SPORTS TRAINING APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates broadly to a sports training apparatus and relates particularly to a ball retaining means of such an apparatus.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The patent literature includes a large number of published specifications disclosing various arrangements of a sports ball tethered to a person via an elastic cord. The sports ball may be either:

(i) modified to include a ring for attachment to the elastic cord, for example,

WO 94/09862 by WEBB;

(ii) located within a net which is connected to the elastic cord, for example, U.S. 5094462 by DOYLE et al, WO 96/01669 by HAUTER, or WO 99/01951 by JAMES.

The problem of WO 94/09862 is that modification of the ball, by attaching a ring onto the ball to which the elastic cord may be tethered is required.

The problem of using a system in which the ball is placed within a net as described by U.S. 5094462, WO 96/01669 and WO 99/13951 is two-fold. Firstly, the net or bag is designed to fit about a single sized ball only. Secondly, the net or bag does not snugly contour to the shape of the ball and thus is prone to snagging or catching a person's fingers when catching the ball. Previous attempts have been made to overcome or ameliorate these problems identified above including the applicant's own prior art device currently in the marketplace under the name "Skill Skin™", and covered by a US Patent application.

The applicant's own prior art "Skill Skin™" device is comprised of a single piece of neoprene material which is fastened over a ball and attached to a mounting member located at the end of a tethering line. The opposite end of the tethering line has an attachment means that a user can attach to their wrist, ankle or the like. The deficiencies of the prior art "Skill Skin™" device is that when used in wet conditions, as may occur when training outdoors, the neoprene material becomes waterlogged and therefore slippery and difficult to handle by those persons using the device. This is especially problematic when using rugby balls and training for rugby, a sport where the ball is predominantly held in the player's hand and passed between players. If the ball becomes slippery and difficult to handle, training becomes difficult and skills may not be able to be effectively practiced.

Additionally, the relatively proud profile of the neoprene ball retaining means of the prior art "Skill Skin™" device imparts a character to the ball which for some users feels quite different to that of the ball when used independently of the sports training device. Therefore, the natural feel of the ball for some users is compromised and thus the effectiveness of the prior art "Skill Skin™" device as a training tool is limited.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome, ameliorate or at least provide a viable alternative to the prior art identified above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a sports training apparatus including a tethering line having an attachment means adapted to be removably attached to a user at or near a first end thereof; and a ball retaining means adapted to releasably retain a ball located at or near an opposite end thereof; characterised in that the ball retaining means includes a seat portion adapted to engage at least a portion of the ball, and a plurality of strap members extending outwardly from the seat portion, each one of the strap members having at least one free end adapted to engage with the opposite end of the tethering line.

Preferably, the seat portion and the straps are integrally formed from a single piece of material.

Preferably, the seat portion and the strap members are fabricated from a single piece of moulded plastic.

Preferably, the ball is a rugby ball having a plurality of seams or pseudo-seams.

Preferably, each of the strap members is adapted to substantially align with one of the seams or pseudo-seams.

Preferably, each of the strap members is adapted to be substantially seated within one of the seams or pseudo-seams.

Preferably, the seat portion is ring-like.

According to another preferred embodiment, the seat portion is a cup.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the seat portion is a disc.

Preferably, a mounting member, adapted to receive the at least one free end of each of the strap members thereon, is connected to the opposite end of the tethering line.

Preferably, the mounting member has a cavity shaped complementary to a portion of the ball and adapted to receive the portion of the ball therein.

Preferably, the mounting member is fabricated of a resiliently flexible material which deforms so as to contour to at least a portion of the ball.

Preferably, the mounting member is fabricated of neoprene.

Preferably, the mounting member includes fastening means such as hook and loop type fasteners to releasably attach the at least one free end of each one of the plurality of strap members at variable positions as determined by the size of the ball.

Preferably, the tethering line is at least partially fabricated of an elastic material.

Preferably, the attachment means is in the form of an ankle, wrist or waist strap or belt worn by the user.

Preferably, the attachment means includes fastening means such as hook and loop type fasteners adapted to engage the attachment means to the user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sports training apparatus including a tethering line having an attachment means adapted to be removably attached to a user at or near a first end thereof; and a ball retaining means adapted to releasably retain a ball located at or near an opposite end thereof; characterised in that the

ball retaining means includes a plurality of strap members adapted to engage at least a portion of said ball, the strap members extending between a first member secured to the opposite end of the tethering line and an opposed seat portion.

Preferably, the seat portion and the strap members are integrally formed from a single piece of material.

Preferably according to another embodiment, the first member and the strap members are integrally formed from a single piece of material

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a sports training apparatus including a tethering line having an attachment means adapted to be removed and reattached to a user at or near a first end thereof; and a ball retaining means adapted to releasably retain a ball located at or near an opposite end thereof; the ball having a plurality of seams or pseudo-seams characterised in that the ball retaining means includes a seat portion adapted to engage at least a portion of the ball and a plurality of strap members extending outwardly from the seat portion, each of the strap members is adapted to align with one of the seams or pseudo-seams.

In another preferred embodiment the present invention relates to a sports training apparatus including a tethering line having an attachment means adapted to be removed and reattached to a user at or near a first end thereof; and a ball retaining means adapted to releasably retain a ball located at or near an opposite end thereof, the ball having a plurality of seams or pseudo-seams characterised in that the ball retaining means includes a seat

portion adapted to engage at least a portion of the ball and a plurality of strap members extending outwardly from the seat portion, each of the strap members is adapted to substantially lie within at least a portion of one of the seams or pseudo-seams, resulting in the profile of the strap members being substantially flush with the surface of the ball.

Preferably, the strap members have a substantially flat underside surface, in contact with the ball, and a substantially curved upper surface; so that each of the straps are substantially seated within one of the seams or pseudo-seams.

Preferably in another embodiment, the strap members have a substantially circular cross- section so that each of the straps are substantially seated within one of the seams or pseudo-seams.

Preferably in a further embodimet, the strap members have a substantially triangular cross- section so that each of the straps are substantially seated within one of the seams or pseudo-seams.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a sports training apparatus of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a player together with a sports training apparatus attached to a ball in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the sports training apparatus together with the ball of Fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sports training apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4a is a perspective view of the strap portion of the ball retaining means of a second embodiment of the sports training apparatus;

FIG. 4b is an enlarged perspective view of a seat portion of the sports training apparatus that engages with the strap portion shown in Fig. 4a;

FIG. 5a is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a sports training apparatus;

FIG. 5b is an enlarged perspective view of the seat portion of the embodiment depicted in Fig. 5a;

FIG. 5c is an enlarged perspective view of one of the strap ends of the embodiment depicted in Fig. 5a;

FIG. 6a is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a sports training apparatus;

FIG. 6b is a perspective view of the straps of the embodiment depicted in Fig. 6a; and

FIG. 6c is a perspective view of a seat portion of the embodiment depicted in Fig. 6a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in Fig. 1, the present invention is a sports training apparatus including a tethering line 10, at one end being detachably anchored to a person or player 12, and a ball retaining means designated generally as 14 connected at an opposite end of the tethering

line 10. The ball retaining means 14 is designed to releasably retain a ball 16. In this preferred embodiment, the ball 16 is a rugby ball. The tethering line 10 is, in this example, anchored to the player 12 via attachment means in the form of a wrist strap 18. The tethering line 10 is fabricated of an elastic cord. In use, the ball 16 is propelled away from the user 12 by means of passing, throwing, hitting the ball with the user's hands or kicking. In this way, the tethering line 10 becomes stretched and due to the elastic properties of the tethering line 10, the ball 16 is drawn back towards the player 12 from whom the ball 16 is propelled.

As is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the ball retaining means 14 includes a seat portion 20 that has a plurality of straps 22 outwardly extending therefrom and a mounting member 24 located on the tethering line 10 at the end opposite the wrist strap 18.

The mounting member 24 is, in this embodiment, generally dome-shaped having a cavity 25 shaped complementary to an end portion of the rugby ball 16. The mounting member 24 is fabricated of a resiliently flexible material such as neoprene which deforms so as to contour to the end portion of the ball 16. The tethering line or elastic cord 10 is fixed to an apex of the dome-shaped mounting member 24.

In this embodiment, the mounting member 24 is attached to the tethering line 10 by means of a bead 30 and a knot 32 tied in the tethering line 10. The mounting member 24 is further provided with a hook and loop fastening system, such as VELCRO™ in order that the free ends of the straps 22 may be attached thereto. 26 A is the loop component of the system and is located on the mounting member 24 and 26B is the hook component and is located on the free end portions of each one of the straps 22. By using an hook and loop type fastening system, the free ends of the straps 22 may be fixed onto the mounting member 24 at varying positions determined by the size of the ball 16.

Conventionally, rugby balls 16 are made from four pieces of leather that are stitched together. Four seams are formed where two adjoining pieces of leather are stitched together. More recently, materials such as rubber and plastics have also been used in a similar fashion to manufacture rugby balls 16, again forming seams along the joins of

adjacent pieces of material. However, it is also now common for rugby balls 16 to be manufactured of a single piece of material, such as moulded rubber or plastic. Rugby balls made from a single piece of moulded material are shaped to resemble a rugby ball made of multiple pieces of material stitched together. This is because rugby balls made from multiple pieces of material stitched together are generally of a higher quality and thus more expensive. In this way, these rugby balls 16 made of a single piece of material have what can be described as "pseudo-seams". In the remainder of this specification, the term "pseudo-seams" or "pseudo-seam" will be used to describe this feature.

In use, the straps 22 are aligned with one of a respective seam or pseudo-seam 28 of the rugby ball 16 and preferably, the shape of the straps 22 is such that each one of the straps 22 is seated or substantially lies within one of the respective seam or pseudo-seam 28 of the ball 16. The seat portion 20 and integrally formed straps 22 are fabricated of a single piece of material, preferably from a single piece of injection moulded plastic. The straps 22 are approximately 10mm in width, 2.5mm thick and 300mm in length.

The cross-sectional area of the straps 22 may be either substantially triangular, circular, beaded or have at least one predominantly curved side in order to lie within the seam or pseudo-seam 28 of the ball 16. Even if the straps 22 do not lie within the seams or pseudo- seams 28 of the rugby ball 16 but are merely adjacent to a respective seam or pseudo-seam 28, the overall natural feel of the rugby ball 16 is not extensively compromised.

Furthermore, as a rugby ball 16 is predominantly grasped and held by the user in its middle section, it will be appreciated the straps 22 only cover small narrow regions that are substantially spaced apart. This ensures that the natural feel of the rugby ball 16 is not compromised when fastened within the ball retaining means 14 as is the case with the applicant's own prior art "Skill Skin™" device or those prior art devices where the ball is placed in a net or bag, such as in U.S. 5094462, WO 96/01669 and WO 99/13951.

Therefore, when training with the sports training apparatus of the present invention, a player 12 appreciates the natural feel and characteristics of the rugby ball 16, and the skills

acquired can be later used in non-training situations, such as when playing in a game situation against opponents.

As the straps 22 of the present invention are fabricated from moulded plastic or another similar material, the straps 22 do not possess characteristics conducive to water retention, and thus the sports training apparatus of the present invention is less prone to becoming water logged even when used for training purposes outdoors in wet conditions. The ball retaining means is thus of a two-piece construction including the mounting member 24 and the seat portion 20 and straps 22 integrally formed from one piece of material.

The general steps involved in playing with the sports training apparatus are as follows:

(i) the ball 16 is fitted within the ball retaining means as best illustrated in Fig. 2;

(ii) the wrist strap or band 18 is attached to the person or player's 12 wrist as illustrated in Fig. 1 by means of the hook and loop fastening system 26C (loop) and 26D (hook);

(iii) the ball 16 is passed, kicked or the like, by the player 12 and the tethering line or elastic cord 10 returns the ball 16 towards the player 12.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modification other than those specifically described. Whilst the preferred embodiments described a sports training apparatus including a wrist strap, in other embodiments not shown, it must be understood that a wrist strap 18 may be substituted for an ankle strap, waist strap or belt or headband. Whilst the preferred embodiment describes a rugby ball 16, any other suitable ball such as a rugby league ball, Australian Rules ball, soccer ball, basket ball, netball or the like may be utilised.

It must be further understood that whilst the preferred embodiment described a dome- shaped mounting member 24, other shapes that contour themselves to the shape of the ball 16 may also be used. Indeed, the specific configuration and materials of construction for

the retaining means may vary. Also, the preferred two-piece construction of the ball retaining means may be replaced with a one-piece construction that fits within the scope of the present invention.

Further embodiments of the sports training apparatus of the present invention are shown in Figures 4a to 6c. These embodiments have many similar features to the embodiments depicted in Figures 1 to 3 (and so similar features in Figures in Figures 4a to 6c will be accorded the same reference numerals as those accorded in Figures 1 to 3). In particular, the second embodiment shown in Figures 4a and 4b, show that each of the straps 22 is integrally formed with the mounting member 24 and is fastened to the seat portion 20 by a free end thereof passing through a respective aperture in seat portion 20, looping back around and attaching to an adjacent portion of the strap 22 by means of a hook and loop fastening system, 26C and 26D. It should be understood that other suitable ways of attaching the straps 22 to the mounting member 24 or seat portion 20 other than hook and loop fastening systems may be utilised.

The sports training apparatus as depicted in Figures 4a and 4b has small protrusions 27 projecting from the under surface of the straps 22. These protrusions 27 are in contact with the ball 16 is fastened within the ball retaining means 14 and help to provide enhanced frictional contact between the straps 22 and the ball 16, ensuring that the ball 16 is not easily dislodged from the ball retaining means 14.

It should be understood that the straps 22 may have differing size characteristics, such as being 5mm wide and still be functionally equivalent to the straps 22 of this preferred embodiment.

The sports training apparatus as depicted in Figures 6a to 6c has a separate seat portion 20 and straps 22. That is, these are not integrally formed, as is the case in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5c.

The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "having" or "including" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of.