Abstract:
A portable pitching mound that includes three flat panels, sequentially attached to each other. The flat panels are pivotally attached to each other such that they fold in upon each other when not in use.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 61/001,002, filed Oct. 29, 2007 by Don Gensler and which is titled “Portable Pitching Mound”. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Youth athletics are generally conducted on limited budgets and at constantly varying venues. The sport of youth base-ball or softball is not an exception and is also confronted with these issues. Practice sessions and even league games can be conducted on a flat field which is devoid of a pitching mound. In response to this problem, several “portable” pitching mounds have been devised. 
         [0003]    Prior to now, portable pitching mounds have been bulky and heavy. Typically, a portable pitching mound of prior art must be transported using a pickup truck and must be handled by at least two people because of its size and/or weight. These limitations run contrary to the typical way in which youth sports are conducted. Typically, a single coach administers practice sessions and may or may not have access to a larger vehicle that can be used to transport a portable pitching mound. 
         [0004]    What is clearly needed is a portable pitching mound that can be transported using a small vehicle and that can be handled by one person. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]    The foregoing aspects are better understood from the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial illustration of one example embodiment of a portable pitching mound; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial illustration that depicts rotation of the third platform relative to the second platform of the described portable pitching mound; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial illustration that depicts another aspect of portability of the present portable pitching mound; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a pictorial illustration that depicts a fully folded configuration of the present portable pitching mound. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial illustration of one example embodiment of a portable pitching mound. According to this example embodiment, it portable pitching mound comprises a first platform  10 , a second platform  40 , and a third platform  70 . A first cavity  20  is further included in this example embodiment of a portable pitching mound. The first cavity  20  is disposed beneath the first platform  10 . Typically, this a first cavity  20  is in opposition to the first platform  10 . When the apparatus is in use, a user  15  stands upon the first platform  10 . The first cavity  20  provides an elevation  25  above the surface of the ground  85  upon which the portable pitching mound is positioned. Typically, this elevation is approximately 8 to 10 inches, but this example elevation is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. In some example embodiments, the first platform  10  is supported by one or more braces  80  disposed horizontally beneath the first platform  10 . Typically, the one or more braces  80  are fixed to a cross braces  87  at one end of the first cavity  20 . This end  37  of the cavity  20  is typically left in an embodiment where the first cavity  20  is established by three risers  22 . One of the risers  22  closes the opposing end  35  of the first cavity  20  and the remaining two risers  22  are set substantially perpendicular  23  to the riser closing the end of the first cavity  20 . 
         [0011]    According to this example embodiment, a portable pitching mound further includes a second platform  40 . This second platform  40  is attached to the first platform  10  at a first pivot point  30 . Directly underneath the second platform  40 , this example embodiment further includes a second cavity  50 . This second cavity  50  is formed by two risers  52 . In this example embodiment, the two risers  52  that form the second cavity  50  are tapered at an angle  120  so as to allow the second platform  40  to rest at a descending slope relative to the first platform  10 . A third platform  70  is also included in this example embodiment and is attached to the second platform  40  at a second pivot  60 . This third platform  70 , according to this example embodiment is supported by risers  100 , which are also tapered by a similar angle  110  so as to allow the third platform  70  to rest at substantially the same descending slope as the second platform  40 . This descending slope allows the user  15  to step downward through a pitching motion. 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial illustration that depicts rotation of the third platform relative to the second platform of the described portable pitching mound. In this example embodiment, portability is achieved by allowing the third platform  70  to rotate  130  about the second pivot point  60 . The third platform  70  is rotated about the second pivot point  60  until it is fully enveloped within the second cavity  50 . 
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial illustration that depicts another aspect of portability of the present portable pitching mound. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the second platform  40  is allowed to rotate  150  about the first pivot  30 . In this configuration, the third platform  70  remains in a folded positioned and is contained within the second cavity  50 . Accordingly, the second platform  40  and the third platform  70  are substantially parallel to each other and collectively rotate about the first pivot point  30 . This rotation  150  continues until both the second platform  40  and the third platform  70  are substantially contained within the first cavity  20 . 
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a pictorial illustration that depicts a fully folded configuration of the present portable pitching mound. In this fully folded configuration, the third platform  70  is typically contained within the first cavity  20 . The second platform  40 , according to one example embodiment, is also contained within the first cavity  20 . However, in one alternative example embodiment the second platform is disposed outside of the first cavity. In this alternative example embodiment, the second cavity  50  is typically substantially contained within the first cavity  20 . 
         [0015]    While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, it is contemplated that alternatives, modifications, permutations, and equivalents thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and study of the drawings. It is therefore intended that the true spirit and scope of the present invention include all such alternatives, modifications, permutations, and equivalents. Some, but by no means all of the possible alternatives are described herein.