U.S. patent application number 10/298204 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-20 for flexible football tee.
Invention is credited to Sharp, Jerry.
Application Number | 20040097304 10/298204 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32297388 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040097304 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sharp, Jerry |
May 20, 2004 |
Flexible football tee
Abstract
A flexible football tee for supporting a football at a selected
elevation above the ground. The football tee provides a steady base
resistant to movement, and provides uniformity in the football
placement. The football tee provides virtually no resistance to
movement of the foot of a kicker as the football is struck, thereby
reducing variables in the transfer of momentum from the foot to the
football. The football tee is reusable and provides a surface for
presentation of printed matter.
Inventors: |
Sharp, Jerry; (Spring,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jerry Sharp
4818 Branchberry Ln
Spring
TX
77388
US
|
Family ID: |
32297388 |
Appl. No.: |
10/298204 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/420 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2243/0066 20130101;
A63B 2210/50 20130101; A63B 69/0075 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/420 |
International
Class: |
A63B 069/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for supporting a football on the ground as the
football is contacted by the foot of a kicker, comprising: a
pedestal base formed with a flexible material, wherein said base
has a lower end for contacting the ground, and wherein said base
has an upper end for supporting the football at a selected
elevation and orientation above the ground.
2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base is
substantially shaped as a cylinder.
3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base is
substantially shaped as an oval.
4. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said flexible
material provides substantially no resistance to the foot of the
kicker upon impact.
5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base presents a
surface for displaying printed matter.
6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said printed matter
comprises at least one mark for orienting the placement of said
base relative to another object.
7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the height of said
base upper end is adjustable to modify the selected elevation of
the football above the ground.
8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base upper end
is configured to provide continuous contact with the football.
9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base material
is sufficiently elastic to regain an initial configuration
following impact between the foot of the kicker and the
football.
10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base upper end
lies in a plane substantially parallel to the ground.
11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base upper end
lies in a plane angled to the ground.
12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base flexible
material substantially comprises the same thickness throughout.
13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said base flexible
material varies in thickness between said base upper end and said
base lower end.
14. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least
one aperture in said base.
15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said base
comprises a flexible mesh material.
16. An apparatus for supporting a football on the ground as the
football is contacted by the foot of a kicker, comprising: a
cylindrical pedestal base formed with a flexible material, wherein
said base has a lower end for contacting the ground, and wherein
said base has an upper end for supporting the football at a
selected elevation and orientation above the ground.
17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said flexible
material provides substantially no resistance to the foot of the
kicker upon impact.
18. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said base upper
end is configured to provide continuous contact with the
football.
19. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said base material
is sufficiently elastic to regain an initial configuration
following impact between the foot of the kicker and the
football.
20. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said base upper
end lies in a plane substantially parallel to the ground.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to the field of football tees. More
particularly, the invention relates to an improved football tee
which provides flexible support for a football.
[0002] The function of football tees is simple. A football tee
provides support to elevate a football above the ground to
facilitate impact between a football and a kicker's foot. Numerous
football tee concepts have been developed to accomplish this
seemingly simple function.
[0003] A conventional football tee was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
3,309,087 to Cullity (1964), and an adjustable football tee was
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,602 to Tatter (1969).
[0004] The unique requirements of soccer style kickers were
addressed by Jan Stenerud of the Kansas City Chiefs in his patent
U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,910 (1983), wherein the back of a football tee
was configured to the foot orientation of a soccer style kicker. An
improvement to football ball tees for soccer style kickers was
noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,397 to Kopp (1985), wherein a flexible
cone shaped football tee had a cutout for permitting passage of the
football after impact from the kicker's foot.
[0005] Various tripod style football tees were disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 4,634,122 to Kline (1987), in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,880 to
Deal (1989), in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,165 to Rambacher (1990), and in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,445 to Treadwell et al. (1996). A similar
approach was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,135 to Bourgeois
(1992).
[0006] Recent football tee concepts were disclosed by Spiegel et
al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,252 (1987), in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,453
(1987), in U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,316B1 (2001), and in design Pat.
Nos. 305,448 (1990), in 372,062 (1996), in 383,816 (1997), in
383,817 (1997), in 391,275 (1998), and in 392,705 (1998).
[0007] Although numerous football tees have been developed,
existing football tees interfere with the impact to the football
and provide a potential risk to players on the field. A need exists
for an improved football tee which provides stability for football
support, permits unique placements of the football, and provides
limited resistance to movement of a foot contacting the
football.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The invention provides an apparatus for supporting a
football on the ground as the football is contact with a foot. The
apparatus comprises a pedestal base formed with a flexible
material, wherein said base has a lower end for contacting the
ground, and wherein said base has an upper end for supporting the
football at a selected elevation above the ground. In different
embodiments of the invention, the base can be cylindrical or can be
shaped as an oval or in other configurations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a flexible base for supporting a ball
such as a football.
[0010] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the orientation of a base and
football vertical to the ground.
[0011] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the orientation of a base and
football 15 degrees from vertical.
[0012] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the orientation of a base and
football 45 degrees from vertical.
[0013] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the orientation of a base and
football 90 degrees from vertical.
[0014] FIG. 10 illustrates the position of a flexible tee after
use.
[0015] FIG. 11 illustrates a base upper end angled to the ground
surface.
[0016] FIG. 12 illustrates a base having a varying wall
thickness.
[0017] FIG. 13 illustrates a base formed from a mesh material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The invention provides a superior football tee which does
not interfere with the transfer of momentum from a kicker's foot to
a football. The invention facilitates orientation of the football
toward a target such as a goal post or distal position on the
football field.
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates on embodiment of the invention wherein
flexible base 10 supports a ball such as football 12. Base 10
comprises a light weight material formed as a structure to rest on
ground 14, with sufficient strength to support football at a
selected elevation and orientation above ground 14. Base 10 has
lower end 16 in contact with ground 14 and has upper end 18 for
contacting and supporting ball 12. Base 10 provides sufficient
stability for ball 12 without penetrating the surface of ground 14,
and such stability resists ball movement during high winds.
[0020] Base 10 is formed with a flexible material such as rubber,
plastic, nylon, or other material offering properties of
durability, flexibility, and minimal mass. When contacted with a
kicker's foot as shown in FIG. 2, base 10 elastically deforms to
provide virtually no resistance to the movement of the kicker's
foot. Such minimal resistance permits the momentum of the kicker's
foot to be more nearly completely transferred to ball 12 without
deflecting or otherwise interfering with the dynamic contact
between the kicker's foot and ball 12.
[0021] Base 10 provides sufficient strength to support ball 12 at a
selected elevation above ground 14. The configuration of base 16
provides sufficient strength while permitting use of a material
capable of providing minimal resistance to the side impact created
by the kicker's foot. The support provided by base 10 is superior
to the small contact provided by conventional three prong football
tees because a larger surface area of upper end 18 can contact ball
12, thereby providing superior ball stability in high wind
conditions. The lower end 16 of base 10 does not have to be larger
in diameter or circumference than upper end 18 to provide the
requisite stability for ball 12.
[0022] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the orientation of ball 12 in a
vertical orientation and the relative deformation of base 10 as a
substantial circle in plan view.
[0023] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the orientation of ball 12 in a position
angled fifteen degrees from vertical. The invention provides
consistent stability to ball 12 regardless of the direction of ball
12 angle relative to the goal post or other target. Whereas a
conventional style kicker would lean ball 12 back toward the
kicker, a soccer style kicker might place ball 12 at a forty-five
degree angle sideways as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. When ball 12 is
vertical the center of mass for ball 12 is in the center of base
10, and base 10 will retain a substantially circular plan view
configuration as illustrated in FIG. 3. When ball 12 is angled away
from vertical, the center of mass for ball 12 shifts and base 12
elastically deforms to form an oval or ellipsoid in plan view as
illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7. The unique configuration of base 10
permits such automatic adjustment as the ball is moved, without
requiring special movement or orientation of base 10 to compensate
for such movement of ball 12. Throughout the different movement of
ball 12 relative to base 10, upper base end 18 remains in
continuous contact with ball 12 to provide exceptional stability
for different field and climactic conditions.
[0024] If the maximum elevation allowable for ball 12 is two
inches, the height of base 10 can be selected to provide the
maximum elevation in view of the flexible nature of base 10. When
ball 12 is placed in a horizontal or flat orientation for the
initiation of an onsides kick such as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, upper
end 18 of base 10 will deform to the exterior surface of ball 12,
thereby reducing the effective elevation above ground 14.
[0025] After ball 12 has been kicked away from base 10 the loose
base 10 does not present a tripping or impact threat to players on
the playing field. If base 10 is sufficiently thin and flexible,
base 10 will fold to lie substantially flat on the playing field as
illustrated in FIG. 10, further reducing the possibility that such
base 10 would interfere with play.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior surface of base 10 provides
one or more surfaces for displaying printed matter such as letters,
names, or logos. This feature of the invention is not practical on
conventional football tees because of the configuration of such
devices. By permitting a larger, flexible base to be used in
support of ball 12, printed matter can be added to base 10 without
interfering with contact between the kicker's foot and ball 12.
Such printed matter can include directional marks to facilitate the
kicker in lining up to ball 12 in relative to goalposts or other
targets, and can include marks or words accomplishing additional
functions.
[0027] The invention provides other useful features toward
improving kicking accuracy and distance. As shown in FIG. 11, upper
base end 18 can be angled relative to ground 14 to facilitate
placement of ball 12 on base 10, or upper base end 18 can be
substantially in a plane parallel to ground 14 as illustrated in
the preferred embodiments. FIG. 12 shows that the wall thickness of
base 10 can be varied in different ways to accomplish different
performance characteristics, and FIG. 13 shows that one or more
holes or apertures can be placed in base 10, or that base 10 can be
configured from a mesh material to further accomplish the desired
performance characteristics.
[0028] The invention provides numerous advantages over prior art
football tees. The invention provides superior stability for the
football, particularly in gusty wind conditions. The flexible base
is sufficiently light and flexible to provide virtually no
resistance to the kicker's foot, and removes hazards presented by
the possibility of a player stepping on the tee later in play.
[0029] Although the invention has been described in terms of
certain preferred embodiments, it will become apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art that modifications and improvements can
be made to the inventive concepts herein without departing from the
scope of the invention. The embodiments shown herein are merely
illustrative of the inventive concepts and should not be
interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.
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