Patent Application
20250058194
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The disclosure relates to sparring dummies and more particularly pertains to a new sparring dummy for realistic fighting training.
The prior art relates to sparring dummies. The prior art discloses dummies that can be used as punching bags to improve the realism of training exercises. Some such dummies have human-like features, sometimes including faces. Typical prior art devices are designed to stand on a pole or be attached to a punching bag. Some disclosures teach punching bags or sparring dummies attached to springs or other movable stands to enhance dexterity training. Other prior art disclosures include pads and shields that a trainer can wear while practice sparring with a trainee. However, the prior art lacks disclosure of a padded sparring dummy that can move and react with human-like reflexes. The prior art also lacks disclosure of a punching bag or sparring dummy that can strike back toward the user or trainee, thereby teaching and improving defensive techniques. Thus, there is a need in the art for a dummy that can realistically mimic human movement, teaching both offensive and defensive techniques.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a portable sparring mannequin. The portable sparring mannequin includes a dummy with head, neck, and torso portions. The dummy also has a front side and a back side. A cushioning panel is attached to the back side. A harness is coupled to the torso portion for releasably attaching the dummy to a user. The harness comprises a plurality of straps having adjustable lengths and being releasably coupled to each other. The neck portion is angled forwardly such that the head portion is positioned forwardly relative to the torso portion. A first and second arm rod may be removably attached to the harness or the torso portion. The first and second arm rods each include a pole, with a boxing glove attached to one end and padding extending along the pole from the boxing glove toward the other end. A counterweight may be removably attached to the other end. The user can wear the harness, and the dummy, while practicing fighting or sparring techniques with a trainee. The user is protected from the trainee's blows by the dummy and the cushioning panel. The user can move the dummy with human-like reflexes and can strike back at the trainee using the first and second arm rods. Thus, the trainee receives safe, but highly realistic, training.
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
A cushioning panel 28 is attached to the back side 16. In some embodiments, as shown in
A harness 34 is coupled to the torso portion 26 for releasably attaching the dummy 12 to the user 70. The harness 34 comprises a plurality of straps 36 having adjustable lengths and being releasably coupled to each other. The plurality of straps 36 are configured to permit the user 70 to adjust the lengths of each of the plurality of straps while the user 70 is wearing the harness 34. The plurality of straps 36 are also configured to permit the user 70 to couple or decouple the plurality of straps 36 while the user 70 is wearing the harness 34. The user 70 can put the harness 34 on or take the harness 34 off themselves, without assistance. The user 70 can also adjust the fit of the harness 34 themselves, while wearing the harness 34.
The plurality of straps 36 may include a chest strap 38 that is configured to receive a chest of the user 70. The chest strap 38 extends horizontally across the back side 16. A waist strap 40 is configured to receive a waist of the user 70. The waist strap 40 extends horizontally across the back side 16 below the chest strap 38. A first shoulder strap 42 and a second shoulder strap 44 are configured to receive a first shoulder and a second shoulder of the user 70. The first shoulder strap 42 and the second shoulder strap 44 extend across the back side 16. The first shoulder strap 42 and the second shoulder strap 44 may over each other between the chest strap 38 and the waist strap 40, forming an x-shape along the back of the user 70.
The harness 34 may be padded. Each of the plurality of straps 36 may be padded, or only some of the plurality of straps 36 may be padded. For example, the first 42 and second 44 shoulder straps may have padding to improve the comfort of the harness 34 for the user 70. In some embodiments, the first 42 and second 44 shoulder straps each include padding that is at least 1.0 inch thick. Each of the plurality of straps 36 may also be formed of a heavy-duty material, such as polyester or nylon, and may be between 2.0 inches and 4.0 inches wide.
The neck portion 24 is angled forwardly such that the head portion 22 is positioned forwardly relative to the torso portion 26. The head portion 22 is thus spaced from the harness 34. For example, the head portion 22 may be spaced vertically and forwardly from the harness 34 such that the head portion 22 is a distance 46 from the harness 34. In some embodiments, the distance 46 is more than 12.0 inches. This mimics a human neck, and also increases the safety of the portable sparring mannequin device 10 for the user 70. For example, when the trainee 72 strikes the head portion 22, the spacing between the head portion 22 and the harness 34 helps minimize risk that the trainee 72 or the head portion 22 will strike the head of the user 70. This can reduce the risk of concussions or other head injuries to the user 70.
Because the dummy 12 and harness 34 are worn by the user 70 for fighting and sparring practice, the dummy 12 and harness 34 should be relatively easy for the user 70 to hold. The user 70 should be able to move easily in the harness 34 while wearing the dummy 12 to mimic an actual fight. For example, the user 70 may want to bob, weave, and perform other tactical offensive and defensive maneuvers while practicing with the trainee 72. Accordingly, the portable sparring mannequin device 10, and particularly the dummy 12, cushioning panel 28, and harness 34 should not be excessively heavy. In some embodiments, the dummy has a weight ranging from 5.0 pounds to 10.0 pounds, so that the user 70 can move around easily and is not too exhausted by holding the dummy 12 to engage in the practice fight.
The portable sparring mannequin device 10 may further comprise a first arm rod 48 and a second arm rod 50. The user 70 can swing and jab at the trainee 72 with the first 48 and second 50 arm rods, imitating a real fight and allowing the trainee 72 to realistically practice their defensive techniques.
Each of the first 48 and second 50 arm rods comprises a pole 52. The pole 52 should be easy for the user 70 to manipulate while wearing the harness 34. For example, the pole 52 may have a length between 2.5 feet and 4.5 feet. The pole 52 may have a diameter that is easily held in the hand of the user 70, for example between 0.5 inch and 2.0 inches.
The pole 52 has a glove end or portion 54 and a gripping portion 58. A boxing glove 68 is attached to the glove end 54. The boxing glove 68 may be permanently affixed to the glove end 54, or it may be removably attached to the glove end 54. A removable boxing glove 68 could be interchanged with differently sized boxing gloves 68, for example ranging in size from 6.0 ounces to 16.0 ounces based on the size or preferences of the user 70.
A padding member 60 is coupled to the pole 52. The padding member 60 extends partially along the pole 52 from the boxing glove 68 toward the gripping portion 58. As shown in
The pole 52 may also have a weighted end 56. The weighted end 56 is generally on the opposite end of the pole 52 from the glove portion 54 and boxing glove 68. In some embodiments, a counterweight 62 is coupled to the weighted end 56. The counterweight 62 may be permanently affixed to the weighted end 56. In other embodiments, the counterweight 62 may be removably coupled to the weighted end 56. In those embodiments, the counterweight 62 may be interchangeable or adjustable to change the weight of the counterweight 62. For example, some embodiments of the counterweight 62 may be less than 1.0 pound. Other embodiments of the counterweight 62 may be greater than 1.0 pound, for example because the user 70 wants more strenuous exercise while using the first 48 and second 50 arm rods.
In some embodiments, the first 48 and second 50 arm rods are removably attached to the dummy 12 or the harness 34. For example, the arm rods 48, 50 may be removably attached to the torso portion 26 or to the shoulder straps 42, 44. A first cord 64 removably attaches the first arm rod 48 to the torso portion 26 or to the first shoulder strap 42. A second cord 66 removably attaches the second arm rod 50 to the torso portion 26 or to the second shoulder strap 44.
In some embodiments, the first 48 and second 50 arm rods are removably attached to the user 70. For example, the arm rods 48, 50 may be removably attachable to the wrists of the user 70. A first wrist strap 65 removably attaches the first arm rod 48 to a first wrist of the user 70. A second wrist strap 67 removably attaches the second arm rod 50 to a second wrist of the user 70.
In use, the user 70 can wear the portable sparring mannequin device 10 to safely imitate a real fight with the trainee 72. The user 70 can bob, weave, and move around to avoid the trainee's 72 blows while throwing practice blows at the trainee 72 using the first 48 and second 50 arm rods. The trainee 72 is therefore given the opportunity to practice footwork, offense, and defense as if engaged in a real fight. The padding and cushioning on the portable sparring mannequin device 10 help reduce the risk of injury to both the user 70 and the trainee 72 during these practice fights.
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 elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
