Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/0073—Means for releasably holding a ball in position; Balls constrained to move around a fixed point, e.g. by tethering
  • A63B69/0075—Means for releasably holding a ball in position prior to kicking, striking or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/40—Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies
  • A63B69/406—Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies with rotating discs, wheels or pulleys gripping and propelling the balls or bodies by friction
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/0073—Means for releasably holding a ball in position; Balls constrained to move around a fixed point, e.g. by tethering
  • A63B2069/0077—Suspending a ball on an upright stream of air or water
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/40—Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies
  • A63B2069/401—Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies substantially vertically, e.g. for baseball
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B47/00—Devices for handling or treating balls, e.g. for holding or carrying balls
  • A63B47/02—Devices for handling or treating balls, e.g. for holding or carrying balls for picking-up or collecting
  • A63B47/025—Installations continuously collecting balls from the playing areas, e.g. by gravity, with conveyor belts

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for suspending a ball, to a device for ejecting a ball, to a device combining both, to a device for collecting balls which have been struck on a court and to a method for suspending a ball in an air flow.
• the playing of ball sports generally requires a certain amount of dexterity. In order to acquire this dexterity beginners must practise. To accelerate this practice it is desirable to practise different aspects of the ball game separately. Particularly in the case of tennis, practice of strokes takes place by for instance a trainer throwing balls, or this takes place with a so- called ball cannon. Both methods have the drawback that the ball possesses a certain speed at the moment the stroke must be practised. This makes the exercise relatively complex for beginners. When the balls are thrown there will necessarily be variation in the position at which the balls have to be hit. Finally, this requires much coaching time of the trainer.
• the present invention has for its object to provide devices and a method for effective training of a beginning ball sport player, in particular a tennis player.
• the invention provides for this purpose a device for suspending a ball, such as for instance a tennis ball, comprising:
• the wall parts of the air flow guide element lie substantially perpendicular to a cross-section through the air duct.
• the air flow guide element can herein comprise a plurality of parallel plate-like elements and/or a plurality of parallel tubular elements.
• the air flow guide elements contribute hereto.
• the air duct is curved close to the outlet opening and the air flow guide element extends at least over a part of the curve of the air duct.
• a device can be constructed whereof the outlet opening is situated a short distance above the ground. This has the important advantage that it is possible to suspend the ball a short distance from the ground whereby it is also possible to practise with low balls, which is desirable for instance in tennis.
• the device preferably comprises a reservoir for containing the supply of balls and a control mechanism for adjusting the speed at which balls are carried from the reservoir into the air flow. Due to these measures balls can be supplied automatically, whereby a ball sport player can practise a large number of balls in succession without paying attention to the device.
• an adjusting mechanism can also be present for adjusting the air flow which may or may not be provided with sensors for causing the adjustment of the air flow to depend on whether or not there is a ball present in the air flow and/or on the height of the ball in an air flow.
• the fan is preferably a centrifugal fan driven by an AC motor or a brushless DC motor. These measures ensure that the device has a sufficiently long lifespan.
• the invention also provides a device for ejecting a ball, such as for instance a tennis ball, comprising:
• the training can be made more difficult by providing a ball which moves relatively gently.
• the throwing means and the supply means are mounted on a carrier which is rotatable and fixable in a frame for the purpose of varying the ejection direction, it is possible to supply to a ball sport player balls moving in horizontal direction as well as vertically moving balls. For this latter it is necessary to envisage for instance practising of service, in which case the device must eject a ball at an angle of about 90° relative to the ground surface.
• This device clearly differs from a so-called ball cannon wherein balls are fired at a ball sport player at very great speed from a relatively large distance. This is useful for more advanced ball sport players but for less experienced ball sport players the device for ejecting a ball according to the invention is more suitable.
• a particular preferred embodiment according to the invention combines that described in the foregoing in the devices for suspending a ball and ejecting a ball.
• This combination device is an all-round training aid for beginning ball sport players and combines the advantages of the above described devices.
• Another preferred embodiment is characterized as described in claim 12.
• This device has the advantage that only one ball reservoir is required from which the balls can be discharged out of one of the two openings as desired without a very complex control mechanism being required for this purpose. This transport can for instance take place in that the balls roll under the influence of the force of gravity.
• the invention provides a device comprising a profile edge for placing round at least a part of the court which has an upward sloping surface as seen from the court and a gutter located behind the incline, wherein transporting means are arranged in the gutter for transporting the balls to a central location.
• the transporting means are herein preferably formed by a rotatable rope, a part of which is located in the gutter such that balls situated in the gutter make contact with the rope part and are carried along. Balls which have been struck will roll up against the incline such that they land in the gutter lying behind.
• the transporting means situated in the gutter for instance the rotatable rope, which can be embodied very inexpensively, subsequently transport the balls to a central location.
• a collecting net connects in a preferred embodiment onto the side of the profile edge remote from the court.
• the invention provides a method for sus- pending a ball, such as for instance a tennis ball, in an air flow, wherein the ball is carried into the air flow with a rotating movement.
• a ball situated in the air flow depends partly on the surface quality of the ball. This is particularly the case with balls having an irregular surface.
• Fig. 1 shows a partly cut-away perspective view of a combination device according to the invention which shows in particular the device for suspending balls in the air flow
• Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the device of fig. 1 which shows in particular the device for ejecting balls
• Fig. 3 shows a top view of a disc assembly as incorporated in the ball reservoir of the combined device as shown in fig. 1 and 2,
• Fig. 4 is a top view of a disc assembly as shown in fig. 3 in a different position
• Fig. 5 is a side view of a disc assembly as shown in fig. 3 and 4
• Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a practice court with collecting devices according to the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a tennis ball dispenser 1 with which a tennis ball 2 can be placed in a stable state of suspen- sion by means of an air flow, here shown using an arrow PI, which provides a good practice option for tennis beginners.
• Balls can moreover be ejected with the tennis ball dispenser 1, as will be elucidated with reference to fig. 2.
• the tennis ball dispenser 1 comprises a housing 3, which is cut-away in this figure, having a protruding elongate part 4. Close to the end of the elongate part 4 is situated an outlet opening 5 from which exits the air flow for holding tennis ball 2 in the air.
• the elongate part 4 is designed such that it does not interfere with the striking of tennis ball 2 with a tennis racket.
• An air duct 6 connects onto outlet opening 5.
• the outer end of air duct 6 is curved upward close to the outlet opening and in the air duct an air flow guide element in the form of parallel plate-like elements 7 is situated in this curve.
• the parallel plate-like elements 7 provide an air flow in which a tennis ball 2 will float in relatively stable manner.
• a centrifugal fan 8 On the side of air duct 6 remote from outlet opening 5 connects a centrifugal fan 8 for generating the air flow P2 in air duct 6.
• Centrifugal fan 8 is driven via a belt 9 by an AC motor 10.
• a reservoir 11 for tennis balls In the upper part of housing 3 of tennis ball dispenser 1 is arranged a reservoir 11 for tennis balls .
• the tennis balls situated in reservoir 11 can be distributed one by one into a ball guide 13 by means of a disc assembly 12.
• disc assembly 12 will be elucidated below with reference to fig. 3-5.
• a ball deposited by disc assembly 12 into ball guide 13 will roll in a chute 14 arranged in the upper part of the elongate part 4 of housing 3.
• Chute 14 inclines downward in the direction of outlet opening 5, toward which the ball situated in chute 14 will thus roll. Having arrived there, the ball will be carried out of outlet opening 5 by the air flow into the position as shown in the figure.
• a ball throwing mechanism 15 Situated on the rear side of tennis ball dispenser 1 is a ball throwing mechanism 15 which will be further elucidated in the following figure.
• the throwing mechanism 15 is further elucidated in fig. 2.
• Two throwing wheels 16 are driven by a drive 17 such that the left throwing wheel 16 rotates counterclockwise and the right throwing disc 16 rotates clock- wise.
• the mutual distance between throwing wheels 16 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 2.
• a tennis ball 2 supplied from ball reservoir 11 through disc assembly 12 is carried by a guide 18 to an actuator 19 which may for instance consist of an electromagnet. Actuator 19 presses tennis ball 2 between the throwing wheels 16.
• Throwing wheels 16 will herein slightly compress the tennis ball 2.
• the tennis ball will be displaced upward by throwing wheels 16 to a position where the mutual distance between throwing wheels 16 is so large that they do not compress tennis ball 2.
• the rotation speed of throwing wheels 16 is sufficiently large the tennis ball 2 will be ejected as according to the arrow P3.
• Throwing wheels 16, drive 17 and actuator 19 are mounted on a plate 20 which is rotatable relative to housing 3. Fixed to plate 20 in this figure is a protective edge 21 in which is arranged an ejection opening 22. By rotating plate 20 as according to arrow P4 the ejection direction can be varied. Ejection of a tennis ball as according to arrow P5 or P6 is hereby also possible.
• the guide 18 can be fixed in sta- tionary position when guide 18 supplies balls to the rotation point of rotatable plate 20.
• the rotatable plate 20 is mounted using a hollow shaft 23, through which hollow shaft 23 the guide 18 is placed.
• Fig. 3-5 show the disc assembly 12 in the underside of the ball reservoir as shown in fig. 1 and 2.
• An upper disc 24 is provided with recesses 26.
• a drive 29 drives the upper disc 24.
• Upper disc 24 and lower disc 25 are placed against each other under bias such that when upper disc 24 rotates the lower disc 25 will be carried along.
• Lower disc 25 is however provided with two stops 30,31 whereby lower disc 25 will be stopped when it runs up against a ratchet 32 which is mounted in stationary position on the tennis ball dis- 1 1.
• stop 30 or stop 31 will after a time impinge upon ratchet 32.
• the upper disc 24 rotates clockwise whereby recess 28 leaves clear the guide 18 to throwing mechanism 15.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Pinball Game Machines (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19763708

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Citations (4)

• 1996
  • 1996-10-18 NL NL1004315A patent/NL1004315C2/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1997
  • 1997-10-20 AU AU47279/97A patent/AU4727997A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-10-20 WO PCT/NL1997/000584 patent/WO1998017353A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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