Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Practice or training device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-06
2004-04-06
Vidovich, Gregory (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Practice or training device
C473S428000, C473S429000, C473S575000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06716119
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to sports ball striking practice devices, and more specifically to a striking practice device having a tether, a rigid or semi-rigid sleeve and ball insert assembly for holding a replaceable sports ball which may be struck repeatedly as the tether wraps and unwraps around a pole or a similar substantially vertical object.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Practice devices for improving one's ability to strike balls are popular in the United States and throughout the world. These devices allow the user to practice without the help of another person by presenting the ball to the user for repeated striking. A variety of practice devices have been designed to hold balls of specific sports, including baseball, softball, tennis ball, hand ball, and racket ball with a striking instrument such as racket, bat stick, or one's hand.
These devices typically consist of a specific sports ball attached to an end of a tether or tethers, with the tethers attached in various configurations to a fixed object, such as a pole structure which may include complex operating mechanisms. These practice devices typically do not duplicate the normal striking position of the user and do not provide a realistic flight of a ball as it approaches the user. In addition, the prior art practice devices are often complex to manufacture, too expensive for purchase by sports enthusiasts, and/or bulky, hardware intensive, and inconvenient to set up.
While most devices attempt to prevent the sports ball from wrapping around the support structure, a few devices are designed specifically for wrapping the ball around a vertical or a horizontal pole. The ball winds and unwinds to present the ball to the user for repeated striking. These devices are inexpensive and relatively easy to set up. An example of a typical prior art tether device that employs the winding and unwinding of a ball is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,828 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,385, both to Love. The batting practice devices of the Love patents use two non-elastic rope materials as tethers. The ball is suspended from a first tether attached to a horizontal bar. A second tether is attached to a vertical bar at one end and to the first tether at a second end. The attachment point to the first tether must be adjusted to the desired striking height of the ball. The second tether acts to restrict the motion of the ball to wrap around the vertical pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,219 to McKeon et al. teaches a baseball batting practice using a first tethered rope attached to a horizontal bar at the upper end and attached to a ball at the lower end. A second tethered rope is spliced to the first tethered rope at a short distance above the ball, and is attached to a vertical bar to restrict lift of the ball. A sleeve extends from the ball to the splice to protect the tether. When a user hits the ball, it wraps around the vertical bar. The height of the ball is determined by the length of the first tether.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,075 to Hynes teaches the use of a first tether attached to a horizontal bar, and a second tether attached to a vertical bar. The ends of both tethers attach to the ball. The lengths of the tethers are minimized to restrict the amount of wrapping the occurs when the ball is hit. The ball height is adjusted by lowering or raising the horizontal bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,364 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,315, both to Ring, teach a portable horizontal bar that is attachable to an existing vertical pole. A ball is suspended from the horizontal bar by one or two tethers. When the ball is struck, the ball and tether(s) wrap around the horizontal bar. The ball height is controlled by the placement of the horizontal bar on the vertical pole.
The Baseball Striking Practice Device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,582 to Minniear (the '582 patent) includes significant improvements over patented devices as described above. The '582 patent features a practice ball slidably located upon a tether. The tether ends are attachable to a vertical pole or other similar support structure. The ball is slidably mounted to the tether and is positioned at a target position for striking by means of a ball positioner. The ball positioner is located on the tether in a fixed position that is either adjustable or permanent. Once struck during use, the practice ball and attached tether wrap around the support structure. The practice ball is aided in the return to the target position by forming the tether from elastic material which naturally biases the ball to unwind from the support structure for subsequent strike. The ball positioner of one embodiment disclosed in the '582 patent is a material swag which allows the ball to be adjusted to a desired height.
The prior art tether devices in which the ball is attached to one or two tethers presents disadvantages to a user. All of the above mentioned prior art devices do not provide for off-center, i.e., inaccurate hits. If a user mishits a ball, or misses the ball completely, the striking instrument is likely to make contact with one or both of the tethers. The hit to the tether results in the striking instrument becoming entangled in the tether, and a “dead” or “wild” ball that is dangerous or difficult to hit. The user must then catch the ball, reposition himself or herself, and reset the ball in motion. Thus, the striking practice is frustrating to the user and tedious to use.
Height adjustability is necessary for proper striking practice. The user may desire striking practice at varying heights. The prior art devices, with the exception of the '582 patent, do not provide convenient means for adjusting the ball after an initial adjustment. Although the material swag of the '582 provides easy adjustment of the ball, the material swag is likely to slip along the tether after repeated strikes of the ball causing a changing height of the ball.
The prior art striking practice devices typically require horizontal and vertical bars, attachment devices, and special tethering. These practice devices do not provide for replacement of any of the device components. The striking training devices currently available to the public eventually wear out, e.g., the ball begins to loose its shape, or the tether breaks. Once a component is not usable, the entire practice device must be replaced since, for example, the tethers are permanently attached to a strap or collar used for attachment of the device to the vertical supporting structure.
In view of the above described disadvantages, there still remains a need for an inexpensive, portable, sports ball striking device that maintains the feel of an untethered ball when struck but which also provides an extended hitting target to accommodate off-center hits. A further need remains for a device that provides a height-adjustable ball which retains its height once adjusted. Finally, a need remains for a striking practice device that is easily disassembled and assembled for replacement of the components of the assembly, e.g., replacement of the ball and the tether.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a sports ball striking training device that may configured to accept a variety of sports balls.
It is another advantage to provide a sports ball striking training device that provides a rigid or semi-rigid sleeve that acts as an extension of the sports ball for off-center strikes by the user.
Still another advantage is to provide a sports ball striking training device having a threadable cord assembly and a sports ball insert that allows the sports ball to be replaced or substituted.
It is yet another advantage to provide a ball insert device that provides a channel for a cord in the sports ball and which strengthens the sports ball for extended life/play.
It is still another advantage to provide a cam end piece which allows the cord to be released from the end piece for easy threading/re-threading of the cord through the rigid sleeve and sports ball or replacement sports ball.
In the exempl
LaPointe Richard
Weisz Johnathan
Gordon & Rees LLP
Legesse Nini F.
Pro Performance Sports, Inc.
Vidovich Gregory
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