FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a knockdown freestanding mixed martial arts training device, which can be differently assembled to suit for different users' training requirements, and has the advantages of light weight, reduced overall volume and durable for use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most of the currently available martial arts training devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,358, U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,435, U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,167 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,997, due to the structural designs and assembling manners thereof, are subjected to stress concentration at a joint or a contact surface between a water-containing pedestal and a post of the training devices and therefore tend to have a broken and leaking pedestal after having been used over a period of time. U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,358 discloses a training bag apparatus, which includes integrally connected post and water-containing pedestal, and therefore encounters the problems of having easily leaked pedestal due to stress concentration, being bulky in volume to increase transport and storage costs, and having a post that can not be adjusted in height to satisfy different users. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,435 discloses a height-adjustable freestanding training bag, it still has a water-containing pedestal integrally connected to a post and therefore can not solve the problem of having a bulky volume. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,167 discloses a height-adjustable striking bag training apparatus that has a pedestal formed of several detachably assembled pedestal parts to enable a reduced storage volume, it does not allow different striking training means or parts to changefully mount to the post thereof and therefore provides only simple function and is monotonous for use without satisfying different users. U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,997 discloses a martial arts practice device that allows changeful mounting of different striking training parts to a post thereof but is not adjustable in height and has a pedestal fixedly connected to the post. Another disadvantage of the martial arts practice device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,997 is the high material cost thereof that does not meet users' economical requirement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the drawbacks in the conventional martial arts training devices, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved freestanding mixed martial arts training device that has a structural design avoiding stress concentration and is therefore more durable for use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a knock-down freestanding mixed martial arts training device that can be freely assembled in different manners according to actual training requirements, and can be disassembled to occupy only a very small space and can therefore be conveniently transported and stored at reduced costs.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a freestanding mixed martial arts training device that includes a height adjustable post provided with structures for different striking or kicking training components to be conveniently but firmly connected thereto while the positions and heights of these components are freely adjustable according to actual need in training.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mixed martial arts training device that allows a user to select different ways for supporting the training device in a freestanding state, so that the training device can be used in different training places to meet the user's economical requirement.
To achieve the above and other objects, the freestanding mixed martial arts training device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes vertically connected first and second posts, a base stand connected to a lower end of the first post, a water containable pedestal assembly, and primary and secondary striking pads as well as kick training plates height-adjustably mounted to the first and second posts. The first and second posts can be supported in a freestanding state by the base stand with a plurality of suction cup assemblies mounted thereto, or by the pedestal assembly fitted around the base stand without using the suction cup assemblies. The first post is also connected to the base stand via a plurality of screws, so that striking forces applied to the first and second posts can be evenly distributed to the screws without causing a broken and leaking pedestal assembly due to stress concentration thereat. Therefore, the freestanding mixed martial arts training device of the present invention is more practical for use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a freestanding mixed martial arts training device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded bottom perspective view showing a base stand, a pedestal assembly, and a bottom surface of a first post of the freestanding mixed martial arts training device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fully assembled view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the first post, a second port and the base stand of the freestanding mixed martial arts training device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 4;
FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views showing two different manners of connecting a primary striking pad to the second post of the freestanding mixed martial arts training device of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are two sectional views showing the connection of the first and second posts to the base stand without using the pedestal assembly, wherein the primary striking pad is connected to different heights on the second post;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of FIG. 8;
FIGS. 11 and 12 are sectional views showing the detailed structure of the base stand, and the separation of the base stand from a floor by pulling two pull rings thereof;
FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a suction cup assembly for the base stand of the present invention; and
FIGS. 14 to 30 are some examples showing the present invention can be differently assembled according to actual need in training.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will now be described with a preferred embodiment thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 9. A freestanding mixed martial arts training device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first post 1, a second post 2, a base stand 3, a pedestal assembly 4, a primary striking pad 5, at least one secondary striking pad 6, and a plurality of kick training plates 7.
The first post 1 is provided on a bottom surface with a plurality of downward projected locating blocks 11, 12; and a plurality of internally threaded bores 13 circumferentially spaced along and vertically extended through an outer edge of the bottom surface. The first post 1 is also provided on an outer surface with a plurality of circumferentially spaced first retaining grooves 14, which axially extend from near an upper end to near a lower end of the first post 1 to divide the outer surface of the first post 1 into a plurality of circumferentially spaced first post surfaces 15. A plurality of first horizontal grooves 141 are axially spaced on the first post surfaces 15 to communicate with the first retaining grooves 14. Two of the first post surfaces 15 that are located diametrically opposite to each other are selected for serving as two first height-adjusting post surfaces, on which a plurality of axially spaced and inverted L-shaped first locating slots 17, 171, 172, 173 are correspondingly provided. The first locating slots 17, 171, 172, 173 on each of the two first height-adjusting post surfaces 15 respectively have a first open end communicating with one first retaining groove 14 adjoining to the first height-adjusting post surface 15. An upper section of the first post 1 located between the upper end and the first retaining grooves 14 and the first post surfaces 15 forms a forward extended neck portion 18. Two inverted L-shaped locking slots 181 are correspondingly provided on two diametrically opposite sides of the neck portion 18; and two guide ways 182 axially extended a full length of the neck portion 18 are provided to communicate with the two inverted L-shaped locking slots 181. The second post 2 is connected to the first post 1 via the locking slots 181 and the guide ways 182.
As can be most clearly seen in FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 9, the second post 2 has a lower section configured as a sleeve portion 28 for fitting around the neck portion 18 at the upper section of the first post 1. The sleeve portion 28 is provided on two diametrically opposite sides with two through holes 281, and on an inner circumferential surface with two radially inward projected plugs 282 corresponding to the two locking slots 181 on the neck portion 18 of the first post 1. When the sleeve portion 28 at the lower section of the second post 2 is fitted around the neck portion 18 at the upper section of the first post 1, the plugs 282 can be guided by the guide ways 182 to move into the locking slots 181. Then, the second post 2 can be turned relative to the first post 1 to retain the plugs 282 to the locking slots 181. At this point, two insertion pins 283 can be inserted into the through holes 281, so that the second post 2 is locked to the first post 1 without the risk of separating therefrom. The second post 2 is also provided on an outer surface with a plurality of circumferentially spaced second retaining grooves 24, which axially downward extend from an upper end of the second post 2 to a height just above the sleeve portion 28 to divide the outer surface of the second post 2 into a plurality of circumferentially spaced second post surfaces 25. A plurality of second horizontal grooves 241 are axially spaced on the second post surfaces 25 to communicate with the second retaining grooves 24. Two of the second post surfaces 25 that are located diametrically opposite to each other are selected for serving as two second height-adjusting post surfaces, on which a plurality of axially spaced and inverted L-shaped second locating slots 27, 271, 272, 273 are correspondingly provided. The second locating slots 27, 271, 272, 273 on each of the two second height-adjusting post surfaces 25 respectively have a second open end communicating with one second retaining groove 24 adjoining to the second height-adjusting post surface 25.
The base stand 3 includes a round base 30, a foam cushion ring 301 fitted around a peripheral edge of the round base 30, and a suction cup unit 8 mounted to an underside of the round base 30. The round base 30 is provided in a central area with two locating through holes 31, 32 corresponding to the two locating blocks 11, 12 of the first post 1, at points surrounding the two locating through holes 31, 32 with a plurality of screw holes 33 corresponding to the internally threaded bores 13 at the bottom surface of the first post 1, and in an area located around an outer side of the screw holes 33 with a plurality of mounting holes 34 that extend through the round base 30 for mounting the suction cup units 8 to the round base 30. Further, two additional through holes 35 are provided on the round base 30 for mounting two pull rings 824 thereto.
The suction cup unit 8 includes a plurality of suction cup assemblies 81 and a wire loop 82 (see FIGS. 2, 11 and 12). As shown in FIG. 13, each of the suction cup assemblies 81 includes a suction cup 811, a connection shaft 812, a locking screw 813, one or more split washers 814, and one or more flat washers 815. The suction cup 811 includes a cylinder portion 816 formed on a top of a curved face thereof. The cylinder portion 816 is provided with an axial bore 818 extended from a top to a bottom thereof, and a transverse bore 817 extended across a cylindrical body thereof. The suction cup 811 is provided on an outer side of its curved face with a lug 819. The connection shaft 812 is made of a metal material and is provided with an internally threaded hole 820 that transversely extends across the connection shaft 812. The above-mentioned two pull rings 824 are connected to the wire loop 82 via two lengths of wires 823.
To assemble the suction cup assembly 81 to the round base 30, first plug the connection shaft 812 in the transverse bore 817 formed on the cylinder portion 816 of the suction cup 811, and then upward extend the cylinder portion 816 through one of the mounting holes 34 formed on the round base 30. Then, extend the locking screw 813 through the split washers 814 and the flat washers 815 before downward screwing it into the axial bore 818 on the cylinder portion 816 and the internally threaded hole 820 on the connection shaft 812. The wire loop 82 is connected to the lugs 819 of all the suction cups 811 and to the two pull rings 82 via wires 823, so that the pull rings 824 are indirectly connected to the suction cups 811. As can be seen in FIGS. 8, 9, 11 and 12, when the pull rings 824 are upward pulled, the wire loop 82 and the lugs 819 on the suction cups 811 are also pulled upward at the same time, so that the suction cups 811 are partially lifted to let in external air. In this manner, the base stand 3 can be easily separated from a floor, to which the base stand 3 is immovably attached via the suction cup assemblies 81.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3. The pedestal assembly 4 includes two symmetrical pedestal halves 41, 42, which can be assembled to each other to form a complete pedestal, and a plurality of fastening belts 43, which can be hook-and-loop fastener belts. The two pedestal halves 41, 42 are provided on respective top surface with a water inlet 44, via which water can be filled into the pedestal halves 41, 42. The two pedestal halves 41, 42 are correspondingly provided on their side walls with a plurality of protruded studs 45 and a plurality of annular recesses 46. A user may select to use or not to use the pedestal assembly 4 according to different conditions or requirements in a training place. The two pedestal halves 41, 42 can be assembled to each other to enclose the base stand 3 therein. In this case, the suction cup unit 8 can be saved and only the round base 30 is used with the pedestal assembly 4 to support the mixed martial arts training device of the present invention in a freestanding state. On the other hand, the base stand 3 with the suction cup unit 8 mounted to the round base 30 can be used alone to support the mixed martial arts training device of the present invention in the freestanding state without using the pedestal assembly 4. Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 15. To assemble the two pedestal halves 41, 42 together for forming a complete pedestal assembly 4 around the base stand 3 for use, first put buckles 431, which are respectively connected to an end of the fastening belts 43, around the protruded studs 45 provided on the side walls of the pedestal halves 41, 42; and position the fastening belts 43 flatly in the annular recesses 46. Then, tighten the fastening belts 43 in the annular recesses 46 by, for example, attaching the loop sides to the hook sides of the fastening belts 43, so that the two pedestal halves 41, 42 are bound together around the round base 30 without the risk of separating from each other.
The primary striking pad 5, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, includes an inner barrel 51 fitted in an outer barrel 52. The inner barrel 51 and the outer barrel 52 are correspondingly provided on their inner circumferential surfaces with a plurality of axially spaced and radially inward extended locating protrusions 53 and 54, respectively. The locating protrusions 53 of the inner barrel 51 and the locating protrusions 54 of the outer barrel 52 are correspondingly engaged with one another to connect the inner barrel 51 with the outer barrel 52 to form an integral primary striking pad 5, and are configured corresponding to the first locating slots 17, 171, 172, 173 on the first post 1 and the second locating slots 27, 271, 272, 273 on the second post 2. The integral primary striking pad 5 can be selectively fitted around the first post 1 or the second post 2 at different heights with the engaged locating protrusions 53, 54 extended into the corresponding locating slots 17, 171, 172, 173 and/or 27, 271, 272, 273. That is, the primary striking pad 5 can be fitted around and adjusted to different heights on the first and the second post 1, 2 according to actual need. FIG. 6 shows the primary striking pad 5 is fitted around the second post 2 at a higher position with part of the engaged locating protrusions 53, 54 extended into the second locating slots 272, 273; and FIG. 7 shows the primary striking pad 5 is fitted around the second post 2 at a lower position with part of the engaged locating protrusions 53, 54 extended into the second locating slots 271, 272, 273. FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views of the freestanding mixed martial arts training device of the present invention, showing the primary striking pad 5 is fitted around the second post 2 at a higher and a lower position, respectively. And, in different application examples of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 14 to 30, the primary striking pad 5 can be fitted around the first or the second post 1, 2 at different heights according to actual need.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, each of the secondary striking pads 6 is a hollow, axially slit cylindrical body having an inner diameter 61 approximate to outer diameters of the first post 1 and the second post 2. For example, two hook-and-loop fastener belts 62 can be provided on an outer wall surface of the secondary striking pad 6. When the secondary striking pad 6 has been fitted around the first post 1 or the second post 2 at a desired height, the two hook-and-loop fastener belts 62 can be used to firmly tighten the slit cylindrical body of the secondary striking pad 6 against the first post 1 or the second post 2 for use.
As can be most clearly seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 8 and 9, each of the kick training plates 7 includes a size-expanded front end forming a plate portion 71 for kicking and a size-reduced rear end forming a connection seat 72. The connection seat 72 has a free end formed into two jaws 73 adapted to firmly grip at two adjacent first retaining grooves 14 or two adjacent second retaining grooves 24 formed on the first post 1 and the second post 2, respectively. A user may selectively connect one or more kick training plates 7 to the first post 1 and/or the second post 2 at different heights, and the kick training plates 7 can be circumferentially spaced around the first post 1 and/or the second post 2. Two hook-and-loop fastener strips 74 may be used to firmly bind upper and lower ends of the connection seats 72 to the first or the second post 1, 2 after the connection seats 72 have gripped on the first or the second retaining grooves 14, 24, as shown in FIG. 3. Similarly, a user may selectively connect one or more kick training plates 7 to the first and/or the second post 1, 2 for them to project from different post surfaces 15, 25 at different heights and in different angular positions according to actual need in martial arts training, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 30.
Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 15 for variable assembling manners of the freestanding mixed martial training device of the present invention. When the two pedestal halves 41, 42 are not employed and only the round base with the suction cup unit 8 mounted thereto is to be used for supporting the training device in the freestanding state, first align and firmly insert the two locating blocks 11, 12 on the bottom surface of the first post 1 into the two locating through holes 31, 32 in the central area of the round base 30, and then thread screws 131 into the internally threaded bores 13 on the bottom surface of the first post 1 and the screw holes 33 on the round base 30 one by one. Finally, fix the screws 131 in place by tightening corresponding nuts thereto. Thereafter, upward extend the cylinder portions 816 of the suction cups 811 through the mounting holes 34 formed on the round base 30, and then downward extend the locking screws 813 through the split washers 814 and the flat washers 815 into the axial bores 818 and the transverse bores 817 in the cylinder portions 816 of the suction cups 811 to mesh them with the internally threaded holes 820 on the connection shafts 812. Finally, fix the locking screws 813 in place by tightening nuts 825 thereto, so that the suction cup assemblies 81 are mounted to the round base 30.
On the other hand, when the suction cup unit 8 is not employed and only the pedestal assembly 4 formed of the two pedestal halves 41, 42 is to be used for supporting the training device in the freestanding state, first connect the round base 30 to the bottom surface of the first post 1 with the foam cushion ring 301 fitted around the peripheral edge of the round base 30, and then assemble the two pedestal halves 41, 42 together for them to fitly enclose a lower section of the first post 1 and the round base 30 therein. Finally, flatly position the hook-and-loop fastener belts 43 in the annular recesses 46 on the side walls of the pedestal halves 41, 42, and tighten the hook-and-loop fastener belts 43 against the assembled pedestal halves 41, 42, so that the pedestal halves 41, 42 do not separate from each other during use, as shown in FIG. 15.
With the above arrangements, the present invention has a structural design that can be flexibly changed according to the user's need in martial arts training and according to actual conditions or requirements in the training place. The user may select to support the whole training device in the freestanding state on a floor by enclosing the lower section of the first post 1 and the round base 30 in the pedestal assembly 4 or by mounting the suction cup unit 8 to the round base 30 without using the pedestal assembly 4. In either way, the first post 1 is connected to the base stand 3 by engaging the two locating blocks 11, 12 with the two locating through holes 31, 32 and by threading the screws 131 into the bottom surface of the first post 1 and the round base 30. In this manner, any striking or kicking force applied to the first post 1 and the second post 2 can be evenly distributed over the plurality of screws 131 without the risk of having broken and leaking pedestal halves 41, 42 due to stress concentration thereat. In brief, the freestanding mixed martial arts training device of the present invention is practical for use due to the advantages of durable for use, flexibly adjustable structural design allowing variable assembling manners and easy disassembling of different parts therefrom, light weight, reduced overall volume, and suitable for users of different training requirements.
The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20140128226
