SPORT APPARATUS WITH ELECTRONIC SENSING DEVICE
A sport apparatus includes a frame, an electronic sport sensing device, and at least a connecting device to connect the electronic sport sensing device to the frame. The electronic sport sensing device has a circuit unit, a display unit electrically connected to the circuit unit, and at least a sensor unit electrically connected to the circuit unit. The sensor unit has an impact surface to produce a signal transmitted to the circuit unit for showing a message on the display unit when the impact surface receives an external force.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic game apparatus, and more particularly to a sport apparatus with electronic sensing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic sport game is popular nowadays because players can both have fun and exercise during the game. For a baseball or soccer game, it includes an electronic sensing blanket which is flexible and has several score blocks thereon. The electronic sensing blanket has sensors behind the score blocks to sense which block is hit.
Usually, the electronic sensing blanket is fixed on a wall, and players throw or kick a ball to the blanket. When the ball hits the blanket, it will cause the hit portion warped that the sensor behind it will produce a signal and transmit it to a processor and show a result on a screen. The screen shows the score of the hit block for the game. The conventional electronic sensing blanket has several drawbacks, which are listed below:
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- 1. Even when the electronic sensing blanket is fixed on a wall, it still has false sensing. The flexible blanket cannot be totally attached to the wall, i.e. there are some gaps between the blanket and the wall so that deformation of the blanket will be different when different places are hit. Besides, long distances between the sensors and the processor will also affect the sensing result.
- 2. The conventional electronic sensing blanket has consistent blocks thereon, which means only one specific type of game is available with this blanket.
- 3. The conventional electronic sensing blanket has to be fixed on a wall so that the blanket can sense the location hit. In other words, places to play the game are limited.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an electronic sport sensing device, which has a stable sensing and is portable for mounting to any desired place.
To achieve the objective of the present invention, an electronic sport sensing device includes a blanket, at least a sensor unit, and a display unit. The blanket has a circuit unit thereon and a plurality of couplers electrically connected to the circuit unit. The sensor unit is detachably fastened to the blanket and electrically connected to the couplers. The sensor unit has an impact surface. The display unit is electrically connected to the circuit unit of the blanket to show a message when the impact surface of the sensor unit receives an external force.
In an embodiment, the electronic sport sensing device includes a blanket, in which the circuit unit is provided, having a plurality of couplers thereon electrically connected to the circuit unit, and the sensor unit is detachably mounted on the blanket and electrically connected to the couplers.
In an embodiment, the frame includes a plurality of pipes, and the connecting device includes a connecting sheet with an end connected to the electronic sport sensing device that the connecting sheet is put around the pipe of the frame and fastened to secure the electronic sport sensing device to the frame.
As shown in
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The front sheet 41 is flexible with an impact region 41a, on which a specific pattern is printed on a side thereof. In the present invention, the impact region 41a is printed with a score number. “70” shown in
The rear sheet 42 is flexible too with four bores 42a on four corners thereof.
The insulating layer 43 is made of foam and is between the front sheet 41 and the rear sheet 42. As shown in
The up conductive layer 44 is between the front sheet 41 and the insulating layer 43. As shown in
The low conductive layer 45 is between the rear sheet 42 and the insulating layer 43. As shown in
As shown in
The second conductive pads 47 are the same as the first conductive pads 46 having an insulating portion 47a, a conductive portion 47b, and a bore 47c. The second conductive pads 47 are received in the specific openings 43a of the insulating layer 43 to have the conductive portion 47b contacting the corresponding conductive portions 45d of the low conductive layer 45.
The first couplers 48 are electrically connected to the conductive pattern 44b of the up conductive layer 44 and the first couplers 13 of the blanket 10 respectively. Each of the first couplers 48 has a plastic head 48a, a metallic body 48b connected to the head 48a, and a metallic buckle 48c. As shown in
The second couplers 49, the same as the first couplers 48, each has a plastic head 49a, a metallic body 49b and a metallic buckle 49c. The body 49b is inserted into the bore 41b of the front sheet 41, the bore 44c with the insulating portion 44e of the up conductive layer 44, the bore 46c of the second conductive pad 47, the bore 45c with the conductive portion 45d of the low conductive layer 45, and the bore 42a of the rear sheet 42 in sequence, and then is coupled to the buckle 48c that the front sheet 41, the up conductive layer 44, the first conductive pad 46, the low conductive layer 45, and the rear sheet 42 are clipped by the head 49a and the buckle 49c. The second couplers 49 electrically connect the conductive pattern 45b of the low conductive layer 45 to the second couplers 14 of the blanket 10 respectively via the second conductive pads 47.
The sensor units 40 of the present invention have the first and second couplers 48, 49, and are engaged with the first and second couplers 13, 14 respectively to electrically connect the sensor units 40 to the connecting regions 111b of the blank 10 respectively. The sensor units 40 are also electrically connected to the display unit 30 via the circuit unit 20. In a normal condition, the up conductive layer 44 and the low conductive layer 45 are separated by the insulating layer 43, as shown in
In operation, the sensor units 40 are mounted on the connecting regions 111b of the blank 10, and then the blanket 10 is fastened to the frame 200. The frame 200 is put in a suitable place to play a game. Player may throw (or kick) a ball 300 to the blanket 10. When the ball 300 is hitting the blanket 10 on the impact surface 41a of one of the sensor units 40, it will warp the very sensor unit 40 and cause the conductive pattern 44b of the up conductive layer 44 contacting the conductive pattern 45b of the low conductive layer 45 through the openings 43a of the insulating layer 43 that will produce a signal and show a specific score on the display unit 30.
The functions and advantages of the present invention are listed below:
1. When the electronic sport sensing device 100 is applied when connected to the frame 200, it has a better support from the frame 200. Moreover, the frame 200 is a detachable structure that a better efficiency is given while being engaged and disengaged with the electronic sport sensing device 100.
2. The sport sensing device 100 is fastened to the frame 200 by the Velcro devices 15 and 16, which is a fast and easy way to mount and dismount the electronic sport sensing device 100.
3. The electronic sport sensing device 100 is connected to the pipes 201 of the frame 200 via connecting members around it, and therefore the blanket 10 can give the sensor units 40 stable support in a tense condition, with which the sensor units 40 has proper detection while being hit.
4. The sensor units 40 may be randomly mounted on the specific connecting regions 111b the blanket 10 that will create a new game or change the level of difficulty.
5. The sensor units 40 are connected to the blanket 10 via buckles, which can be detached and attached efficiently.
The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the present invention and the equivalence of the present invention is still in the scope of claim construction of the present invention.
Claims
1. A sport apparatus, comprising:
- a frame;
- an electronic sport sensing device having a circuit unit and a display unit electrically connected to the circuit unit, and at least a sensor unit electrically connected to the circuit unit, wherein the sensor unit has an impact surface to produce a signal transmitted to the circuit unit for showing a message on the display unit when the impact surface receives an external force; and
- at least a connecting device connecting the electronic sport sensing device to the frame.
2. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the frame includes a plurality of pipes, and the connecting device includes a connecting sheet with an end connected to the electronic sport sensing device that the connecting sheet is put around the pipes of the frame and fastened to secure the electronic sport sensing device to the frame.
3. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the connecting sheet of the connecting device is provided with a loop Velcro device and a hook Velcro device.
4. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic sport sensing device includes a blanket, in which the circuit unit is provided, having a plurality of couplers thereon electrically connected to the circuit unit, and the sensor unit is detachably mounted on the blanket and electrically connected to the couplers.
5. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein blanket has at least a connecting region, on which the sensor unit is mounted, and the coupler of the blanket includes first couplers and second couplers, and the sensor unit includes an up conductive layer, a low conductive layer, at least a first coupler, and at least a second coupler, further wherein the up conductive layer is electrically connected to the first coupler of the sensor unit, which is electrically connected to the first coupler of the blanket, and the low conductive layer is electrically connected to the second coupler of the sensor unit, which is electrically connected to the second coupler of the blanket, and the up conductive layer is insulated from the low conductive layer in a normal condition and the up conductive layer is warped to contact the low conductive layer when the impact surface receives an external force.
6. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the sensor unit further includes an insulating layer between the up conductive layer and the low conductive layer which has at least an opening for the warped up conductive layer contacting the low conductive layer through the opening.
7. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the sensor unit includes a front sheet with the impact surface thereon and a rear sheet to sandwich the up conductive layer, the insulating layer, and the low conductive layer therebetween, and the up conductive layer is behind the front sheet.
8. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first coupler and the second coupler of the blanket is detachably engaged with the first coupler and the second coupler of the sensor unit to fix the sensor unit on the connecting region of the blanket.
9. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the first coupler and the second coupler of the sensor unit each has a head, a metallic body connected to the head, and a metallic buckle detachably engaged with the body wherein the body passes through the front sheet, the up conductive layer, the insulating layer, the low conductive layer, and the rear sheet in sequence, and then the buckle is engaged with the body, and the first coupler and the second coupler of the blanket are detachably engaged with the buckles of the first coupler and the second coupler of the sensor unit.
10. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the sensor unit further includes at least a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad between the up conductive layer and the low conductive layer each of which has an insulating portion and a conductive portion, and the up conductive layer and the low conductive layer each have a base film and a conductive pattern on the base film, wherein the conductive pattern of the up conductive layer is electrically connected to the conductive portion of the first conductive pad and the conductive portion of the first conductive pad is electrically connected to the body of the first coupler of the sensor unit, and the conductive pattern of the low conductive layer is electrically connected to the conductive portion of the second conductive pad and the conductive portion of the second conductive pad is electrically connected to the body of the second coupler of the sensor unit.
11. The sport apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the couplers of the blanket are conductive, and the sensor unit includes a plurality of conductive couplers to be detachably engaged with the couplers of the blanket.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 19, 2010
Publication Date: Aug 4, 2011
Applicant: SPORTS-ACE INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. (Taichung)
Inventor: Eddie Kao (Taichung)
Application Number: 12/727,642
International Classification: A63F 9/24 (20060101);