Technical Field

The invention generally relates to boxing equipment and more particularly relates to free standing heavy bags for boxing and punching.

Background

Conventional heavy bags (or so-called “punching bags”) are extended cylindrical bags suspended vertically from by a chain or tether from a ceiling or raised feature. These heavy bags have typically included an outer fabric bag containing a filling. The filling has typically been sawdust, sand, grain, rags or similar material that does not give significantly on punching. The heavy bags have been used in boxing and fighting training. A person will punch, kick and otherwise connect with the bag for practice and workout.

The cylindrical outer surface of conventional heavy bags may hamper punching efforts by fighters seeking to vary styles of punches or kicks. The cylindrical surface may cause glance off the surface of the bag if other than substantially perpendicular punch or kick. Fighters and heavy bag users, however, often desire particular angle of upper cuts and kidney punches, for example.

Moreover, conventional heavy bags have not typically included any punch or kick measurements. These bags are merely bags and the fighter or trainer can only guess at the effect of the punch or kick.

It would be an improvement to provide shaped heavy bags to allow for desirable punch and kick angle and effect. It would further be an improvement to provide to heavy bags a measure for assessment of effect of punches and kicks. Summary

An embodiment of the invention is a system for boxing and exercise. The system includes a base, a support connected to and extending vertically from the base, an extended cylindrical bag having a top, a bottom, and a mid-section, a concave zone of the mid-section of the bag, and a sensor connected to the bag.

Another embodiment of the invention is a system for boxing and training including a heavy bag and a sensor connected to the heavy bag.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method for boxing and exercise including sensing measures for strike count, strike power, strike angle and strike reaction time to a heavy bag.

Another embodiment of the invention is a method of manufacture. The method of manufacture includes providing a stable base, connecting a support to the stable base, connecting a heavy bag around the support, and connecting a sensor to the heavy bag.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a heavy bag having a convex zone and with a strike sensor, according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of a support of a base for a heavy bag (in phantom) having a convex zone and with a strike sensor, according to certain embodiments; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section along line A-A’ of Fig. 2, of durometer layers of a heavy bag having a convex zone and with a strike sensor, according to certain embodiments. Detailed Description

The following description refers to certain specific embodiments; however, the specific embodiments are merely illustrative and variations and changes may be made in the embodiments without diverting from the broad scope encompassed by the disclosure.

Referring to Fig. 1 , a system 100 includes a heavy bag 102 having a vertical cylindrical shape. The bag 102 includes a concave zone 106 in the central vertical area of the bag 102. The bag 102 is connected to and extends vertically from a base 104. The bag 102 includes a sensor 108, for example, at a vertical top location of the bag 102.

The bag 102 is sufficiently resilient to allow punching and kicking the bag 102. Punches and kicks may deflect the bag 102 from side to side on the base 102. The deflections are measured by the sensor 108. The concave zone 106 of the bag 102 creates a realistic feel to the user for upper cuts, kidney punches and the like. The base 102 is, for example, molded or otherwise formed or configured, and contains weight, such as for non-exclusive example water, sand or the like. The weight of the base 104 retains the bag 102 in substantially same lateral vicinity when the bag 102 is punched or kicked.

Referring to Fig. 2, in conjunction with Fig. 1 , a system 200 includes the base 104 and heavy bag 102 with concave zone 106 (in phantom). A flexible, upright support 202 is connected to the base 104. The support 202 allows the bag 104 to deflect from side to side in relation to the base 104, with the bag 102 retained upright and in connection to the base 104 by the support 202.

Referring to Fig. 3, in conjunction with Figs. 1 and 2, a cross-section 300 of the bag 102 and upright support 202 includes, as non-exclusive example, three layers within the bag 102. A first durometer layer 302 is adjacent to or forms an outer surface of the bag 102. The first durometer layer 302 may provide impact on strike or kick of or in respect of human bodily outer layers. A second durometer layer 304 is internal to the first durometer layer 302 in the bag 102. The second durometer layer 304 may be of higher density and/or stiffer than the first durometer layer 302. The second durometer layer 304 may provide impact on strike or kick of or in respect of underlying human bodily layers. A third durometer layer 306 contacts the support 202 and is internal to the second durometer layer 304 in the bag 102. The third durometer layer 306 may provide limited impact on strike or kick of or in respect of internal human bodily parts and features.

In certain embodiments, the concave zone 106 creates a realistic feel for upper cuts and kidney punches. The zone 106 circles the bag 102 at vertical height substantially mid the vertical length of the bag 102. The zone 106 thereby simulates the mid-section of the human body when receiving cutting strikes and kicks.

In certain embodiments, the sensor 108 may be located at top of the bag 102 or as otherwise configured. The sensor 108, as non-exclusive example, is a 3-axis accelerometer. The sensor 108 gathers data of strike count, power, angle and athlete reaction time. The sensor 108 has onboard or other power and communicatively connects to remote devices (not shown), such as for non-exclusive example a smart cell phone, tablet, notebook, desktop computer or other processing device. The sensor 108 may communicatively connect, as non-exclusive example, via low powered Bluetooth™ protocol or otherwise. The sensor 108 may connect to an app program operating on a processing device. The sensor 108 can receive update control language and other improvements. In operation, the heavy bag 102 provides three strike zones simulating the head, body and legs of an opponent. The upper portion of the bag 102 is the head zone. The middle portion of the bag 102 is the body zone. The lower portion of the bag 102 is the legs zone. The body zone of the bag 102 has the concave zone 106 which creates more realistic upper cuts and kidney punches and provides a visual target for body strikes.

The bag 102 is supported by the support 102 and is stabilized by the base 104. An outer surface of the bag 102 is durable and dissipates energy to reduce impact while maintaining a quality image and performance of the bag 102. In certain nonexclusive embodiments, the bag 102 may include an outer cover as the outer surface to contain the durometer layers 302, 304, 306. The base 104 is weighted and may be formed of any of a variety of materials or combinations of materials. For non-exclusive example, the base 104 is moulded plastic and contains a weighted material, such as sand, water or the like, suitable for stabilization of the bag 102.

The durometer layers 302, 304, 306 of the bag 102 may be formed of foams, rubbers, poly materials, plastics, and others and combinations as desired, and each layer may be so formed and differentiated from other layers. The concave zone 106 of the bag 102 may be formed by moulding, cutting, boring or otherwise. The support 202 may be an extended length of a metal, plastic, rubber, or other material sufficient to support the bag 102 upright and to deflect and give on blows to the bag 102 to simulate punch and kick to the human body. A wide variety of materials and combinations of materials may be employed for the bag 102, the base 104 and the support 202.

Any of a wide variety of sensor 108 may be employed in embodiments. Although a 3-axis accelerometer with communication capability with a communicatively connected app program is described, any tilt or movement sensor may be employed. The sensor may include or be connected to power supply. Although Bluetooth™ communication is contemplated, embodiments include any other vehicle of communication. Moreover, the sensor may itself include readout display or sound, as well as memory for recording and storing strike and kick parameters. The measures by the sensor can include, such as for non-exclusive example, strike, kick or other punch count, power of strike, kick or other punch, angle of strike, kick or other punch, and reaction time of the user, as well as any other measures possible with the sensor. The sensor may itself, or through communicative connection with an app program, calculate or otherwise process measurements of the sensor in order to provide a wide variety of parameters of strike, kick, punch or other jar or movement of the bag.

In the foregoing, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, however, that various modifications, substitutions, deletions, and additions can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications substitutions, deletions, and additions are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that may have been described above with regard to specific embodiments, as well as device(s), connection(s), step(s) and element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced, are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element.