Swing practice apparatus

• US 10,456,648 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takeo Imahata
• Original Assignee: Takeo Imahata
• Inventors: Imahata, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Legesse, Nini F
• Application Number:
  US16/390,271
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 473422-430, 473451, 473417
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0079 Balls tethered to a line or cord A63B43/007 takes precedence; other games using tethered balls A63B67/10; games using a bat or racket with a ball tethered thereto A63B67/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence

Abstract

A swing practice apparatus has a base portion that makes a contact on a ground, a standing pole that extends upward vertically from the base portion, a horizontal arm that is elongated between a first base side and a third base side and is arranged to be perpendicular to the standing pole, a hinged arm that is rotatable at one end at a middle of the horizontal arm, a trajectory pipe attached to the other end of the hinged arm, a trajectory wire connected between the trajectory pipe and a bracing structure, and a ball suspended to a suspension ring which is slidable along the trajectory wire and the trajectory pipe.

Claims

1. A swing practice apparatus comprising:

a base portion that makes a contact on a ground;

a winding roller having an attaching mechanism;

a trajectory wire, one end of which is connected to the attaching mechanism of the winding roller, and the other end of which is connected to a bracing structure;

a standing pole that extends upward vertically from the base portion;

a horizontal arm that is elongated between a first base side and a third base side and is arranged to be perpendicular to the standing pole;

a pair of horizontal arm wire guide pulleys, having grooves, attached side by side at a middle of the horizontal arm, to receive the trajectory wire in the grooves;

a hinged arm that is rotatable at one end by a hinge at a middle of the horizontal arm;

a hinged arm wire guide pulley attached at an end of the hinged arm opposite to the middle of the horizontal arm;

a trajectory wire hole formed at the end of the hinged arm where the hinged arm wire guide pulley is positioned, wherein the trajectory wire hole is adapted to allow passage of the trajectory wire;

a trajectory pipe, one end of which is connected to the hinged arm at the trajectory wire hole, and the other end is extended toward a pitcher side and has a peak hole at its terminal end adapted to allow passage of the trajectory wire; and

a ball suspended to a suspension ring, wherein the suspension ring is slidable along the trajectory wire and the trajectory pipe.

2. The swing practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a base contact portion having a flat surface adopted to contact on a ground, and a prong portion provided at the bottom of the base contact portion and has a tapered end.

3. The swing practice apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a gear connected to the winding roller, having a plurality of teeth; and

a stopper that has an end to engage with one of the plurality of teeth of the winding roller.

4. The swing practice apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a spring that exerts force to the stopper so that the end of the stopper is securely engaged to a tooth of the gear by being pushed toward the tooth.

5. The swing practice apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a handle attached to the gear for the user to manually rotate the gear and the winding roller to wind and unwind the trajectory wire.

6. The swing practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trajectory pipe has a curved portion that simulates a curve ball.

7. The swing practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trajectory pipe is straight.

8. The swing practice apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an upper portion comprised of:

a vertical bar connected to the horizontal arm and the hinged arm;

the horizontal arm that is attached perpendicularly to the vertical bar; and

the hinged arm;

wherein the vertical bar is elongated vertically and has a plurality of fixing holes and the standing pole has plurality of positioning holes, and the fixing holes and the positioning holes are adapted to be connected by being inserted by a screw.