Patent Application
20080287218
The present invention is directed to balls, methods of use, and systems thereof that employ a foam core disposed within a hard shell of a ball for teaching a person to hit balls at various speeds.
Athletic balls, such as baseballs, softballs, or the like, are typically manufactured in standard sizes and have standard ball densities for maintaining certain aerodynamic characteristics depending on sport requirements. By way of example, when learning to hit a baseball, children traditionally first learn to hit a ball at a relatively constant speed and at a relatively constant position. Indeed the coach or parent will usually release successive pitches at the same velocity (slow) and to a particular position (dead center) over the plate until the batter learns how to track the pitch and strike the ball consistently.
Once the child has learned to track and hit the ball consistently when pitched at the same speed/position, the next step may be to learn how to hit the ball at various locations over the plate. This training should begin as the child's age permits if it is to be effective in improving the child's athletic performance. Indeed, for a player to become a well rounded and resilient batter, the player must learn to anticipate and hit the ball at the various positions over the plate. Thus, the coach will begin pitching successive balls to different plate positions to test or strike out the batter. Up until the age of about 10 years old, the coach will still pitch at a constant speed (no intentional change ups) even though he or she may intentionally change the plate position of the ball with successive pitches.
Typically, when a batter is around ten to eleven years old, the next step during the batting training process is for the batter to anticipate and learn to hit balls at various speeds and different locations. To help the batter learn to hit a ball at different speeds, a coach, pitcher, or the like, will alter his or her pitching motion with successive pitches in order to change the speed of the ball during practice. In order for a batter to maintain striking consistency as the pitchers to which he/she faces become more skilled, the batter must learn to keep his eye on the ball, track and strike balls travelling at different speeds. Batters must learn to hit a myriad of pitches, such as, but not limited to, fast balls, curve balls, knuckle balls, change ups, or the like. As these different types of pitches cannot be anticipated by viewing the way the pitcher grasps the ball prior to the pitch, the young batter must keep close watch on the ball and develop the ability to track the ball all the way to the plate irrespective of how fast the ball is travelling. Prior to developing this skill, a young batter will typically lose sight of the ball within about the last fifteen feet before the plate.
The problem with this learning approach is that typical coaches (or aspiring young pitchers) are not skilled enough to properly alter the speed of travel of the ball without altering their pitching motion in a visible way. Indeed, the pitching motion of a well thrown change-up should not be detectable from the throwing motion itself. Indeed, it is relatively easier for a coach or young player to pitch at a consistent release velocity (given a consistent ball size and density), than to pitch a change-up. Often, the coach must alter the pitching motion in some visible way (e.g., significantly slow down the motion) to achieve a slowly travelling ball. This gives the batter notice that a differing ball speed will be coming and does not test the batter's ball tracking ability. Even when a ball pitching machine is employed during practice, the machine is set to a particular speed and therefore releases the balls at a constant velocity. If the coach wishes to change the pitching speed, a clearly visible action must be taken at the mound, thereby giving the batter advanced notice that a change in pitch is coming. Consequently, young batters are subject to unintended variations in ball speed, and advanced notice of ball speed. Therefore, the traditional learning process is problematic because advances in the child's athletic ability are either unnecessarily delayed, or are arrested altogether.
One or more of the characteristics and problems discussed above with respect to teaching a player to hit a baseball may be applied to other areas of sport, such as softball, tennis, golf, ping pong, etc.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for new methods and apparatus for teaching a person to hit balls at various speeds.
One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a ball, method of use, and system that allow a person to learn how to hit similarly looking balls at various ball specific speeds when the balls are propelled towards the person in the same or similar way.
In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention, a ball includes: a hard shell of a predetermined size defining an internal volume and including a plurality of apertures therethrough; and a foam core disposed within the internal volume.
A diameter of the foam core may be less than a diameter of the internal volume such that a layer of air is located between an outside surface of the foam core and an inside surface of the hard shell. Alternatively, the foam core may substantially fill the internal volume. When employing an air layer, at least one spacer may be disposed between the outside surface of the foam core and the inside surface of the hard shell, and adapted to position the foam core within the internal volume. The one or more spacers may be adapted to connect the outside surface of the foam core to the inside surface of the hard shell. For example, the at least one spacer may be formed of the core material, and/or the at least one spacer may be integrally formed with the foam core. A size and shape of the at least one spacer is operable to accommodate different distances from the inside surface of the hard shell to the outside surface of the foam core, such that the diameter of the foam core may be increased or decreased relative to the diameter of the hard shell.
At least one of a porosity and a composition of the foam core are preferably predetermined for a desired density.
In one or more embodiments, the foam core includes an inner portion having a first density and an outer portion having a second density surrounding the inner portion. The first density may be substantially higher than the second density. Alternatively or additionally, the inner portion may be formed from a material other than foam. Still further, the outer portion is preferably formed of foam irrespective of the inner portion.
The density is preferably such that it affects at least one aerodynamic characteristic of the ball, such as the speed that the ball travels through air when released at a predetermined velocity. When the structure of the ball is correctly established, the density may be linearly related to the speed. When an air layer is employed, the density of the foam core may be varied (from ball to ball) or may be fixed, however, the volume of the layer of air may be inversely related to the speed at which the ball travels when released at the predetermined velocity.
In accordance with one or more further aspects of the present invention, a method for teaching a person to hit a ball may include: providing a plurality of balls, each ball comprising: (i) a hard shell defining an internal volume and including a plurality of apertures therethrough, and (ii) a foam core disposed within the internal volume; and propelling the balls toward the person by releasing them, in turn, at a substantially constant velocity.
The construction of one or more of the balls may be as discussed above such that at least two of the balls travel through air at different speeds despite being released at the substantially constant velocity. Preferably the at least two balls travel through the air at speeds differing by at least about 10%, or least about 10% to about 20%. This simulates different pitches.
In accordance with one or more further aspects of the present invention, a system includes: a plurality of balls, each ball comprising: (i) a hard shell defining an internal volume and including a plurality of apertures therethrough; and (ii) a foam core disposed within the internal volume, wherein the foam core of at least one of the plurality of balls is adapted to cause such ball to travel through air at a substantially different speed as compared to at least one other of the plurality of balls despite the balls being released at the substantially constant velocity.
The advantages of this invention are best understood after reading the detailed description. Nonetheless, some of the advantages are aforementioned above.
Other aspects, features, advantages, etc. will become apparent to one skilled in the art when the description of the invention herein is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
For the purposes of illustrating the various aspects of the invention, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there are shown in the drawings forms that may be employed, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited by or to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, but rather only by the claims.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in this description so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
For the purposes of describing various aspects of the present invention, reference may be made to a specific application of the present invention in connection with teaching a person how to hit a ball at different ball speeds. Indeed, embodiments of the invention have specific utility in the sports context where the sport requires the player to adjust his or her timing in response to changes in ball speed. Examples of such sports include baseball, softball, tennis, polo, rugby, football, ping pong, golf, volley ball, racquet ball, hand ball, etc. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that the various embodiments of the balls, methods of use, and systems thereof described and claimed herein may have application to many other sports and/or other fields of endeavor. In the case of baseball and/or softball, the embodiments of the present invention have applicability for use in training sessions, such as, but not limited to, batting practice, scrimmages, games, or the like.
The hard shell 20 may have a size corresponding to a baseball, softball, tennis polo, rugby, football, ping pong, golf, volley ball, racquet ball, hand ball, etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the material of the shell 20 may be plastic, rubber, leather, combinations thereof, or other materials, although plastic is preferred. Although the hardness of the shell 20 can vary, a hardness along the lines of a standard wiffle-ball is preferred. The hard shell 20 can have a thickness of about 1/16 of an inch to ¼ of an inch, or greater. In a preferred embodiment, the hard shell 20 is about ⅛ of an inch thick.
The plurality of apertures 30 in hard shell 20 of a ball 10 can vary in size. In at least one embodiment, the apertures 30 are identical among a plurality of balls 10, irrespective of the desired aerodynamic characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, any change in size between apertures 30 of a ball 10 is designed to avoid detection by a batter so that the batter cannot judge the ball aerodynamics, e.g., ball speed, based on differences in the relative sizes of the apertures 30, particularly from ball-to-ball. Similarly, in order to avoid detection by the batter, in accordance with at least one embodiment, the hard shell 20 of the balls 10 has an equal or similar predetermined size, such that any deviation in the predetermined size is not detectable by the batter.
One or more of the hard shell 20, the apertures 30, and/or the foam core 40 may be designed to vary aerodynamic characteristics of the ball 10, such as, ball speed, air resistance, trajectory, rotational tendency, etc., for developing batting skills of a baseball or softball player.
By way of example, the foam core 40 is preferably adapted to cause the ball 10 to travel through air at a predetermined speed when released at a substantially constant velocity. For example, the foam core 40 of the ball 10 may be adapted to have a predetermined material composition and porosity in order to establish a desired density. The density of the foam core 40 may be linearly related to the speed at which the ball 10 will travel through the air when released at a substantially constant velocity. While not being limited to a particular theory of operation, this relationship may be expressed as follows:
Speed(d)=K+m(d),
where K is a constant of proportionality, m is a factor relating density to the speed at which the ball 10 will travel through the air when released at a substantially constant velocity, and d is the density of the foam core 40.
For a higher density, the foam core 40 is designed to have a lower porosity. Conversely, for a lower density, the foam core 40 is designed to have a higher porosity. Indeed, the porosity of the foam core 40 is inversely related to the density thereof, and thus an overall density of the ball 10.
In the embodiment illustrated in
In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention as shown in
The characteristics of the layer of air 60, 65 (even assuming a constant density of the foam core 40) can affect the aerodynamic properties of the ball 10. For example, as the layer of air 60, 65 increases in thickness and volume, while maintaining the density of foam core 40 and the velocity at which the ball 10 is released, the speed at which the ball 10 will travel through air will decrease. This is due to the fact that the air resistance of the ball 10 will increase as the layer of air 60, 65 increases in volume. Conversely, as the thickness of the layer of air decreases (e.g., as is the case from layer 65 to layer 60), while maintaining the density of foam core 40 and the velocity at which the ball 10 is released, the speed at which the ball 10 will travel through the air will increase. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that as the size (e.g., especially the length) of the spacers 50 increase or decrease and the diameter of the foam core 40 decreases or increases, the density of the foam core 40 may be adjusted to achieve the same aerodynamic properties, such as speed of travel as a function of release velocity. As shown in
In another embodiment, a layer of air may be defined without any spacers 50 disposed between the foam core 40 and the hard shell 20 so long as the foam core 40 has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the hard shell 20. In such a case, the foam core 40 is permitted to move within the internal volume of the hard shell 20.
The spacers/protrusions 50 may be formed from a separate material (such as foam or other suitable material) that is disposed between the foam core 40 and the hard shell 20. Alternatively, the spacers 50 may be integrally formed with the foam core 40 of the same foam material. The spacers/protrusions 50 have a shape, such as, but not limited to, suspension spikes, radiating spikes, raised support surfaces, or the like. In yet another embodiment, one or more of the spacers/protrusions 50 may be made of a foam material that has a different density than a portion of, or the entire, foam core 40. The spacers/protrusions 50 may be hard or soft, such that they may flexibly or elastically vary the distance or distances between the outside surface of foam core 40 and the inside surface of hard shell 20.
The foam core 40 may be formed from any number of specific materials, such as nylon, acetal, teflon, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyurethane blend, polyethylene, polystyrene, urethane, polyester, polypropylene, neoprene, rubber cork, black nitrile, silicone, plastic, hyplon, fluorocarbons, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, elastomer, ceramic, acetate, urea, polymethylpentene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyetheretherketone, polyvinyl chloride, or the like. The foam core density may be between about 1 to 300 kg/m3, 1 to 100 kg/m3, 1 to 10 kg/m3, 1 to 5 kg/m3, 5 to 10 kg/m3, 10 to 30 kg/m3, and 15 to 20 kg/m3.
The foam core 40 may be custom ordered or pre-manufactured by foam manufacturers, such as Precision Plastic Ball Company of Franklin Park, Ill.; Lendell Mfg., Inc. of Saint Charles, Mi; Foamex of Eddystone, Pa.; RHH Foam Systems, Inc. of New Berlin, Wis.; Quality Foam of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; Wisconsin Foam of Madison, Wis.; UFP Technologies, Inc. of Georgetown, Mass.; and Gardico of Seattle, Wash.
As shown in
As discussed above, in order for a batter to improve his batting skill, the batter must test and improve his ability to track approaching balls 10 travelling at different speeds. In this regard, reference is now made to
In this regard, any of the aforementioned variations in foam density, foam core diameter, spacer size and/or position, etc. may be employed to achieve the desired differing aerodynamic characteristics of the plurality of balls 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f. In a preferred system, some of the balls 10 are configured to travel through the air at speeds differing by at least about 5% to about 20%, such as 16 mph, 20 mph, 24 mph, etc.
The plurality of the balls 10 all preferably have substantially equal size (e.g., a deviation of the ball size is no greater than about 5%, 2%, or 1%) and are otherwise of similar visual appearance, e.g., with respect to the location of apertures 30, color, etc.
Now referring to
Within the group of balls 10, some have different aerodynamic characteristics (as discussed with respect to
As shown in
It is noted that although specific examples have been described in the context of baseball batting training, those skilled in the art may readily adapt the methods and apparatus herein to assist in training players in other sports, such as softball, tennis, polo, rugby, football, ping pong, golf, volley ball, racquet ball, hand ball, etc.
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/917,805, filed May 14, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60917805 | May 2007 | US |
