U.S. patent application number 11/418023 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-30 for portable hitting device.
Invention is credited to Summer N. Ehrsam, Brian R. Presley.
Application Number | 20060270494 11/418023 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37464167 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060270494 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Presley; Brian R. ; et
al. |
November 30, 2006 |
Portable hitting device
Abstract
The preferred embodiment of this invention involves a portable
hitting apparatus comprising a body having a strike zone with one
or more hitting targets located thereon. The body is preferably
comprised of a bag having interior padding. The body can further
include one or more handles on one side for allowing a person to
hold the apparatus upright while a user hits the apparatus. The
body can be various sizes to accommodate users of different height.
The strike zone preferably contains five hitting targets, one for
each comer and one for the center of the strike zone. In another
embodiment, the body can be sized in the shape of a strike zone,
such that no separate delineation of the strike zone is needed. The
hitting targets can be designated by a variety of symbols,
including baseballs and softballs, and can be various shapes,
colors, and sizes.
Inventors: |
Presley; Brian R.; (Santee,
CA) ; Ehrsam; Summer N.; (La Mesa, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RICHARD D. CLARKE;LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD D. CLARKE
3755 AVOCADO BLVD., #1000
LA MESA
CA
91941-7301
US
|
Family ID: |
37464167 |
Appl. No.: |
11/418023 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60678408 |
May 6, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/453 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 71/0054 20130101;
A63B 69/26 20130101; A63B 69/0002 20130101; A63B 2069/0008
20130101; A63B 2208/12 20130101; A63B 63/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/453 |
International
Class: |
A63B 69/00 20060101
A63B069/00 |
Claims
1. A portable hitting apparatus comprising: a) a body portion; b) a
strike zone portion located on said body portion; and c) at least
one hitting target located within said strike zone portion whereby
said body portion can be positioned such that a user can practice
his or her hitting technique by hitting said at least one hitting
target with a bat or other hitting device.
2. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at
least one handle attached to said body portion for the purpose of
allowing a user to place his or her arms there through to support
the apparatus while it is being used by a hitter.
3. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said strike
zone portion contains five hitting targets.
4. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body
portion is comprised of a flexible bag containing padding
material.
5. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body
portion is comprised of a compressible foam material.
6. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body
portion contains curved portions at the ends thereof.
7. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least
one hitting target is removably attached to said body within said
strike zone portion.
8. A portable hitting apparatus comprising: a) a body portion, said
body portion having a front surface and a rear surface; b) at least
one hitting target located on said front surface; and c) at least
one handle located on said rear surface whereby a person can use
said at least one handle to support said body portion in an upright
position, and a user can practice his or her hitting technique by
hitting said at least one hitting target with a baseball bat or
other hitting device.
9. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein said body
portion is sized in the shape of a strike zone.
10. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein said strike
zone portion contains five hitting targets.
11. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein said body
portion is comprised of a flexible bag containing padding
material.
12. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein said body
portion contains curved portions at the ends thereof.
13. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein said body
portion is comprised of a compressible foam material.
14. The portable hitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein said at
least one hitting target is removably attached to said body within
said strike zone portion.
15. A method for making a portable hitting apparatus comprising the
steps of: a) providing a body portion; b) depicting a strike zone
on said body portion; and c) depicting at least one hitting target
within said strike zone.
16. The method for making a portable hitting apparatus of claim 15,
further comprising the steps of: a) providing at least one handle
for attachment to said body portion; and b) attaching said at least
one handle to said body portion.
Description
[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of previously
filed U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/678,408 filed
on May 6, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to sporting goods.
More particularly, this invention relates to portable hitting
apparatus.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Successfully hitting a baseball or softball can be a
difficult task, especially when the ball is traveling at high
velocity. Hitting generally requires quick hand-eye coordination by
a batter. For example, if a pitch is in the upper and outer part of
the strike zone, a user must be able to quickly identify the
location of the nitch and be able to tailor his or her swing to
successfully hit the ball. If a batter does not apply a proper
swing according to the location of the pitch, the batter will
either hit the ball weakly, foul the ball off, or miss the pitch
entirely.
[0006] Several techniques have been utilized to help develop
hitting skills, such as batting off a tee, throwing "soft toss", or
hitting in a batting cage from a pitching machine. Although these
techniques offer help with batting in general, they are not
tailored to help with the particular aspect of batting that
requires a user to tailor his or her swing according to the
location of the ball. While this type of practice can be achieved
by "live" batting practice with the help of a pitcher who can
locate pitches in particular spots in the strike zone, many people
desiring to improve their hitting do not have a pitcher with such
pitching abilities and/or cannot afford one. Further, apparatus
that have been designed to assist in developing batting skills have
not focused on improving a hitter's ability to tailor his or her
swing to the location of the pitch.
[0007] Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide a
relatively lightweight, compact, mobile, and easy to operate
apparatus that can help a person improve their ability to
successfully hit baseballs or softballs located in various parts of
the strike zone.
[0008] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment
of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be
understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are
for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The preferred embodiment of this invention involves a
portable hitting apparatus comprising a body having a strike zone
with one or more hitting targets located thereon. The body is
preferably comprised of a bag having interior padding. The body can
further include one or more handles on one side for allowing a
person to hold the apparatus upright while a user hits the
apparatus. The body can be various sizes to accommodate users of
different height. The strike zone preferably contains five hitting
targets, one for each comer and one for the center of the strike
zone. In another embodiment, the body can be sized in the shape of
a strike zone, such that no separate delineation of the strike zone
is needed. The hitting targets can be designated by a variety of
symbols, including baseballs and softballs, and can be various
shapes, colors, and sizes.
[0010] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the
present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There
are additional features of the invention that will be described
hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims
appended hereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the
invention and together with the description, serve to explain the
principals of the embodiments of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of one embodiment of the
hitting bag apparatus.
[0013] FIG. 2 depicts a front view of one embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
[0014] FIG. 3 depicts a top view of one embodiment of the portable
hitting apparatus.
[0015] FIG. 4 depicts a back view of one embodiment of the portable
hitting apparatus.
[0016] FIG. 5 depicts a bottom view of one embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
[0017] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of another embodiment of
the portable hitting apparatus.
[0018] FIG. 7 depicts a front view of another embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
[0019] FIG. 8 depicts a back view of another embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
[0020] FIG. 9 depicts a top view of another embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
[0021] FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of yet another embodiment
of the portable hitting apparatus.
[0022] FIG. 11 depicts a front view of yet another embodiment of
the portable hitting apparatus.
[0023] FIG. 12 depicts a back view of yet another embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
[0024] FIG. 13 depicts a top view of yet another embodiment of the
portable hitting apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar parts are
identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 a
perspective view of one embodiment of the portable hitting
apparatus 10. Apparatus 10 includes a body 20 and strike zone 30.
Body 20 contains a slanted portion 22 and bottom portion 24, bottom
surface 26, and top surface 28. Body 20 is preferably comprised of
an outer bag having padding material located therein (not shown).
Outer bag can be comprised of coated vinyl, leather, canvas, nylon
and any other suitable material. The outer bag is preferably made
from coated vinyl. The padding material is preferably comprised of
foam, including but not limited to open-cell foam, closed-cell
foam, soft rubber foam, injected foam, and can also include other
lightweight and compressible materials. Also, it is possible to use
soft rubber, sand and water to fill the outer bag.
[0026] Body 20 is preferably about 42 to 66 inches in height, about
17 to 30 inches in width, and about 6 to 16 inches in depth.
However, body 20 can be varied in size to accommodate different
sized users such as those age 8 and under, age 12 and under, age 12
and up, and age 18 and up. An apparatus 10 designed for age 8 and
under can have a body 20 with dimensions of about 42 to 48 inches
in height, about 17 to 24 inches in width, and about 6 to 12 inches
in depth. An apparatus 10 designed for age 12 and under can have a
body 20 with dimensions of about 45 to 52 inches in height, about
17 to 24 inches in width, and about 6 to 12 inches in depth. An
apparatus 10 designed for age 12 and up can have a body 20 with
dimensions of about 48 to 60 inches in height, about 17 to 24
inches in width, and about 10 to 12 inches in depth. An apparatus
10 designed for age 18 and up can have a body 20 with dimensions of
about 48 to 66 inches in height, about 17 to 30 inches in width,
and about 10 to 16 inches in depth.
[0027] Strike zone 30 includes hitting targets 40, 42, 44, 46, and
48 located therein. Hitting targets 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 are
preferably represented pictorially by baseballs, but can be
pictorially represented by other symbols, including but not limited
to softballs, baseball bats, (add more). Hitting targets 40, 42,
44, 46, and 48 are preferably about 4 inches by 4 inches in size.
However, hitting targets 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 can vary in size to
accommodate different sized strike zones 30. Hitting target 40 is
preferably located in the top left corner of strike zone 30,
hitting target 42 is preferably located in the top right comer of
strike zone 30, hitting target 44 is preferably located in the
center of strike zone 30, hitting target 46 is preferably located
in the bottom left comer of strike zone 30, and hitting target 48
is preferably located in the bottom right comer of strike zone 30.
Hitting targets 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 can be located anywhere
within strike zone 30. Further, strike zone 30 can include more or
less hitting targets than represented in FIG. 1. Hitting targets
40,42,44, 46, and 48 can be permanently attached to body 20, such
as by painting or stitching, or removably attached to body 20.
[0028] FIG. 2 depicts a front view of apparatus 10. This figure
illustrates the spatial relationship between body 20, strike zone
30, and hitting targets 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48. It also illustrates
the base of the portable hitting device 10, comprised of slanted
portion 22 and bottom portion 24. In this embodiment of the
invention, the portable hitting device can be set directly on the
ground or floor, or any other flat surface, for stability during
use.
[0029] FIG. 3 depicts a top view of apparatus 10, showing top
surface 28.
[0030] FIG. 4 depicts a back view of apparatus 10. Apparatus 10
further includes handles 52 and 54 located on back surface 50.
Handles 52 and 54 are comprised of a durable and flexible material
and are preferably sewn to back surface 50. Handles 52 and 54
primarily allow a user to place his or her arms there through to
support apparatus 10 upright while it is being used by a hitter. A
zipper 60 is also included along back surface 50. Zipper 60
preferably runs the length of apparatus 10 and allows a user to
insert padding into or take padding out of apparatus 10.
[0031] FIG. 5 depicts a bottom view of apparatus 10, illustrating
the width of bottom surface 26 in relation to slanted portion
22.
[0032] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of another embodiment of
the portable hitting apparatus 100. Apparatus 100 includes a body
110 containing a top surface 112 and side portions 114 and 116.
Body 110 is preferably comprised of a lightweight and compressible
material such as various forms of foam, including open-cell foam or
closed cell foam. Body 110 includes hitting targets 120, 122, 124,
126, and 128 located therein. Hitting targets 120, 122, 124, 126,
and 128 are preferably represented pictorially by baseballs, but
can be pictorially represented by other symbols, including but not
limited to softballs, baseball bats, and/or a matrix of hitting
zones such as the common 9 zone matrix used by baseball coaches in
analyzing hitting zone preferences and weaknesses. Additionally,
hitting targets 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 can vary in size to
accommodate different sized bodies 110. Hitting target 120 is
preferably located in the top left comer of body 110, hitting
target 122 is preferably located in the top right comer of body
110, hitting target 124 is preferably located in the center of body
110, hitting target 126 is preferably located in the bottom left
comer of body 110, and hitting target 128 is preferably located in
the bottom right comer of body 110. Hitting targets 120,122,124,
126, and 128 can be located anywhere on body 110. Further, body 110
can include more or less hitting targets than represented in FIG.
6. Hitting targets 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 can be permanently
attached to body 110, such as by painting or stitching, or
removably attached to body 110.
[0033] FIG. 7 depicts a front view of apparatus 100, illustrating
the spatial relationship of hitting targets 120, 122, 124, 126, and
128 on body 110.
[0034] FIG. 8 depicts a back view of apparatus 100. Apparatus 100
further includes handles 132 and 134 located on back surface 130.
Handles 132 and 134 are comprised of a durable and flexible
material and are preferably sewn to back surface 130. Handles 132
and 134 primarily allow a user to place his or her arms there
through to support apparatus 100 upright while it is being used by
a hitter. FIG. 8 also illustrates the protective side portions 114
and 116 which add extra protection to a person that may be standing
behind and holding the portable hitting device 10 in place during
use by another person.
[0035] FIG. 9 depicts a top view of apparatus 100, illustrating the
width of top surface 112 and protective side portions 114 and
116.
[0036] FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of yet another embodiment
of the portable hitting apparatus 200. Apparatus 200 includes a
body 210 containing a top surface 212 and a side surface 214. Body
210 is preferably comprised of a lightweight and compressible
material such as foam . . . Body 210 includes hitting targets 220,
222, 224, 226, and 228 located thereon. Hitting targets 220, 222,
224, 226, and 228 are preferably represented pictorially by
baseballs, but can be pictorially represented by other symbols,
including but not limited to softballs, baseball bats, (add more).
Additionally, hitting targets 220, 222, 224, 226, and 228 can vary
in size to accommodate different sized bodies 210. Hitting target
220 is preferably located in the top left comer of body 210,
hitting target 222 is preferably located in the top right comer of
body 210, hitting target 224 is preferably located in the center of
body 210, hitting target 226 is preferably located in the bottom
left comer of body 210, and hitting target 228 is preferably
located in the bottom right comer of body 210. Hitting targets 220,
222, 224, 226, and 228 can be located anywhere on body 210.
Further, body 210 can include more or less hitting targets than
represented in FIG. 10. Hitting targets 220, 222, 224, 226, and 228
can be permanently attached to body 210, such as by painting or
stitching, or removably attached to body 210.
[0037] FIG. 11 depicts a front view of apparatus 200, illustrating
the spatial relationship of hitting targets 220, 222, 224, 226, and
228 on body 210.
[0038] FIG. 12 depicts a back view of apparatus 200. Apparatus 200
further includes handles 232 and 234 located on back surface 230.
Handles 232 and 234 are comprised of a durable and flexible
material and are preferably sewn to back surface 230. Handles 232
and 234 primarily allow a user to place his or her arms there
through to support apparatus 200 upright while it is being used by
a hitter.
[0039] FIG. 13 depicts a top view of apparatus 200, illustrating
the width and depth of apparatus 200, shown by top surface 212.
[0040] With respect to the above description it is to be realized
that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the
embodiments, including variations in size, materials, shape, form,
function and manner of operation, assembly, and use, are deemed
readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all
equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and
described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by
the various embodiments of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing
is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
embodiments of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications
and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is
not desired to limit the embodiments of the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all
suitable modifications and equivalents fall within the scope of the
embodiments of the invention.
[0041] The embodiments of the invention are pointed out with
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this
disclosure. For a better understanding of the embodiments of the
invention reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and
descriptive matter in which there are illustrated the preferred
embodiments of the invention.
[0042] Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and
especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art
who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to
determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence
of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is
neither intended to define the embodiments of the invention, which
are measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting, as
to the scope of the embodiments of the invention in any way.
* * * * *