WEARABLE TRAINING DEVICE FOR PITCHING

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/186,893, filed 11 May 2021, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wearable training devices and, more particularly, a wristband configured to provide immediate feedback, such as an audible sound, when the arm moves in a pitching motion deemed proper.

Softball players risk injury if they are not moving their arm properly, in a natural body motion, when they pitch. Good softball pitchers typically hold their arm straight and rotate their pitching arm around their shoulder joints to pitch. Such a motion enables a straight pitch that does not risk injury to the pitcher's arm. Accordingly, to throw a softball straight and safely it is important that the pitcher maintain the movement of their pitching arm during the pitch in the vertical plane.

Currently, for fast-pitch softball, pitching instructors must take slow motion videos to see if the pitcher is indeed using proper form—i.e., keeping their arm motion along the vertical plane. And as a result, a significant amount of time is used up during a lesson by the instructor watching replays. Since many youth instructors are not employed full time to teach one player, the limited time an instructor dedicates to a play involves them watching such replays, depriving the novice pitcher and instructor the time that could be spent on the other fundamentals of pitching, the sport generally, or related teachings. As a corollary, parents paying for instructions are paying a significant amount money for the instructor to spend time watching replays.

Moreover, to properly and accurately underhand pitch, the pitcher must be able to consistently control the direction of the ball prior to its release point. Furthermore, when underhand pitching, the inner forearm should graze, brush against, or otherwise tangentially contact a specific region of the pitcher's lower body. The specific region is adjacent the hip and lower rib cage area or adjacent lateral portions of their body.

Accordingly, to better train people to safely and accurately underhand pitch, a person must practice moving their arm only in the vertical plane prior to releasing the softball.

As can be seen, there is a need for a wearable device for the arm of the pitcher, wherein the wearable device is configured to produce an audible sound or other immediate feedback when the arm engages in a proper form or pitching motion during at least a portion of the underhand pitching process. The wearable device can be embodied in a wristband, though other wearables that engage the pitching arm are contemplated by the present invention.

As a result of this immediate feedback, when the pitching motion is correct, both the instructor and student know immediately if the pitching motion was performed the correct way. Thereby, the immediate feedback teaches the user how to move their arm in a safe an efficient way during the pitching process, as opposed to after the fact during film study. There are no other devices like this out there which is unfortunately leading young pitchers to not perform correctly and risk injury.

By practicing the pitching motion, the audible indication/feedback will confirm and teach proper pitching arm motion, and relative position of the arm with respect to the lateral, midportion of the body, during the underhand softball pitching process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of teaching underhand pitching of a softball, the method includes the following: providing a wearable adapted to receive an arm of a human wearer; and placing a wearable below an elbow of the human wearer, wherein the wearable has an engagement point facing up and slightly inwards, and wherein the engagement point is operatively associated with a transducer configured to convert a force to an audible sound; and further attaching a visual indicium over the engagement point, wherein the visual indicium protrudes beyond an exterior surface of the wearable by up to approximately one-quarter of an inch, wherein the visual indicium is a patch, and wherein the wearable is a wristband.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of teaching underhand pitching of a softball, the method includes the following: providing a wearable adapted to receive an arm of a human wearer, wherein the wearable has an engagement point, and wherein the engagement point is operatively associated with a transducer configured to convert a force to an audible sound; and placing the wearable along the arm adjacent the associated elbow so that the engagement point is facing up and slightly inwards so that when the arm moves in a vertical plane through an underhand pitching motion the audible sound is produce, wherein the production of the audible sound is cause by contact of the engagement point against a back side of a rib cage of the human wearer.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, to device for training underhand pitching, the device includes the following: a wearable adapted to receive an arm of a human wearer; an engagement point along an exterior surface of the wearable; and the engagement point is operatively associated with a transducer configured to convert a force to an audible sound; and a visual indicium covering the engagement point and the visual indicium protruding up to approximately a quarter inch therefrom, wherein the wearable is a wristband, wherein the visual indicium is a patch, and wherein the transducer is fully embedded in the wristband.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use, illustrating proper placement of the wearable training device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use, illustrating that as the full round arm swing of the pitch comes around, the engagement point 14 of the wearable training device 100 (in the represented embodiment, the engagement point 14 is indicated by the patch 30) will contact against a lateral portion of the pitcher's body, around their lower rib cage and or hip area, if the pitcher's arm 50 is traveling in the vertical plane. At this moment of contact, the compressive force experienced by the engagement point 14 will be converted into an audible sound by way of the transducer 20, thereby providing an audio indication by the pitcher has maintained their pitching arm in the vertical plane throughout the pitching motion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a movement assessment apparatus in the form of a wearable training apparatus for softball pitching. The apparatus has a wearable form embodying a transducer device operatively associated with an engagement point along the external surface of the wearable form, wherein the transducer converts a force into an audible sound wave. A patch may externally cover and thus identify this engagement point. In use, so that when the wearable form is worn on the forearm below the elbow of a human wearer, wherein the patch is facing up and turned slightly inwards, the transducer device will produce a sound (or squeak) when compressed between the forearm and back side of the rib cage of the wearer. This intersection of the forearm and back side of the rib cage is indicative of proper pitching form.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 6, the present invention may include a wearable training device and system 100. The wearable training device 100 may be dimensioned and adapted in a wearable form 10 capable of being worn on an arm of a human user. In certain embodiments, the wearable form 10 may be in the form of an endless loop or wristband.

A transducer 20 may by operatively associated with the wearable form 10 to enable the wearable training device and system 100. In certain embodiments, the transducer 20 is embodied, embedded, or otherwise connected inside the wearable form 10. By inside, it is understood that the transducer 20 is in the material or body of the wearable form 10, as opposed to a passageway 12 it defines for receiving an arm. The transducer is configured to make an audible sound when subjected to a predetermined force, pressure, or impact energy while embodied, embedded, or otherwise connected inside the wearable form 10.

The transducer 20 defines a lumen 22 and is configured to produce a sound in response to air passing through the lumen 22. The transducer 20 may have a body member 24 that may be of any shape or size if it functions as disclosed herein (including but not limited to fitting inside the wearable form 10). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the body member 24 is in the form of a sphere or ball. In other embodiments, the body member 24 may have a different shape, such as a cube or other shape.

The body member 24 may be formed of a material that will return to its original shape or form once the squeezing or compression force is removed from the body member 24. An extension portion 26 may extend from the body member 24, wherein the extension portion 26 the defines the lumen 22. The lumen 22 is configured to produce a sound in response to air passing through therethrough, wherein the air is urged through compression of the body member 24.

The wearable training device and system 100 may include a visual indicium 30, or patch, which is removably attachable along an exterior surface of the wearable form 10. The visual indicium 30 or patch is dimensioned and adapted to create a more solid surface when the transducer 20 is place in the wearable form 10, directly under the visual indicium 30. The visual indicium 30 or patch protrudes from the exterior surface of the wristband by approximately one-quarter of an inch, further facilitating the force signal that the transducer converts to an audible sound wave when compressed between the forearm 50 and back side of the rib cage/hip area of the pitcher.

The proper placement of the wearable form 10 is straight down below the inside of the elbow and between the inside of the arm, as illustrated in FIG. 5. When worn correctly, upon impact of the engagement point 14, the transducer 30 will make a sound to help the pitcher, instructor, and anyone (e.g., proud parent) in earshot realize that the pitcher used the proper throwing motion. Also, the visual indicia 30 gives the pitcher a spot to target, making it easier for them to visualize their target. Proper pitching mechanics are so important because when done the wrong way, underhand pitching can cause injury to the shoulder over time, especially when as the pitcher gets older and adds more mass to their arm 50.

One method of manufacturing the present invention may include the following. First, a manufacturer may gather a wristband 10, transducer 20, and a patch big enough to cover the transducer 20. Then they could heat-press a patch 30 onto the wristband 30 over the engagement point along an exterior of the wristband. Next, they may cut the inside of the wristband 10 just big enough to get the transducer 20 inside and set with adhesive, such as hot glue. The final step is to then sew the incision made into the wristband shut.

One could possibly add some circuitry 40 in the wearable form 10 that works with a software application, wherein the circuitry 40 includes sensors, accelerometers, and other electronic components to measure force, motion, acceleration, and velocity of the moving wearable form 10, and thus the arm 50 t is associated with.

A method of using the present invention may include the following. The wearable training device and system 100 disclosed herein. The wearable form 10 must be placed on the forearm below the elbow and the patch 30 critically must be facing up and turned slightly inwards to be used to the best of its capabilities.

Additionally, there are other sports where a thrower hurls an object underhand, such as horseshoes, bowling, curling and bocce. The present invention would be a boon for these activities having a common underhand arm motion. Also, the present invention could possibly be used in other sports that would benefit from an audible indicator being heard along a certain point during an arm motion, such as when throwing the football.

As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term “substantially” refers to up to 90% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The words “about,” “approximately,” or the like, when accompanying a numerical value, are to be construed as indicating a deviation as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art to operate satisfactorily for an intended purpose. Ranges of values and/or numeric values are provided herein as examples only, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the described embodiments. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.

In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.