U.S. patent application number 10/196331 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-15 for climate controlled practice facility and method utilizing the same.
Invention is credited to Martino, Gregory R., Neeley, Clifton B..
Application Number | 20040006926 10/196331 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 30115054 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040006926 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Neeley, Clifton B. ; et
al. |
January 15, 2004 |
Climate controlled practice facility and method utilizing the
same
Abstract
A climate controlled practice facility comprises an enclosable
building having an access door to permit into the building's
interior, a pressurization unit for pressurizing the interior to a
selected pressure differential, and a plurality of items located
within the interior correlated to a selected sporting activity and
arranged to simulate an appearance of at least a portion of a
playing environment. In one embodiment, the climate controlled
practice facility is a baseball practice facility for acclimating
players to selected playing conditions. Here, a practice region is
located within the enclosure interior and includes a pitching
station and a batting station spaced apart therefrom. Players may
enter the enclosure and practice for an interval of time while
being exposed to a set of metrological conditions, such as
pressure, temperature and humidity, that are regulated by a climate
controlled system. A method of practicing a selected sporting
activity is also provided.
Inventors: |
Neeley, Clifton B.;
(Greeley, CO) ; Martino, Gregory R.; (Greeley,
CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TIMOTHY J MARTIN, PC
9250 W 5TH AVENUE
SUITE 200
LAKEWOOD
CO
80226
US
|
Family ID: |
30115054 |
Appl. No.: |
10/196331 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2213/005 20130101;
A63B 69/00 20130101; A63B 2069/0008 20130101; A63B 2069/0006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/6 |
International
Class: |
E04H 003/10 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A climate controlled practice facility, comprising: a. an
enclosable building including: i. a plurality of walls joined
together to substantially surround a building interior; and ii. a
first building access door operative in an open position to permit
passage between an external environment and the building interior
and operative in a closed position to enclose the building interior
and isolate the building interior from the external environment; b.
a pressurization unit in communication with the interior of said
enclosure and selectively operative upon activation to pressurize
the interior to achieve a selected pressure differential between
said interior and the external environment having an absolute value
in a range of 0.02 psi to 7 psi, inclusively; and c. a plurality of
items correlated to a selected sporting activity, said items
located within the interior of said building and arranged to
simulate an appearance of at least a portion of a playing
environment associated with the selected sporting activity.
2. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
including a vestibule projecting exteriorly of said building and
accessible from the building interior through said first building
access door, said vestibule including a vestibule access door
operative in an associated vestibule access door open position to
permit passage between the external environment and said vestibule
and operative in an associated vestibule access door closed
position to isolate said vestibule from the external
environment.
3. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 2
wherein said first building access door and said vestibule access
door are each adapted to be placed in respective locked and
unlocked states.
4. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 3
wherein said first building access door and said vestibule access
door are electromechanically coupled to one another so that their
respective locked and unlocked states can be simultaneously
controlled.
5. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein at least some of said walls are formed by a plurality of
wall panels joined together in a sealed arrangement.
6. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 4
wherein said walls are constructed of a material composition which
is capable of withstanding the selected pressure differential
without significant structural deformation.
7. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 5
wherein said material composition is selected from concrete, steel
and aluminum.
8. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein said first building access door is a water impermeable
marine door.
9. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
including a second building access door associated with said
building, said second access door spaced apart from said first
access door and operative in an associated second access door open
position to permit passage between an external environment and the
interior and in an associated second access door closed position to
isolate the interior from the external environment.
10. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein said pressurization unit is disposed exteriorly of said
building, and including a conduit interconnecting said
pressurization unit and said building interior thereby to establish
fluid communication therebetween.
11. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 10
including an air handling unit disposed in said building interior
in communication with said pressurization unit via said conduit,
said air handling unit operative upon receipt of pressurized air
from said pressurization unit to circulate the pressurized air
throughout the building interior.
12. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein said pressurization unit is located within the building's
interior.
13. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein said building is supported above ground level.
14. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein said building is buried below ground level.
15. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 1
wherein said pressure differential is between 0.1 psi and 3
psi.
16. A climate controlled practice facility for simulating an
environment associated with at least one selected sporting activity
so that participants practicing within the practice facility can
acclimate themselves to selected playing conditions, said climate
controlled practice facility comprising: a. an enclosure having a
selected geometric configuration which is sized and adapted to
accommodate a plurality of participants, said enclosure including:
i. a plurality of enclosure walls joined together in a sealed, air
tight arrangement to surround an enclosure interior; and ii. an
enclosure access door operative in an open position to permit
ingress into and egress out of the interior of said enclosure and
operative in a closed position to impede ingress into and egress
out of the interior of said enclosure; b. a programmable climate
control system operative upon activation to selectively regulate a
set of meteorological conditions within the interior; and c. a
plurality of items correlated to the selected sporting activity,
said items located within the interior of said enclosure and
arranged to simulate an appearance of at least a portion of a
playing surface associated with the selected sporting activity so
that the participants may enter the enclosure through said
enclosure access door and practice the selected sporting activity
for an interval of time while being exposed to said set of
meteorological conditions.
17. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 16
wherein said enclosure includes a domed roof.
18. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 17
wherein said enclosure includes a circular base.
19. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 18
wherein said circular base has a diameter of at least two hundred
(200) feet.
20. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 17
wherein said enclosure includes an elliptical base.
21. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 17
wherein said enclosure has a rectangular base and includes opposed
pairs of longitudinally and transversely extending sidewalls,
adjacent ones of which are joined together by arcuate corner
sections each formed at an appropriate radius of curvature.
22. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 16
wherein said enclosure is cylindrical in configuration.
23. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 22
wherein said enclosure has a length of at least sixty (60)
feet.
24. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 23
wherein a portion of said enclosed is buried below ground
level.
25. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 16
including a vestibule projecting exteriorly of said enclosure and
accessible from the interior through said enclosure access door,
said vestibule including a vestibule access door operative in an
associated vestibule access door open position to permit passage
between the external environment and said vestibule and operative
in an associated vestibule access door closed position to isolate
said vestibule from the external environment.
26. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 16
wherein said programmable climate control system is selectively
operative to regulate temperature and humidity within the interior,
and to achieve a selected pressure differential between the
interior and an external environment that has an absolute value
within a range of 0.02 psi to 7 psi, inclusively.
27. A climate controlled practice facility according to claim 26
wherein said programmable climate control system includes a cooling
system, a heating system, a pressurization system, and a
programmable control station selectively operative to adjust the
pressure, temperature and humidity within the interior, each to a
desired setting level.
28. A climate controlled baseball practice facility for use in
acclimating baseball players to selected playing conditions, said
climate controlled baseball practice facility comprising: a. an
accessible dome-like enclosure including a base, a surrounding
perimeter wall extending upwardly from said base, and a domed roof
supported by said perimeter wall thereby to surround an enclosure
interior. b. a climate control system associated with said
enclosure for selectively regulating a set of meteorological
conditions within the enclosure interior thereby to simulate the
selected playing conditions, wherein said set of meteorological
conditions includes pressure and at least one of temperature and
humidity, and wherein said climate control system is operative
toachieve a pressure differential between the enclosure's interior
and an external environment that is greater than 0.02 psi; and c.
at least one practice region located within the enclosure interior,
said practice region including a pitching station and a batting
station spaced apart a selected distance therefrom, said practice
region resembling an appearance of a portion of a baseball playing
field so that players may enter the enclosure through said access
door and practice for a selected interval of time while being
exposed to said set of meteorological conditions.
29. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 28 wherein said perimeter wall and said base are
circumferential.
30. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 29 including a plurality of practice regions each disposed
within the enclosure interior and distributed equiangularly about a
center thereof, each of said practice regions including an
associated said pitching station and batting station, and each of
said practice regions resembling an appearance of a portion of a
baseball playing field so that a plurality of associated player
pairs may enter the enclosure through said access door and practice
within a respective one of said practice regions for a selected
interval of time while being exposed to said set of meteorological
conditions.
31. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 30 wherein each said pitching station includes a pitcher's
mound and each said batting station includes a batter's box.
32. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 30 wherein each of said practice regions is generally
triangular in configuration.
33. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 30 including a plurality of partition members each extending
radially outward away from said center and separating adjacent ones
of said practice regions.
34. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 33 including an observation tower centrally disposed within
the interior of said dome-like enclosure and projecting upwardly
from said base toward said domed roof.
35. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 34 including an equipment room for containing equipment
associated with said climate control system.
36. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 34 wherein said equipment room is located in said observation
tower.
37. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 34 wherein said observation tower is cylindrical in
configuration, and wherein said facility includes an inner
circumferential wall spaced radially inwardly from said perimeter
wall to provided a circumferential walkway within the interior of
said enclosure.
38. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 37 wherein each of said partition members extends between
said observation deck and said inner circumferential wall, and
including a plurality of observation windows disposed in said inner
circumferential wall to permit viewing of players within each of
said practice regions.
39. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 28 including at least one enclosure access door operative in
an open position to permit ingress into and egress out of the
enclosure interior and operative in a closed position to prevent
ingress into and egress out of the enclosure interior.
40. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 39 including a vestibule projecting exteriorly of said
enclosure and accessible from the interior through said first
access door, said vestibule including a vestibule access door
operative in an associated vestibule access door open position to
permit passage between the external environment and said vestibule
and operative in an associated vestibule access door closed
position to prevent passage between said vestibule and the external
environment.
41. A climate controlled baseball practice facility according to
claim 28 wherein said climate control system is selectively
operative to achieve a pressure differential between the
enclosure's interior and an external environment that is between
0.02 psi and 7 psi, inclusively.
42. A method of practicing a selected sporting activity,
comprising: a. providing a climate controlled enclosure having an
interior that is sized and adapted to accommodate a plurality of
participants of the selected sporting activity; b. in any order: i.
creating a pressure differential between said interior and an
outside environment, wherein said pressure differential has an
absolute value in a range of 0.02 psi to 7 psi, inclusively; and
ii. entering into the interior of said enclosure and thereafter
sealing said enclosure from the outside environment; and c.
practicing the selected sporting activity with the interior of the
enclosure for an interval of time.
43. The method according to claim 42 wherein the selected sporting
activity is baseball.
44. The method according to claim 42 wherein the selected sporting
activity is basketball.
45. The method according to claim 42 including an operation of
regulating a set of meteorological conditions within the interior
of said enclosure, each to a desired setting level.
46. The method according to claim 45 wherein the set of
meteorological conditions includes pressure, temperature and
humidity.
47. The method according to claim 46 wherein the operation of
regulating the set of meteorological conditions is accomplished
prior to entering into the interior of said enclosure.
48. The method according to claim 47 including periodically
adjusting the set of meteorological conditions to different desired
settings.
49. The method according to claim 42 including preventing ingress
into the interior of said enclosure during said interval of
time.
50. The method according to claim 42 wherein said interior includes
a practice area and a decompression area adapted to be placed in
isolation from said practice area, and including the operations of
exiting the practice area after said interval of time has elapsed
and entering said decompression area.
51. The method according to claim 50 including the operations of
isolating said decompression area from the interior of said
enclosure, adjusting the pressure within said decompression area to
a level corresponding to pressure associated with the outdoor
environment, and thereafter exiting said decompression area to the
outdoor environment.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is broadly directed to the field of
climate controlled facilities in which meteorological conditions
can be selectively varied. The present invention more specifically
concerns pressure regulated practice facilities for use in
acclimating participants in sports-related activities to varying
climatic conditions, as well as methodologies for achieving the
same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many types of modern day sporting activities owe their
origins to more ancient civilizations and have evolved over the
centuries to their present day manifestations, while others have
evolved from the devises of man's imagination as a means to achieve
self-fulfillment, compete with others, or simply pass the time. It
seems, in fact, that a different sport or recreational activity is
created almost everyday, and this is not surprising since human
beings have an innate need to compete with one another.
[0003] Regardless of whether a sport is played at an individual
level or team level, optimal performance is achieved through
repetitive practice and, for many individuals, this begins at an
early age. While, for most of us, sports provides an enjoyable
extra-curricular activity, for many professional athletes
throughout the world it is the career by which they make a living.
For these individuals, proficiency at one's forte is essential to
remain competitive and hopefully increase longevity. One sport
which has achieved widespread popularity throughout North America
and other parts of the world is baseball. Perhaps more than any
other team sport, success is integrally dependent upon various
factors, such as individual and team skill, coaching ability,
playing conditions, and a certain percentage of luck, to name only
a few. It is this unique combination of factors which attributes to
the sport's popularity and enjoyment from the viewpoint of both
players and spectators.
[0004] As a result of its widespread popularity, baseball is played
at a variety of different locations throughout the world in either
indoor or outdoor venues each having a unique set of playing
conditions. These include the characteristics of the particular
playing field and weather conditions, each of which can vary
throughout the year such that every game presents a different set
of circumstances, and teams vary their rosters accordingly.
[0005] The old saying that "Baseball is a game of inches"
succinctly characterizes many facets of the game. For both players
and coaches, understanding the dynamics of ball movement can be
critical to success. This is particularly true for pitchers who
have at their disposal an arsenal of pitches which may be thrown
depending on the particular situation. The four seam fastball, for
example, will move up and in (or out) depending in part on the
pitcher's arm angle at release. In throwing the four seam fastball,
a pitcher will attempt to paint the inside or outside of the plate
from sixty feet away, a rather daunting task for the layperson. If
he is mere inches off, then he may walk a batter, or worse, leave
the ball in the middle of the plate and risk that it will be hit
out of the park. The low outside curve ball, for example, similarly
requires such accuracy. This pitch requires the ball to be placed
approximately within a 4".times.9" imaginary box extending from the
outside of the plate to inside it's corner at an approximate height
that is roughly from the middle of the batter's thigh to his knee,
again all from sixty feet away. From the batter's perspective, the
game of inches is equally challenging. Within the brief amount of
time between when the ball leaves the pitcher's hand until it
crosses the plate, the batter attempts to recognize the type of
pitch, determine whether it will be a strike or ball, and react
accordingly. Aside from such things as player skill, player
confidence and coaching strategy, prevailing environmental
conditions can also have a significant impact on the outcome of a
game. Temperature, for instance, can affect how a baseball moves
and it is known that the ball moves different at nighttime than
during the heat of day. Prevailing wind conditions can also
significantly affect the movement of the ball after it is released
by the pitcher, as well as it's trajectory and distance of travel
when hit. Another factor affecting ball movement is air density.
The air's density depends on temperature, pressure and the amount
of water vapor that is present. Ignoring the effects of water vapor
for the time being, it is known that the air's density decreases in
the free atmosphere as the air is heated. Pressure has the opposite
effect--increasing the pressure increases the air's density.
Altitude and weather systems can also change the air's pressure,
although altitude has a greater impact. Air density is relatively
low, for example, at a high elevation such as Denver, Colo. on a
hot day when the atmospheric pressure is low and a storm is moving
in. In contrast, the air's density is relatively high at low
elevations when the pressure is high and the temperature is low,
such as a sunny but cold winter day in Alaska. When the amount of
water vapor is factored into the equation, we see that the air
becomes lighter as more water vapor is added to it. Accordingly,
humidity also plays a role.
[0006] Air density can, thus, affect the flight of a baseball. More
dense or "heavier" air will slow down the ball which, in effect,
must displace more or heavier molecules as it travels. The
collision of air molecules with the baseball creates "drag" or
friction that slows the ball down, and such air resistance
increases with air density. Baseball players have found that
homeruns travel farther in less dense air, such as the
high-altitude conditions of Denver, than in venues at lower
elevations. This is because the reduced drag in Denver slows the
ball down at a slower rate, allowing it to travel further. By
contrast, since more air molecules are packed into a given volume
at New York City than Denver, more collisions occur between air
molecules and the baseball. As a result, the baseball slows down
more quickly in New York City than in Denver, decreasing it's
distance of travel accordingly.
[0007] It can be appreciated then that baseball players need to
have some awareness of the effects of air density and other
prevailing environmental conditions in order to perform
proficiently. Thus, in addition to maintaining their confidence and
level of skill, ball players must be quite versatile to adjust
adequately to varying climate conditions. This is particularly true
for baseball players whose home venue is in a high altitude locale
such as Denver, Colo. These players play many of their games in
high altitude conditions but must regularly re-adjust to lower
altitude conditions throughout the season. While this can present
problems for the players in general, it is particularly exacerbated
for the pitchers who are more prone to injuries as they often
adjust their throwing mechanics in preparation for and throughout a
game to compensate for different altitude conditions. For example,
pitchers can develop arm problems while trying too hard to overcome
the density issue by spinning the ball harder in an effort to
achieve their "normal" amount of break, and by "overthrowing" for
more velocity. Not only does this present physical challenges for
the pitchers, but their success or failure at making these
adjustments can also affect them psychologically. While, at one
time or another, most pitchers face the dilemma of adjusting their
mechanics for varying altitude conditions, those hailing from
high-altitude venues must do so more regularly since the nature of
their schedule is more grueling in this regard. Similarly, batters
also need to adjust their swing mechanics since the same pitch will
move differently depending on whether it is thrown at sea level or
at high-altitude.
[0008] In the past, one approach which has been employed in an
effort to simulate different types of ball movement, such as that
experienced at different altitudes, is the use of a pitching
machine which can adjust the speed and spin of a baseball. However,
while a pitching machine located at one elevation can somewhat
impart differing flight trajectories to a baseball akin to what
might be experienced at a different elevation, the visual
experience for the batter is not realistic because the speed and
spin of the ball have been adjusted to achieve this. Another
drawback is that, while pitching machines may assist batters in
practicing their mechanics, they do not address the importantneed
for pitchers to practice throwing under different altitude
conditions.
[0009] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a new approach for
acclimating sports participants more regularly to the varying
climate conditions which they may encounter so they will be better
equipped to handle challenging situations. To this end, there is a
need for a new climate controlled practice facility in general, and
a pressure regulated training facility in particular, so that
sports participants can prepare themselves for participating in
venues having differing pressure characteristics. While this need
can be particularly addressed with regard to a training facility
constructed for the purpose of exposing baseball players to varying
climate conditions (such as pressure, temperature and humidity),
there is a more global need to provide the capability for training
participants of other sports-related activities, including
basketball, track and field events, tennis and a plethora of others
in which participants could derive a benefit. One such activity
might include, for example, using a climate controlled facility to
simulate the altitude, temperature and/or humidity level associate
with a race venue for the purpose of adjusting and calibrating race
cars. There is a further need to provide a methodology for training
participants in sports-related activities to acclimate them to one
or more variable environmental conditions. The present invention is
suitably directed to addressing this need.
[0010] Regulating pressure in an enclosure is not new. Buildings
today, for example, are designed to maintain a slightly positive
internal pressure of +0.05" to +0.10" water column (wc) relative to
the outdoor environment because it is better to have clean,
conditioned air leaking out of buildings rather than dirty,
unconditioned air leaking in. Most buildings today actually operate
under either a slight negative or slightly positive relative
pressure in the range of -0.10" wc to +0.10" wc. In extreme cases,
when fans and dampers fail to operate properly, buildings can see
negative or positive pressure extremes in the range of -0.50" wc to
+0.50" wc. This corresponds to a pressure differential range of
approximately -0.018 psi to +0.018 psi. Greater pressure
differences are known for mobile aircrafts, such as commercial
airplanes, which are pressurized during flight since they travel at
high altitudes. Other constructions known as hyperbaric chambers
are used to place divers under increased pressure simulating an
aqueous environment to help address injuries resulting from
arterial gas embolism or decompression sickness. Another immobile
structure which is marketed specifically to athletes is known as a
high-altitude or "hypobaric" chamber which can safely simulate a
high-altitude environment up to 15,000 ft. These are essentially
sleeping chambers to permit athletes to acclimate themselves to
sleep at high altitude without traveling and without experiencing
the effects of altitude sickness. However, these immobile
facilities are confining and, while they are capable at exposing
individuals to varying altitude conditions, they are not
constructed of a sufficient size or in any way designed to permit
an athlete to practice or train at a given sport.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
climate controlled practice facility.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
climate controlled practice facility that is particularly suited
for exposing and acclimating participants of sports-related
activities to a desired set of meteorological conditions.
[0013] A further object of the present invention is to provide such
a climate controlled practice facility which is sized and
configured to accommodate either a few or many users, such as
baseball players, basketball players or other sports
participants.
[0014] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
such a climate controlled practice facility in which the
meteorological conditions can be selectively varied to any of a
plurality of setting combinations, thereby to simulate the playing
environment associated with selected geographic regions of
interest.
[0015] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
method of practicing a selected sporting activity, such as
baseball, in an environment having climatic conditions associated
with a geographic region of interest.
[0016] In accordance with these objectives, both a climate
controlled practice facility and a methodology are provided for
simulating meteorological conditions so that one or more users can
acclimate themselves to climatic conditions while practicing a
sports-related activity. The climate controlled practice facility
of the present invention comprises an enclosable building which
includes a plurality of walls joined together to substantially
surround a building interior, and at least one building access
door. The building's access door is operative in an open position
to permit passage between an external environment and the building
interior, while enclosing the interior and isolating it from the
external environment when in a closed position. The facility also
includes a pressurization unit in communication with the building's
interior and selectively operative upon activation to pressurize
the interior of the building. Preferably it is capable of achieving
a selected pressure differential between the interior and the
external environment that is in a range of 0.02 psi to 7 psi,
inclusively. A plurality of items correlated to a selected sporting
activity are located within the interior and are arranged to
simulate an appearance of at least a portion of a playing
environment associated with the selected sporting activity.
[0017] The practice facility may also include vestibule projecting
exteriorly of the building and accessible from the interior through
the building's access door. This vestibule includes a vestibule
access door operative in an associated open position to permit
passage between the external environment and the vestibule, and
operative in an associated closed position to isolate the vestibule
from the external environment. Preferably, the building's first
access door and vestibule access door are each adapted to be placed
in respective locked and unlocked states and are
electromechanically coupled to one another so that these locked and
unlocked states can be simultaneously controlled. Preferably also,
the building's access is of the water impermeable marine type such
as those commonly found on commercial ships and the like. The
building may also include similarly constructed second access door
spaced apart from the first access door. This second access door
can be placed in an associated open and closed positions to,
respectively, permit passage between the external environment and
the interior and isolate the interior from the external
environment.
[0018] The building's walls may be formed by a plurality of wall
panels joined together in a sealed arrangement, with the walls
constructed of a material composition, such as concrete, steel or
aluminum, which is capable of withstanding the pressure
differential without significant structural deformation. Further,
the building for the practice facility may be supported above
ground level, below ground level or partly buried below ground.
[0019] In order to achieve the pressure differential discussed
above, a pressurization unit is provided which may be disposed
either inside or outside the building. When located exteriorly of
the building, a conduit interconnects the pressurization unit and
the interior, thereby establishing fluid communication
therebetween. An air handling unit is preferably disposed in the
interior in communication with the pressurization unit and operates
upon receipt of pressurized air from the pressurization unit to
circulate the pressurized air through the building's interior, as
well as provide heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification
and filtration to the interior.
[0020] The enclosure/building for the practice facility of the
present invention is sized and adapted to accommodate a plurality
of participants and can be constructed in a variety of different
geometric configurations including a domed configuration having
either a circular, oval, elliptical or rectangular base, or a
cylindrical configuration, to name only a few. Where a rectangular
base is employed for the enclosure, it includes opposed pairs of
longitudinally and transversely extending sidewalls with adjacent
ones of these sidewalls joined by arcuate corner sections each
formed at an appropriate radius of curvature. Indeed, for any of
the enclosure's configurations, it is preferred that the wall
junctions thereof be either straight or curved and without angled
edges to enhance the enclosure's structural integrity.
[0021] A variety of meteorological conditions can be regulated
within the enclosure's interior. For purposes of the description to
follow, a selected set of meteorological conditions can be
controlled. The term "set" should be understood to include at least
pressure and may additionally include temperature and humidity. To
this end, the practice facility preferably includes a programmable
climate control system for regulating the set of meteorological
conditions, each to a desired setting level. As such, the climate
control system may include cooling system, a heating system, a
pressurization system, a filtration system, and a programmable
control station.
[0022] One particular embodiment for the practice facility of the
present invention is suitable for acclimating baseball players to
selected playing conditions. In this embodiment, the enclosure has
an accessible dome-like configuration which includes a base, a
surrounding perimeter wall extending upwardly therefrom and a domed
roof supported by the perimeter wall to surround an enclosure
interior. Here, at least one, but preferably a plurality, of
practice regions are located within the enclosure's interior.
[0023] Each practice region preferably includes a pitching station
having a pitching mound and a batting station having a batter's box
which is spaced therefrom a selected distance corresponding to that
found in a professional baseball playing field. Each practice
region resembles an appearance of a portion of the baseball playing
field so players, such as pitchers, batters and catchers may enter
the enclosure through it's access door and practice for a selected
interval of time while being exposed to the set of meteorological
conditions. The practice regions are distributed equiangularly
around a center of the enclosure and separated from one another by
a respective partition member extending radially outward away from
the center. An observation tower is centrally disposed within the
interior of the dome-like enclosure and projects upwardly from its
base toward the domed roof. This region may also support an
equipment room which houses the necessary equipment for the climate
control system. The observation tower is preferably cylindrical in
configuration and the facility also preferably includes an inner
circumferential wall spaced radially inward from the perimeter wall
to provide a circumferential walkway within the enclosure's
interior. Windows may be provided within the inner circumferential
wall to provide additional observation locations. The partition
walls extend between the observation tower and the inner
circumferential wall so that each of the practice regions assumes a
generally triangular configuration.
[0024] The present invention also provides a method of practicing a
selected sporting activity, such as baseball or basketball to name
a few. According to this methodology, a climate controlled
enclosure is provided having an interior which is sized and adapted
to accommodate a plurality of participants of the sporting
activity. A pressure differential preferably in the range discussed
above is created between the interior and an outside environment.
Before or after this is done, participants enter into the
enclosure's interior and thereafter seal it from the outside
environment. Thereafter, the participants practice the sporting
activity for an interval of time.
[0025] As desired, the pressure, temperature and humidity of the
interior can be periodically adjusted to different settings. It is
preferred that ingress into the facility be prevented during the
interval of time in which the players are practicing. The
enclosure's interior, in addition to the practice areas discussed
above, may also have a decompression area adapted to be placed in
isolation from the practice areas. Once practice is completed,
players can exit the practice area and enter into the decompression
area which is adapted to be isolated from the enclosure's interior.
Thereafter, pressure within the decompression area can be adjusted
to a level corresponding to that of the outdoor environment, after
which the players exit the decompression area to the outdoor
environment.
[0026] These and other objects of the present invention will become
more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the
following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the
present invention when taken together with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially cut away,
illustrating the construction of a climate controlled practice
facility according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a front view in cross-section generally
illustrating the facility of FIG. 1 and particularly showing its
foundational support;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the practice
facility according to the first exemplary embodiment;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating some of the
principal components for the meteorological control system for the
practice facility according to the first exemplary embodiment;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view generally illustrating the
geometric configuration for a climate controlled practice facility
according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a plan view generally illustrating the layout for
the practice facility according to the second exemplary
embodiment;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a partial side view in elevation and in
cross-section of the practice facility shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, with
the domed roof removed;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a plan view which diagrammatically illustrates the
layout for a climate controlled practice facility according to a
third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a plan view which illustrates the general layout
for a climate controlled practice facility according to a fourth
exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
[0036] FIG. 10 is a plan view which generally illustrates the
layout for a climate controlled practice facility according to a
fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0037] Various embodiments are provided for a climate controlled
practice facility which can accommodate a few or many users. A
first exemplary embodiment of such a facility is described with
reference to FIGS. 1-4. With initial reference to FIG. 1, it may be
seen that the climate controlled practice facility 10 according to
the first exemplary embodiment is sized to only accommodate a few
users, such as a pitcher, batter and a catcher. Practice facility
10 includes a tubular enclosure 12 supported relative to a support
surface 2. Enclosure 12 is configured as a cylindrical shell to
include an elongated cylindrical sidewall 14 and a pair of domed
shaped end walls 16 and 18 which could alternatively be flattened
in shape and which are disposed on opposed ends of cylinder 14
thereby to surround an enclosure interior 20. Entry into the
enclosure's interior 22 is provided by vestibule 23 which
respectively extends from first and second end portions 17 and 19
of enclosure 12 proximate to its dome-shaped end walls 16 and 18.
Also situated on support surface 2 exteriorly of enclosure 12 is a
housing 24 for containing various mechanical and electrical
equipment used in running practice facility 10, as will be
discussed more thoroughly below.
[0038] Since practice facility 10 is climate controlled so that at
least the pressure within interior 20 can be selectively varied to
simulate different altitude conditions, it is necessary that the
enclosure's walls be constructed of material capable of
withstanding pressure differentials between interior 20 and the
external environment. More particularly, it is preferred that
enclosure 12 be capable of withstanding internal pressure ranging
from sea level to approximately 15,000 ft in elevation, thus
representing pressure differentials between the interior and the
outside that have an absolute value in a range of approximately
0.02 psi to 7 psi, inclusively. Various types of material
compositions such as steel, concrete and aluminum could be employed
to accomplish this. However, for reasons of cost and structural
integrity, an appropriate grade of sheet steel, such as ASTM Grade
A-36 or better, would be preferred for enclosure 10 with a 1"
urethane foam exterior. The particular composition for the
enclosure's walls as well as their thicknesses, etc., would be well
within the purview of the ordinarily skilled structural engineer so
that the precise details for the particular constructions for the
enclosures of the present invention in each of the embodiments
discussed herein need not be explained in great detail. Indeed, it
would likely be necessary to construct the various walls for the
enclosure 12 out of a plurality of wall panels which are
appropriately joined together in a sealed arrangement to prevent
pressure dissipation. For purposes of this invention, the term
"sealed arrangement" means that the walls are constructed for the
purpose of preventing leakage of pressurized air through the
enclosure, although the seals need not be completely leak proof
since some seepage may exist and since adequate pressurization of
the interior can still be obtained by compensating for this.
[0039] In FIGS. 1 and 2, it may be seen that climate controlled
practice facility 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment is
supported partly above a support surface 2. As best viewed in FIG.
2, it is preferred that a portion of the facility's enclosure 12 be
situated in a trough-shaped foundation 4 below ground level 5.
While there are a variety of ways that a structural engineer might
accomplish this, one such manner as shown in FIG. 2 is to situate
enclosure 12 in a sand bedding 8 that is interposed between the
enclosure 12 and the undisturbed foundation soil 6. A concrete slab
9 may then be situated at ground level 5 to provide some lateral
support to enclosure 12 as well as a support surface for vestibule
structures 22, 23 and housing 24.
[0040] FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic plan view of the climate
controlled practice facility 10 according to the first exemplary
embodiment in order to illustrate the electrical and mechanical
systems which may be used therewith as well as to show in somewhat
greater detail the particular structural features thereof. As
stated above, a pair of vestibules 22 and 23 are preferably
provided to provide ingress into and egress out of the facility's
enclosure 10. While, theoretically, only one such vestibule
structure need be provided to accomplish the purposes of the
present invention, two exits may be required by applicable building
codes. Each of vestibules 22 and 23 projects outwardly from the
enclosure's surrounding sidewall 14, and access to the vestibules
from the ambient environment is provided by vestibule access doors
26 and 28, respectively. Each vestibule 22 and 23 communicates with
the enclosure's interior 20 by way of first and second enclosure
access doors 27 and 29, respectively. Since enclosure 12 will be
pressurized during use to a variety of pressure differential levels
between its interior 20 and the ambient environment, the vestibule
access doors 26, 28 and the enclosure's first and second access
doors 27 and 29 would necessarily need to withstand the pressure
differentials with a reduced risk of leakage. To this end, wheel
activated water tight, steel marine doors could be used which are
readily available. Alternatively, composite aluminum doors, such as
those conventionally found on aircraft, could be used but these
might be cost prohibitive. These represent only two such examples
of doors which may be used for the enclosure 12, but the present
invention should not be limited as such.
[0041] As stated above, a separate housing enclosure 24 is provided
to contain the various electrical and mechanical equipment used to
run the practice facility 10. To this end, housing 24 can take on a
variety of structural configurations and, of course, need not be
built to withstand pressure differentials since it is external of
enclosure 12. One such possible arrangement for housing 24 is shown
in FIG. 3 to include a plurality of rooms to house the necessary
equipment. For example, a pressurization equipment room 30, an
electrical equipment room 31 and a mechanical equipment room 32 may
be provided each accessible by an associated access door 33-35,
respectively.
[0042] A pressurization system 40 is provided to adjust the air
density within the enclosure's interior 20. This pressurization
system 40 preferably includes a centrifugal pressurization fan 42
having an intake 43, such as a 24".times.24" outside air louver
with 2" FARR 30/30 filters, for drawing atmospheric air. The fan
operates to compress this air to a particular level corresponding
to the desired air density for the interior 20 of enclosure 12.
This compressed air is then discharged from the fan 42 through a
conduit 44 which interconnects fan 42 to an air handling unit 46
situated within the enclosure's interior 20. Due to pressure
considerations, conduit 44 is preferably a 14" welded steel pipe or
other appropriate piping that is ducted through the enclosure's
sidewall 14 with appropriate weld connections to prevent leakage.
Since the compressed air produced by fan 42 will have an increased
temperature relative to the ambient air drawn from outside the
enclosure, it is preferred to cool the compressed air somewhat
before circulating it within the enclosure 12. Accordingly, an air
handling unit 46 is provided, which is in essence an air
conditioning and heating unit for conditioning the air from fan
42.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, conduit 44 interconnects the
pressurization fan 42 to the air handling unit's return air plenum
48. As also shown in FIG. 2, the return air is provided by a
plurality of return air ducts 50, 52 and 54 which extend lengthwise
below the enclosure's floor 15 between the air handling unit's
return air plenum 48 and return air grating 56 which may be placed
above the floor 15 at the enclosure's opposite end. The cylindrical
sidewall 14 for this embodiment of the climate controlled practice
facility 10 preferably measures approximately 30 ft in diameter and
100 ft in length. With this configuration, pressurization fan 42
may be a 20 HP motor, variable speed drive fan rated for 1,000 CFM
at 72" wc pressure. Air handling unit 46 may be rated at 8,000 CFM
with a hot water coil, a chilled water coil, and a constant speed 5
HP motor. A supply air grill measuring approximately 72".times.24"
and having transition duct is preferably placed in front of the air
handling unit 46. Of course, other types of pressurization systems
and components therefore could be utilized without departing from
the inventive concepts contained herein. This would be well
understood by the ordinarily skilled mechanical engineer, and this
holds true not only for practice facility 10 described in FIGS. 1-4
but for the various other facility configurations discussed herein.
For example, once a mechanical engineer familiar with
considerations of the desired static pressure for the enclosure,
the desired volume of air to be driven by the pressurization system
40, and the expected leak rate for the enclosure, the various
components for the pressurization system can be readily acquired or
designed. Further, it should not take very long to pressurize the
facility 10 since the enclosure has a relatively small volume and
since the pressure differential between its interior and the
ambient environment, is relatively small. For instance, were the
enclosure situated in Denver, Colo. and pressurized to achieve an
internal air density corresponding to that of Atlanta, Ga., which
represents a pressure differential of approximately 2.1 psi, it is
expected that this would take only approximately fifteen minutes to
accomplish. In addition, the ordinarily skilled person would
appreciate that negative pressure differentials could be created
between the enclosure's interior and the outdoors. This would be
accomplished by employing appropriate depressurization equipment so
that, for example, a vacuum could be created within the enclosure's
interior so that the internal pressure is less than that outside.
This might prove useful were the facility physically located at a
lower altitude, such as Atlanta, and one wished to create internal
pressure conditions corresponding to those of Denver. Moreover,
such depressurization capabilities could be used either in
conjunction with or separate from the positive pressurization
system discussed above.
[0044] With reference again to the first exemplary embodiment shown
in FIGS. 1-4, in order to pressurize the facility and maintain it's
internal pressure, vestibule doors 26 and 28 would have to be
closed. In order to exit the enclosure once it is pressurized, one
could simply leave the enclosure's interior 20, for example through
first access door 27, and thereafter close the access door and
remain in the vestibule region 22 while it is depressurized through
an appropriate purge valve or the like so that one can then exit to
the outside through vestibule door 26 without disturbing the
internal pressure. The reverse process could be done to enter the
facility which would entail pressurizing the vestibule to the
internal pressure of interior 20. Accordingly, although not
necessary, it may be desirable to provide sets of vestibule access
and enclosure access doors which are electromechanically coupled to
one another so that their locked and unlocked states can be
selectively controlled simultaneously as desired.
[0045] Other capabilities for controlling meteorological conditions
inside the practice facility's enclosure 12 may also be appreciated
with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. A cooling system 60 is provided
which may include a 20 ton air chilled cooler 62 coupled to a cold
water pump 64 via piping 66, with cold water pump 64 coupled to a
cooling coil in the air handling unit 46 preferably via steel
piping 68 which penetrates the enclosure's sidewall 14. A heating
system 70 incorporates a hot water boiler 72 coupled through piping
74 to a hot water pump 76, which itself is coupled to a heating
coil in the air handling unit 46 via steel piping 78 hot water
boiler may be a 300,000 BTUH sea level input, gas fired boiler. A
humidification system 80 may also be provided which includes a
steam boiler 82 coupled to a humidifier in air handling unit 46 via
copper piping 84. Steam boiler 82 may be rated as a 167,000 BTUH
sea level input and 5 PSIG steam, gas fired boiler.
[0046] It can be appreciated, then, that various meteorological
conditions within the enclosure's interior 20 can be adjusted
including temperature, humidity and air pressure or air density.
Further, an appropriate control system, such as a direct digital
control system which is highly reliable and user friendly can be
employed in conjunction with various mechanical components
discussed above to selectively vary and regulate the internal
environment of the enclosure to obtain different sets of
meteorological conditions. Conveniently, programmable systems are
available which operate in user friendly environments, such as a
Windows.RTM.) environment on a computer terminal, via a handheld
device or via a wall mounted control panel. As such, a control
system could be configured to allow a user to enter into the
enclosure, select a baseball venue or city of choice, thereby
establishing an air pressure at which the enclosure is to be
pressurized. The user can additionally conveniently set the
temperature and humidity to desired levels, thereby simulating
certain environmental conditions to levels akin to those which
might be experienced were the player physically at the venue of
choice.
[0047] In order to enhance the practicing environment for the
sports participant(s), a plurality of items correlated to the
sporting activity, here baseball, are located within the
enclosure's interior 20 and arranged to simulate an appearance of
at least a portion of the playing field, particularly the pitching
and batting areas. To this end, as generally appreciated with
reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a practice area 90 is provided
having a pitching station 92 which includes a pitching mound 94 and
pitcher's rubber 96, as well as a batting station 98 which includes
a home plate 99. Thus, it can be appreciated that players (such as
a pitcher, batter and catcher) can practice their forte for an
interval of time while being exposed to a desired set(s) of
meteorological conditions. As shown in FIG. 2, netting 11 can be
appropriately anchored within the enclosure and suspended in such a
fashion to reduce the risk of damage to the interior as well as
reducing the risk of injury to players. Further, an appropriate
screening device, such as a chain link fence 13 can be positioned
in front of the air handling unit 46 to prevent damage thereto. A
plurality of light fixtures 86 may also be distributed throughout
the enclosure's interior and appropriately mounted at desired
locations along it's cylindrical sidewall 14. In this particular
configuration, it is preferred that each of lights, 86 be a 1,000
watt pulse start, metal halide fixtures with an asymmetrical
indirect lens and spaced apart 8 ft on center along both sides of
the enclosure to maintain 150 foot candles. Of course, as with
other aspects of the present invention, this is only one possible
type of arrangement which may be employed. Although not shown in
the figures, the electrical system for the facility could also
incorporate other surface mount florescent light fixtures for the
various rooms of the housing 24, as well as appropriately placed
outlets, light switches, etc. throughout. With this particular
configuration, 600 amp electrical service with 208 volts/3 phase
would be preferably employed.
[0048] Having described in some level of detail a preferred
construction for the climate controlled practice facility according
to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, other
configurations which are contemplated will now be described.
However, since the particular structural, mechanical, electrical
and control systems for use with these other exemplary embodiments
would be within the purview of the ordinarily skilled artisan(s),
particularly in view of the level of detail which has been
discussed above in connection with the first exemplary embodiment,
they need not be repeated herein. In addition, it should be
understood that, as with the first exemplary embodiment of the
practice facility of the present invention, any of these additional
configurations could be buried wholly or partly underground or
entirely above ground, as desired.
[0049] With this in mind, a second exemplary embodiment for a
climate controlled training facility 100 which is also particularly
suited for practicing the sport of baseball is shown in FIGS. 5-7.
Here, practice facility 110 includes a dome-shaped enclosure 112
having a circumferential outer wall 114 which extends between a
base 116 and a domed roof 118. As may be seen practice facility 110
is much larger than that discussed above with reference to the
first exemplary embodiment so that it may accommodate a plurality
of practice areas 120-137 for training numerous ball players. The
outer wall 112 of the enclosure's cylindrical shell has a diameter
of approximately 208 ft and a wall height preferably of at least 24
ft. The domed roof 118 may extend therefrom an additional 3 ft. to
its peak. A plurality of partition members 140-157, such as walls
or caged fencing, extend radially outward from the enclosure's
center toward its outer surrounding perimeter wall 114. These
partition member 140-157 are equiangularly distributed about the
center and preferably extend between a centrally disposed and
upstanding tower 102 and an inner circumferential wall 104, thereby
to form a plurality of generally triangularly practice regions
120-137 each having an associated pitching station and batting
station as discussed above. Inner circumferential wall 104 may be
spaced from outer wall 114 by approximately 8 ft to provide a
circuitous walkway 106 around the facility. Access to each of the
practice regions may be provided by associated doors 108 so that
the practice regions become accessible from walkway 106. Further,
associated pairs of windows 109 may be provided so that walkway 106
serves the duel purpose of an observation hallway so that coaches
or others may conveniently view the players as they practice.
[0050] A second, upper observation hall and walkway 116 (FIG. 7)
can be provided which is accessible via the stairways 117 (FIG. 6).
This two-tiered approach for observing the players both enhances
the viewing capabilities, but additionally can provide for other
capabilities such as filming the players if desired. Centrally
disposed tower 102, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, may include a pair
of concentric cylindrical walls 160 and 162, also separated by a
distance of approximately 8 ft and with upper and lower levels
accessible by stairway 164 to provide additional observation posts.
Furthermore, the inner circumferential ring 162 may also have two
stories, with its upper level 166 perhaps accommodating necessary
electrical and mechanical equipment 167 and its lower level 168
perhaps serving as a storage level for various things such as
pitching machines and other sport-related items for which storage
might be desired.
[0051] One or more access points to the facility may be provided
including one or more vestibules such as vestibule 150 which, as
discussed above, serves a decompression region and includes an
associated vestibule access door 152 as well as an enclosure access
door 154. If desired also, where practice facility 110 is located
proximate to an actual baseball stadium, it could be accessed from
the stadium through an above or below ground tunnel which becomes
accessible via vestibule door 152.
[0052] Necessarily, the outer confinement walls of the enclosure
110 as well as the walls of vestibule 150 would need to be
constructed of appropriate material capable of withstanding the
pressure differentials which may be present. Other internal walls,
such as partition walls 140-157, inner perimeter wall 104 and the
circumferential walls 160 and 162 need not be constructed with such
considerations in mind since they would not be exposed to pressure
differentials. It should also be noted from this second exemplary
embodiment that all of the electrical and mechanical equipment
including, for example, the necessary pressurization fan(s) are
housed entirely within the interior of the enclosure so that their
particular location (i.e. inside or outside) might be dictated more
by space requirements than anything else. For instance, while the
pressurization fan(s) need to draw air at their intake from the
outside environment, this does not require that the fan(s) itself
be physically located outside the facility, but rather that it's
intake be in communication with the external environment to draw
intake air.
[0053] It should be understood that this second exemplary
embodiment of the climate controlled practice facility 110 of the
present invention only presents one possible layout for
accommodating many players and many practice areas so that it
should not be unduly limited to the particular layout which is
described herein. As an example, it is contemplated that different
pressure zones could be conveniently provided within the facility
itself, for example, by having one or more appropriately
constructed divider walls extending diametrically through the
enclosure's interior and constructed appropriately to withstand
expected pressure differential ranges. In this way, different
regions of the enclosure's interior can be pressurized to different
levels so that players can practice at different meteorological
conditions accordingly. If constructed large enough, the facility
could instead, or perhaps in addition, incorporate a plurality of
floor levels which serve different purposes, some of which may have
associated practice areas maintained at different pressure ratings.
Other amenities for the facility might be the provision of one or
more emergency exits separate from and in addition to the vestibule
structure(s). Indeed, the entire facility could serve the dual
function as a triage center, particularly if it is buried within
the ground such that decontamination showers and other
emergency-related capabilities could be employed. These represent
only a few of the host of possible variations of the dome-shaped
facility 110 which are contemplated.
[0054] A third exemplary embodiment for a climate controlled
baseball practice facility is diagrammatically represented in FIG.
8. Here, facility 210 has a generally rectangular footprint having
a pair of longitudinally extending perimeter walls 213 and 214
joined by a pair of transversely extending perimeter walls 215 and
216. Arcuate corner wall portion 217 are provided for structural
integrity to accommodate the pressure differentials since it would
be desirable utilizing angled corners where feasible. Facility 210
is sized to accommodate 20 such practice areas 220-239 as shown
and, thus, might have outer wall dimensions of approximately 100
ft.times.240 ft. A mechanical and equipment room 270 is provided
exteriorly of the facility's enclosure 212, as well as a vestibule
280 joined to a tunnel 282 and an emergency exit ramp 284. As with
the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, facility
210 could have a domed roof (not shown) as well as one or more
observation halls extending between outer and inner perimeter
walls.
[0055] The general footprint for a fourth exemplary embodiment for
a climate controlled baseball practice facility 310 is generally
diagrammed in FIG. 9 to illustrate another rectangular version
which is generally square-shaped and somewhat smaller for
accommodating a fewer number of practice areas, such as areas
311-315. A fifth exemplary embodiment for a climate controlled
practice facility, here one which is particularly suited for
training in the sport of basketball under desired meteorological
conditions is generally illustrated in the diagrammatic view of
FIG. 10. Here, facility 410 accommodates a plurality of practice
areas 411-416, each having an associated basketball goal 417-422
and resembling the free throw portion of a basketball court. While
numerous geometric configurations for practice facilities have been
discussed, other configurations which have not been shown could
include, for example, those having an oval or elliptical footprint
and preferably a domed roof. Although not necessary, it is
preferred that any such facility which is constructed have either
straight or arcuate contours for those walls which are exposed to
pressure differentials in order to enhance the structural integrity
thereof.
[0056] With the above embodiments in mind, it should also be
readily appreciated that the present invention additionally
provides for a method for practicing a selected sporting
activity.
[0057] According to this methodology, a climate controlled
enclosure is provided having an interior which is sized and adapted
to accommodate a plurality of participants of the sporting
activity. A pressure differential preferably in the range discussed
above is created between the interior and an outside environment.
Before or after this is done, participants enter into the
enclosure's interior and thereafter seal it from the outside
environment. Thereafter, the participants practice the sporting
activity for an interval of time.
[0058] As desired, the pressure, temperature and humidity of the
interior can be periodically adjusted to different settings. It is
preferred that ingress into the facility be prevented during the
interval of time in which the players are practicing. The
enclosure's interior, in addition to the practice areas discussed
above, may also have a decompression area adapted to be placed in
isolation from the practice areas. Once practice is completed,
players can exit the practice area and enter into the decompression
area which is adapted to be isolated from the enclosure's interior.
Thereafter, pressure within the decompression area can be adjusted
to a level corresponding to that of the outdoor environment, after
which the players exit the decompression area to the outdoor
environment.
[0059] Accordingly, the present invention has been described with
some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments
of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though, that
the present invention is defined by the following claims construed
in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be
made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without
departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.
* * * * *