U.S. patent application number 14/596613 was filed with the patent office on 2016-07-14 for football throwing trainer.
The applicant listed for this patent is Pro Performance Sports, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Daniel Fuchs, Allen Keith Holland, Daniel John Wray.
Application Number | 20160199717 14/596613 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56366813 |
Filed Date | 2016-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160199717 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Holland; Allen Keith ; et
al. |
July 14, 2016 |
FOOTBALL THROWING TRAINER
Abstract
A football throwing trainer has a football holder including
first and second end caps adapted to fit over the ends of a
football. Holder straps connect the first and second end caps and
hold the end caps securely onto the ends of the football. A tether
is attached to the first end cap and to a belt or cuff. The trainer
allows a lone player to practice throwing a football and to easily
retrieve the thrown football.
Inventors: |
Holland; Allen Keith;
(Carlsbad, CA) ; Fuchs; Daniel; (Carlsbad, CA)
; Wray; Daniel John; (Carlsbad, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pro Performance Sports, L.L.C. |
Carlsbad |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56366813 |
Appl. No.: |
14/596613 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/423 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/4021 20151001;
A63B 69/0086 20130101; A63B 2243/007 20130101; A63B 69/0079
20130101; A63B 2209/10 20130101; A63B 21/0552 20130101; A63B
21/4009 20151001; A63B 21/0442 20130101; A63B 21/0557 20130101;
A63B 43/002 20130101; A63B 2225/09 20130101; A63B 69/002
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 69/00 20060101
A63B069/00 |
Claims
1. A football throwing trainer comprising: a football holder
including first and second end caps adapted to fit over the ends of
a football, and two or more holder straps connecting the first and
second end caps; and a tether having a first end attached to the
first end cap, wherein at least a part of each holder strap is
stretchable.
2. The football throwing trainer of claim 1 wherein each end cap
comprises a flexible material and each end cap has two or more
spaced apart arms, with the holder straps attached to the arms of
the end caps.
3. The football throwing trainer of claim 2 wherein each holder
strap is attached to an arm by looping it through a strap slot in
the arm.
4. (canceled)
5. The football throwing trainer of claim 1 with the first end cap
having a central opening, adapted to allow an end of a football in
the holder to project through the central opening.
6. The football throwing trainer of claim 1 further including a
waist belt, with a second end of the tether attached to the waist
belt.
7. The football throwing trainer of claim 6 with the tether having
a non-stretchable section and a stretchable section, the
non-stretchable section attached to the first end cap, the
stretachable section having a first end and a second end, the first
end attached to the non-stretchable section, and the second
attached to the belt.
8. The football throwing trainer of claim 6 further including a
swivel attached to the tether.
9. The football throwing trainer of claim 1, wherein the two or
more holder straps are four holder straps, with at least one of the
holder straps having an adjustable length.
10. The football throwing trainer of claim 9 with at least three of
the holder straps permanently attached to the first and second end
caps.
11. The football throwing trainer of claim 1, wherein the two or
more holder straps are four parallel holder straps, each strap
having first and second ends, the first end connected to an arm on
the first end cap and the second end connected to an arm on the
second end cap.
12. The football throwing trainer of claim 1 with each end cap
pre-formed into a three dimensional shape having a height that is
at least 25% of the width and at least 25% of the length of the end
cap.
13. A football throwing trainer comprising: first and second end
caps each having three or more spaced apart arms; a plurality of
parallel holder straps connecting the first and second end caps;
and a tether having a first end and a second end, the first end
attached to the first end cap via a swivel, the second end attached
to a belt, wherein a first strap slot is formed through a first one
of the arms of the first end cap, a second strap slot is formed
through a second one of the arms of the first end cap, the two or
more holder straps include a first strap and a second strap, the
first strap extends through the first strap slot and loops back
onto itself, and the second strap extends through the second strap
slot and loops back onto itself.
14. The football throwing trainer of claim 13 with each end cap
comprising a flexible material that has a freestanding three
dimensional shape that includes the three or more spaced apart
arms.
15. (canceled)
16. The football throwing trainer of claim 13, wherein a third
strap slot is formed through a third one of the arms of the first
end cap, a fourth strap slot is formed a fourth one of the arms of
the first end cap, the two or more holder straps further include a
front holder strap and a back holder strap, the front holder strap
and the back holder strap form a single continuous strap that
extends through the third strap slot and the fourth strap slot, and
the first end of the tether is attached to the single continuous
strap, which is attached to the first end cap.
17. The football throwing trainer of claim 16, wherein first end of
the tether is attached to the swivel, which is attached to single
continuous strap, which is attached to the first end cap.
18. The football throwing trainer of claim 1, wherein each holder
strap is a flat web material having an elastic section.
19. A football throwing trainer comprising: a football holder
including first and second end caps adapted to fit over the ends of
a football, each of the first and second end caps having a
freestanding three dimensional shape that includes two or more
spaced apart arms that support a central area of the end cap, and
football holder further including two or more holder straps, each
holder strap respectively connecting one of the arms of the first
end cap to one of the arms of the second end cap; and a tether
having a first end attached to the first end cap.
20. The football throwing trainer of claim 19, wherein a first
strap slot is formed through one of the arms of the first end cap,
a second strap slot is formed through another one of the arms of
the first end cap, the two or more holder straps include a first
strap and a second strap, the first strap extends through the first
strap slot and loops back onto itself, and the second strap extends
through the second strap slot and loops back onto itself.
21. The football throwing trainer of claim 19, wherein a strap slot
is formed through each arm of the first end cap, the two or more
holder straps includes a front holder strap and a back holder
strap, the front holder strap and the back holder strap form a
single continuous strap that extends through two of the strap
slots, and the first end of the tether is attached to the first end
cap via the single continuous strap.
22. The football throwing trainer of claim 19, further comprising a
waist belt or a wrist cuff, and a second end of the tether is
attached to the waist belt or wrist cuff.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Throwing or passing is an essential skill in football.
Improving football throwing skills involves throwing arm strength,
accuracy and timing. The football must also maintain a spiral
orientation so that it can be more easily caught by the intended
receiver. As with most athletic endeavors, perfecting passing
ability may take years of practicing by throwing a football.
Generally, during practice the player throws the football to a
second player who catches and returns the football. Practicing
alone, however, is much more time consuming and less useful because
the player must spend excessive time retrieving the ball after each
practice pass.
[0002] For throwing practicing with a round ball, such as soccer or
baseball, a player can use a return net where the ball rebounds
back towards the player. Unfortunately, rebound nets do not work
well for oblong balls, like a football. Due to its oblong shape, a
football tends to rebound off of a return net in a random
direction, rather than rebound back towards the player.
Accordingly, there is a need for equipment which overcomes the
disadvantages facing the lone player in practicing throwing a
football.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A football throwing trainer has a football holder including
first and second end caps adapted to fit over the ends of a
football. Holder straps connect the first and second end caps and
hold the end caps securely onto the ends of the football. A tether
is attached to the first end cap and to a belt or cuff. The trainer
allows a lone player to practice throwing a football and to easily
retrieve the thrown football.
[0004] In another aspect the end caps may have a central opening
and comprise a flexible material and have two, three, four, or more
spaced apart arms, with the holder straps attached to the arms of
the end caps. The holder straps may be attached to one of the arms
by looping through a strap slot in the arm. The holder straps may
be elastic or have an elastic section.
[0005] Other and further aspects will become apparent from the
following detailed description and the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION TO THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a football throwing
trainer.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of the trainer shown in
FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged back perspective view of the trainer
of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the belt and tether removed.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged rotated perspective view of the end
cap shown in FIGS. 1-3.
[0010] FIG. 5 is front view of the end cap shown in FIG. 4.
[0011] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the trainer shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a football throwing trainer 10
may be described as having a tether 14 attaching a football holder
16 to a belt 12. The belt 12 may be flexible web material, such as
leather, fabric, or a synthetic material such as neoprene rubber.
The tether 14 may be a flexible line, tube, cable or flat elastic
webbing. Generally, at least a portion of the tether 14 is elastic
to allow the tether to stretch in use. The tether 14 may be
provided as multiple elastic sections connected via swivels, or via
inelastic sections, or it may be a single piece. A first end of the
tether 14 is attached to the belt 12, optionally via a belt swivel
34.
[0013] The belt 12 may be worn around the player's waist, with the
belt having a length made adjustable via a buckle, clip or via
Velcro hook and loop tape 24. In an alternative design, the belt 12
may be replaced by a cuff designed to be worn on the player's
wrist, or attached to a fixed object such as a ground stake or
pole.
[0014] The holder 16 may include first and second end caps 50,
which optionally are identical. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the end
cap 50 may be a flexible material, such as rubber or plastic,
typically about 0.5 to 5 mm thick. The end cap 50 may have a
freestanding three dimensional shape, as shown in FIG. 4, with a
prolate spheroid curvature adapted to generally match the shape of
a standard American collegiate or NFL football. The end cap 50 may
have arms 60 separated by an arc shaped recess 66. The arms 60 may
have a concave curvature with the recesses 66 having an opposite or
convex curvature. A central opening 64 may be located at a center
of the end cap 50. The central opening 64 may be round or a square
with curved corners. A strap slot 62 may be provided in each of the
arms 60. A pair of web support slots 68 may be provided on opposite
arms, as shown in FIG. 5. One or more position slots or holes 70
may also be provided in the end cap 50 between adjacent arms.
[0015] The slots 62 and 68 are sized and shaped to allow the straps
52 to pass through the end cap 50. These may be replaced with round
openings if round straps are used rather than the flat straps shown
in FIG. 3. Other than the web support slots 68 and the position
slots 70, if used, the end cap 50 may be symmetrical about its
vertical, and horizontal centerlines. Dimension DD in FIG. 3 in
most designs is about 10-16 cm as measured with the end cap pressed
flat. The end cap may have a height shown as dimension HH in FIG. 4
of 2.5 to 5 cm when free standing. Although the end cap 50 may be a
rigid material, flexible end caps may better conform to wider range
of football shapes and sizes.
[0016] In the example shown, four holder straps 52A, 52B, 52C and
52D are used. The holder straps 52 may be a flat web material,
typically an elastic material, or having an elastic section. The
front holder strap 52A, may be split into segments attachable to
each other via Velcro hook and loop tape, a fastener or a knot.
Alternatively the front holder strap 52A may be made long enough to
extend from the first end cap, through a slot in the second end
cap, and then back towards the first end cap, with the holder strap
52A forming a loop attached to itself. The side straps 52B and 52C
may extend through the strap slots 62, loop back on to themselves
and may be stitched, adhered or otherwise fastened.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 6, the front holder strap 52A and the back
holder strap 52D may be provided as a single continuous strap,
optionally extending in through the slot openings 62 and out
through the web support openings 68. cap web section 78 may then be
attached onto the holder strap 52A, optionally at front and back
inner attachments 80 and front and back outer attachments 82. The
cap web section 78 may be the same material as the straps, and
typically is not elastic. The attachments 80 and 82 may be
stitched, adhered or fastened. Also as show in FIG. 6, a cap swivel
76 at the outer end of the tether 14 may be attached to the cap web
section 78.
[0018] Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tether 14 may
optionally have an intermediate swivel 76, with a non-elastic
tether section 74 connecting the intermediate swivel 76 to the cap
swivel 76. If no intermediate swivel 76 is used, then a non-elastic
tether section 74 may be attached directly to an elastic tether
section connecting to the belt or cuff. The combined weight of the
holder 16 and the tether 14 generally is less than 500 or 400
grams.
[0019] In use, a football 100 is secured within the holder by
stretching the straps momentarily to allow the end caps 50 to be
placed over the ends of the football. The elastic tension of the
straps, or sections of the straps, then holds the end caps 50
securely onto the ball. The straps may be equally radially spaced
apart to secure the ball within the holder on all sides. The straps
may be oriented so that the laces of the football are spaced apart
from the straps. Alternatively, if a split or looped front strap is
used, the front strap may be momentarily opened or loosened, to
allow the holder to be more easily installed around the ball
100.
[0020] The player attaches the belt around the waist, or attaches
the cuff to the wrist. The player then throws the ball 100. As
holder and tether are lightweight, their effect on the trajectory
of the ball is moderate. In addition, since the tether is attached
on the longitudinal central axis of the ball, via a swivel,
interference with the spiral attitude of the ball is reduced. After
the ball travels past the nominal length of the tether, the tether
stretches, decelerating the ball and ultimately causing the ball to
reverse direction and recoil towards the player. The player can
then easily retrieve the ball by pulling on the tether. Tension
forces applied by the tether in decelerating the ball may be
distributed over the web section 78 and the straps 52A and 52D. A
second web section may be joined perpendicular to the first web
section, and to the side straps 52B and 52C, to further strengthen
the ball holder.
[0021] As used here, football means any type of oblong ball, such
as a football or a rugby ball. Oblong means the length of the ball
is at least 1.4 times greater than the maximum diameter of the
ball. Elastic or stretchable means easily elongated several
centimeters (e.g., 5-10 cm) using nominal hand forces, such as to
stretch the holder sufficiently to place into onto a football.
Thus, a novel football throwing trainer has been shown and
described. Various changes and substitutions may of course be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The
invention, therefore, should not be limited except by the following
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *