Baseball bunting target system

• US 7,534,177 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AF Sports LLC
• Original Assignee: Aer-Flo Canvas Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Henning, William W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/616,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 473416-451, 473/452, 473/459, 473/465, 473/470, 473/504
• US Class Current: 473/451
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball

Abstract

A batter training and protection system is shown. A protector for protecting an infield area is provided with a plurality of indicia situated thereon or integrally formed therein to define a plurality of target areas, respectively. The indicia may comprise a plurality of material segments, a plurality of colors, patterns, graphics or the like in order to define the plurality of target areas at which a player may practice bunting a baseball.

Claims

1. A bunting trainer for use in combination with a playing field comprising a baseball field having an infield area between a pitcher'"'"'s mound area and a home plate area, said bunting trainer comprising:

a bunting target panel having a plurality of bunting targets, said bunting target panel being adapted to be situated on the infield area on the baseball field;

said plurality of bunting targets defining a plurality of generally planar target zones, respectively after said bunting trainer is situated on the infield area;

said plurality of generally planar target zones being defined by at least one indicia;

each of said plurality of generally planar target zones being defined at least partially by generally opposing edges or lines that are not parallel;

said bunting target panel being generally flexible and covering said infield area when the bunting target panel is situated thereon.

2. The baseball field as recited in claim 1 wherein said bunting target comprises a plurality of indicia to define said plurality of bunting targets.

3. The baseball field as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one indicia comprise colors or patterns.

4. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one bunting target defines either a trapezoid or rectangle.

5. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one of said plurality of bunting targets comprises at least one material segment.

6. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 5 wherein said at least one material segment comprises at least one indicia.

7. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one indicia comprises a shape of said bunting target.

8. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one indicia comprises a color integrally formed or applied to said bunting target.

9. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 8 wherein said color is red, yellow or green.

10. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one bunting target defines a protector for facilitating protecting the surface on which it is placed from bunted baseballs.

11. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of generally planar target zones define at least one of a bunt-for-hit area, a sacrifice bunt area or a bad-bunt area.

12. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of generally planar target zones are defined by at least one color is integrally formed in said bunting target to identify at least one of said plurality of generally planar target zones.

13. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 12 wherein said at least one color is integrally formed in said cover material and identifies at least one of a bunt-for-hit area, a sacrifice bunt area or a bad-bunt area.

14. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 13 wherein said color is yellow, green or red.

15. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said bunting trainer comprises:

a plurality of covers that cooperate to define said bunting target for training a player to hit a baseball to a plurality of generally planar target zones; and

a plurality of indicia associated with said plurality of covers, respectively.

16. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein said plurality of covers may be detachably fastened together.

17. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein said plurality of covers are permanently fastened together.

18. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein said plurality of covers, when fastened together, define a trapezoid.

19. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 17 wherein said plurality of covers, when fastened together, define a trapezoid.

20. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein said plurality of indicia are defined by a shape of said plurality of covers.

21. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein a plurality of said plurality of covers comprise different dimension.

22. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein a plurality of said plurality of indicia comprise different dimensions.

23. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 15 wherein said plurality of indicia are defined by a plurality of colors, respectively, integrally formed in said plurality of covers.

24. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 23 wherein said colors are at least one of the following:

red, yellow or green.

25. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one of said plurality of bunting targets defines a third base target for positioning in operative relationship with a third baseline.

26. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said baseball field comprises a third baseline, said at least one of said plurality of bunting targets defines a plurality of boundary edges that are generally parallel to a third baseline when said at least one bunting target panel is situated over a predetermined area.

27. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said bunting trainer has a shape that is polygonal and defines at least one of a rectangle, triangle, trapezoid or parallelogram.

28. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of bunting target panels are material segments permanently secured together by welding or sewing.

29. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 28 wherein said bunting target comprises a vinyl coated polyester mesh material.

30. The bunting trainer as recited in claim 28 wherein said bunting target comprises a solid fabric material.