EP2243522A1

EP2243522A1 - Training device for tennis players

Info

Publication number: EP2243522A1
Application number: EP08862285A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Javier Perote Suárez-Rivero; María De La Cruz Suárez-Rivero Perote; Santiago Luís Perote Suárez-Rivero
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: PEROTE SUAREZ-RIVERO, JAVIER; PEROTE SUAREZ-RIVERO, SANTIAGO LUIS; SUAREZ-RIVERO PEROTE, MARIA DE LA CRUZ
Priority date: 2007-12-14
Filing date: 2008-12-05
Publication date: 2010-10-27
Also published as: EP2243522A4; WO2009077630A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a training device for tennis players, formed by a lower support (1) with a first vertical segment (11) and a second inclined segment (12) associated with a flexible shaft (2) by means of locking holes and a transverse fastener (5), which flexible shaft is attached to an elastic cord (3) from which a tennis ball (4) is suspended, the support being fixed to the ground by means of guy lines (7) with end stakes (9) and an anchoring plate (13) secured with fixing screws (8). In order to slow down the movement of the ball, the inclined tube (12) can be provided with tensioning or straightening springs and be positioned on a trapezoidal platform allowing it to have a bending movement. The shaft (2) internally incorporates a rigid wire or cable extending therein and which is wound around the self-winding reel.

Description

Object of the Invention

The present invention relates to a training device for practicing a sport or training relating to tennis or other racket sports in which a ball similar to a tennis ball is hit. The equipment, which is especially designed so that a single player can practice the sport by himself, considerably improves the state of the art and the items existing on the market, and it also gives players of these sports a performance which no other apparatus provides today.

Background of the Invention

The sport of tennis in which two or more players play against one another on a court, hitting a ball with rackets over a net arranged transversely on said court, is well known.
The problem arises when a single player wants to train or practice this sport and does not have an opponent. The simplest solution consists of having half a court with a wall at a certain height off of which the ball bounces once hit by the player, but this involves a certain loss of space because it does not represent a full court. Furthermore, the return path of the ball loses force since it hit against the wall, and this eliminates the realism in the normal flight of a tennis ball when it is hit.
Another solution consists of having on one side of the court a machine which launches balls by means of a motor-driven mechanism. Machines of this type require a considerable investment and certain difficulty in installing and storing them when they are not in use because the machine itself can be quite heavy. These machines furthermore need a considerable amount of balls in order to practice hitting for a few minutes since each launch needs a new ball.
On the other hand, Spanish utility model ES1033555 , entitled "Spiral Ball Game" by Luis Javier Fábregas González, is known which describes a device formed by a vertical post, anchored to the ground and at the upper end of which a tennis ball is coupled by means of a cord or the like using any method. The user grabs the ball and hits it with the racket in a different direction in which the post is located such that said ball traces a circular curve due to the tension of the cord, which results in a spiral displacement as said cord winds on the post. This game can also be used by two players, one on each side of the post. However, in the event that only one player uses the game, it has limited functionality because in the ball's return, it will always follow the circular path limited by the rigid cord and the completely vertical post. There is also the problem of winding around the post, forcing the user to move towards it in order to manually unwind the cord, and there is also the problem that the hitting power is much less than the power of the new invention object of this description.

Description of the Invention

The training device object of this invention has technical particularities intended for providing improved means for the training of a player or for two players to practice in a game, with the advantage of being easily disassembled in parts which allows, in addition to being transported in a single hand, being easily stored in a small space. Furthermore, the constitution of said device allows the ball to follow freer paths according to the hitting power of the player or players.
Thus, this new training device has a post, formed by a lower base or support, associated with lower anchoring and fixing means, and having a considerably vertical first segment and a second upper segment inclined upwardly, having a tubular configuration, for connecting a telescopically extendible elongated element or shaft, at the free end of which the securing end for an elastic cord securing the ball is fixed.
In a preferred embodiment, this elastic cord has several segments attached by couplings and can be extendible and the typical materials of this cord can be gum, latex or rubber or any other fiber with elastic properties. Thus, when the player hits the ball, the ball moves away and subsequently returns in a direction opposite to the tension direction, with a path that is considerably more variable and unforeseeable, which corresponds to a real game.
The inclined arrangement of the telescopic elongated element prevents the cord from winding up and allows the ball to describe a wide path in both a more or less horizontal direction and in an up or down direction, increasing the hitting difficulty of the ball and requiring greater player skill and mobility.
This elongated element or shaft can be made of a flexible material, which further increases ball movement possibility. Furthermore, the disassemblable construction and the telescopic constitution of the elongated element, which can reach an extended length of between five and seven meters, allows the dimensions to be considerable during use, but it can be comfortably reduced, disassembled and transported in less than a minute.
The support of the base can be fixed to the ground in different ways by means of the corresponding fixing means, as needed. Therefore, the support can be placed on an anchoring plate with a minimum weight of 25 kilos, similar to those used for securing outdoor sunshades or pergolas, fixed permanently to the support or provided at the upper part with a tubular sleeve for housing the lower end of the support. In this second case, the tubular sleeve and the support have assembly holes for a transverse locking fastener. It is thus achieved that the fixed part takes up less space.
The support can also be stabilized by means of guy ropes peripherally secured to the intermediate or upper part of said support and to end stakes for fixing it to the ground.
The fixing means can optionally be made up of a heavy block, for example a plastic deposit filled with cement, provided with an upper housing for connecting the support. The weight of the block prevents the possible oscillations of the device during its use from causing it to fall over and provides it with suitable stability.
Although this embodiment is perfectly functional for the objectives sought, it has a problem which affects the excessive speed of the ball in its return course. Since the inclined tube in which the shaft is adjusted is rigid, the kinetic energy generated when the ball is hit is absorbed by the elastic gum and the shaft, and the latter is not flexible enough to achieve a slow return of the ball. As a result, after the ball is hit it returns to the starting point very quickly, which requires a high degree of training and fast reflexes, which means that the user profile is limited, therefore excluding a player who plays for fun or who has little experience.
Therefore, based on the setup of the previous project, it is evident that there is a need to introduce changes in its structure and shape in order to increase the flexibility of the whole "ball-shaft-tube" assembly, improving the performance and features of the apparatus, particularly on the behavior of the ball, reducing the speed in its return movement and widening the trajectory and spatial displacement in its outward journey, for which purpose two improvements are incorporated in the shape of the apparatus, the first being a modulus of elasticity and the second being a self-winding cable integrated inside the shaft or post.
As previously mentioned, in its basic configuration the anchoring post for being anchored in the ground is adjusted with an inclined tubular segment to which the shaft associated with the ball is connected with an elastic element. The elasticity that is sought in order to slow down the return of the ball is achieved by modifying the portion of tube housing the shaft, making it also flexible and bending with the shaft a sufficient segment so that the ball goes far, thus losing more energy and returning more slowly.
The fragment of inclined tube in which the shaft is housed is substantially modified with a transverse cut and with the incorporation therein of a spring providing it with elasticity and self-return, helping it to straighten out after being hit, and being aided by springs or gums which, by pulling on the upper end, take it to the center again. For the latter, a plate which provides housing for rings for the placement of the straightening springs is placed under the tube. This plate can be trapezoidal and return springs or similar elements, which are in turn linked with the tube, are arranged at the ends of its widest side, these springs contributing to the return of the tube in its displacement. The tube thus moves along with the shaft in a bending movement, and the springs positioned at the upper ends of the plate help it to return to its initial position.
The same bending movement of the tube is achieved by directly positioning a fragment of tube on the trapezoidal plate with a pin in the lower base of the trapezium, whereas the other end of the tube, which is free, is secured with the springs that anchor it in the center but allow it to be displaced along with the shaft, causing tension in the springs which forces it back to the center to favor the return of the ball/gum assembly.
The trapezoidal plate described is adjusted to the anchoring post by means of an intermediate fixing plate, which can in turn be fixed or be provided with hinging mechanisms, such that it can vary the positioning angle of the tube-shaft-ball assembly with respect to the horizontal plane.
With this modification with respect to the adjustment tube of the shaft and the introduction of the trapezoidal plate described, the ball slows down and a user with little experience can use the apparatus without the risk of being outdone by the speed of the return of the ball.
The apparatus described in this description incorporates a second novel aspect in order to slow down the return of the ball, which is materialized as a rigid wire or cable associated with a self-winding reel. This cable is internally integrated in the shaft, extending its entire length from the tip, where it is attached to the gum securing the ball, to the base, where it is wound around the reel. The ball thus has a larger trajectory because when the elastic element which secures it reaches its limit, the inner cable allows the ball to go farther. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the ball will drag the gum and the rigid wire even farther. The return of the ball will commence with the gathering in of the wire aided by the self-winding reel.

Description of the Drawings

To complement the description that is being made and for the purpose of aiding to understand the features of the invention, a set of drawings it attached to the present specification in which the following has been depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the device of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a disassemblable support of the plate fixed to the ground;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a support with a heavy block for its stability;
Figure 4 shows a view of the entire claimed device with the supporting trapezoidal platform;
Figure 5 shows a detail view of the supporting plate for the trapezoidal platform
Figure 6 shows a detail view of the inclined tube with the pin and with the trapezoidal platform under it and the mode of adjustment with the post
Figure 7 shows a detail view of the inclined tube with the pin and lower trapezoidal platform;
Figure 8 shows a detail view of the split inclined tube and lower trapezoidal platform;
Figure 9 shows a detail view of the inclined tube with pin and lower trapezoidal platform;
Figure 10 shows a detail view of the shaft with the inner cable and the self-winding reel.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

As can be seen in the mentioned drawings, in a first model (first embodiment) the training device comprises a support-base (1) fixed or supported firmly on the ground, on which a vertical tube or post (11) per se is adjusted, in the upper part of which it has connected thereto in an inclined manner a preferably telescopically extendible and flexible elongated element or shaft (2), having fixed at its free end an elastic cord (3), in this case of gum, from which a tennis ball (4) or the like is suspended.
The support-base (1) is formed by a smooth horizontal plate from the center of which there projects a considerably vertical first segment (11) and which at its upper end has a second inclined segment (12), in this case depicted forming a 135 degree angle with the vertical segment, having a tubular configuration for temporarily connecting the elongated element or shaft (2). In a second model (second embodiment), can be located in said second segment (12) and at the inserted end of the elongated element (2) holes for locking the attachment by means of a transverse fastener (5).
In a first model (first embodiment), the support-base (1) has, integral thereto at its lower end, an anchoring plate (13) for anchoring to the ground by means of screws (8) as fixing means, as is shown in Figure 1. In a second embodiment, the mentioned plate (13) can be separable from the support-base (1), having for that purpose a sleeve tubular (14) protruding from the plate (13) in which a lower male part of the first vertical segment (11) of the support-base (1) is inserted and both are fixed by means of a fastener (6) traversing matching through holes, as is shown in Figure 2.
In another possible variant of the first model made, the lower part of the support-base (1) is formed by a heavy block (15), such as a plastic deposit filled with cement which, in its emerging vertical segment or sleeve (14), has an upper housing for the insertion of the support (1), as is shown in Figure 3.
The support in its vertical segment (11) can peripherally comprise guy lines or guy ropes (7) with end stakes (9) or anchors for fixing it to the ground.
The following figures show different details of the mechanisms which allow improving the movement of the ball. As discussed above, when the ball (4) is hit, the flexible shaft (2) bends, but if it is connected to a rigid support, the return movement of the ball is very fast. In order to slow it down, as is shown in Figure 4, a plate or platform (10) which can be trapezoidal is positioned under the inclined tube (12), such that, as a result of determined tensioning elements and changes in its shape, this tube (2) has a bending movement associated with that of the shaft (2). The associated inclined tube (12) and trapezoidal platform (10) group is positioned at 45° with respect to the horizontal plane and at 135° degrees with respect to the vertical segment (11), as is shown by the dotted line.
Figure 5 shows in detail the vertical segment or post (11) with the base or plate (13) and the corresponding guy lines or anchoring means (7) which fix and secure it in the ground. The post incorporates a plate (16) with perforations which will act as a linking element with the trapezoidal platform, both being attached with screw elements. This plate (16) is such that it can be fixed or have hinging means, such that by varying its angling degree with respect to the horizontal plane of the ground, it also varies the inclination of the tube-shaft-ball assembly. This allows adjusting the height and inclination of the apparatus depending on the type of user, from professionals to children.
Figure 6 shows a detail of the attachment between the plate (16), associated with the vertical segment or post (11), and the trapezoidal platform (10), positioned under the tubular segment (12) in which the shaft (2) is connected. The trapezoidal platform (10) shows the perforations for its adjustment with the base plate (16) in its middle part and the tensioning means (18) - springs or the like -, which are in turn linked with tube (12) are positioned in the much wider upper part. As a result of these tensioning means and due to the fact that it is only fixed by the pin (17) of its lower end, the tube (12) has sufficient allowance to bend according to the movement of the shaft (2), the bending limit and its return being assured by the aforementioned tensioning elements.
Figure 7 and Figure 9 show in detail the shape of the trapezoidal platform (10) positioned under the tube (12), with the pin (17) attaching both elements and the tensioning means (18) assuring the return of the tube (12).
Figure 8 shows the same shape of the trapezoidal platform (10), but this time the tube (12) has a cut (19) which meets the same objective of allowing its bending movement.
Figure 10 shows the detail of the shaft (2), inside which a wire (20) associated with a self-winding reel (21) is positioned, this wire (20) being attached to the end of the cord (3) associated with the ball. Therefore, when the player hits the ball, it moves forwards according to the length of the cord, and when it reaches the stop thereof, it can continue to move forward as a result of the described wire (20), thus extending the distance it can travel.
Having sufficiently described the nature of the invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, it is hereby stated that the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements described can be modified provided it does not alter the essential features of the invention which are claimed below.

Claims

Training device for tennis players, of the type comprising a post fixed at its lower end to the ground, having associated at the upper free end a flexible cord (3) or string from which a tennis ball (4) is suspended, characterized in that the post is formed by a lower base support (1) associated with fixing means, and having a considerably vertical first segment (11) and a second upper segment (12) inclined upwardly, having a tubular configuration for connecting a preferably telescopically extendible elongated element or shaft (2), at the free end of which the end of a cord (3) for securing the ball (4) is fixed, enabling it to be hit and returned by the player.
Training device for tennis players according to claim 1, characterized in that the cord (3) is elastic and extendible.
Training device for tennis players according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing means of the support (1) are made up of an anchoring plate (13).
Training device for tennis players according to claim 3, characterized in that the anchoring plate (13) is permanently fixed to the lower end of the support (1).
Training device for tennis players according to claim 3, characterized in that the plate (13) has in the upper part a tubular sleeve (14) for housing the lower end of the support (1), the support (1) and the tubular sleeve (14) comprising assembly holes for a transverse locking fastener (6).
Training device for tennis players according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing means of the support (1) are formed by a heavy block (15) with a housing for connecting the support (1).
Training device for tennis players according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the support (1) peripherally comprises guy lines or guy ropes (7) in its intermediate area with end stakes (9) for fixing it to the ground.
Training device for tennis players according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongated element or shaft (2) is made of a flexible material.
Training device for tennis players according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined tube (12) has a transverse cut (19) and internally incorporates a spring, this tube (12) being positioned on a platform that can be trapezoidal (10) housing rings in which the tensioning or straightening springs (18) are placed, materialized in return springs or similar elements which are in turn linked with the tube (12), which can have a bending movement.
Training device for tennis players according to claim 9, characterized in that rather than the transverse cut, the tube (12) has a pin (17) positioned at the lower base of the trapezium (10), the opposite end of the tube (12) also being secured with the tensioning springs (18) anchoring it at the center but allowing its displacement with the shaft (2).
Training device for tennis players according to claim 9, characterized in that the trapezoidal platform (10) is adjusted to the vertical anchoring segment or post (11) by means of an intermediate fixing plate (16), which can be fixed or can have hinging mechanisms.
Training device for tennis players according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaft (2) internally incorporates a rigid wire or cable (20) extending its entire length from the tip, where it is attached to the cord (3) which secures the ball (4), to the base, where it is wound around the self-winding reel (21).