EP4518985A1

EP4518985A1 - Training apparatus for tennis serve

Info

Publication number: EP4518985A1
Application number: EP23799331.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jorma KÖNÖNEN
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-05-02
Filing date: 2023-05-02
Publication date: 2025-03-12
Also published as: FI13228Y1; WO2023214116A1; EP4518985A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to practicing of tennis, especially apparatus for imitating a tennis serve. An apparatus (1) for tennis training, in particular imitating the serve of tennis, for machine-assisted training of the serve as a whole, in particular the different stages of the tennis serve, such as the uplift, effort and stroke stages, rhythm and phase durations/delays, and to enable increasing of repetitions, comprising storage means (2) for storaging tennis balls (5), transfer device (3) for moving a single tennis ball from the storage device, and a sensor-assisted ball-thrower (4) with sensor-assisted triggering, whereby an activating ball-thrower throws the tennis ball on the trajectory (O) from which the tennis ball is hittable by the tennis racquet at the desired point (TP). It is unique to the invention, that the triggering input of a ball-thrower (4) is an excitation signal from at least one sensor means (61, 62) that detects a movement and/or position of the tennis racquet, hand and/or leg, that the trajectory (O) of the tennis ball (5) received to the ball-thrower by means of transmission (3) shall be adjusted by positioning, positioning and/or adjusting the ball-thrower in such a way that the trajectory of the tennis ball imitates the trajectory of the tennis ball provided by the hand throw, so that in order to practice the whole serve of the tennis ball, the tennis ball is the ball-thrower at the desired time, after firing, its trajectory at the desired point (TP), which is the point of hitting the tennis ball; and that sensor means has been selected from a range: a light sensor, a character sensor, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, a frequency sensor and some combination, so that the transmission of the artery signal from the sensor to the ball-thrower is a wireless or wired communication connection between the sensor gear and the ball-thrower.

Description

Training apparatus for tennis serve

The present invention relates to the practice of tennis, in particular hardware to mimic a serve of tennis. More specifically, the present invention concerns an apparatus for tennis training, in particular for imitating the serve of tennis, for machine-assisted training of the serve as a whole, in particular the different stages of the tennis serve, such as the uplift, effort and stroke stages, rhythm and phase durations/delays, and to enable increasing of repetitions, comprising storage means for storaging tennis balls, transfer device for moving a single tennis ball from the storage device, and a sensor-assisted ball-thrower with sensor-assisted triggering, whereby an activating ball-thrower throws the tennis ball on the trajectory from which the tennis ball is hittable by the tennis racquet at the desired point.

From US8262517, sensor-triggered tennis training equipment is known, which includes: a ball-thrower configurable to release the ball actively by electronic impulse; a sensor that detects the rising movement of the throwing arm, and which is in contact with said ballthrower, thus providing an electronic impulse to trigger the activation of the balllauncher; an optical sign to mark the rolling ball with a laser to the position height chosen by the wearer; and an optical sign that provide visual feedback on the ball if the ball is being sounded below the height chosen by the player. The weaknesses of such well- known training equipment include unilateralism and cumbersome adjustability, as well as the fact that the triggering of the tennis training equipment is based on detecting the movement of the lifting of the tennis ball with motion sensors and the detection of the height of the serve with laser markers.

A common object of th present invention is to eliminate the said drawbacks and weaknesses of the previously known training equipment and to create new apparatus for training tennis serves for machine-assisted training, learning and increasing repetitions of the overall tennis serve, especially the different stages of the serve, such as the up, effort, and stroke phase durations/delays. This can be achieved with the apparatus said at the beginning for

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) training tennis serves, which is characterized by the peculiarities mentioned in Part 1 of the independent patent claim to achieve the general purpose of the invention.

The other unique features of the invention are set out in the patent claims of the patent claim system.

The invention is explained in the following by means of its one preferred embodiment, which is considered advantageous, by referring to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG.1 generally presents the basic idea of the invention according to the embodiment of the invention.

In the following description of the basic idea of the invention, the apparatus 1 for imitating the tennis serve is meant, in accordance with the present invention, the system by which tennis ball 5 is thrown onto the trajectory of the serve, and the hitting hand refers to the hand holding the tennis racquet with the aim to hit the ball 5 from the desired point TP on the trajectory O.

The apparatus 1 of Fig. 1 for imitating the tennis serve includes: storage means 2 for storing tennis balls 5; moving means for transferring 3 individual tennis balls from storage means to sensor-assisted ball-thrower 4, whereby the ball launcher throws, when launching, the tennis ball 5 to the trajectory O, from which the tennis ball 5 can be hit by the racquet for training the tennis ball serve as a whole.

A storage means 2 can be, for example, a funnel tool and a transferring means 3 can be a pipe, gutter or duct tool. In order to enable the transfer of the tennis ball 5 one at a time to the ball-thrower 4, preferably after the apparatus 1 for imitating the tennis serve is activated in standby mode, the said storage or transfer means 2, 3 has a holding system for releasing tennis 5 one at a time into the ball-thrower 4. The said storage means 2 and transfer means 3 may also be integrated, in which case the integrated storage and transfer means can be a spiral shaped tube, chute or duct, etc. instrument that can accommodate several tennis balls and has a holding system for releasing tennis balls one at a time into the ball-thrower. In order to enable tennis balls 5 to enter the ball-thrower 4 one at a time, the aforementioned holding means may be a shut-off or other blocking means that moves out of the shut-off mode or other blocking mode to the release mode when the apparatus 1 for imitating the tennis serve is activated into standby mode. After the tennis ball 5 has passed the blocking means, the shut-off or other blocking means will return from the release mode to the blocking or shut-off mode.

The means to activate the apparatus 1 for imitating the tennis serve into standby mode may consist of a first sensor system 61, such as a strength or integrity sensor, or a pair of types, with the transmitter part being, for example, in the process of putting the receiver part on a tennis racket or racquet, or intrastate. In this first sensor system 61, one sensor can also be worn on the foot and the other in the hand. An alert signal that activates the apparatus 1 to standby is generated when the sensors are placed in close proximity to each other below a preset threshold or in contact with each other. It is emphasised that placing a pair of sensors on a player and a tennis racquet is not conscientious, but any sensor pair or photocell solution that can provide wireless or wired equivalent functionality can be applied to the implementation. Sensor placement on the foot and/or shoe is also possible, as well as any manual release solution for the tennis ball 5.

The means to activate the apparatus 1 for imitating the tennis serve into standby mode can preferably consist also of a first sensor system 61 which generates an excitation signal when it detects an excitation between the transmitter and receiver or sensor elements or cells of the standby activation arrangement, the excitation can be selected from among: movement, interruption of the light or infrared beam, disturbance of the magnetic field, change in pressure.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the first sensor arrangement 61 can be, in use, a photocell or motion sensor system installed next to the user, and the operation thereof is supported by a character sensor. Hereby it is possible that essentially only the tennis racquet, the hitting arm, the throwing arm, the foot/leg, or movement thereof brought into the observation area of the first sensor arrangement 61, will produce the standby mode activating trigger signal, by which the blocking or shut-off means enters the release mode, and the tennis ball 5 may move to the ball-thrower 4.

In the apparatus 1 according to the present invention for imitating and/or practising a tennis serve, an input 10 triggering the ball-thrower 4 is a trigger signal from another sensor means 62 that detects the movement or position of the tennis racquet, the racquet hand, the leg and/or the shoe. In addition, in the apparatus 1 the trajectory O of the tennis ball 5 thrown by the thrower is adjustable by placing, positioning and/or adjusting the ballthrower 4 so that for training the entirety of the tennis ball serve, the tennis ball is after the launch from the ball-thrower 4 at the desired time at the desired point of its trajectory, which is the hitting point TP of the tennis ball.

To adjust the trajectory O of the tennis ball 5, the adjustability of the ball-thrower can be manual or electric, preferably the adjustability can be realized individually for each user by means of a computer-implemented control integrated into apparatus 1 to mimic the tennis serve. Such an integrated control may be accompanied by rotation of the ballthrower's support or support structure 7 rotation around its vertical axis or anchorage, movement of the support arm 8 along the vertical axis of the support or bracket structure 7, turning around the vertical axis of the support or support structure 7, turning and/or tilting of the ball-thrower 4 or the ball-thrower element in the support arm with respect to its attachment point on the support arm. through or in a plane perpendicular to it. This integrated control can be used to adjust the magnitude of the drive and/or firing force F applied to the tennis ball by the ball-thrower, the duration of the transition of the tennis ball to the ball-thrower 4, and the sensor instruments of hardware 1 61, 62.

The sensor means 61, 62 can be activated by a computer implemented control integrated in the apparatus 1 for imitating the tennis serve and the same comprises a processor, memory, user interface and data transfer bus with the ball-thrower 6 of the apparatus 1, wherein individual trajectories O are recorded as a function of upgradable user parameters. Since each tennis enthusiast has his/her own individual serve preparation routines, it is advantageous that the duration or delay at apparatus 1 to replicate the tennis serve between the activation of the standby mode and the launch of the ball-thrower 4 is individually adjustable, so that tennis ball 5 is after the desired time after the individual launch from the ball-thrower 4 at the desired point TP of its trajectory, which is the hitting point TP of the tennis ball. Also, this delay can be adjusted with said integrated, computer-implemented control.

According to the invention, it is advantageous that the sensor means 61, 62 detecting the movement of the tennis racquet are selected from the group of a photocell, a character sensor, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and a combination thereof. A communication connection between the sensor means 61, 62 and the ball-thrower 4 to transmit the excitation signal to the ball-thrower 4 is wireless or wired one. Tennis ball 5 trajectory from ball launcher 4 imitates the trajectory of tennis ball O provided by a hand throwing.

The apparatus 1 according to the invention, for imitating a tennis serve, comprises the ball-thrower 4 including a body part 41 and a tennis ball holder 42 which moves linearly. It is preferable that the tennis ball holder 42 is cup-shaped, such as a fringed holder or platform, preferably a bottom or plunger part, which is linearly, preferably movable in relation to the body part 41.

The tennis ball holder 42 is open for receiving the tennis ball 5 from the storage and/or transfer means 2, 3 to the ball-thrower 4 and for throwing the tennis ball upwards to a desired trajectory O. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the body part 41 of the ball-thrower 5 is a tubular or sleeve-like mantle and the tennis ball holder 42 is an inner plunger or bottom part of the sheath, whereby the ball-thrower 4 is open from above and the holder 42 is linearly mobile in relation to body part 41 for receiving the tennis ball from the ball storage means 2 to the ball launcher 4 and for throwing the tennis ball from the ball launcher 4 to the desired trajectory O. Then in the ball-thrower, the base part of the tennis ball holder moves the tennis ball 5 between the first position, in which the said ball-thrower receives the tennis ball, and the second position, from which the said ballthrower throws the tennis ball from the ball-thrower upwards to the desired trajectory O.

In accordance with one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the power unit 43, which generates the driving and/or throwing force F to the ball-thrower 4 of the tennis serve imitating apparatus 1 is preferably selected from a group comprising hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, mechanical or any power unit consisting of a combination of such. Depending on where th apparatus 1 is used, it is preferable to choose a power unit such that its sound is as muted as possible, i.e. quiet such that it does not significantly interfere others practising and/or playing in the same space, such as a tennis hall or open court, etc..

In the apparatus of the invention 1 for imitating the tennis serve, the ball-thrower 4 is attached to the support or bracket structure of the ball-thrower 7, selected from the set: bracket, pole or similar, with the support arm 8, selected from the set: the bracket bar or similar, the attachment point is inserted interlockably and lockably in the selected position.

The invention has only been explained above in an exemplary way by means of its preferred embodiment thereof and preferred implementation examples thereof. As is clear to any skilled in the art, the scope of the protection of the present invention is defined by the accompanying claims, whereby different features with equivalent functionality are possible and within the scope of the protection.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for tennis training, in particular for imitating the serve of tennis, for machine-assisted training of the serve as a whole, in particular the different stages of the tennis serve, such as the uplift, effort and stroke stages, rhythm and phase durations/delays, and to enable increasing of repetitions, comprising storage means (2) for storaging tennis balls (5), transfer device (3) for moving a single tennis ball from the storage device, and a sensor-assisted ball-thrower (4) with sensor-assisted triggering, whereby an activating ball-thrower throws the tennis ball on the trajectory (O) from which the tennis ball is hittable by the tennis racquet at the desired point (TP), ch aracteri z e d i n th at : the triggering input of a ball-thrower (4) is an excitation signal from at least one sensor means (61, 62) that detects a movement and/or position of the tennis racquet, hand and/or leg; the trajectory (O) of the tennis ball (5) received to the ball-thrower by means of transmission (3) shall be adjusted by positioning, positioning and/or adjusting the ballthrower in such a way that the trajectory of the tennis ball imitates the trajectory of the tennis ball provided by the hand throw, so that in order to practice the whole serve of the tennis ball, the tennis ball is the ball-thrower at the desired time, after firing, its trajectory at the desired point (TP), which is the point of hitting the tennis ball; and sensor means has been selected from a range: a light sensor, a character sensor, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, a frequency sensor and some combination, so that the transmission of the artery signal from the sensor to the ball-thrower is a wireless or wired communication connection between the sensor gear and the ball-thrower.

2. Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, ch aracteri z e d i n that the ball-thrower (4) includes a body part (41) and a linearly moving tennis ball holder (42), preferably a cup-shaped or fringed holder or platform for receiving a tennis ball (5) from a storage device (2), and a power unit (43) for moving the holder and throwing the tennis ball (5) to the desired trajectory (O).

3. Apparatus (1) according to Claim 2, ch aracteri z e d i n that the body part (41 ) of the ball thrower (4) has a tubular or sleeve-like sheath, and the tennis ball holder (42) is the inner plunger or bottom part of the body part, whereby the sheath is open and the plunger or bottom part is linearly mobile in relation to the sheat to receive the tennis ball into the ball-thrower and to throw the tennis ball (5) to the desired trajectory (O).

4. Apparatus (1) according to Claim 3, ch aracteri z e d i n that in the ball-thrower (4) the holder (42) of the tennis ball (5) moves the tennis ball between the first position, in which said ball-thrower receives the tennis ball, and the second position, from which said ball launcher throws the tennis ball to the desired trajectory (O).

5. Apparatus (1) according to any one of previous Claims, ch aracteri z e d i n that the ball-thrower (4) is attached to the supporting structure (7) of the ball-thrower which is selected from a group of a bracket or pole or similar, with a bracket means (8) which is selected from the group of a bracket rod or similar and reversible around its attachment point as well as movable along the support structure and lockable in the selected position and position.

6. Apparatus (1) according to any one of previous Claims, ch aracteri z e d i n that the transfer means (3) for transferring tennis balls (5) individually from the storage medium (2) to the ball-thrower (4) is composed of a tube, gutter or duct means, along which the tennis ball rolls and/or falls into the ball-thrower after the imitation apparatus has activated into a standby mode by an excitation signal.

7. Apparatus (1) according to any one of previous Claims, ch aracteri z e d i n that a power unit (43) providing a driving and/or launching force (F) for the ball-thrower (4) is selected from the group of a hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, mechanical, mechanical or any power unit composed of a combination thereof.

8. Apparatus (1) according to Claim 6, ch aracteri z e d i n that the fact that the power unit (43) has been selected in such a way that the sound of its triggering has been selected according to the location of the imitation apparatus (1), so that said triggering sound is subdued so that other persons practicing and/or playing tennis in the same space or in the hall are not disturbed.

9. Apparatus (1) according any one of previous Claims, ch aracteri z e d i n that a control implemented by a computer is integrated with the apparatus (1), by which are activatable the sensor means (61, 62) and which comprises a processor, memory, user interface and a communication bus with the ball-thrower (6) of the imitation apparatus, wherein individual trajectories (O) are recorded in the memory as a function of upgradable user parameters.

10. The apparatus (1) according to Claim 9, ch aracteri z e d i n that the integrated control controls: rotation of the ball-thrower support or support structure (7) about its vertical axis, movement of the support arm (8) vertically along the support structure (7),

- the rotation of the support arm (8) around the vertical axis of the support or the support structure (7), and

- the turn and/or tilt of the ball-thrower (4) or of the ball-thrower element in relation to its anchorage point through or in a plane perpendicular to the support arm, wherein said integrated control is additionally adjustable:

- the launching force applied by the ball-thrower (4) to the tennis ball (5), duration/delay of transition of the tennis ball (5) into the ball-thrower (4), and sensor means (61, 62) of said apparatus (1).