Tethered Ball Trainer
A tethered ball trainer includes a body harness having a primary belt, primary support arm, and secondary support structure. Both the primary belt and secondary support structure are attached to a user and the primary support arm. A tether is attached to the primary support arm opposite the primary belt and consists of a swivel hook, damper, cord, and ball support. The swivel hook prevents the cord from twisting, while the damper absorbs shock and reduces the impact on the user as a result of the ball being kicked. The ball is attached to the tether at a mounting point on the ball or by the ball support. An accelerometer in the ball measures the acceleration of the ball and sends electronic signals through a transmitter to a visual display having a communicably coupled receiver. A display processor unit records and displays information in regards to the ball being kicked.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/819,144 filed on May 3, 2013.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to ball game and training apparatuses. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus with an extendable and retractable tethered ball. The present invention allows a user to kick the ball from a stationary or moving position without having to retrieve the ball afterwards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONGames involving kicked balls are often difficult to practice, particularly by a sole player. The player must repeatedly retrieve kicked balls, a process that is both time consuming and tiring. Additionally, kicked balls can become lost altogether. A common solution to the issue is kicking a ball against a surface such as a wall or into a net. However, kicking a ball into a wall can potentially result in damage to both the ball and the wall. A player may also miss an intended net target and be forced to retrieve the ball. The present invention seeks to address the aforementioned uses and provide users with a convenient and practical solution.
The present invention is a tethered ball trainer that may be worn by the user in order to practice kicking a ball while remaining in a stationary or moving position. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a primary belt that is worn by a user. The primary belt is attached to a primary support arm that is retractable. An extendable and retractable tether is attached to the primary support arm. The end of the tether is attached to the ball or a ball holder. The primary support arm of the trainer is further secured by means of a secondary support structure that is worn around a user's neck or upper body. The primary belt and secondary support structure are both adjustable in order to accommodate users of varying weights and heights. While wearing the trainer, a user is able to kick the tethered ball from a stationary or moving position. The primary support arm, tether, and ball are fully detachable from the primary belt, allowing the present invention to be used in a handheld configuration as well. The present invention has applications in training for sports such as soccer. The present invention is also useful for applications involving highly repetitive motions involving the legs such as leg muscle rehabilitation exercises. The ball of the present invention features a dynamic feedback system in the form of audio and visual cues such as lights and sounds. These cues are presented to the user after the ball is kicked. Additionally, the primary support arm of the present invention features a small visual display that displays to the user statistics such as the number of times that the ball has been kicked. The ball contains an embedded transmitter that communicates with a receiver housed within the visual display to relay data.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a tethered ball trainer that is worn by a user. The present invention can be used to train for sports such as soccer, be used for exercise, or simply be used as a toy. The tethered ball trainer comprises a body harness 1, a tether 2, a ball 3, and a visual display 4. The body harness 1 is attached to the user and supports the tether 2, which in turn supports the ball 3. The tether 2 allows the ball 3 to hang just above the ground, and allows the user to continually kick the ball 3 without having to chase and retrieve the ball 3. Additionally, the body harness 1 acts to extend the ball 3 away from the users body, such that the tether 2 does not become tangled with the legs of the user. The ball 3 is not limited to being spherical in shape and can be any number of different shapes depending on the application of the present invention.
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In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the primary belt 10 comprises a mounting cavity 102, as shown in
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In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the secondary support structure 12 is a length of cord, or cords, wherein a first end of the secondary support structure 12 is attached to the primary support arm 11. The secondary support structure 12 is then formed into a loop, wherein a second end of the secondary support structure 12 is then either attached to the primary support arm 11 as well, or attached along the secondary support structure 12.
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The visual display 4 may further comprise a display speaker 43, while the ball 3 may further comprise a ball speaker 35. The display speaker 43 is electrically connected to the display power source 42 and is electronically connected to the display processing unit 41, as depicted in
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Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. A tethered ball trainer comprises:
- a body harness;
- a tether;
- a ball;
- the body harness comprises a primary belt, a primary support arm, and a secondary support structure;
- the primary support arm being attached to the primary belt, wherein the primary belt is attached around the waist of a user;
- the secondary support structure being attached along the primary support arm, wherein the secondary support structure is attached to the user opposite the primary support arm;
- the tether being attached to the primary support arm opposite the primary belt;
- the tether being positioned about the primary support arm opposite the secondary support structure; and
- the ball being attached to the tether opposite the primary support arm.
2. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the tether comprises a cord, a damper, and a swivel hook;
- the swivel hook being attached to the primary support arm;
- the damper being connected to the swivel hook opposite the primary support arm;
- the cord being connected to the damper opposite the swivel hook; and
- the ball being attached to the cord opposite the damper.
3. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the secondary support structure comprises a secondary belt and a secondary support arm;
- the secondary support arm being connected to the primary support arm; and
- the secondary belt being attached to the secondary support arm opposite the primary support arm, wherein the secondary belt is attached to the user.
4. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the tether comprises a ball support;
- the ball support being positioned on the tether opposite the primary support arm; and
- the ball support engaging the ball, wherein the ball is supported by, removably attached to, or permanently connected to the ball support.
5. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the ball comprises a mounting point; and
- the tether being attached to the mounting point.
6. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the primary support arm comprises a plurality of retractable members; and
- the plurality of retractable members slidably engaging each other.
7. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 6 comprises:
- the primary support arm further comprises a base end and a tapered end;
- the base end and the tapered end being positioned opposite each other along the plurality of retractable members;
- the base end being attached to the primary belt; and
- the tether being attached to the tapered end.
8. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- a visual display;
- the visual display comprises a display power source, a receiver, and a display processing unit;
- the visual display being connected to the primary support arm;
- the receiver and the display processing unit being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the receiver being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
9. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 8 comprises:
- the visual display further comprises a display speaker;
- the display speaker being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the display speaker being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
10. The tether ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the ball comprises a transmitter, an accelerometer, a ball processing unit, and a ball power source;
- the transmitter, the accelerometer, and the ball processing unit being electrically connected to the ball power source; and
- the transmitter and the accelerometer being electronically connected to the ball power source.
11. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the ball further comprises a ball speaker;
- the ball speaker being electrically connected to the ball power source; and
- the ball speaker being electronically connected to the ball processing unit.
12. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the ball further comprises an at least one light;
- the at least one light being electrically connected to the ball power source; and
- the at least one light being electronically connected to the ball processing unit.
13. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- a visual display;
- the visual display comprises a receiver;
- the ball comprises a transmitter; and
- the receiver being communicably coupled to the transmitter.
14. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the tether comprises a plurality of lights; and
- the plurality of lights being positioned along the tether.
15. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 14 comprises:
- a visual display;
- the visual display comprises a display power source and a display processing unit;
- the plurality of lights being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the plurality of lights being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
16. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 14 comprises:
- the ball comprises a ball power source and a ball processing unit;
- the plurality of lights being electrically connected to the ball power source; and
- the plurality of lights being electronically connected to the ball processing unit.
17. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- a visual display;
- the visual display comprises a display power source and a display processing unit;
- the ball comprises an accelerometer;
- the visual display being connected to the primary support arm;
- the accelerometer and the display processing unit being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the accelerometer being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
18. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 17 comprises:
- the visual display further comprises a display speaker;
- the display speaker being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the display speaker being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
19. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 17 comprises:
- the ball further comprises a ball speaker;
- the ball speaker being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the ball speaker being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
20. The tethered ball trainer as claimed in claim 17 comprises:
- the ball further comprises an at least one light;
- the at least one light being electrically connected to the display power source; and
- the at least one light being electronically connected to the display processing unit.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 30, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 6, 2014
Inventor: Winston Christopher Marshall (Spring, TX)
Application Number: 14/266,500
International Classification: A63B 69/00 (20060101);