Soccer Training Apparatus

• US 20120083368A1
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eden Variety Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eden Variety Products, LLC
• Inventors: Ganuza, Wilfredo
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/446
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/08 anchored at one end
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4013 to the ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/31 Relative speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0073 Means for releasably holding a ball in position; Balls constrained to move around a fixed point, e.g. by tethering

Abstract

An elegantly simple training apparatus that helps soccer players quantify, and improve, their kicking skills. The soccer training apparatus includes a cage having a base, and at least one hand railing connected to the base. The base has a front portion and a rear portion with a ball moveably affixed, or tethered, to the front portion of the base by an attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism may include, or be connected to, a force measuring mechanism that measures the force exerted on the ball after a user kicks the ball. The soccer training apparatus may also include a force display unit that displays that force to the user. The hand railing may extend over the base rear portion and may have a resistance band attached, that may exert a force on a user'"'"'s kicking foot during a kick.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a cage, having a base and at least one hand railing connected to the base, the base having a front portion and a rear portion;

a ball, moveably affixed to the front portion of the base by an attachment mechanism;

a force measuring mechanism that measures the force exerted on the ball after a user kicks the ball, and a force display unit that displays that force to the user.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the hand railing extends over the base rear portion and the hand railing has a resistance band attached thereto which exerts force on a user'"'"'s kicking foot.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the ball is a soccer ball.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the ball is moveably affixed to the front portion with a spring.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the ball is movably affixed to the front portion with a sliding bar mechanism.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the force measuring mechanism uses a spring.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the force measuring mechanism uses a load cell.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the force display is a digital readout.