Instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee

• US 10,071,296 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: Dilz, Jr., Albert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/645,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20170304702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 473417
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0075 Means for releasably holding a ball in position prior to kicking, striking or the like golf tees A63B57/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

An instrumented, swing path adjustable, angle-adjustable batting tee is disclosed that measures both a bat speed and a ball exit velocity as a hitter swings a bat and initiates contact with a ball positioned on the tee. A bat speed radar detector is coupled to the tee and positioned within proximity of the ball set on the tee so that the bat speed radar detector measures the bat speed upon the bat initiating contact with the ball. A ball exit velocity radar is coupled to the tee and positioned within proximity of a ball flight of the ball as it leaves the bat so that the ball exit velocity radar measures the ball exit velocity of the ball in-flight after contact between the bat and the ball. The ball flight is a path that the ball travels after contact between the bat and a baseball or softball.

Claims

1. An instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee, comprising:

a batting tee configuration including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the batting tee configuration configured to hold a ball in a stationary position proximate the first end of the batting tee configuration;

a bat speed radar coupled to the batting tee configuration between the stationary position and the first end below a swing plane of a hitter at a bat angle aligned with the swing plane of the hitter, the bat speed radar being configured to measure a bat speed of a bat at a point at which contact is initiated between the bat and the ball; and

a ball exit velocity radar coupled to the batting tee configuration proximate to the second end at a ball angle aligned with an exit velocity vector of a flight path of the ball after contact between the bat and the ball, the ball exit velocity radar being positioned below the flight path of the ball a distance from the stationary position such that the ball exit velocity radar detects a ball exit velocity of the ball early in flight after contact between the bat and the ball and does not detect the bat as the bat travels through the swing plane.

2. The instrumented, angle-adjustable adjusted batting tee of claim 1, wherein the bat speed radar is further configured to transmit the bat speed to a display, and the ball exit velocity radar is further configured to transmit the ball exit velocity to the display so that the bat speed and the ball exit velocity are displayed by the display.

3. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 2, wherein the bat speed and the ball exit velocity are displayed simultaneously by the display.

4. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 2, wherein the bat speed and the ball exit velocity are displayed sequentially by the display.

5. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 1, further comprising:

an adjustable swing angle adapter coupled to the batting tee configuration and configured to be adjusted to adjust the batting tee configuration at an angle that corresponds to an angle of the swing plane so that the ball is positioned in the swing plane and at the angle of the swing plane.

6. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 5, further comprising:

a display configured to display the angle of the batting tee configuration as generated by adjusting the adjustable swing angle adapter that corresponds to the angle of the swing plane.

7. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 1, wherein the bat speed radar includes a first Doppler radar and the ball exit velocity radar includes a second Doppler radar.

8. A method for measuring a bat speed and a ball exit velocity associated with a hitter initiating contact with a ball positioned on a batting tee, comprising:

positioning the ball on a batting tee configuration including a first end and a second end opposite the first end so that the ball is in a stationary position proximate the first end of the batting tee configuration;

positioning a bat speed radar coupled to the batting tee configuration between the stationary position and the first end below a swing plane of a hitter at a bat angle aligned with the swing plane of the hitter;

measuring, by the bat speed radar, the bat speed of a bat at a point at which contact is initiated between the bat and the ball;

positioning a ball exit velocity radar coupled to the batting tee configuration proximate to the second end at a ball angle aligned with an exit velocity vector of a flight path of the ball after contact between the bat and the ball, the ball exit velocity radar being positioned below the flight path of the ball a distance from the stationary position such that the ball exit velocity radar does not detect the bat as the bat travels through the swing plane; and

measuring, by the ball exit velocity radar, the exit velocity of the ball early in flight after contact between the bat and the ball.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring of the bat speed comprises:

measuring the bat speed of the bat when contact is initiated between the bat and the ball.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting, by the bat speed radar, the measured bat speed to the display;

transmitting, by the ball exit velocity radar, the ball exit velocity to a display; and

displaying the bat speed and the ball exit velocity by the display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the measured bat speed and the ball exit velocity are displayed simultaneously by the display.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the measured bat speed and the ball exit velocity are displayed sequentially by the display.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting, by an adjustable swing angle adapter, the batting tee configuration at an angle that corresponds to an angle of the swing plane so that the ball is positioned in the swing plane at the angle of the swing plane.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying, by a display, the angle of the batting tee configuration as generated by adjusting the adjustable swing angle adapter that corresponds to the angle of the swing plane.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the bat speed radar includes a first Doppler Radar and the ball exit velocity radar includes a second Doppler radar.

16. An instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee, comprising:

a batting tee configuration including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the batting tee configuration configured to hold a ball in a stationary position proximate the first end of the batting tee configuration;

a bat speed radar coupled to the batting tee configuration between the stationary position and the first end below a swing plane of a hitter at a bat angle aligned with the swing plane of the hitter, the bat speed radar being configured to measure a bat speed of a bat at a point at which contact is initiated between the bat and the ball;

a ball exit velocity radar coupled to the batting tee configuration proximate to the second end at a ball angle aligned with an exit velocity vector of a flight path of the ball after contact between the bat and the ball, the ball exit velocity radar being positioned below the flight path of the ball a distance from the stationary position such that the ball exit velocity radar detects a ball exit velocity of the ball early in flight after contact between the bat and the ball and does not detect the bat as the bat travels through the swing plain; and

a communications device that includes a display that is configured to display the bat speed and the ball exit velocity.

17. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 16, further comprising:

an adjustable swing angle adapter coupled to the batting tee configuration and configured to adjust the batting tee configuration at an angle that corresponds to an angle of the swing plane so that the ball is positioned in the swing plane and at the angle of the swing plane.

18. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 16, wherein the bat speed radar includes a first Doppler radar and the ball exit velocity radar includes a second Doppler radar.

19. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 16, wherein the communications device is further configured to display the bat speed and the ball exit velocity simultaneously.

20. The instrumented, angle-adjustable batting tee of claim 16, wherein the communications device is further configured to display the bat speed and the ball exit velocity sequentially.