Patent Application
20220323846
In a variety of sports, at least two participants are required during training exercises where one of the participants is in a vulnerable position opposite another athlete. For example, in batting exercises for baseball, softball or cricket, a pitcher throws a ball to a hitter that may be less than sixty feet away. The hitter may hit a ball back toward the pitcher at speeds in excess of ninety miles per hour. The short separation, coupled with the speed of the batted ball, places the pitcher at risk of severe injury. Various configurations of shields or nets have been utilized that may be placed between the pitcher and the batter during batting exercises. Professional facilities at which games are played may provide the safety net for use in batting exercises prior to a game. However, players often practice in small fields or open spaces that do not provide safety nets. For their own protection, players and coaches may need to bring and set up their own safety net systems. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,821,206, which discloses a rolling shell case that contains the components to erect a safety net on a field.
In some competitive league environments, facilities or the governing body limit the amount, size and or number of equipment bags a player may bring to the field. Ball players often have equipment bags capable of containing several bats, balls, gloves and other protective gear, precluding them from using the standalone system of the previously noted U.S. Pat. No. 9,821,206. The present invention provides an easily erected safety screen assembly that may incorporate or be attached to an equipment bag, and which utilizes the equipment bag as ballast and support of the safety screen.
According to various embodiments of the present invention, a player safety screen assembly is incorporated onto or made to accommodate an equipment bag. The safety screen assembly may include wheels, or it may be attached to a wheeled equipment bag. The safety screen assembly preferably consolidates to a size roughly 1.5 to 2 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet long, generally matching the size of the base of a standard equipment bag. On location, the safety screen assembly rotates on hinges through 80 to 90 degrees and locks in an upright position generally perpendicular to the base of the equipment bag. The safety screen assembly preferably includes an extendable main frame assembly in which tubular right and left side elements telescope to length of at least 5 feet, and top and bottom tubular elements that may extend to a width of 3 to 6 feet. Optionally, the safety screen assembly may include one or two attached or attachable wings that can extend outward from an upper or lower portion of the main frame assembly to extend the protection for either an overhand or underhand pitcher. The safety screen assembly further includes netting shaped as a pocket sized to fit over the erected main frame, or the netting may otherwise be removably attached to the main frame and stored in a pocket of the equipment bag during transport. Separate netting may similarly be provided for the optional wings.
The safety screen assembly 12 includes a main frame 14 having a main screen 16. The safety screen assembly 12 may optionally include a right wing frame 20 and wing screen 22 and a left wing frame 24 and wing screen 26. Each of the screens 16, 22 and 26 may be formed as two layers attached along at least a portion of three sides to generally form a pocket shape that may easily slide over the respective frame component. Optionally, the screens may be a single sheet with reinforced edges and attachment elements that allow the screens to be easily attached to the frames. The screens are preferably formed from a high density polyethylene, high density polypropylene or nylon material twisted and knotted to define one-half to two inch openings and may include a reinforced edging or border. The right and left wing frames preferably include slotted holes allowing the wing frames 20, 24 to be removably mounted on buttons 28 projecting from upper and lower locations on the main frame 14.
The main frame 14 preferably includes an axle assembly 30 having an axle 32 and oppositely disposed wheels 34 as depicted in
The main frame 14 preferably includes a top bar assembly 40 having a handle 42 and a center sleeve 44 secured at its midpoint to the handle 42. The top bar assembly center sleeve 44 may be a solid bar as depicted in
The main frame 14 includes a right base sleeve 50 and a left base sleeve 52, each of which are attached at their lower ends to the axle assembly 40. The main frame 14 also includes a right top tube 54 sized and configured to telescope from the right base sleeve 50, and a left top tube 56 sized and configured to telescope from the left base sleeve 52. The left and right top tubes 54 and 56 may include resiliently mounted and retractable tabs 58 that allow the left and right top tubes 54 and 56 to be secured within the right and left base sleeves 50, 52 at holes 60 in one or more hole locations along the diameter of the right and left base sleeves 50, 52. The invention contemplates the use of other securement methods, including screws, bolts and rotating attachment methods and the like to position the height of the left and right top tubes 54 and 56 secured to or within the right and left base sleeves 50, 52. As opposed to having telescoping top tubes 54 and 56, the top tubes 54 and 56 may be secured to the base sleeves 50 and 52 with hinges (not shown) allowing the top tubes to pivot from a retracted position laying against the forward side of the base sleeves 50, 52, to an erect position atop the base sleeves 50, 52.
The main frame 14 may include detachable right support 70 and left support 72 that connect to the upper end of the right base sleeve 50 and left base sleeve 52, respectively. The right and left supports 70, 72 may be set at a thirty to forty-five degree angle to the upright main frame 14 to anchor the base sleeves 50 and 52 to the ground on or proximate to the equipment bag 10. The supports 70 and 72 prevent the main frame 14 from collapsing when a ball hits the safety screen assembly 12. The supports 70 and 72 are particularly beneficial when the safety screen assembly 12 is used with an equipment bag 10 that does not incorporate elements to support the safety screen assembly 12.
The frame components of the safety screen assembly 14, other than the main screen 16, wing screens 22 and 26, are preferably formed from aluminum or high strength plastic or composite materials, such as fiber reinforced resin tubes, bars or cylinders, or similar high strength light weight ridged material, and combinations of such materials. The axle may alternatively be formed from steel or similar material. A combination of aluminum and plastic or composite materials may be used. For example, the right and left base sleeves 50 and 52, respectively, may be formed from aluminum, while the right and left top tubes 54 and 56, respectively are formed from plastic or composite materials. While the frame components of the safety screen assembly 14 are depicted as having round cross sections, the frame components may be designed to have oval, square or rectangular cross sections.
Preferably, the equipment bag 10 and the safety screen assembly 12 are designed as an integrated assembly, wherein the equipment bag 10 incorporates a ridged bottom and end frame as depicted in the cutaway view of
Alternatively, the safety screen assembly 12 may be configured to be attached to a rolling equipment bag, in which case the safety screen assembly 12 may optionally require wheels. The safety screen assembly 12 could be attached with “c” clamps and screws or bolts to a hard or reinforced edge of a rolling equipment bag.
The equipment bag 10 and safety screen assembly 12 is depicted in the perspective view of
When moved into position for a practice session, the right and left wing frames 22, 24 may be placed on the buttons 28 as shown in
In one embodiment, the main screen 16 is formed from a netting material into a pocket shape with one end open so that the netting material may be easily slipped over the main frame 14. The optional right and left supports 70 and 72, may then be attached, or pivoted into position if they are mounted on the main frame 14, to complete the assembly. The weight of the equipment bag 10 provides ballast preventing the safety screen assembly 12 from falling forward while also holding the safety screen assembly 12 upright when it is receives a ball. Once assembled, a pitcher can stand behind or slightly to the side of the equipment bag, deliver a pitch to a batter, and then quickly step behind and be protected by the safety screen assembly 12.
The safety screen assembly 12 preferably consolidates to a size roughly one and a half to two feet wide and about three feet long, generally matching the size of the base of a standard equipment bag 10. When erected, the safety screen assembly 12 includes the extendable main frame 14 telescopes to length of at least five feet and preferably six and a half to seven feet. The telescoping top bar assembly axle assembly may allow the safety screen assembly 12 to extend to a width of three to six feet.
The invention has been described in detail above in connection with the figures, and it will be understood that various combinations of shapes and configurations for the equipment bag 10 and safety screen assembly 12 are contemplated herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing disclosure is meant to be exemplary, and the specification and the figures are provided to explain the present invention without intending to limit the potential modes of carrying out the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereto.
