28 of the suit 14 (
It is noted in the present discussion that nether region 26 of bottom part 28 provides a continuous surrounding receiving form for receiving and securing a bottom portion of core member 12, as is best shown in sectional view
Legs 50, 52 depend from the bottom part of the suit. To hold the suit 14 suspended draped on and about the core member 12, a number of strap lengths 22 are affixed to an upper location on suit 14, and each carries at its tip end one or more hooks 20 or snap-links (not shown), the hooks 20 being hooked into lower ones of the links in the chain lengths 18 to support the suit securely mounted about the core member to resist the severe downward forces generated during extreme training (for example by kicking leg members 50, 52. Referring now in more detail,
Referring again to
The top part front side 32 is a full closure or covering element as shown in
Also noted on the exterior or suit 14 are a plurality of fixing regions 100, 100A. Fixing regions 100 as employed herein as means for securing training aids, such as rubber knife member 101 shown joined by Velcro to the left hand of suit 14, in a position allowing a user to train in police-type dis-arming grappling tactics. The present invention envisions that fixing regions 100, 100A may be adaptively constructed and positioned according to a perceived manufacturer's need, including construction from; Velcro, Velcro strap assemblies, buckles, adhesive patches, snap-stud members, and other like systems those of skill in the physical training arts may employ. As a second example, it should be understood, that central fixing region 100A may include a number of regions (Velcro, buckle, and physical strap) so as to removably position a kicking target for leg training along the center mass of suit 14.
Referring to
In one form and as shown in
Referring now to
A feature is that both the upper and lower lengths of the arms and legs of the dummy are filled with a filler material such as a foam 70. The filler allows the arms to absorb impact blows. Other types of impact absorbing materials can be used as well. Also, the arms and legs have a pivot joint member 60 connecting the upper and lower lengths of each so that a pivoting of the arm and leg lower member relative to the upper member is possible. Other means to enable the pivoting function are known and can be used. Additionally, means for repositionably positioning joint member 60 (for example opposed toothed gears or screw thread) allows the arms and legs of the dummy to be bent and retained-bent into realistic positions for training aids. For example, joint member 60 in one leg member may be bent to simulate a knee-strike or a block. A counter for such a knee-strike is to stomp straight downwardly on the top of the rising knee. This stomping motion provides great stress on the knee/body connection that was the cause of all earlier design failures only overcome by the construction of the present invention.
Another alternative feature of the present invention, is that to bulk up the dummy upper torso region as well as the nether region, the flexible material of the suit covering these regions is made of a composite material construction that may be adapted to a desired form. Referring to
The dummy has the advantages of being easy and inexpensive to make. It is made in size corresponding to that a large class of human size so that the prospect of training with and against a human is duplicated, particularly a large opponent-sized human. Of particular advantage is that it is possible to utilize a heavy bag in the guise of a true human appearing dummy, wherein that dummy provides a realistic “feel” to training blows without injuring the trainee, thereby allowing “full force” training to occur without damaging the training equipment.
Referring to
For example, in considering the alternative construction of
In an alternative aspect of the present invention, it is also envisioned, that the suit may be constructed to slidably receive (in contrast to the present design) a supporting core component 12 that is supported from a floor-support-surface. Thus for example, a floor-standing training bag may be fitted with an adapted suit for training purposes without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Another alternative aspect of the present invention, is that suit 14, either alone or in conjunction with core component 12 may be employed on a floor-support or training area without suspension from a support 16. In this configuration, suit 14 will be used to provide a realistic grappling training scenario and provide sufficient weight and mass to make ground-based-training techniques difficult to master.
In the claims, means- or step-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Thus, for example, although a nail, a screw, and a bolt may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies on friction between a wooden part and a cylindraceous surface, a screw's helical surface positively engages the wooden part, and a bolt's head and nut compress opposite sides of a wooden part, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail, a screw, and a bolt may be readily understood by those skilled in the art as equivalent structures.
Having described at least one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes, modifications, and adaptations may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
