Shooting a basketball well takes a lot of practice and repetition. Coaches often recommend to players to focus on the back of the rim, for example, when shooting free throws. Various prior art devices exist to help a player during shooting practice to focus their eyes on the rim during a shot, such as Applicant’s prior patents, 4,991,837 and 5,156,394. These devices provide a visual guide attached to the rim which effectively increases the dimensions of the rim for enhanced visualization during the shot. However, one problem with these prior art devices is maintaining the proper position of the device at all times, without becoming dislodged, misaligned, or detached, which may result by the impact of the basketball on the visual guide. For example, a ball shot from the three-point line has a speed of approximately 18 mph. The standard size basketball weighs 22 oz. With this weight and speed of the basketball, prior art visual aids did not absorb the force of impact from the ball and moved from an initial desired position on the rim. Therefore, there is a need for a visual aid which overcomes the problems of the prior art.
Based upon a computer simulation of millions of shots by free-throw shooters, various factors affect the chance of successfully shooting a basketball through the hoop. This study calculated an optimal trajectory for free throws, with a target spot 2.8 inches behind the center of the basket. This study, conducted by North Carolina State University, and published by Reuters on Jul. 21, 2012 with the title “Nothing but Net? Basketball science has more answers,” explained that the shooting target point is not intuitive, and aiming for the center of the basket produces unpredictable bounces. The conventional rim has an 18 inch diameter, and with the ideal ball shooting aiming spot being 2.8 inches behind the center of the rim, the back of the conventional basketball is just over an inch from the back of the rim. The study further explained that aiming for the center of the basket increases the chance of hitting the front of the rim and missing the shot, while the ball has a better chance of going through the rim if the shooter aims between the backboard and the center of the hoop, rather than at the center of the hoop.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a visual aid for basketball hoop which retains the desired mounted position below and adjacent the rim during use.
Another objective of the present invention is a provision of a basketball hoop visual aid which is resiliently or elastically mounted so as to absorb the impact of a basketball.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a visual aid target removably attachable to a basketball rim so as to reside within the net adjacent a back portion of the rim to provide a visual aid or to a person shooting a basketball.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a visual aid target for a basketball rim having a one-piece construction.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a basketball hoop visual aid having a body with integral straps that extend over and behind the rim with strap ends insertable into slots in the body for mounting the visual aid to the basketball hoop.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a visual aid to provide a target for basketball shooters which has a keyed slot mounting mechanism for detachably mounting the device to the hoop.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a visual aid which can be quickly and easily mounted on a basketball hoop for shooting practice.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a visual target attachable to a basketball rim so as to reside within the net and extending horizontally below the rim.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an elongated visual aid target which extends 180° along the back and opposite sides of the rim.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an elongated visual aid target for a basketball hoop, wherein the target has a tapering height from the midpoint to the opposite ends, such that the target at the back of the rim is larger than the top target on opposite sides of the rim.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an elongated visual aid target which is curved downwardly in opposite directions from the midpoint to the opposite ends, so that the target extends parallel to the rim when mounted to the rim.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a visual aid target which attaches to a basketball rim inside the net and having an upper edge approximately 1 inch below and 1 inch inside the rim, so as to create a secondary inner “rim” inside the standard rim which provides a visual target to focus a shooter’s eyes.
These and other objectives have become apparent from the following description of the invention.
The visual aid for basketball hoops is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 in the drawings. The aid 10 is mounted to the rim 12 of the basketball hoop to provide an enlarged visual target for a player shooting a ball. In the preferred embodiment, the visual aid 10 resides substantially within the net 14 of the hoop or basket at an elevation immediately below the rim.
In one embodiment, shown in
The width or diameter of the strap head 22 is less than the length of the vertical slot leg 28 and greater than the length of the horizontal slot top 30, so that the head 26 will not pull out of the slot top 30. The neck 24 of the strap is narrower than the width of the top 30 so that the strap 18 is slidable through the slot 26. This slidable connection of the straps 18 to the body 16 allows the visual aid 10 to absorb the forces of impact from the ball. Thus, the slot 26 is in the form of a keyed connection which captures the enlarged head 22 of the strap 18, while the reduced diameter neck 24 is free to slide within the slot to absorb impact from a ball hitting the visual aid 10.
The straps 18 are sufficiently long so as to be loosely fit over the rim 12. The straps 18 are resilient so as to provide an elastic connection between the visual aid 10 and the rim 12. When the visual aid 10 is in a neutral or at rest position, the body 16 resides inside the net 14 adjacent the rim 12. When a basketball goes through the rim 12 and impacts the body 16, the straps 18, slide through the slots 26 such that the straps 18 deforms (vertically and/or horizontally), so as to absorb the impact of the ball. The resiliency of the straps 18 and slidable mounting to the body 16 allows the visual aid 10 to return to the normal, at rest position, so as to be ready for the next shot, without the visual aid 10 becoming misplaced, misaligned, or detached.
The first embodiment shown in
An option for use on the visual aids 10, 10A is a secondary horizontal strap 34 which can extend outside the net 14 or be woven through the net chords to further retain the visual aid 10, 10A in position. The strap 34 has opposite ends having an increased diameter head 36 and a decreased diameter neck 38, with the head 36 being inserted through a T-slot 40 for retention to the body 16, 16A. The T-slot 40 for each end of the secondary strap 34, is generally oriented perpendicular to the T-slot 26, with a horizontal leg 42 and a vertical top 44. The head 22A of the secondary strap 34 is turned to insert through the horizontal leg 42, and then slid and turned into the top 44 of the slot 40 for retention.
The body 16 can be various colors, or clear (as depicted in the drawings), or have other visually enhancing features, such as brightly colored decals 48, to focus the shooter’s eyes on the back of the rim 12. Also, the body 16A preferably does not extend more than 180 degrees, such that the front of the rim 12 is not obstructed, or otherwise cause the shooter to focus on the front of the rim, rather than the back of the rim. Preferably, the visual aid 10 is made of plastic so as to be light weight and flexible, though other materials can also be used. Also, in a further alternative embodiment, the body 16 may reside outside the net 14, though such position moves the focus for the shooter’s eyes further outward from the inside back edge of the rim.
It is understood that the back of the rim is relative to the shooter’s position on the court. When the shooter shooting from the front, such as near the free throw line, the visual aid is positioned on the back of the rim nearest the backboard. If a shooter wants to practice shots from a corner of the court, the visual aid 10, 10A can be moved approximately 90 degrees in either direction so as to be positioned on the far side of the rim relative to the shooter’s position on the court, as shown in
A third embodiment 10B, shown in
In use, when a basketball hits the inside of the rim 12, the neck of the straps slide within the slots, and/or the straps 18, 18A deform or deflect, so as to absorb the impact of the ball, which allows the visual guide 10, 10A, and 10B to reset to its normal or neutral position after the impact dissipates. In comparison, the prior art straps do not deflect upon impact from the ball, and would break or pop off the rim, thereby precluding the visual guide from returning to its normal position after the ball passes through the net. The straps on the visual guide of the present invention have an outward pressure resulting from sliding of the strap, whereas the prior art straps had an inward pressure resulting from the rigid, non-sliding of the straps or clips. Thus, Applicant’s present visual shooting guide 10, 10A, and 10B is an improvement over his prior art shooting guide, and repeatedly returns to its normal position after impact by basketballs.
The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.
This application is a Continuation in Part Application of U.S. Serial No. 17/247,192, filed Dec. 3, 2020, which claims priority to 16/597,363, filed Oct. 9, 2019, which claims priority to Provisional Application U.S. Serial No. 62/743,771, filed on Oct. 10, 2018, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62743771 | Oct 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16597363 | Oct 2019 | US |
Child | 17247192 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17247192 | Dec 2020 | US |
Child | 18175924 | US |