Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Practice or training device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-11-20
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Practice or training device
C473S457000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319157
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bat, for use as a training aid for ball games, in particular for soccer (Association Football).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The main type of soccer training which can be carried out by a person practising on their own relates to ball control skills, where the ball is kept under close control with the feet and/or the head, and it is widely acknowledged that this type of training is very useful in developing soccer skills.
Carrying out such practice on one's own can however be frustrating, particularly for those less skilled because if the ball is not properly controlled, it will roll or bounce away from the player who will have to spend time retrieving it before the exercise can be started again.
Recognising this problem, several soccer training devices have been designed to assist in this type of soccer practice. These devices all work by attaching a line to the ball, and either attaching the other end to the player (for example by a belt) or having the player hold the other end of the line whilst he or she is practising. In some of these training devices, the line is attached to the ball by placing the ball in a string bag attached to the end of the line.
Although such devices are commercially successful, they have significant disadvantages. Firstly, because the ball is tethered, it is not free to move in entirely the same way as an untethered ball. Secondly, the presence of a string bag around the ball means that the contact between the player's foot and the ball is distorted. Thirdly, there is a danger that the tether line may become caught around the player's legs or entangled with itself or with other objects.
Fourthly, if the ball is kicked hard, it can rebound and strike the player which is not always desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Baseball bats are known from, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,836,541 and 4,951,948 and 5,456,461. It is of the essence both in the game of baseball and in practice for that game, that the bat be swung at the ball so that the ball can be hit a long distance by the batsman. This is of no assistance in soccer training.
The present invention seeks to overcome some or all of these difficulties, and provides a bat for use as a training aid for ball games, the bat being generally elongate in form, with a grip portion at one end and a rotationally symmetric elongate playing surface extending from the grip portion to the opposite end, the playing surface increasing in diameter as it extends from the grip portion to the opposite end, with the point of greatest diameter being at the opposite end and there being a shoulder at the opposite end at which the diameter of the bat increases substantially relative to the diameter of the major part of the length of the bat.
With such a bat, a player wishing to practice soccer skills alone can use an untethered ball and will hold the bat in one hand, whilst kicking or heading the ball. If the ball goes out of control, it can be tapped back towards the player by hitting it with the bat, the playing or hitting surface of which is designed so that a ball which is hit by the bat will tend to be diverted towards the player. The presence of a shoulder at the remote end of the bat encourages this. The player could use two bats, one in each hand.
In one embodiment, the playing surface is in the form of a right circular cone, with a cone angle of between 5° and 15°. However the playing surface may alternatively be in the form of a trumpet shape so that, when seen in cross section, the sides of the playing surface are concave and there is a substanstial increase in diameter at the remote end, and there is a substantial increase in diameter at the remote end.
The playing surface is preferably covered with a high friction coating, such as a rubber coating, so that when a ball is hit the ball does not slide on the surface. This will make it easier for the player to ensure that when he hits the ball, the ball is directed back towards himself. This surface should preferably be non-absorbent.
The opposite end of the bat may have a removable end cap, the cap forming the point of largest diameter of the bat. The cap may screw onto a threaded boss on the end of the bat, and the peripheral walls of the cap may be parallel sided, or tapering to merge with the tapered playing surface of the bat.
The bat may have an interior cavity, and access to this cavity can be had by removing the end cap. If desired, the cavity can be filled with a weighting material (such as water or sand) to achieve a desired balance for the player.
It may be desirable for the contours of the end cap not to merge with the tapered shape of the playing surface, but to be slightly larger in diameter to form a shoulder which will enhance the likelihood of a ball being returned to the player when hit by the bat, when the point of contact with the ball takes place at the opposite end of the bat.
The bat may be made from wood, from a metal such as aluminium or, most probably, from a fibre reinforced composite.
The grip portion may be constructed in the same way as the grip portion of a tennis or squash racket.
The overall length-of the bat is preferably between 400 and 1000 millimetres, with the most preferred length being between 500 and 800 millimetres. Different length bats may be sold, with shorter bats being appropriate for younger children. The diameter of the playing surface at its smallest diameter may be between 30 and 40 millimetres, and at its point of greatest diameter between 100 and 200 millimetres. The most preferred dimensions are in the centre of these ranges.
The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
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patent: 3671039 (1972-06-01), Niewolak
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patent: 4836541 (1989-06-01), Henley
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patent: 5593158 (1997-01-01), Filice et al.
patent: 5605325 (1997-02-01), Haringa
patent: WO9323122 (1993-11-01), None
Graham Mark S.
Howell & Haferkamp LC
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