Ball game recreational and training device

Abstract: A ball game recreational or training device comprises a housing (1) adapted to be held in a user's hand. The housing (1) contains a reel (21) on which is wound a tether (3), the free end of the tether (3) being secured, externally of the housing (1), to a ball (5) such that the tether (3) may be dispensed from the housing (1) by the application of force to the ball (5). The reel (21) is spring-loaded for automatic rewinding of the tether (3), and a detent (7) mounted within the housing (1) is moveable from a first position in which the detent (7) is clear of the reel (21) to a second position in which the detent (7) engages the reel (21) to arrest dispensing of the tether (3) from the reel (21). The detent (7) is moveable from the first position to the second position along an axis substantially radial to the reel (21) and there is provided a locking member (28) moveable, when the detent (7) is in the second position, along an axis substantially normal to the axis of movement of the detent (7) from an unlocked position, in which the detent (7) is freely moveable, to a locked position, in which the detent (7) is locked in the second position.

Description: This invention relates to a ball game recreational and training device, in particular to such a device for use as a training aid for soccer. Training devices for soccer or other ball games, in which the ball is held captive on a tether secured to, or held by, the user, are known. Such devices eliminate the need for the user to retrieve the ball after it has been kicked away. One such device is sold under the registered trade mark KICKMASTER and comprises a soccer ball held within a net at the end of a line which is wound on a spring-loaded reel. The reel is housed in a casing which is held in the user's hand and is provided with a pivotally mounted stop button which can be depressed by the user's thumb when the ball is kicked away to arrest the flight of the ball. The stop button may also be depressed and pushed forward to lock the reel and thus hold constant the length of line dispensed from the reel. The device is useful but in certain circumstances the stop mechanism may be less easy to operate than would be desired, eg by young users. Another device is known from US-A-5,401,034. There has now been devised an improved ball game recreational and training device which overcomes or substantially mitigates the above-mentioned disadvantage. According to the invention, there is provided a ball game recreational or training device comprising a housing adapted to be held in a user's hand, the housing containing a reel on which is wound a tether, the free end of the tether being secured, externally of the housing, to a ball such that the tether may be dispensed from the housing by the application of force to the ball, the reel being spring-loaded for automatic rewinding of the tether, and a detent mounted within the housing and moveable from a first position in which the detent is clear of the reel to a second position in which the detent engages the reel to arrest dispensing of the tether from the reel, the detent being biassed to the first position, wherein the detent is moveable from the first position to the second position along an axis substantially radial to the reel and wherein there is further provided a locking member moveable, when the detent is in the second position, along an axis substantially normal to the axis of movement of the detent from an unlocked position in which the detent is freely moveable to a locked position in which the detent is locked in the second position. The device according to the invention is advantageous primarily in that the detent and the locking member are easy to operate. The detent is moved simply by depressing it from the first position to the second position. It may be locked in the second position simply by moving the locking member transverse to the detent from the unlocked to the locked position. Since the detent is biassed to the first position, in which it is clear of the reel, the ball may be kicked away, and is retrieved, without the need for the user to perform any separate action such as pressing a button. Nonetheless, the detent may be used to arrest the flight of the ball as it is kicked or otherwise propelled away from the user, and the device may therefore be used safely within a confined space. Where space permits, the possibility of extending the tether to relatively long distances, eg of several metres, may enable some exercises to be more realistic, eg heading, volleying and ball receiving exercises, the flight of the ball being more similar to that of a free ball. The detent is preferably actuatable by, for example, the thumb of the user's hand. In use, with the button released, the ball may be kicked away, thereby causing the tether to unwind. The ball then travels a distance dependent upon the force applied to it, and returns under the influence of the spring-loaded reel. Alternatively, eg if he is using the device in a confined space, the user may arrest the travel of the ball by depressing the button and thereby moving the detent to the second position. The ball then returns under its own momentum, or under the influence of the spring-loaded reel if the button is released, or is recovered by the user tugging on the tether, slack in the tether being taken up automatically by the spring-loaded reel after the button is released. The detent is preferably biassed to the first position by a resilient spring. Engagement of the detent with the reel in the second position is preferably by cooperation of the detent with suitable formations provided on the reel. The housing is preferably of moulded plastics, and preferably has an integral handle. The tether itself may be of any material of suitable strength and flexibility. One example is a braided rope of suitable synthetic material, eg nylon. The locking member is preferably a bar, eg a cylindrical bar which is slidable transverse to the detent. The bar is preferably somewhat longer than the width of the housing such that at least one end of the bar protrudes from the housing at all times. In the unlocked position, one end of the bar may protrude from the housing and this end may be pressed by the user to move the bar to the locked position. The bar may be provided with a suitable formation, eg a suitably formed projection, to engage the detent and hold it in the locked position. In the locked position, the other end of the bar preferably protrudes from the housing such that the bar may be returned to the unlocked position by pressing that end of the bar. The means for securing the tether to the ball may include a net to which the end of the tether is fixed, the net being of a suitable size and mesh to hold the ball captive. To prevent twisting of the tether, a swivel may be provided close to the ball. The swivel may be of conventional form and permits rotation of the ball about the axis of the tether, without twisting of the tether. The swivel may be positioned about 1 metre from the end of the tether and may also serve as a stop, preventing complete rewinding of the tether onto the reel. Although of particular utility in conjunction with a soccer ball, the device of the invention may also be used with certain other game balls. The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ball game recreational and training device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation, cut away, of a handle cartridge forming part of the recreational and training device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detailed view of the portion III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view on the arrow IV in Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a view on the arrow V in Figure 2 of locking components forming part of the ball game recreational and training device in (a) unlocked and (b) locked conditions. Referring first to Figure 1, a ball game recreational and training device comprises a moulded plastics cartridge 1 with an integral handle 2. The cartridge 1 contains a spring-loaded reel (see Figure 2) on which is wound a braided nylon cord 3. The cord 3 extends through an opening in the cartridge 1 and its free end is secured to a net 4 which holds a soccer ball 5. The cartridge 1 also contains a stop mechanism (described below) operable by a thumb-actuatable button 7 which protrudes through an aperture in the cartridge 1. When the button 7 is depressed, withdrawal of the cord 3 from the cartridge 1 is prevented. When the button 7 is released, the cord 3 may be withdrawn from the cartridge 1. In the absence of any withdrawing force, the cord 3 is rewound by the spring-loaded rewinding action of the reel. About 1 metre from the ball 5, the cord 3 is interrupted by a swivel 6. The swivel 6 is of conventional form and comprises two substantially D-shaped steel loops one of which is provided with an axle on which the other is rotatably mounted. The swivel 6 permits the ball 5 to twist about the axis of the cord 3 without causing twisting of the cord 3 itself. Referring now to Figure 2, the cartridge comprises a pair of moulded plastics housing members having interfitting formations around their edges. The cartridge 1 houses a reel 21 on which the cord 3 is wound. The reel 21 is mounted on a spindle 24 and is biased by a helically coiled ribbon spring (not shown) such that, unless prevented by the stop means in the manner described below, the cord 3 is automatically rewound. The ribbon spring is housed in a hollow, radially inner, portion of the reel 21 one end of the spring being held in a transverse slot in the spindle 24. The reel 21 is provided around its circumference with upstanding formations which define a series of equi-angularly spaced stops 25. The thumb-actuatable button 7 is slidably mounted in the cartridge 1. The button 7 is hollow and houses a compression spring (not visible) by which it is biassed upwards. In Figures 2 and 3 the button 7 is shown in a depressed condition in which its lower end engages the stops 25 to prevent unwinding of the cord 3 from the reel 21. When released the button 7 moves upwards (as viewed in Figures 2 and 3), its lower end clears the stops 25, and hence the cord 3 may be dispensed against the action of the ribbon spring (eg by the user kicking the ball 5). In this position, after the ball 5 is kicked away, the cord 3 is automatically rewound under the influence of the ribbon spring. Thus, with the button 7 in its normal, rest position the user may kick the ball 5 away, the travel of the ball 5 being limited only by the effect of the ribbon spring or by the length of the cord 3. After reaching the limit of its travel, the ball 5 returns automatically to the user. If the user is using the device in a confined space, or if he wishes to increase the speed of repetition of the exercises he is performing, the user may arrest the flight of the ball 5 by depressing the button 7 against the action of the compression spring. When this is done, the button 7 engages the stops 25 on the reel 21 and prevents further dispensing of the cord 3. Release of the button 7 permits rewinding of the cord 3. Finally, it may be desired to perform an exercise in which the length of dispensed cord is held constant. This can be achieved either by continued pressure on the button 7 to hold it in the Figure 2 position. More conveniently, however, the button is pressed downwardly and a locking bar 28, which is mounted for transverse sliding movement, is pressed into locking engagement with the button 7, eg by the user's index finger. The bar 28 has an integral abutment 29 which engages a projection 30 formed on the button 7 and thereby retains the button 7 in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. To release the button 7 from this locked position, the locking bar 28 is pressed back to its original position, which moves the abutment 29 out of engagement with the projection 30. The button 7 then moves upwards under the action of the compression spring, a cut-out 31 being provided in the locking bar 28 to facilitate movement of the projection 30 past the locking bar 28. Figure 5 shows in more detail the relative positions of the locking bar 28 and the button 7 in the (a) unlocked and (b) locked conditions. In Figure 5 the surrounding components have been omitted for clarity. In use, the user holds the handle 2 in his hand and may perform a great variety of tricks or training exercises. For examples, he may, with the button 7 released, kick the ball 5. When the ball 5 reaches the end of its flight, it returns under the influence of the spring-loaded reel 21. Alternatively, the user may limit the travel of the ball 5 by depressing the button 7, preventing further withdrawal of the cord 3 from the cartridge 1 and arresting the flight of the ball 5. The ball 5 may then return under its own momentum to the user. Alternatively, holding the button 7 down, the user tugs on the cord 3 by jerking the hand holding the cartridge 1 backwards. This causes the ball 5 to return, any slack cord 3 being taken up automatically upon release of the button 7. To practice volleys or headers, the user may depress the button 7 to hold the length of the cord 3 fixed, and flick the ball 5 into the air. He then kicks or heads the ball 5, simultaneously releasing the button 7. The ball is then retrieved as described above. Alternatively, the user may withdraw a desired length of cord 3 from the cartridge 1 and then press the button 7 downwardly and in this position, the length of the tether dispensed from the cartridge is fixed.

Claims: A ball game recreational or training device comprising a housing (1) adapted to be held in a user's hand, the housing (1) containing a reel (21) on which is wound a tether (3), the free end of the tether (3) being secured, externally of the housing (1), to a ball (5) such that the tether (3) may be dispensed from the housing (1) by the application of force to the ball (5), the reel (21) being spring-loaded for automatic rewinding of the tether (3), and a detent (7) mounted within the housing (1) and moveable from a first position in which the detent (7) is clear of the reel (21) to a second position in which the detent (7) engages the reel (21) to arrest dispensing of the tether (3) from the reel (21), the detent (7) being biassed to the first position, characterised in that the detent (7) is moveable from the first position to the second position along an axis substantially radial to the reel (21) and in that there is further provided a locking member (28) moveable, when the detent (7) is in the second position, along an axis substantially normal to the axis of movement of the detent (7) from an unlocked position in which the detent (7) is freely moveable to a locked position in which the detent (7) is locked in the second position. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the locking member (28) is a bar which is slidable transverse to the detent (7). A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the bar (28) is cylindrical. A device as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the bar (28) is longer than the width of the housing (1) such that at least one end of the bar (28) protrudes from the housing (1) at all times. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the bar (28) is provided with a formation (29) to engage the detent (7) and hold it in the locked position. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the detent (7) is actuatable by the thumb of the user's hand. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the detent (7) is biassed to the first position by a resilient spring. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein engagement of the detent (7) with the reel in the second position is by cooperation of the detent (7) with suitable formations (25) provided on the reel (21). A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing (1) is of moulded plastics. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for securing the tether (3) to the ball (5) includes a net (4) to which the end of the tether (3) is fixed, the net (4) being of a suitable size and mesh to hold the ball (5) captive.

Inventors: MALLINGER DAVID PETER, MALLINGER, DAVID PETER
Applicants: M V SPORTS & LEISURE LTD, M.V. SPORTS & LEISURE LIMITED
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A63B69
IPC codes: A63B69