EP1945321A2

EP1945321A2 - Device for training and/or measuring forces of rugby players and corresponding method for training and/or measuring efforts of rugby players

Info

Publication number: EP1945321A2
Application number: EP06807805A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gérard Berthiau
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-10
Filing date: 2006-11-10
Publication date: 2008-07-23
Also published as: WO2007054564A3; FR2892941B1; WO2007054564A2; FR2892941A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for training and/or measuring forces of rugby players comprising a scrummage yoke (4) mounted on a frame (1) placed on ground, wherein said yoke (4) and/or frame are translatory movable by a thrust produced by the players on the interface (41) of said yoke (4). The invention is characterised in that the yoke (4) is movably mounted on the frame (1) in such a way that it is provided with at least one rotational degree of freedom with respect to the frame (1).

Description

Apparatus for training and / or measuring effort for rugby players, and method of training and / or measuring effort corresponding.

The field of the invention is that of sports equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus allowing rugby players to train in the melee phases and / or measure the efforts produced by the players during such training

Today's rugby calls on both physically and psychologically complete athletes: player preparation is of paramount importance and this reality is no longer neglected.

Players are taken care of daily and brought to their best level through exercises, interviews and other sequences perfectly studied, adapted, modified for many years For this, players are supervised by professionals from sports and medical circles, doctors, kmés , dieticians, coaches, physical trainers etc.

But there is a tool that has not changed much since its inception is the training device classically designated in the middle of rugby by the term "yoke scrum"

The metallic silhouette of the scrum yokes, although it has improved in terms of comfort and aesthetics with the addition of colored protectors and rollers replacing the concrete weights, has not changed much and allows not training in the open scrum (the maul).

It is typically the only apparatus of the clubs which will have seen several generations of fronts without any modification. The scrum and the rugby maul represent essential phases of the game.

In recent years, some mechanical studies on this subject have been conducted because a significant number of accidents occur during this phase.

Force sensors measuring the forces applied by the player on a training yoke have been developed, but the majority of them are unidirectional and individual. Moreover, no author has been interested in the efforts made at ground level.

It therefore appears that the current scrum yokes do not present a technicality in phase with the level of requirement and performance expected for training the players.

Indeed, the traditional scrum yokes do not allow to: - offer training to the melee of nature to optimize the reactions and / or efforts of the players according to conditions close to the reality of a confrontation with other players; - effectively measure and / or analyze the efforts made by the players.

The invention particularly aims to overcome the disadvantages or shortcomings of the prior art.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide a training apparatus in the closed scrum or maul for rugby players that is more efficient than the scrum yokes of the prior art.

In this sense, one of the objectives of the invention is to provide such an apparatus that makes it possible to reproduce the different movements of a closed scrum or a maul, in order to optimize the reactions and / or efforts of the players. driving on the device.

The invention also aims to provide such a device that allows to oppose players reactions similar to that would produce a melee of opponents.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is simple in design and easy to implement.

These objectives, as well as others which will appear later, are achieved thanks to the invention which relates to a training apparatus and / or measurement of efforts for rugby players, of the type comprising a scrum yoke mounted on a base intended to rest on a floor, said yoke and / or said base being able to be animated by a translational movement under the effect of a thrust exerted by said players on an interface of said yoke, characterized in that said yoke is movably mounted on said base so as to have at least one degree of freedom in rotation with respect to said base

In this way, in addition to the translational movement of the yoke corresponding to a driving movement of the opposing scrum, the apparatus may also allow one or more other training movements, this to provide a training more in line with real situations in front of opposing players with the yokes of the prior art

According to an advantageous solution, said yoke is mounted mobile in rotation with respect to said base at least about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of said ground and substantially centered laterally with respect to said yoke and parallel to the direction of said translational movement.

In this way, it is possible to provide an apparatus that reproduces movements of melee uplift or collapse, which is common in real situations and which therefore requires specific and appropriate training.

According to another advantageous solution, said interface is rotatably mounted relative to said base at least about a substantially vertical axis. Thus, the apparatus is designed to allow a specific training of the players to the case, also frequent, where the scrum turns on itself and / or sinks laterally.

Preferably, said yoke comprises an armature capable of being at least partly driven by at least one rotational movement with respect to said base.

In this case, said armature is advantageously carried by an intermediate frame pivotally mounted on said base around said axis substantially parallel to said ground plane

Preferably, said armature is slidably mounted on said intermediate frame. It is thus possible to allow the translational movement of the yoke (corresponding to a phase of melee penetration), even when the base of the apparatus is fixed, for example for use in the laboratory.

According to an advantageous solution, said armature has, in the vicinity of said interface, a pivot connection with said interface, said pivot connection corresponding to said substantially vertical axis.

According to another advantageous characteristic, the apparatus comprises means for controlling and / or controlling the mobility of said yoke.

In this way, the training device is able to react to a solicitation, to provoke a reaction of the players, to record their performances during the entry in melee, to restore an entry or a phase of collapse. .

In this case, said control and / or servo control means comprise at least one of the means belonging to the following group: a jack mounted substantially vertically between said base and said intermediate frame;

a jack mounted substantially horizontally between said intermediate frame and said base;

a jack mounted between said armature and said interface. In the case in which said control and / or servo control means comprise at least one jack mounted between said armature and said interface, the apparatus preferably comprises two jacks extending on either side of said armature, starting from of said intermediate frame and diverging towards said interface. According to a variant of the invention, said control and / or servo control means are coupled to control means.

We can thus "give life" to the device: the coach changes his role as a witness against that of a full-fledged actor.

Instead of having, as is the case in the prior art, the yoke in a corner of the training ground, and to use it as a plow intended to plow the in-goal, the apparatus according to the invention can be fixed on a front support (solid). In place of the damping springs of the conventional yoke, pneumatic cylinders are controlled and controlled by a computer via a joystick in the hands of the coach. The coach can then, once the scrum is in place, weaken the opponent's pillar to provoke a reaction from his front against the attempt of voluntary collapse. It can also release the pressure of the cylinders to simulate the decline of the opponents followed by a "necklace" or an attempt to raise the fray and many other situations encountered during the matches can be simulated. In the case of simulation of a maul, a specific removable protection is added on the yoke and the displacement along the X axis is prolonged. The main frame mounted on wheels can then slide along two rails fixed to the ground and be controlled by an additional cylinder to extend the stroke of the assembly for the simulation of a maul. According to another characteristic of the invention, the apparatus comprises at least one sensor of said thrust exerted by said players on said interface.

The sensors used may be of different types, considered alone or in combination, and in particular: pressure sensor; speed sensor ; acceleration sensor; digital camera coupled to an image analysis system. Such sensors are usable in real time, and therefore able to provide and analyze data acquired during the training.

Thus, the apparatus is equipped in such a way that one can measure the force of the impact or the pressure exerted at a time t, or measure the speed of displacement or acceleration over the time interval following the impact or introduction (simulated) of the balloon. The invention also relates to a method for training and / or measuring effort for rugby players using an apparatus as described above, characterized in that it comprises at least one measurement of the activity muscle of said players. Thus, thanks to the use of powerful sensors, one can measure in three dimensions the efforts applied by the players on the training device and correlate these results, on the one hand with the measurement of the forces applied at the level of their supports on the ground, on the other hand, with their muscular activity (EMG) The combination of the two dynamic analyzes (on the yoke and on the ground) makes it possible to understand if the thrust force during a melee is correlated with the quality of the supports. on the ground. If a correlation is demonstrated, this result can provide new elements to improve the physical preparation of the players by a more specific support work to improve their performance during the push

Moreover, the coupling of these dynamic measurements with the EMG analysis is of interest. Combined with a mechanical model, all of these results make it possible to determine the forces undergone at the level of the lumbar spine and the cervical spine of the first lines. such a study, it is possible to define a physical preparation and a technique of thrust in melee more adapted to the prevention of the traumatological risks that these practitioners incur.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings among which: Figure 1 is a top view of an apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of an apparatus according to the invention, Figure 3 is a rear view of an apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a portion extracted from FIG. As already indicated, the principle of the invention lies in the fact of proposing a training and / or effort measuring apparatus for rugby players, in which the yoke has one or more degrees of mobility in rotation relative to the base on which the yoke is mounted Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an apparatus according to the present embodiment of the invention comprises a yoke 4 mounted on a base 1 formed by a main frame, this frame being provided with wheels 5 allowing mobility

The yoke 4 is mounted mobile in translation along the axis X with respect to the base 1, this translation being capable of being driven by a thrust of players exerted on the interface 41 (comprising several padded protections

411)

For this purpose, the yoke 4 comprises an armature 3 in the form of a spar slidably mounted on an intermediate frame 2, the guiding of the sliding of the armature being ensured by a plurality of rollers 9. FIG. 4 shows in more detail a mounting the guide rollers 9 of the frame 3, the rollers being carried by a support 10 mounted on a base 11 secured to the intermediate frame 2.

According to a first approach of the invention, the yoke 4 is rotatable about an axis X 'parallel to the plane of the ground on which the base 1 rests and parallel to the axis X, so that the yoke 4 can be animated with a rotary movement such as that illustrated by the arrows Fl, F'1, F2 and F'2 in Figures 2 and 3.

For this, the frame 2 in which slides the armature 3 is rotatably mounted relative to the base 1, the rotation of the frame 2 about the axis X 'therefore causing that (around the same axis) of the yoke 4. In reference in FIG. 2, the frame 2 is integral with a shaft 121 mounted to pivot on plates 12 integral with the base 1.

Cylinders 7 (Figure 3) extending vertically and mounted between the intermediate frame 2 and the base 1 provide control and / or control of the rotation of the yoke 4 about the axis X '. According to another approach of the invention, the interface is rotatably mounted relative to the base 1 about a vertical axis Z, so that the interface 41 can be driven by a rotary movement as illustrated. by the arrows F3 and F4 in FIG. 1. This mobility of the interface around the Z axis is obtained according to the present embodiment by mounting the interface 41 on the armature 3 around a pivot connection 31, provided in this case in the vicinity of the interface 41.

The control and / or servo of the rotation of the interface 41 around the Z axis is ensured by two jacks 8 (FIG. 1), mounted between the intermediate frame 2 and the interface 41.

As it appears, the two jacks extend on either side of the armature 3, from bases 21 secured to the intermediate frame, and in divergent directions towards the interface 41.

The cylinders 8 are articulated on the one hand on the bases 21 and on the other hand on the interface 41.

In addition, a cylinder 6 (FIG. 2) extending horizontally and mounted between the intermediate frame 2 and the base 1 ensures the control and / or control of the sliding of the yoke 4 relative to the base 1.

In addition, sensors capable of measuring the thrust exerted on the yoke by players are integrated into the protections 411.

According to a variant constituting an improvement of the apparatus which has just been described, the cylinders 6, 7 and 8 are remotely controlled by a computer associated with a control device (such as a joystick).

It is also conceivable that the data recorded by the computer for various analyzes and comparisons may be used for later retrieval. It is then possible to save data

(Efforts) specific training of a first team, then to have them reproduced by the device (by the control of the cylinders in particular) so that a second team is confronted virtually to the efforts produced by the first team. According to another improvement, the camera is associated with two digital cameras that can analyze the positions of players or jerseys teammates to determine the optimal configurations: the relationship between positions / taken and developed energy can be analyzed in real time.

An advantageous method of using the apparatus that has just been described may include measuring the muscular activity of the players who train on the apparatus, in order to correlate the measurement of the forces applied by the players on the yoke on the one hand with the measurement of the forces applied at the level of their support on the ground and, on the other hand, with their muscular activity.

Claims

Apparatus for training and / or measuring effort for rugby players of the type comprising a scrub yoke (4) mounted on a base (1) for resting on a ground, said yoke (4) and / or said base (1) being capable of being animated by a translational movement under the effect of a thrust exerted by said players on an interface (41) of said yoke (4), characterized in that said yoke (4) is movably mounted on said base (1) so as to have at least one degree of freedom in rotation relative to said base (1).

A training and / or force measuring apparatus for rugby players according to claim 1, characterized in that said yoke (4) is rotatably mounted relative to said base (1) at least about one axis. substantially parallel to the plane of said ground and substantially centered laterally with respect to said yoke and parallel to the direction of said translational movement.

3. Training and / or force measuring apparatus for rugby players according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said interface (41) is rotatably mounted relative to said base (1) at less around a substantially vertical axis.

4. A training and / or force measuring apparatus for rugby players according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said yoke (4) comprises a frame (3) likely to be at least an animated portion of at least one rotational movement relative to said base (1).

5. A training and / or force measuring device for rugby players according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that said armature (3) is carried by an intermediate frame (2) pivotally mounted on said base (1). ) about said axis substantially parallel to the plane of said ground.

A training and / or force measuring apparatus for rugby players according to claim 5, characterized in that said armature (3) is slidably mounted on said intermediate frame (2).

7. A training and / or force measuring apparatus for rugby players according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said armature (3) has, in the vicinity of said interface (41), a pivot connection (31). ) with said interface (41), said pivot connection (31) corresponding to said substantially vertical axis.

8. A training and / or effort measuring apparatus for rugby players according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises means for controlling and / or servocontrolling the mobility of said yoke (4).

9. A training and / or force measuring device for rugby players according to claims 5 and 8, characterized in that said control means and / or servocontrol comprise at least one jack (7) mounted substantially vertically between said base (1) and said intermediate frame (2).

10. A training and / or force measuring device for rugby players according to claims 6 and 8, characterized in that said control means and / or servocontrol comprise at least one jack (6) mounted substantially horizontally between said intermediate frame and said base.

Apparatus for training and / or measuring efforts for rugby players according to claims 7 and 8, characterized in that said control means and / or servocontrol comprise at least one jack (8) mounted between said frame and said interface.

12. A training and / or effort measuring apparatus for rugby players according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises two jacks (8) extending on either side of said armature (3). from said intermediate frame (2) and diverging towards said interface (41).

13. A training and / or effort measuring apparatus for rugby players according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that said control means and / or servo are coupled to control means .

14. A training and / or force measuring apparatus for rugby players according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that comprises at least one sensor of said thrust exerted by said players on said interface (41).

15. Method for training and / or measuring effort for rugby players using an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises at least one measurement of the muscular activity of said players.