Patent Application
20060276305
The present invention relates generally to a gymnastics apparatus and, more particularly, to a gymnastics apparatus having a multi-layered textured cover.
In the design and construction of gymnastics equipment, such as, for example, vault tables, vault boards, pommel horses, balance beams, landing mats, and other devices, there are a number of design considerations that should be taken into account, including the characteristics of the surface contacted by the user during a gymnastics routine. Of course, a slippery surface is typically undesirable for a host of reasons, as is a surface lacking the durability to withstand repeated use. Further, an overly hard surface may not be suitable for some devices.
Many devices, including vault tables, vault boards, and pommel horses, typically are covered with leather or a synthetic leather material. Other devices, such as a balance beam, typically include an extruded aluminum beam covered with an expanded vinyl material, which is similar in many cases to suede. In any event, a gymnastics participant or other user typically desires freedom of motion while still expecting a certain level of grip and traction when using any particular device. In order to balance the desired freedom of motion with the desired level of grip and traction, it is well known that gymnastics participants typically use chalk. However, chalk creates a mess, and it is difficult to remove the chalk from the porous material. Moreover, chalk build-up can create a slick surface on the gymnastics device.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a covered gymnastics apparatus includes a support component having a shape arranged to support a user and comprising a first material, an overlayer sized and shaped to be applied over the support component and having a textured surface arranged for contact by the user during a gymnastics routine, with the overlayer formed of a second material comprising a multi-layered material, the multi-layered material comprising polyurethane.
In further accordance with a preferred example, the overlayer includes a non-woven fiber layer, and the polyurethane is impregnated into the non-woven fiber layer, or extruded onto the base layer. The textured contact surface may comprise a pebble-grained surface, and further may be formed of Zi/O®. The support component may comprise part of any one of a vault table, a vault board, a pommel horse, a balance beam, a landing mat, or any other suitable gymnastics device, and the overlayer may comprise at least one panel sized to cover at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component. Preferably, the overlayer comprises a polyurethane impregnated non-woven fiber and the textured surface comprises a pebble-grained surface, and may have a thickness of about 1.5 mm. The overlayer may comprise a plurality of joined panels, with the panels sized and shaped to conform to at least a portion of the support component and securable to the support component.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a gymnastics component for use on a gymnastics apparatus includes a support component having a portion arranged to support a user during a gymnastics routine, with the portion comprising at least a first material. An overlayer is provided formed from a layered polyurethane material and includes a textured contact surface positioned for contact by the user during the gymnastics routine. The overlayer is sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the support component and is securable to the support component.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, a method of preparing a gymnastics apparatus for use comprises the steps of selecting a support component for supporting a user during a gymnastics routine, selecting an overlayer material having a textured contact surface and including a polyurethane layer, sizing and shaping the overlayer material to conform to a shape of at least a portion of the support component such that the textured contact surface is positioned for contact by a user during a gymnastics routine, and securing the overlayer material to the support component.
The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the precise form or forms disclosed. Instead, the following embodiments have been described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to follow the teachings of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings,
The overlayer 14 includes an upper contact surface 24, which, in accordance with the disclosed example, preferably includes a textured surface 26. It will be understood that, on each of the foregoing devices, the support component 12 is arranged to support, at least temporarily, the weight of a user during a gymnastics routine. Accordingly, the support component 12 is typically constructed of wood, fiberglass, plastic, metal, or any other suitable material commonly employed in the construction of a gymnastics apparatus.
Referring now to
The preferred overlayer material is commercially available from Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. of Chicopee, Mass., under the trade name Zi/O®, and/or from Kuraray America, Inc. of New York, N.Y. Additional details concerning the construction and properties of the overlayer material can be obtained from U.S. Pat. No. RE 37,468, entitled Game Ball With Synthetic Leather Cover, issued to Kennedy et al. Preferably, the overlayer material 14 will have a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm. However, it is contemplated that the overlayer material may be thinner or thicker than the preferred thickness.
Other materials may be chosen for the overlayer material 14 in place of the preferred Zi/O®. For example, the base layer 28 may be constructed of woven fibers, non-woven fibers, or other base layers of the type used in sports ball covers, and the top coat 30 may be formed of polyurethane, polyvinylchloride (PVC), or other materials of the type used in sports ball covers. Still further materials employed in the covering of sports balls may also prove suitable. Further, the top coat 30 may be layered onto the base cloth 28 using an extrusion process.
Referring now to
Furthermore, it will be understood that the size and shape of the panels 14a and 14b, as well as the size and shape of any additional panels (not shown), will be dictated by the size and shape of the gymnastics apparatus to which the overlayer material 14 will be applied. In the example of
As shown in
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It will be appreciated that, for each of the foregoing examples of gymnastics devices, the overlayer material 14 may be attached to the underlying support component 12 so as to cover the entire support component 12. As an alternative, the overlayer material 14 may be sized and shaped to simply cover the contact surface 24 of the underlying support component, with remaining portions of the support component/gymnastics devices covered by more conventional materials.
In accordance with the disclosed example, the contact surface 24 of the overlayer material, and in particular the pebble-grained texture of the textured surface 26, may provide enhanced grip and/or traction while still allowing freedom of motion for a gymnastics performer or other user using the underlying gymnastics devices. Also, users may decide that the use of chalk may not be necessary, and the elimination of chalk consequently eliminates the type of mess normally associated with the use of chalk. Moreover, the preferred Zi/O material may be obtained with a tacky finish which may further enhance the traction and grip characteristics of the underlying gymnastics device.
Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing descriptions. Accordingly, these descriptions are to be construed as illustrative only and are for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode or modes presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. The details of the structure or structures disclosed herein may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents, is reserved.
