BATTING TRAINING DEVICE

Abstract

A batting training device and related methods of use for simulating pitch location during batting practice. The batting training device can include a rotatable arm assembly that allows one or more ball support cones to be positioned in almost any location relative to a baseball or softball strike zone.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/753,567, filed Oct. 31, 2018, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a training device for sports involving a bat and a ball. More specifically, the invention is directed to a batting training tee including support cones and an adjustable arm assembly that allows one or more balls to be quickly and easily positioned at almost any hittable location about a base.

BACKGROUND

Sports such as baseball and softball have been around for generations and continue to attract players of all ages and skill levels. One of the most essential skills of baseball and softball is the ability of a player to hit a pitched ball. For years batting tees have been used to improve hitting skills of baseball and softball players. Conventional batting tees comprise a base and an upright member that holds a ball. Typically the upright member is centered on the base, which typically is a replica of a home plate/base, and can be adjustable in the up and down position to accommodate variations in a batter's height. However, conventional batting tees do not allow a batter to simulate pitches in various strike zones within the home plate space.

While existing adjustable batting tee designs attempt to relieve this issue, there are still many drawbacks in their designs. For example, the can include a singular adjustable arm and limited mobility of the supporting member. Therefore, conventional adjustable batting tees can be time consuming and difficult to properly simulate the variability of pitches expected in real game play. For example, the ability to simulate both outside pitches and inside pitches with respect to home plate can be limited

It would be beneficial to provide a batting tee capable of providing a batter with a wide variety of simulated pitch locations that can accurately reflect the variability of pitches in real game play. It would also be desirable to provide a batting tee capable of positioning a second ball, without adding an additional base support member.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a training device for individual batting practice. More specifically, representative embodiments of the training device relate to a batting tee including one or more support cones and a support pole with a rotatable arm assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the tee includes two support cones, one located over a central support pole, and a second that is mounted on a rotatable arm assembly that extends outward from the central support pole. In another alternative embodiment, a central pole includes a rotatable arm wherein the rotatable arm is able to be positioned relative to the plate such that any portion of the plate can be reached by rotating the rotatable arm and a second support cone relative to the central support pole. In another embodiment, the training device can include an adapter for fixing the position of one arm of the rotatable arm assemble to prevent rotation of the arms relative to each other during use. In yet another embodiment, the training device can comprise a plate adapter allowing the one or more support cones to be positioned relative to a plate body having a shape and size matching a regulation home plate. The embodiments of the training device all provide a user the ability to simulate the variability of pitches and locations relative to a strike zone in real game play.

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a batting training device that includes an adjustable arm assembly. The adjustable arm assembly can comprise first and second arms that are operably, rotatably interconnected. In some embodiments, the first and second arms can be of equal length while in alternative embodiments, the arm length of the first and second arms can be of different lengths. Generally, a first arm can include a fitting or adapter allowing the arm assembly to be operably mounted to a batting tee while the second arm can include a support cone for supporting a baseball. In some embodiments, the first arm can include a second support cone allowing the adjustable arm assembly to simultaneously support two baseballs. In an alternative embodiment, the batting training device can further comprise a mounting adapter for operably coupling the first arm to the batting tee. The mounting adapter can include a slot member adapted to receive and retain the first arm such that the orientation of the first arm is fixed relative to the mounting adapter and the second arm is prevented from rotating over the batting tee.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for providing adjustability to a batting tee. The method can comprise a step of attaching an adjustable arm assembly to the batting training device where the adjustable arm assembly includes a first arm rotatably connected to a second arm. The method can further comprise attaching a ball support cone to the second arm and rotating the second arm relative to the first arm to position the ball support cone at a desired horizontal location. The method can further comprise a step of adjusting a height of a support pole portion of the batting training device such that the ball support cone is at a desired vertical location. In some embodiments, the method can further comprise attaching the first arm to the support pole with a mounting adapter, wherein the orientation of the first arm is fixed relative to the mounting adapter such that the second arm cannot rotate over the support pole. The method can further comprise mounting a second ball support cone on either the first arm or the mounting adapter such that the second ball support cone resides above the support pole. The method can further comprise attaching a base member of the batting tee to a plate adapter that includes a plate body having a shape and size that is substantially identical to an official baseball home plate such that the one or more ball support cones are vertically and horizontally positionable relative to a regulation strike zone. The method can further comprise placing the base member into a recessed cavity defined in an upper surface of the plate body. In some embodiments, the method can further comprise constraining movement of the base member within the recessed cavity.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a batting training device that includes a mounting adapter allowing two ball support cones to be utilized at once. Generally, the mounting adapter can be operably coupled between a support pole and an adjustable arm assembly that includes first and second arm that are operably, rotatably coupled. The first arm can attach to the mounting adapter such that the first arm is positioned within a slot member on the mounting adapter such orientation of the first arm is fixed relative to the mounting adapter. As the mounting adapter essentially spaces the adjustable arm assembly away from the support pole, the adjustable arm assembly can fabricated such that the first and second arms are essentially identical in size, shape and appearance but otherwise mounted in a mirror image relationship, thereby lowering manufacturing costs. Use of the mounting adapter allows a first ball support cone to be mounted on the second arm with a second ball support cone simultaneously mounting on the mounting adapter at a position above the support pole while preventing the second arm from unintentionally rotating into contact with the second ball support cone.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a plate adapter assembly that can allows one or more ball support cones to be positioned relative to an official baseball strikezone. Generally, the plate adapter assembly can include a plate body that is sized and shaped to be substantially identical to a regulation baseball home plate. The plate body can define a recessed cavity in an upper surface of the plate body that is sized to received a base member of a batting training device. The plate adapter assembly can further comprise a retaining member that at least partially extends over the recessed cavity, for example, over a corner of the recessed cavity, to constrain and retain the base member within the recessed cavity.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a batting training device with an adjustable arm simulating a pitch to a right half of a base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the batting training device of FIG. 1A with the adjustable arm simulating a pitch to a left half of a base.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the batting training device of FIG. 1B with the adjustable arm simulating a pitch outside of a strike zone.

FIG. 2A is a detailed front view of an upper portion of batting training device of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2B is a detailed front view of the upper portion of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a detailed front view of the upper portion of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a side view of a batting training device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a bottom view of the training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3D is a side view of a hinge assembly portion of the batting training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a perspective side view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A in used with a batting tee.

FIG. 4B is a perspective side view of a mounting rod separated in first and second portions for use with the batting training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4C is a perspective side view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A being mounted on a batting tee.

FIG. 4D is a perspective side view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A mounted on a batting tee.

FIG. 4E is a perspective side view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A mounted on a batting tee and including a ball support cone.

FIG. 4F is a perspective side view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A mounted on a batting tee and including a ball support cone.

FIG. 5A is a partially hidden, side view of a batting training device including a mounting adapter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a partially hidden, side view of the mounting adapter as utilized in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the mounting adapter as utilized in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5D is a section view of the mounting adapter as utilized in FIG. 5A and taken at line A-A of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 6A is a top view of a batting training device being utilized with a plate adapter assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a front, top perspective view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a bottom view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D is a detailed, top view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6E is a top view of a batting training device being positioned relative to the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6F is a top view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B and 2C, a representative embodiment of a batting training device 100 can comprise a base 102, a support pole 104, an adjustable arm assembly 106, a support cone 108, an adjuster mechanism 110, a coupling device 112, and adjustable nut 114. Batting training device 100 is generally fabricated of materials compatible for forces associated with a swinging bat as well as durability to withstand general wear and tear associated with game play of any game comprising a ball and bat. Support cones 108a and 108b can comprise materials of construction suitable for general wear and tear of game play as well as forces associated with a swinging bat. Materials for a batting training device 100 and/or support cone 108 can comprise a metal such as steel, aluminum and other suitable rigid materials.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, batting training device 100 generally comprises a base 102 having a support pole 104. Base 102 generally has a shape similar or identical to a home base\plate as seen in baseball or softball game play. Base 102 can be fabricated of suitable materials, for example, metal, plastic and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, base 102 can be designed and fabricated to intentionally be weighted such that the batting training device 100 has a low center of gravity to provide support and/or stability for the batting training device 100.

According to an embodiment, support pole 104 can be positioned at a central location 103 of base 102 to improve overall stability of the batting training device. Alternatively, it may be desirable to locate the support proximate a perimeter edge 105 of base 102, for example, either forward, back, left or right of the central location 103. As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, support pole 104 can be vertically coupled to the base 102. In some instance, support pole 104 can be permanently attached to the base 102, for example, by welding or molding, or alternatively, support pole 104 can be detachable from base 102 to facilitate transport and/or storage of the batter training device 100. Support pole 104 can comprise an exterior member 107 and an interior member 109, wherein the interior member 109 is slidable within the interior member 109 to allow for height adjustment of the support pole 104. Exterior member 107 can comprise a locking aperture 111 through which a locking member 110 can engage and fix the position of the interior member 109 relative to the exterior member. As seen in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, locking aperture 111 can comprise a threaded aperture and locking member 110 can be rotatably advanced through the locking aperture 111 to engage and fix the height of the interior member 109 relative to the exterior member 107. By selectively loosening and tightening the locking member 110, the height of the interior member 109 can be continually adjusted. Alternatively, the interior member 107 can comprise a pair of aligned apertures and the exterior member 109 can comprise a plurality of spaced apart sets of apertures and the locking member 110 can take the form of a spring-loaded push pin or clip that can be quickly inserted through aligned apertures on the interior member 107 and exterior member 109.

Referring still to FIGS. 1A-1C, support pole 104 can also comprise a locking member 114 such as, for example, an adjustable nut, bolt or screw. In some aspects, locking member 114 is coupled to support pole 104, and exterior member 109 specifically, and is configured to allow a first adjustable arm member 106a to rotate about support pole 104. In some other aspects, locking member 114 can be loosened to allow a user to position the first adjustable arm member 106a at any position about the support pole 104. In some aspects, adjustable nut 114 may be tightened to prohibit first adjustable arm piece 106a from unintentionally rotating about support pole 104.

As illustrated, batting training device 100 can further comprise a second adjustable arm member 106b. The first adjustable arm member 106a can be coupled to support pole 104 at a position between the locking member 114 and a base of the first support cone 108a. First adjustable arm 106a can extend perpendicularly away from support pole 104 at a height fixed relative to the height of support pole 104. First adjustable arm member 106a can be configured to rotate about support pole 104 such that the first adjustable arm member 106a can extend radially so as to reside in a variety of parallel orientations relative to the base 102, for example, 360° of orientations about the support pole 304. For example, first adjustable arm member 106a can be rotated to be configured on a right side of base 102 as seen in FIG. 1A. Alternatively, first adjustable arm member 106a can be rotated to be configured on a left side of base 102 as seen in FIG. 1B A distal end 113 of first adjustable arm member 106a can be coupled to a coupling member 112.

Referring still to FIGS. 1A-1C, batting training device 100 can further comprise a second adjustable arm member 106b. Second adjustable arm member 106b can be rotatably coupled to first adjustable arm 106a at coupling device 112. Second adjustable arm 106b can be configured to have an arm length that is shorter than first adjustable arm 106a. Alternatively, second adjustable arm 106b can have the same length as first adjustable arm 106a such that the second adjustable arm 106b can essentially reach back to the position of support pole 104. In another alternative embodiment, second adjustable arm 106b can include a plurality of adjustment apertures that allow the rotatable length of second adjustable arm 106b to be adjusted. For example, the second adjustable arm 106b can be adjustable to have lengths, for example, of 8.5 inches or 6.5 inches or any other suitable length to simulate ball positions relative to the base 102. Similar to the first adjustable arm member 106a, the second adjustable arm member 106b can be configured to reside in a perpendicular orientation to the support pole 104 while residing in a parallel orientation to first adjustable arm member 106a but spaced apart at a fixed height relative to the first adjustable arm member 106a by the coupling member 112. Second adjustable arm 106b can be rotatably oriented 360° about the coupling device 112. In some instance, for example as shown in FIG. 1C, the second adjustable arm member 106b can be rotatably adjusted at the coupling device 112 such that second adjustable arm 106b member extends outward from the first adjustable arm member 106a such that the support cone 108b resides outside the perimeter edge 105 to simulate ball locations that are inside or outside of the strike zone (FIG. 1C demonstrating an outside location for a right handed batter or an inside location for a left handed batter).

First support cone 108a is coupled to a support post 116 located on the support pole 104 at a support upper 1 end 118 above the base 102. Second support cone 108b is coupled to a second support post 120 located on the second adjustable arm 106b at a second distal end 122 spaced apart from coupling device 112. According to an embodiment, support cones 108a and 108b can be substantially similar in size and shaped and have a conical shape 124 defined between a smaller open end 126 (for removable mounting over the support post 116 and second support post 120 respectively) and a larger open 128 that is selectively sized for placement and support of a baseball or softball on the larger open end 128. Support cones 108a and 108b are preferably fabricated of a resilient, flexible material that can withstand forces of a swing without suffering damage and can repeatedly return to the their original shape. For instance, support cones 108a and 108b can be fabricated from a material such as, for example, a natural or synthetic rubber or a flexible polymer.

In use, first adjustable arm and second adjust arm can be rotatably adjusted relative to each other and the support pole 104 to account for ball positions in various locations inside or outside strike zones for both right and left handed batters as depicted in FIGS. 2A-2C. In addition, manipulation of the interior member 109 relative to the exterior member 107 allows the height of the balls positioned on the support cones 108a, 108 to be varied based on the height of the individual batter as well as to offer ball positions at various heights within the strike zone as well as balls located both above and below the strike zone. In this way, the batting training device 100 is able through quick and easy adjustments to simulate the position of almost any hittable ball. In addition, the use of two support cones 108a, 108b allow the user to take two swings prior to placement of the next ball(s), with each swing allowing the user to practice a different swing location. Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.

In another related embodiment, a batting training device 200 can provide similar functionality to the batting training device 100 but include the flexibility to use batting training device 200 in conjunction with a user's existing batting tee devices. Batting training device 200 is illustrated generally in FIGS. 3A-3D and can comprise an adjustable arm assembly 200 adapted for use with existing batting tees. Generally, adjustable arm assembly 200 can comprise a first adjustable arm 202, a second adjustable arm 230 and a collar member 260. Adjustable arm assembly 200 is preferably manufactured of appropriate, rigid materials including for example, metals such as painted steed, stainless steel and aluminum or appropriate polymeric materials.

As seen in FIGS. 3A-3C, first adjustable arm 202 defines an arm body 204 having a first arm length 206 defined between first arm ends 208a, 208b. First arm end 208a can define a tee adapter 209 having a downward facing cylindrical body 210 with a cylindrical opening 212 and an end wall 214. Downward facing cylindrical body 210 generally defines a hollow body length 216 between the cylindrical opening 212 and the end wall 214. In some embodiments, the downward facing cylindrical body 210 can include a bearing assembly mounted within the hollow body length 216. First arm end 208b includes an upwardly facing cylindrical body 220 with openings 222a, 222b.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, second adjustable arm 230 includes a second arm length 232 defined between second ends 234a, 234b. Second end 234a generally defines an aperture 236 that is preferably dimensioned to be similar to opening 222a. Second end 234b can comprise an upward facing cylindrical body 238 with openings 240a, 240b.

Generally, the first adjustable arm 202 and second adjustable arm 230 can be rotatably connected with a hinge assembly 250 as best seen in FIG. 3D to form the batting training device 200. Generally, the hinge assembly 250 can comprise a hinge pin 252, a hinge nut 254 and one or more hinge spacers/bearings 256. Generally, the hinge pin 252 can be slidably inserted through the aperture 236 and through the openings 222a, 222b such that the hinge nut 254 can be connected to the hinge pin 252 as it projects through opening 222b. The hinge nut 254 can be tightened as desired to make the rotation of the second adjustable arm 230 relative to the first adjustable arm 202 as easy or as difficult as desired by the user.

As discussed previously, the batting training device 200 can be utilized with a conventional batting tee 300 such as that shown in FIG. 4A. Generally, batting tee 300 can comprise a base 302, a telescoping support 304, a mounting rod 306 and a ball support cone 308. In order to attach the batting tee device 200 to the batting tee 300, a user can cut mounting rod 306 into a first portion 306a and a second portion 306b as shown in FIG. 4B. The user can slide the first portion 306a through the collar assembly 260 such that a collar set screw 262 can be tightened against the first portion 306a such that the first portion 306a extends out both sides of the collar assembly 260. The collar assembly 260 can then be positioned on top of the telescoping support 304 such that a lower end of the first portion 306a is positioned inside the telescoping support 304. The user then places the downward facing cylindrical body 210 over the upper end of the first portion 306a as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D such that the batting training device 200 is operably mounted to the telescoping support 304.

With the batting training device 200 attached to the telescoping support 304, the second portion 306b can be dropped through the opening 240a on the second end 234b as shown in FIG. 4E. With the second portion 306b attached to the second adjustable arm 230, the ball support cone 308 can then be dropped over and retaining on the second portion 306b. In this way, the ball support cone 308 is now rotatably coupled to the batting training device 200. A ball can then be placed on the ball support cone 308 for batting practice.

In use, a user would simply adjust the telescoping support 304 such that the ball is supported by the ball support cone 308 at a desired practice height. The user can then rotatably positioned the ball support cone in almost any front, back, inside or outside portion of the base 302. In this way, the user can position the ball in almost any location within or near the strike zone of a batter for simulating baseball or softball pitch location.

In a variation to batting training device 200, an adjustable arm assembly 400 can be utilized with a mounting adapter 402 to form a batting training device 404 that can provide an ability to mount a plurality of ball support cones 406a, 406b as shown in FIG. 5A. Generally, the adjustable arm assembly 400 can comprise a pair of adjustable arms 408a, 408b that are preferably, dimensionally identically but operably coupled in mirror image relation. The adjustable arms 408a, 408b each include an arm body 410 having an arm length 412 defined between a connecting end 414 and a mounting end 416. Arm body 410 generally defines opposed body surfaces 418a, 418b and opposed body sides 420a, 420b. Generally, connecting end 414 defines a cylindrical bore 422 that is continuously defined between the opposed body surfaces 418a, 418b. Mounting end 416 includes a mounting aperture 424 defining an opening on the body surface 418a and has a closed end on the body surface 418b. To assemble the adjustable arm assembly 400, the adjustable arms 408a, 408b can be approximated as shown in FIG. 5A such that the body surfaces 408b face each other and the cylindrical bores 422 of both adjustable arms 408a, 408b. A fastening member (not shown) such as, for example, a nut and bolt assembly can be directed and connected through the aligned cylindrical bores 422 to act as a hinge member and to rotatably couple the adjustable arms 408a, 408b.

Mounting adapter 402 can comprise an adapter body 430 defined between an adapter mounting end 432 and an adapter fixation end 434 as seen in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C. The adapter body 430 generally includes a pair of opposed adapter surfaces 436a, 436b and a pair of opposed adapter sides 438a, 438b. The opposed adapter surfaces 436a, 436b have a surface width 439 defined between the opposed adapter sides 438a, 438b. Adapter mounting end 432 can include a rotatable coupler fitting 440 mounted to the adapter surface 436b and a cone fitting 442 on the adapter surface 436a. Rotatable coupler fitting 440 defines a coupler opening 444 while the cone fitting 442 defines a mounting post 446, wherein the coupler opening 444 is closed off by the adapter body 430 such that the rotatable coupler fitting 440 and cone fitting 442 are not in communication with each other. A second fitting 448 can be mounted on the adapter surface 436a between the adapter mounting end 432 and the adapter fixation end 434. Second fitting 448 can substantially resemble the size and orientation of cone fitting 442. Adapter fixation end 434 comprises a slot member 452 defined on the adapter surface 436a. Slot member 452 is generally defined by a pair of slot walls 454a, 454b that are arranged parallel to the adapter sides 438a, 438b respectively. The slot walls 438a, 438b define a slot width 456 that is slightly oversized with respect to the surface width 439.

Generally, the batting training device 404 can be utilized with a conventional batting tee 300 that has been prepared as previously discussed with respect to the batting training device 200. The user can orient the mounting adapter 402 such that the coupler opening 444 is proximate the first portion 306a and then the rotatable coupler fitting 440 is positioned over the first portion 306a such that the mounting adapter 402 is operably mounted to the telescoping support 304. With the mounting adapter 402 attached to the telescoping support 304, the second portion 306b can be dropped through the cone opening 446 on the cone fitting 442.

Next, the user can mount the adjustable arm assembly 400 to the mounting adapter 402 by orienting one of the adjustable arms, for example, adjustable arm 408a as shown in FIG. 5A such that the arm body 410 is aligned with slot member 452 and the mounting aperture 424 on the adjustable arm 408a is positioned above the second fitting 448. The mounting aperture 424 can be lowered over the second fitting 448 whereby the adjustable arm 408a is fixedly captured between the slot walls 454a, 454b. With the adjustable arm 408a captured between slot walls 454a, 454b, rotation of the adjustable arm 408a relative to the mounting adapter 402 is prevented. As seen in FIG. 5A, adjustable arm 408b can still rotate relative to adjustable arm 408a but when the adjustable arms 408a, 408b share the same arm length 412, the mounting end 416 of adjustable arm 408a cannot rotate such that the mounting end 416 resides directly over the adapter mounting end 432. In this configuration, ball support cones 406a, 406b can be used simultaneously without risk that the adjustable arm assembly 400 could spin back and hit the ball support cone 406a. With this arrangement, a user can position the batting tee such that the ball support cone 406a is at a desired location representing an inner portion of home plate and the ball support cone 406b is located at a positioned representing a more outer portion of home plate.

In a further variation to batting training devices of the present invention, a plate adapter assembly 500 can be utilized with conventional bases 102 to orient one or more ball support cones relative to actual home plate dimensions as shown in FIG. 6A. In many instances, base 102 as utilized with respect to existing batting training devices is undersized with respect to the actual dimensions of an official baseball home plate. As will be further described, plate adapter assembly 500 can be utilized with the batting training devices of the present invention to present training options relative to real home plate dimensions while also provide additional stability to the batting training devices during use.

As seen in FIGS. 6A-6F, plate adapter assembly 500 generally comprises a plate body 502 defining an irregular pentagon perimeter 504 having a front edge 506, a pair of side edges 508a, 508b and a pair of intersecting, angled edges 510a, 510b. Irregular pentagon perimeter 504 is sized so as to physically match a regulation baseball home plate. Plate body 502 further defines an upper surface 512 and a lower surface 514 that are separated by a plate thickness 516. Plate body 502 can be formed of a variety of suitable materials including, for example, appropriate polymeric and metallic materials. Defined within the upper surface 512 is a recessed cavity 518 that defined a recess perimeter 520. Recess perimeter 520 can define a variety of perimeter shapes such as, for example, substantially rectangular or square as depicted in FIGS. 6A-6E. Generally, recess perimeter 520 is selected and sized so as to substantially match a perimeter of conventional base 102 with recess perimeter 520 being slightly oversized with respect to conventional base 102. Recessed cavity 518 includes a recessed surface 522 that resides below the upper surface 512 at a recess depth 524. In a preferred embodiment, recess depth 524 is less than the plate thickness 516. Plate body 502 can further define a pair of plate apertures 526a, 526b that extend continually through the plate thickness 516 from the upper surface 512 to the lower surface 514. Generally, plate apertures 526a, 526b can be arranged on opposed sides of recessed cavity 518, for example, along the angled edges 510, 510b at a location proximate the intersection of angled edges 510a, 510b. Utilizing suitable connectors 528, for example, screw or nuts and bolts, an elongated retaining member 530 can be mounted between the plate apertures 526a, 526b such that elongated retaining member 530 extends over a portion of the recessed cavity 518.

Generally, plate adapter assembly 500 is used by placing it in a desired location with the upper surface 512 facing up. At this point, the user can begin positioning the conventional base 102 such that the orientation of the conventional base 102 is aligned with the recess perimeter 520. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6E, the user can then drop a corner of the conventional base 102 into the recessed cavity 518 and slide the corner under the elongated retaining member 530 until the conventional base 102 sits flush against the recessed surface 522 and side to side/forward to back movement of the conventional base 102 is constrained by the recessed cavity 518.

At this point, the user can utilize the various batting training devices as previously disclosed in this application to position the ball support cones relative to actual dimensions of a baseball home plate. As the user takes practice swings, the elongated retaining member 530 physically prevents the conventional base 102 from detaching from the plate body 502 in the event that user would mistakenly contact or provide other forces to the batting training device. As described previously, the recessed cavity 518 can be sized and shaped to accommodate almost any configuration of conventional base 102.

Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.

Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.

For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.

Claims

1. A method for providing adjustability to a batting tee, comprising:

attaching an adjustable arm assembly to a batting training device, the adjustable arm assembly including a first arm rotatably connected to a second arm;

attaching a ball support cone to the second arm of the batting training device; and

rotating the second arm relative to the first arm to position the ball support cone at a desired horizontal location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the batting training device includes a support pole, said method further comprising:

adjusting a height of the support pole such that the ball support cone is at a desired vertical location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of attaching the adjustable arm assembly to the batting training device further comprises:

attaching the first arm to a mounting adapter, the mounting adapter including a slot member adapter adapted to engage the first arm such that the orientation of the first arm is fixed relative to the mounting adapter.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

mounting a second ball support cone to a cone fitting on the mounting adapter, wherein rotation of the second arm relative to the first arm does not contact the second ball support cone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second ball support cone resides above the support pole.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the ball support cone is attached to a base and wherein the desired horizontal location of the ball support cone is relative to the base.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

attaching the base to a plate adapter assembly, the plate adapter assembly having a plate body defining a plate perimeter that matches a regulation baseball home plate.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of attaching the base to the plate adapter assembly further comprises:

placing the base within a recessed cavity defined on an upper surface of the plate body.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

constraining movement of the base within the recessed cavity.

10. A batting training device, comprising:

an adjustable arm assembly having a first arm rotatably connected to a second arm, the first arm including a tee adapter for operable connection to a batting tee, the second arm including a support cone for supporting a baseball.

11. The batting training device of claim 10, wherein a second arm length of the second arm is less than a first arm length of the first arm.

12. The batting training device of claim 11, wherein the first arm includes a second support cone positioned above the tee adapter.

13. The batting training device of claim 10, wherein a second arm length of the second arm is substantially equal to a first arm length of the first arm.

14. The batting training device of claim 13, further comprising:

a mounting adapter for operably coupling the first arm to the batting tee, the mounting adapter having a slot member, whereby the tee adapter can operably couple the first arm to the mounting adapter and the slot member receives the first arm such that the orientation of the first arm is fixed relative to the mounting adapter.

15. The batting training device of claim 14, wherein the mounting adapter further comprises a cone fitting such that a second support cone can be attached to the cone fitting and the second support cone is not contacted by the second arm as the second arm rotates relative to the first arm.

16. The batting training device of claim 10, wherein the batting tee is supported by a base.

17. The batting training device of claim 16, further comprising:

a plate adapter assembly having a plate body defining a plate perimeter that matches a regulation baseball home plate.

18. The batting training device of claim 17, wherein the plate body includes an upper surface, said upper surface defining a recessed cavity for receiving the base.

19. The batting training device of claim 18, wherein the plate body includes a retaining member extending over a portion of the recessed cavity, said restraining member retaining the base with the recessed cavity during use.