Abstract:
A training device for use by a lacrosse player to practice checking an offensive player includes a main post extending upwardly from a base. An arm is operatively coupled to the main post and rotatable about a fixed point intermediate its proximal and distal ends. The arm includes a wrist near its distal end for holding a lacrosse stick. An activating member is mounted to the main post for separating a user from the arm&#39;s distal end. An actuator is coupled to the arm&#39;s distal member and to the activating member such that the arm is caused to move when a user attacks the activating member. The actuator may include rack and pinion gears for translating a linear force upon the activating member into a rotational force upon the arm. A spiral spring and cam provide for oscillating movement of the arm.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/033,419, filed 11 Jan. 2005 and titled “LACROSSE TRAINING SYSTEM”, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to devices for training and practicing the sport game of lacrosse. More particularly, this invention relates to a lacrosse training device for use by a lacrosse player to practice checking an offensive player.  
         [0003]     Lacrosse is a spring and summer team sport of Native American origin played with netted sticks called crosses. The world&#39;s first official game was played at patrician Upper Canada College in 1867. Today, lacrosse is played internationally as a 12 person per side game for women and as a 10 person per side game for men with differences in playing rules and equipments. The field of play is approximately 110 yards (100 m) long and 40 yards (37 m) wide. The goals are 6 feet (1.8 m) by 6 feet and contain a mesh netting similar to an ice hockey goal. The principle of the game is to project a small solid rubber ball into the opposing team&#39;s goal with a crosse (lacrosse stick) which is usually made of wood with a shaped net pocket at the end.  
         [0004]     The players on a team each carry a crosse, and are arranged by position as offensive players called “attackmen”, “midfielders” or “middies”, “defensemen”, and a single goaltender, or “goalie.” The attackman&#39;s responsibility is to score goals. Players scoop the ball off the ground and hurl the ball in the air to other players. Players are allowed to run carrying the ball with their stick. In men&#39;s lacrosse, players may kick the ball, as well as cover it with their sticks. Play is typically quite fast, and resembles a combination of soccer, basketball and field hockey. Players are permitted to hit one another with their bodies and sticks, although some rules govern the manner in which this may be done. Therefore players are protected by wearing helmets and heavy padded gloves.  
         [0005]     Lacrosse players need to master several different skills to compete in the game such as: 
        Catching and cradling—holding the ball in the stick pocket;     Cutting—a movement by an offensive player without the ball toward the opponent&#39;s goal, in anticipation of a feed and shot;     Feeding and passing—passing the ball to a teammate who is in position for a shot on goal;     Scooping—an act of picking up a loose ball with the crosse;     Screening, Shooting, etc; and most importantly     Checking, a defensive technique in which a series of short, sharp, controlled strikes to an opponent&#39;s stick is used to force a player carrying the ball to drop it. There are different types of checking such as Poke Check—a stick check in which the player pokes the head of his stick at an opponent&#39;s stick through the top hand by pushing with the bottom hand, Slap Check—a stick check in which a player slaps the head of his stick against his opponent&#39;s stick and Wrap Check—a one-handed check in which the defender swings his stick around his opponent&#39;s body to dislodge the ball.        
 
         [0012]     There are no available training devices in the market specially designed for lacrosse checking skills practice. Coaches and players usually resort to the traditional one-on-one checking practice where one player acts as an opponent holding the ball in his/her crosse pocket while the other player tries to dislodge the ball. The key problem of this method is that individual practice is impossible.  
         [0013]     During checking moves, opposing players usually engage in a “reverse” tug-of-war situation where each player is trying to fend off the other by pushing against the other. In order to increase strength and stamina, some players use sleds that are designed for football practice. However, these sleds are not designed for lacrosse training and henceforth are not very effective.  
         [0014]     Therefore, it would be desirable to have a lacrosse training device for use by a single player to practice checking an offensive player, i.e. for use with or without a partner. Further, it would be desirable to have a lacrosse training device that simulates random movement of a lacrosse stick of an offensive player. In addition, it would be desirable to have a lacrosse training device in which the user may adjust its height, the length of the arm, the weight of the base, and may activate the arm&#39;s movement when ready.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Therefore, a lacrosse training device for use by a lacrosse player to practice checking an offensive player according to the present invention includes a base and a main post extending upwardly from the base. An arm is operatively coupled to the main post and extends outwardly therefrom, the arm being rotatable about a fixed point between proximal and distal ends of the arm. A lacrosse stick may be attached to a distal end of the arm. An activating member is operatively coupled to the main post and extends outwardly, the activating member being configured to separate a user from the distal end of the arm. An actuator is coupled to the proximal end of the arm and activating member and translates linear movement of the activating member into non-linear movement of the arm. In other words, when a user pushes against the actuator, the activating member causes the arm to begin to rotate.  
         [0016]     The activating member includes a generally vertical padded wall that the user may attack. The arm includes a flexible wrist having resilient material allowing irregular three-dimensional movement of the distal end of the arm when the arm is moved by the actuator. The actuator itself may include a rack gear defined by the activating member and a pinion gear having a configuration complementary to that of the rack gear such that linear movement of the rack gear causes rotational movement of the pinion gear. A spiral spring connected to the pinion gear is coupled to a cam for causing the arm to move in an oscillating manner. Accordingly, when actuated by a user, the arm will rotate which may also cause the wrist to move the lacrosse stick in an irregular three-dimensional movement as well as to oscillate the arm. The user may reach around the activating member and main post with his own lacrosse stick to practice checking an offensive player, and to practice contacting the device&#39;s lacrosse stick until the energy from the spring is dissipated.  
         [0017]     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a training device for use by a lacrosse player to practice checking an offensive player.  
         [0018]     Another object of this invention is to provide a training device, as aforesaid, that may be used by a single lacrosse player or multiple players.  
         [0019]     Still another object of this invention is to provide a training device, as aforesaid, in which height, length, and weight of various device components are adjustable.  
         [0020]     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a training device, as aforesaid, in which a simulated arm of an offensive player may be actuated to rotate, oscillate, and provide irregular three-dimensional movement when a user attacks/presses a padded member.  
         [0021]     A further object of this invention is to provide a training device, as aforesaid, that provides lower body training as well as lacrosse stick checking training.  
         [0022]     A still further object of this invention is to provide a training device, as aforesaid, that requires no electric power to operate.  
         [0023]     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lacrosse training device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary view of the lacrosse training device as in  FIG. 1  illustrating the internal mechanical assemblies of the device;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the lacrosse training device as in  FIG. 1  with the activating member, arm, and lacrosse stick removed from the base and main post;  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the actuator as in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view from another angle of the actuator as in  FIG. 4 .  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0029]     A lacrosse training device  100  for use by a lacrosse player to practice checking an offensive player according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 5  of the accompanying drawings.  
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the lacrosse training device  100  includes a main post  104 , a base  108 , an activating member  114 , and an arm  115 . The main post  104  may extend generally vertically from the base  108  and include a torso region  104   a  and a head region  104   b  to represent the offensive player and separate a user from a lacrosse stick  120  described below. The main post  104  may include a height adjusting system  106  to selectively adjust a height of the arm  115 , the activating member  114 , and the main post  104 . By selectively adjusting these heights, users of various heights may utilize the lacrosse training device  100 . While the total length of the main post  104  is typically between five feet and six and a half feet in height, the total length can alternately be more or less.  
         [0031]     The height adjusting system  106  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  includes a locking pin  107  and an outer member  106   a  and an inner member  106   b  of the main post  104 . The inner member  106   b  is inwardly adjacent the outer member  106   a  in a telescoping configuration. Both the outer member  106   a  and the inner member  106   b  define at least one adjustment hole  106   c , and at least one of the outer member  106   a  and the inner member  106   b  defines a plurality of adjustment holes  106   c . The locking pin  107  is selectively positionable in the adjustment holes  106   c  to respectively maintain the inner member  106   b  and the outer member  106   a  at a plurality of preselected telescoping positions. In other words, by being positioned in the various adjustment holes  106   c , the locking pin  107  can maintain the main post  104 , the activating member  114 , and the arm  115  at various heights. It should be understood that other height adjusting systems  106  may alternately or additionally be used, such as those that use a frictional clamp or other fastener to maintain relative positions of the inner and outer members  106   b ,  106   a.    
         [0032]     The base  108  may include at least one runner  108   a  to slide the main post  104  in a generally horizontal direction. Means for adjusting a weight of the base  108  may be included, such as removable weights  109   a  selectively coupled to a receiving element  109   b . By adjusting the weight of the base  108 , a user may determine how much force is necessary to slide the main post  104  using the runner(s)  108   a.    
         [0033]     The arm  115  may be operatively coupled to the main post  104  and extend outwardly from the main post  104 . The arm  115  includes a distal end  115   a  and a proximal end  115   b  and is rotatable about a fixed point  115   c  between the distal end  115   a  and the proximal end  115   b  ( FIG. 2 ). Means for holding a lacrosse stick  120  adjacent the distal end  115   a  of the arm  115  (such as a through hole  119  or a clamping mechanism, for example) and/or a lacrosse stick  120  may be included. The lacrosse stick  120  may be any regular lacrosse stick, such as those available commercially, and by being removable from the arm  115 , a user may practice defending different types of lacrosse sticks  120  or various users (e.g., men, women, adults, children) may incorporate an appropriate lacrosse stick  120  and utilize the lacrosse training device  100 . The arm  115  may include a flexible wrist  118  adjacent the distal end of the arm  115 . The flexible wrist  118  may include a resilient material (e.g., a spring, rubber material, etc.) that allows irregular three-dimensional movement of the lacrosse stick  120  upon movement of the arm  115  by an actuator  150  described below.  
         [0034]     Means for selectively adjusting a length of the arm  115  may be included. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the arm  115  may include an outer member  131 , an inner member  132 , and a locking pin (not shown). The inner member  132  is inwardly adjacent the outer member  131  in a telescoping configuration. The outer member  131  may define at least one adjustment hole  133 , the inner member  132  may define at least one adjustment hole (not shown), and at least one of the outer member  131  and the inner member  132  defines a plurality of adjustment holes  133 . The locking pin (not shown) is selectively positionable in the adjustment holes in the inner and outer members  132 ,  131  to respectively maintain the inner member  132  and the outer member  131  at a plurality of preselected telescoping positions. In other words, by being positioned in the various adjustment holes, the locking pin can maintain the arm  115  at various lengths so that users of different sizes can utilize the training device  100  and so that users can practice against offensive players of various sizes. It should be understood that other length adjusting systems and devices may alternately or additionally be used, such as those that use a frictional clamp or other fastener to maintain relative positions of the inner and outer members  132 ,  131 .  
         [0035]     The activating member  114  may be operatively coupled to the main post  104  and extend outwardly from the main post  104 , and the activating member  114  may be configured to separate a user from the distal end  115   a  of the arm  115 . The activating member  114  may have an outer end  114   a  and include a generally vertical padded wall  110  adjacent the outer end  114   a . While the padded wall  110  is shown to be planar in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it may alternately be curved, parabolic, or another appropriate shape.  
         [0036]     An actuator  150  is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and in detail in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The actuator  150  is operatively coupled to the proximal end  115   b  of the arm  115  and to the activating member  114  so that (as described in detail below), the actuator  150  translates linear movement of the activating member  114  (e.g., movement of the padded wall  110  toward the main post  104 ) into non-linear movement of the arm  115 . The actuator may include a rack gear  151  defined by the activating member  114  and a pinion gear  152  having a configuration complementary to a configuration of the rack gear  151 . The pinion gear  152  may be positioned such that linear movement of the rack gear  151  in a first direction (e.g., due to movement of the padded wall  110  toward the main post  104 ) causes rotational movement of the pinion gear  152  in a first direction.  
         [0037]     A spiral spring  155  is operatively coupled to the pinion gear, either directly or through one or more transfer gears  153 , so that rotational movement of the pinion gear  152  in the first direction causes the spiral spring  155  to move from a biased (unwound) configuration to a wound configuration. For example,  FIG. 5  shows a first transfer gear  153   a  sharing an axis of rotation  152   a  with the pinion gear  152  and a second transfer gear  153   b  (also referred to herein as an input gear) sharing an axis of rotation  155   a  with the spiral spring  155  to transfer the rotational movement of the pinion gear  152  in the first direction to the spiral spring  155 .  
         [0038]     A cam  158  ( FIG. 4 ) is operatively coupled to the spiral spring  155 , either directly or through one or more transfer gears  156 , and movement of the spiral spring  155  from the wound configuration to the biased (unwound) configuration causes movement of the cam  158 . For example,  FIG. 4  shows a first transfer gear  156   a  (also referred to herein as an output gear) sharing the axis of rotation  155   a  with the spiral spring  155  and a second transfer gear  156   b  fixedly coupled to the cam  158  to transfer the movement of the spiral spring  155  from the wound configuration to the biased (unwound) configuration to the cam  158 . An internal recess  159  may be defined by the proximal end  115   b  of the arm  115  as shown in  FIG. 3 , and the internal recess  159  may house the cam  158  so that movement of the cam  158  causes the arm  115  to pivot about the fixed point  115   c  in an oscillating manner. The output gear  156   a  may be a ratchet gear that does not transfer the movement of the spiral spring  155  from the biased configuration to the wound configuration to the cam  158 ; this may better allow the transfer gears  156  to be designed to appropriately oscillate the arm  115  using the forces derived from the unwinding of the spring  155 .  
         [0039]     In use, a user may adjust the height of the main post  104 , the activating member  114 , and the arm  115  as described above; the length of the arm  115  as described above; and the weight of the base  108  as described above. The user may then push the activating member  114  toward the main post  104 , causing the rack gear  151  to move linearly and the pinion gear  152  to rotate. As described above, rotation of the pinion gear  152  may directly or indirectly cause the spiral spring  155  to move from a biased (unwound) configuration to a wound configuration. When the activating member  114  is released, the spring  155  may move toward the biased (unwound) configuration and cause the cam  158  to move as described above. Movement of the cam  158  may cause the arm  115  to rotate about the fixed point  115   c , and movement of the arm  115  may cause the wrist  118  to move the lacrosse stick  120  in irregular three-dimensional movement as well as in oscillation with the arm  115 . The user may stand adjacent the activating member  114  and reach around the activating member  114  and the main post  104  with a lacrosse stick to practice checking an offensive player, and more particularly to practice contacting the lacrosse stick  120  until the energy from the spring  155  is dissipated.  
         [0040]     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.