Patent Application
20210322848
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The disclosure and prior art relates to training devices and more particularly pertains to a new training device for facilitating a lacrosse player to practice passing and catching without assistance.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a frame that is positionable on a training field. The frame defines an angled surface that is oriented at approximately 45.0 degrees from horizontal when the frame is positioned in a deployed position. A ring is coupled to the frame and the ring is oriented coplanar with the angled surface when the frame is positioned in the deployed position. An elastic membrane is coupled within the ring and a lacrosse ball is thrown thereagainst for subsequently rebounding the lacrosse ball. A sensing unit is coupled to the elastic membrane for sensing movement of the elastic membrane and thereby detecting a force with which the lacrosse ball strikes the elastic membrane. The sensing unit is in wireless electrical communication with an extrinsic electronic device for subsequently analyzing data from the sensing unit with respect to the lacrosse ball.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The pair of supports 18 includes a first support 26 and a second support 28. Each of the outward members 22 of the first support 26 is pivotally coupled to a respective one of the outward members 22 of the second support 28. Additionally, the central member 20 of the first support 26 is oriented parallel with the central member 20 of the second support 28. The central member 20 of the first support 26 is spaced from the central member 20 of the second support 28 when the frame 12 is in the deployed position. Moreover, the first 26 and second 28 supports forms an X having the central member 20 of each of the supports 18 resting on the training field 14 when the frame 12 is positioned in the deployed position. The central member 20 of the first support 26 rests against the central member 20 of the second support 28 when the frame 12 is positioned in the stored position.
The frame 12 includes a pair of arms 30 that each has a primary end 32 and a secondary end 34. Each of the arms 30 has a sequence of bends 36 thereon that are distributed between the primary 32 and secondary 34 ends. Thus, the primary end 32 of each of the arms 30 is offset with the secondary end 34. The primary end 32 of each of the arms 30 has the distal end 24 of a respective one of the outward members 22 of the first support 26 being pivotally coupled to the primary end 32.
Each of the arms 30 has the distal end 24 of a respective one of the outward members 22 of the second support 28 is pivotally coupled to a connection point 38 on the arms 30. The connection point 38 on each of the arms 30 is positioned closer to the primary end 32 than the secondary end 34. The secondary end 34 of each of the arms 30 is offset outwardly from the respective outward members 22 of the first 26 and second 28 supports. Each of the arms 30 angles upwardly between the primary 32 and secondary 34 ends at approximately 45.0 degrees when the frame 12 is positioned in the deployed position.
A ring 40 is coupled to the frame 12 and the ring 40 lies on a plane that is oriented coplanar with the angled surface 16 defined by the frame 12 when the frame 12 is positioned in the deployed position. Thus, the ring 40 is positioned to define a target for a lacrosse player to throw a lacrosse ball 42 toward. The ring 40 has an outer surface 44 and the each of the primary 32 and secondary 34 ends of each of the arms 30 is coupled to the outer surface 44. The ring 40 angled upwardly along the arms 30 at approximately 45.0 degrees when the frame 12 is positioned in the deployed position. Additionally, the ring 40 has a diameter of approximately 30.0 inches.
An elastic membrane 46 is coupled to the ring 40 and the elastic membrane 46 is positioned within the ring 40. Thus, the lacrosse ball 42 can be thrown against the elastic membrane 46 and be subsequently rebounded back to the lacrosse player. Thus, the lacrosse player can practice passing, shooting and catching the lacrosse ball 42 without and the assistance of others. The elastic membrane 46 has a perimeter edge 48 and the perimeter edge 48 is continuously arcuate such that the elastic membrane forms a disk. The perimeter edge 48 is spaced from an inwardly facing side 50 of the outer surface 44 of the ring 40.
A plurality of connectors 52 each extends through the elastic membrane 46 and the ring 40. The connectors 52 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around an entire circumference of the elastic membrane 46. In this way the elastic membrane 46 is suspended within the ring 40. Each of the connectors 52 may comprise a strap that is formed into a closed loop or the like.
A sensing unit 54 is provided and the sensing unit 54 is coupled to the elastic membrane 46. Moreover, the sensing unit 54 senses movement of the elastic membrane 46 and the sensing unit 54 can detect a force with which the lacrosse ball 42 strikes the elastic membrane 46. The sensing unit 54 is in wireless electrical communication with an extrinsic electronic device 56 for subsequent analysis data from the sensing unit 54 with respect to the lacrosse ball 42. The extrinsic electronic device 56 may be a smart phone or other similar device with wireless communication capabilities.
The sensing unit 54 comprises a panel 58 that is coupled to a rear surface 60 of the elastic membrane 46. Thus, the panel 58 is inhibited from being struck by the lacrosse ball 42 and potentially altering 40 a rebound angle of the lacrosse ball 42. A control circuit 62 is coupled to the panel 58 and an accelerometer 64 is coupled to the panel 58. The accelerometer 64 detects acceleration and deceleration of the panel 58 and the accelerometer 64 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62. The accelerometer 64 may be a miniaturized, electronic accelerometer 64 or the like. A plurality of accelerometers 64 may be provided and the plurality of accelerometers 64 may be distributed over a majority of the surface area of the elastic membrane 46.
A transmitter 66 is coupled to the panel 58 and the transmitter 66 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62. The transmitter 66 is in electrical communication with the extrinsic electronic device 56 and the transmitter 66 transmits data from the accelerometer 64 to the extrinsic electronic device 56 for analysis. The transmitter 66 may be a radio frequency transmitter 66 or the like. Additionally, the transmitter 66 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols thereby facilitating the transmitter 66 to be synched with the extrinsic electronic device 56. A power supply 68 is coupled to the panel 58, the power supply 68 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62 and the power supply 68 comprises at least one battery 70.
In use, the frame 12 is positioned in the deployed position and the frame 12 is positioned on the training field 14. The lacrosse ball 42 is launched at the elastic membrane 46 during passing and shooting practice. Thus, the elastic membrane 46 rebounds the lacrosse ball 42 thereby facilitating a lacrosse player to practice without assistance. Additionally, the sensing unit 54 records the force with which the lacrosse ball 42 strikes the elastic membrane 46 and communicates the data to the extrinsic electronic device 56. Thus, the data can be analyzed on the extrinsic electronic device 56 for determining the speed of the lacrosse ball 42 and other variables that can be derived from the data.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
