MULTI-SPORT ADJUSTABLE REBOUNDING DEVICE

Abstract

A rebounding device includes a plurality of support members each having a vertical portion and an angled portion. The vertical portion of each of the plurality of support members is secured to an upper end of the angled portion of each of the plurality of support members. The angled portions of the plurality of support members are angled away from one another. A frame is rotatably secured to the vertical portions of the plurality of support members via a shaft. A face having a dome-shape and a plurality of protrusions is secured to the frame. And a net is attached to the plurality of support members.

Claims

1. A rebounding device comprising: a plurality of support members, each of the plurality of support members having a vertical portion secured to an upper end of an angled portion, wherein the angled portion of each of the plurality of support members is angled away from the angled portions of the other support members; a frame rotatably secured to the vertical portions of the plurality of support members via a shaft; and a face secured to the frame.

2. The rebounding device according to claim 1, wherein the face is dome-shaped.

3. The rebounding device according to claim 1, wherein the face is plate-shaped.

4. The rebounding device according to claim 1, wherein the face comprises a plurality of protrusions.

5. The rebounding device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of protrusions are integrally formed with the face.

6. The rebounding device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed of identical or different shapes.

7. The rebounding device according to claim 1, wherein at least one pin is configured to lock a rotation of the frame relative to the plurality of support members.

8. The rebounding device according to claim 1, further including a net that is removably mounted to at least two of the plurality of support members.

9. The rebounding device according to claim 8, wherein a portion of the net is angled relative to the face.

10. The rebounding device according to claim 8, wherein an upper portion of the net is angled at a first angle, wherein a lower portion of the net is angled at a second angle, wherein the first angle and the second angle are different.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure can be further understood when read with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0017] FIG. 1 is front perspective view of a rebounding device wherein a face is angled to point upwards;

[0018] FIG. 2 is a front view of the rebounding device of FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the rebounding device of FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a frame of the rebounding device of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a rebounding device according to another embodiment including a net as disclosed herein and wherein a face is angled to point downwards;

[0022] FIG. 6 is a front view of the rebounding device of FIG. 5; and

[0023] FIG. 7 is a side view of the rebounding device of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] A rebounding device will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosure are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. However, this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. It is to be appreciated that various embodiments are disclosed herein, and that any feature(s) of a particular embodiment may be used interchangeably in any other embodiment. That is, the embodiments are not intended to be mutually exclusive and the features of each embodiment may be utilized.

[0025] There are many field-practice devices for football such as tacking dummies, sleds, kicking tees and nets. Most are limited to a single position player. In the instant application, the use of multiple position players is described. To broaden this advantage, a rebounding net system is incorporated to add a fumble recovery drill to additionally involve lineman and linebackers. Coaches may rotate and fix the face and frame to a downward position and pitch the ball into it. The ball is then deflected in an unpredictable angle, as is the case with the passing drill, downward into a netting, or similar acting material, which propels the ball into the turf. The drilling player(s) recovers or scoops the free football. To return the device to the passing drill, the face is rotated to the upward deflecting position. While a football application is provided as an exemplary use in the following description, it should be appreciated that this device is suitable for a wide range of activities. A similar range of materials, sizes, cross-section shapes could apply; tubular steel is similarly selected.

[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a rebounding device 1 comprises a face 2 supported by a rotating frame 3, wherein said frame 3 is supported by at least four support members. The support members include vertical supports 4a-4d and pairs of lower supports 5a, 5b. The four vertical supports 4a-4d protrude upwardly from the pairs of lower supports 5a and 5b, and together form a support sub-assembly 6. The lower supports 5a, 5b may be formed of angular portions, while the vertical supports 4a-4d are formed of vertical portions. The vertical supports 4a-4d and the lower supports 5a, 5b may be formed of 2-inch diameter tubing or pillars made of, for example, aluminum, plastic, or steel, and may be hollow or solid. Although the examples illustrate 2-inch tubing, it is contemplated that the diameter of the supports may be of any suitable dimension and material for a desired purpose.

[0027] The face 2, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, face 2 is supported by the rotating frame 3, which is mounted on the rebounding device 1 by a shaft 7 which passes through a horizontal diameter of the face 2, for example, at a center of the face 2. The shaft 7 of the rotating frame 3, as shown, is inserted at either end into a sleeve 8a and 8b that respectively encapsulate the end of the shaft 7 and provide a connection to the four vertical supports 4a-4b. The sleeves 8a and 8b may be, for example, T-shaped, configured to receive the end of the shaft 7 in one opening and horizontal support members in the remaining openings. The sleeves 8a, 8b or the horizontal support members may have additional vertical T-shaped sleeve members at each horizontal end. The vertical T-shaped sleeve members are configured to support said sleeves 8a, 8b or said horizontal support members in one opening and receive respective vertical supports 4a-4d therethrough. The vertical supports 4a-4d extend completely through the vertical T-shaped sleeve members and may be removably fastened, friction fit, welded, or attached another way to the vertical T-shaped sleeve members of the sleeves 8a, 8b.

[0028] In both the sleeves 8a, 8b and the shaft 7, there are a plurality of corresponding, similarly sized holes that can align when rotated and be secured to each other by pins at a desired angle for deflection. In other words, the shaft 7 can rotate within the sleeves 8a and 8b and be locked at a desired angular position by actuating the pins through selected holes. As noted above, the sleeves 8a and 8b are affixed to the vertical supports 4a-4d by the vertical sleeve members at either end of the respective sleeves 8a and 8b which engage with the vertical supports 4a-4d at either end of an axis around which the face 2 rotates. The sub-assembly described above comprises a target/rebound mechanism.

[0029] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the face 2 is formed in a dome shape and comprises a plurality of surface bumps or protrusions 2a that provide an element of randomness to the face's surface. The protrusions 2a may be formed of similar or differing shapes in a repeated pattern or in a random placement. The protrusions 2a may formed integrally with the face or be removable and therefore customizable on the face 2a depending on the desired drill. Thus, an object, for example, a football, that contacts the face 2 is reflected in an unpredictable direction. The direction of reflection may be influenced, however, by rotating the face 2 around its axis which is substantially coaxial with the shaft 7. For example, rotating the face 2 such that the surface of the face 2 is tilted upwards relative to a user can cause a ball to be reflected in a more upward vertical direction. Conversely, rotating the face 2 such that the surface of the face is tilted downwards relative to the user can cause the ball to be reflected vertically downward towards the ground.

[0030] The support sub-assembly 6, comprising the pairs of lower supports 5a and 5b, terminates at its top at four vertical tube ends, facing upwards in a rectangular pattern that coincides with the four vertical sleeve members such that the sleeves are able to be slid up and down on the vertical supports 4a-4d. A plurality of holes in the sleeves 8a and 8b and the vertical supports 4a-4d along with corresponding pins can secure the vertical supports 4a-4d to the sleeves 8a and 8b and allow for adjustment of a desired height of the frame 3 and therefore the face 2 relative to ground level. For example, in a football application, such a desired height might be approximately comparable to a receiver's chest or the receiver's extended hands. A user who throws a ball at the rebounding device would target the face, and other users not throwing the ball such as receivers and defenders could vie for a randomized rebound. It is contemplated that the rebounding device 1 may be adjusted or altered to suit a similar configuration of users with respect to a different sport. For example, a softball pitcher could practice at a lower level and perhaps a more vertical angle than the football application described above. A soccer application may further present a different geometric matrix and is another example of the varied applications for this practice device.

[0031] When viewed from a head-on perspective, i.e., from the perspective of FIG. 2, the lower supports 5a and 5b are angled outwardly away from each other towards the ground. The lower supports 5a and 5b when viewed from a side additionally are angled outwards toward the ground. That is, the two-dimensional geometry of the base viewed from either a left or a right side can be substantially triangular. The lower support members 5a and 5b angling outward down to the grade level provides increased stability in that the angled approach to the ground allows a force applied to the face 2 to be transferred to the ground with a horizontal component. Further, at the base of the device, the two pairs of lower support members are joined at grade by a horizontal crossbar 9, further stabilizing the structure. The lower supports 5a and 5b and vertical supports 4a-4d may be, for example, manufactured as a single part or as several pieces that can be assembled in a later stage.

[0032] It is contemplated that the geometry of outward extension relative to vertical height of the rebounding device 1 may be governed by the ball's mass and velocity, in that the lower supports 5a and 5b may be designed to extend further outward for a greater expected impact force to the face 2. The structure may be either a fixed or knock-down assembly and may be configured in a variety of shapes to accommodate a wide variety of activities.

[0033] Sample schematics of the lower supports 5a and 5b, the vertical supports 4a-4d, the frame 3, the shaft 7, and the crossbar 9 are illustrated in FIG. 4. While specific schematics are illustrated, it is contemplated that the shapes and measurements may be altered for different design considerations. As illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7, the face 2 may be substantially flat or plate-shaped and/or without protrusions.

[0034] Additionally, the rebounding device 1 may include a net 10 that extends for substantially the entire length of the lower supports 5a, 5b. The net 10 may be made of, for example nylon, polyester, polyethylene, plastic, or other suitable material. A portion of the net 10 may be fixed to the lower supports 5a, 5b via a slot formed within the lower supports 5a, 5b where the net is configured to be slid and clamped therein. Alternatively, a portion of the net 10 may be wrapped around the lower supports 5a, 5b. At an uppermost portion of the net 10, the net 10 is fastened to a top portion of the lower supports 5a, 5b and/or a lower portion of the vertical supports 4b, 4d or alternatively the vertical supports 4a, 4c. An upper portion of the net 10 may be angled at a first angle different from a second angle of a bottom portion of the net 10. The net 10 may alternatively be removably attached to said supports and/or slidably attached thereto. The position of the net 10 and/or the upper and lower portions of the net 10 may be adjusted depending on the desired drill. The net 10 is sized and configured to capture anticipated deflection angles of the ball thrown or pitched at the face 2.

[0035] The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Example embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.