FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a training device and or aid, more specifically it is directed to a training device and or aid for use in skating activities that include sports such as hockey, figure skating, speed skating, rollerblading (in-line skating) and ringuette.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Activities and sports involving skating while quite popular and enjoyable are not as popular as other sports played on fields such as soccer, football, baseball or even basketball. While specific weather conditions are necessary to be able to enjoy skating sports such as hockey, ringuette speed skating or figure skating one of the main impediments to the practice of such sports is the inherent difficulty of learning to skate. Skating requires a high level of full body coordination and motor skills development to maintain balance, to skate, to stop and to change direction. One of the most difficult aspect of skating is to learn how to perform a cross-over. A cross-over is the action of the skater who crosses his outside skate over his inside skate. This method allows a skater to increase his speed while turning.

US patent no. 6,090,015 discloses an exercise apparatus including a first member disposed along a first axis that intersects a ground surface, a radial member attached to the first member, and a support surface configured for movement of the support surface along an arcuate path relative to the first member and relative to the ground surface.

US patent application no. 20030181296 A1 discloses a skating training aid consisting of a base plate that slides on the ice— or rolls on any other less slippery surface— and is made of a series of telescoping adjustable rods and the said device can also accept weight plates to adjust the level of strength required to push it while practicing skating movements.

US patent application no. 20100317491 A1 discloses an exercise device for the crossover step, including an upper wheel supported, the upper wheel having a skating surface and being rotatable; a lower wheel joined to the upper wheel via a hub, the lower wheel having idler wheels supporting the upper wheel; upper legs and lower legs, the upper and lower legs being joined to the lower wheel; a track joined to the upper legs and lower legs, the track adapted to allow the upper wheel, lower wheel, upper legs and lower legs to be stored vertically against a wall and positioned for use adjacent a floor; and mechanism for controlled increase of simulated G-forces applied to a skater skating on the skating surface.

US patent no. 6,537,077 B1 discloses a device and a method using such a device for training skaters, particularly ice skaters. According to the method for training a skater there is provided a support frame and a harness that is secured to the support frame. The skater is secured to the support frame by means of the harness so that the point of attachment between the support frame and the harness is a distance above the head of the skater. Further the support frame being provided is configured and arranged so as to extend about and from the skater when the skater is secured to the support frame. The support frame is moved, responsive to a skating motion of the skater, with respect to a surface upon which the skater is skating. In more particular embodiments, the support frame includes a plurality or more of support members that are arranged so as to form a structure about the skater to which is secured the harness.

Despite the availability of the prior art teachings, there is still substantial need for improved devices which do not have the limitations of such devices, those limitations are understood to include weight of the devices, complexity of the devices, ease of use or set up, and possible safety concerns related to the use of known devices. One of the drawbacks of one of the prior art devices related to the height at which a rotation arm is attached to the centre shaft. The higher the arm, the more torsion is exerted on the shaft and consequently on the base. This torsion leads to premature wear and tear of parts as well as a decreased fluidity of the rotation of the arm around the center shaft.

In his search to develop a skating training device which can reinforce among other things, the proper skating technique to perform crossovers on the ice, the inventor has developed a new skating training device which overcomes at least one of the several drawbacks of prior art devices such as the size, complexity and/or weight of certain devices or apparatuses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a skating training device comprising

- a base adapted to be secured to a surface; said base comprising a shaft located at a center point on the base and extending perpendicularly therefrom; - at least one rod having a cross-section and a first and a second opposite extremities, said rod being rotatably connected to the shaft and extending radially outwardly from said shaft and adapted to rotate around said shaft; and

- a movable rod support comprising a top section and a bottom section, said top section adapted to be secured along the length of the rod, when the device is in use, said bottom section of the movable rod support is in contact with the surface, wherein the placement of the movable rod support along the length of the rod determines the height of the second extremity of the rod where a user will grasp the rod.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the movable rod support comprises a sleeve adapted for insertion around the cross-section of the rod and means to secure the adjustable rod support to the rod. Preferably, the means to secure the adjustable rod support to the rod are selected from the group consisting of: pressure pins; nuts and bolts; round head wire lock pin; clevis fastener; and cotterless hitch pin.

Preferably, the movable rod support comprises friction reducing means to allow a bottom section of the adjustable rod support to slide on the surface. More preferably, the bottom section of the movable rod support is substantially perpendicular to the rod and comprises a front edge and back edge, wherein, when looking down on the rod, the front edge is positioned on one side of the rod and the back edge is positioned on the opposite side of the rod.

Also preferably, the friction reducing means are selected from the group consisting of: wheels; blades; and rods.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the friction reducing means are wheels, there are at least two wheels located on the bottom section. Preferably, at least one wheel is positioned proximate the front edge of the bottom section and at least one wheel is positioned proximate the back edge of the bottom section.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base comprises heat dissipation means adapted to reduce the amount of friction heat retained in the base, when said device is in use, by the rotation of the rod around the shaft.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable rod support further comprises height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the rod support. Preferably, the adjustable rod support is rotatably connected to the shaft proximate to the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the base of the skate training device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a back perspective view of the adjustable rod support of the skate training device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a close up of the base of the skate training device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the skate training device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the skate training device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention set on a faceoff circle on the ice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the various figures of the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown in Figure 4 a perspective view of a skating training device comprising

- a base (10) adapted to be secured to a surface; said base comprising a shaft (40) located at a center point on the base and extending perpendicularly therefrom;

- at least one rod (30) having a cross-section (31) and a first (32) and a second (33) opposite extremities, said rod being rotatably connected to the shaft and extending radially outwardly from said shaft and adapted to rotate around said shaft; and

- a movable (adjustable) rod support (50) comprising a top section (51) and a bottom section (52) , said top section adapted to be secured along the length of the rod, when the device is in use, said botom section of the movable rod support is in contact with the surface, wherein the placement of the movable rod support along the length of the rod determines the height of the second extremity of the rod where a user will grasp the rod preferably by a handle (34).

The skating training device according to the present invention is designed to be able to support a skater when skating and when at rest. Therefore, the design, materials and structure are made accordingly. The device is designed to promote proper body position when learning to skate or when learning to do crossovers. Proper body positioning is discussed further below. The device is greatly beneficial for beginners who have difficulty with turns and comers and moving along an arcuate path and performing crossovers as all of these lead to unnatural body positioning and movement and loss of balance in beginners.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the following key skating points will be enhanced by using the skating training device according to the present invention: the positioning, the stride and the push. The proper positioning depends on the knees being slightly bent to position oneself in a typical hockey stance. The head must remain up and it must turn it in the direction in which the individual will be skating. Having one’s head up allows to clearly see where one is going. One must then turn his hips into the turn; this provides the leverage required to perform efficient crossovers. One must be weary of not leaning the shoulder into the turn, the shoulders need to remain parallel to the ice in order to maintain proper posture, positioning and to learn the proper technique.

The stride should begin with the outside foot first as the individual using the device according to the invention will be skating in circles. The individual brings his outside foot forward and the foot should come down closer to the inside of the turn than the other foot. Then the inside foot is lifted off the ice, moves forward and then lands on the ice closer to the center than the outside foot. This exercise is repeated as many times as needed to reinforce the proper stride and positioning and consequently the proper technique.

The best push is obtained by pointing the ball of the foot down so that the first part of the skate to touch the ice is the front of the skate blade. If the heel comes down on the ice first, it means that the skater is standing up and is no longer in the proper position and is also losing power in his stride. The individual must dig the front of his skate blade into the ice to get a beter grip when pushing and subsequently push off with his toes. This technique provides one with the most power possible in order to gain speed as you doing crossovers. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base needs to have some weight but also be capable of dissipating heat energy quickly. Preferably, the base is attached to the ice similar to how net pegs are, there are 5 screws that stick thru in by about a 1/4 of an inch that can dig into the ice for stability. There are many screw types that can be used for this. According to one embodiment, the base can also be frozen to the ice with water. Preferably, an aluminum alloy material for the base is desirable as it changes temperatures quickly to the on-ice temperature when placed there. Another method of securing the base to the ice can include freezing the base with water. Another preferred method of securing the base to the ice is by using a fastener which, much like the screw described previously, secure the base to the ice and can be easily removed when need be. Various fasteners are contemplated to perform this task, while the list is quite long, preferred fasteners include, but are not limited to, screws, pegs, nails, hooks, brackets and the like. When removing the base from the ice, a preferred embodiment provides for a handle to be secured to the base, either by being welded thereto or being bolted on. Other preferred embodiments would provide for a handle cast right into the base. Moreover, when the base needs to be removed from the ice, one could use a lever, jack or jacking screw should the base be frozen to the ice. According to a preferred embodiment, to provide additional support to the base when in use, especially when older individuals are using skating trainer, one can add weightlifting weights around the shaft to provide more weight to the base.

Steel holds heat too long and melts the ice too much so aluminum is more desirable as it provides weight (about 35 lbs.) and doesn’t disturb the ice too much. Plastics, ceramics, different metals can be used but aluminum is cheap and readily available. A preferred thickness for the base was determined to be 3/8-inch-thick material. This is quite readily available and provides sufficient strength and can withstand warping over time. There is a center shaft on the base plate that allows the rod end bearing from the arms to be easily installed and independent of each other, up to 6 arms can be installed at once. There are 3 jacking screw holes in the base in case it freezes to the ice the cap used to hold the arms in place is also used as a jacking screw to break it from the ice surface. Beginner skaters are not expected to be able to move the base but better/stronger skaters can if they build up enough momentum and centrifugal force.

As seen from Figures 2 and 4, the adjustable (movable) rod support (50) comprises a sleeve (56) adapted for insertion around the cross-section (31) of the rod (30) and means to secure (not shown) the adjustable rod support (50) to the rod (30) are located on the sleeve (56) on the top section (51). Preferably, the means to secure the adjustable rod support to the rod are selected from the group consisting of: pressure pins; nuts and bolts; round head wire lock pin; clevis fastener; clamps and cotterless hitch pin

Preferably, the adjustable rod support (50) comprises friction reducing means (55) to allow a bottom section (52) of the adjustable rod support to slide on the surface. More preferably, the bottom section of the movable rod support is substantially perpendicular to the rod (30) and comprises a front edge (53) and back edge (54), wherein, when looking down on the rod, the front edge is positioned on one side of the rod and the back edge is positioned on the opposite side of the rod.

Also preferably, the friction reducing means (55) are selected from the group consisting of: wheels; blades; and rods. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, the friction reducing means are wheels, there are at least two wheels located on the bottom section. Preferably, at least one wheel is positioned proximate the front edge (53) of the bottom section (52) and at least one wheel is positioned proximate the back edge (54) of the bottom section. According to a preferred embodiment, sliders can be used instead of wheels.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and as illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 5, the base ( 10) comprises heat dissipation means ( 12) adapted to reduce the amount of friction heat retained in the base, when said device is in use, by the rotation of the rod (10) around the shaft (40).

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable rod support (50) further comprises height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the rod support. Preferably, the rod is rotatably connected to the shaft (40) proximate to the base (10) through the use of rod end bearings (35), the lock ring is identified as reference numeral 39.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rods (or arms) are built to endure a substantial amount of torsion. Preferably, stainless steel was selected for the arms and various thicknesses were tested for strength in flexing. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rod is 14 feet long and thus need to be strong enough in order to safely hold up skaters. As seen in Figure 5, the rods are designed to rotate inside a face-off circle of a rink surface so it can operate as a station. A rod end bearing (35) is welded to the end of the shaft (40) to allow independent usage when attached to the shaft on the base (10). Bearings could also be used but this just keeps it very simple with less maintenance requirement and fewer moving parts. Ease of installation is also an important criterion as time on the ice is a premium and instructors require a device which has a very easy set up. According to a preferred embodiment, the shaft is adapted to receive a cap (not shown) which secures the rods to the base shaft so that the apparatus can be used in both directions and is designed not to back off with the rotation when loaded. The cap is designed to secure the rod end bearings on the rods to the base to prevent them from coming off when in use.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a device further comprising training wheels. The training wheels can be preferably made from and welded together from regular steel, these training wheels (or movable rod support or trolley) are adapted to provide support to a skater. Preferably, the training wheels are powder coated so they last and are designed to hold placards that can be used as dynamic advertisements.

Preferably, to adjust the height for different height individuals, one simply needs to move the sleeve of the adjustable rod support inwardly or outwardly from the center (depending on the height of the individual) along the rod. The movable rod support preferably has a pipe welded at the top section thereof, said welded pipe have a cross-section slightly larger than the cross section of the rod so as to be movable along the length of the rod and is designed to slide along it easily. Preferably, the wheels are attached to the bottom section of the rod support (trolley) to make in look more like a scooter or skateboard. Preferably also, the wheels are made of plastic which allows to reduce or completely eliminate friction concerns with the ice.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device is made with smaller dimensions with only one rod so as to be used, for example, in backyards rinks, which are typically much smaller in surface area and thus must be adapted to fit in those areas.

While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant arts, once they have been made familiar with this disclosure that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention in the appended claims.