Abstract:
Embodiments relate to a ball throwing device, including a base, a vertical support in contact with the base, a flexible component and a ball-supporting head configured to hold a ball. When a user pulls back on one or more of the ball, ball-supporting head or flexible component and then releases, the ball is projected.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims benefit of Ser. No. 61/495,210, filed 9 Jun. 2011 in the USA and which application is incorporated herein by reference. A claim of priority to all, to the extent appropriate is made. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Many recreational and professional baseball and softball players utilize training aids to increase batting accuracy and consistency. One category of aids includes ball throwing devices that mechanically or electro-mechanically toss a ball (i.e. baseball) to a player. Such repetition is often desired. These devices are usually complicated, expensive and provide little variety in the types of pitches that are tossed. 
         [0003]    Further, hand-held recreational ball throwers are often used by pet owners to not only throw a ball to a pet, such as a dog, but to pick up the ball with less effort. These throwers require overhand or underhand throwing biomechanics, using a full or substantially full range of shoulder and elbow motion to throw. Many people, due to injury, disabilities or age have difficulty throwing a ball and throwing it repeatedly. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Embodiments relate to a ball throwing device, including a base, a vertical support in contact with the base, a flexible component and a ball-supporting head configured to hold a ball. When a user pulls back on one or more of the ball, ball-supporting head or flexible component and then releases, the ball is projected. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The accompanying drawings illustrate non-limiting example embodiments of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view  100  of a ball throwing device, according to some embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A-D  are perspective views  200  of a ball-supporting head, according to some embodiments. 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3A-B  are perspective views  300  of a hand-held ball throwing device, according to some embodiments. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 4A-B  are perspective views  400  of a ball throwing device including a compression sleeve, according to some embodiments. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view  500  of a ball throwing device including a base-attaching component, according to some embodiments. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view  60  of a hand-held ball throwing device including stability support, according to some embodiments. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of a moveable vertical support of a ball throwing device according to some embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments may be combined, other elements may be utilized or structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense. 
         [0014]    All publications, patents and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated references should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls. 
         [0015]    In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more”. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A, B or C” includes “A only”, “B only”, “C only”, “A and B”, “B and C”, “A and C”, and “A, B and C”, unless otherwise indicated. The terms “above” and “below” are used to describe two different directions in relation to the center of a composite and the terms “upper” and “lower” may be used to describe two different surfaces of a composite. In the appended aspects or claims, the terms “first”, “second” and “third”, etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. 
         [0016]    Embodiments of the present invention describe a ball throwing device. A purpose of this device is to enable the average person to accurately pitch or throw balls of various sizes, such as whiffle balls, and to aid in developing batting/ball-handling skills or for recreational use. This mechanism allows an operator to throw with standard pitching velocity, distance, and consistent accuracy. 
         [0017]    Further, embodiments include a hand-held device for recreational use that allows user to throw and/or pick up a ball with limited use of the shoulder and elbow, as compared to traditional ball throwers. 
         [0018]    The device is simple and affordable. The device includes a stable base, base attachment component or gripping portion and vertical support component on which a flexible component (i.e., vertical rod) running through the center of the stand attaches with a specifically designed ball-supporting head. The ball-supporting head can be manufactured to allow for many variations of ball flight, trajectory, and spin. The design can optionally be collapsible and portable and work on various ground surfaces. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic view  100  of a ball throwing device is shown, according to some embodiments. The ball throwing device includes a base  102  with optional traction components  104 . A substantially vertical support component, such as a stand  108 , supports a flexible component  116 . The flexible component  116  is in contact with a ball-supporting head  120 , which holds a ball  122  before and during release. 
         [0020]    The base  102  may be designed for the pitching user to stand on, such as to utilize the weight for stability. The base  102  can be optional if the device is attached to a supporting structure, such as the ground, a fence, a vehicle, a tire, etc. Alternately, the base  102  may be of sufficient surface area and weight to provide adequate stability without requiring a user to stand on the base  102 . Optional traction components  104  may include spikes to contact the ground or other mechanism to increase friction with the ground and prevent sliding or shifting. 
         [0021]    The base  102  is in contact with a substantially vertical support or stand  108 . The base  102  and stand  108  may be of one piece construction or removable at one or more of sections  106  or  114 , such as by utilizing threaded pipes or rods for example. The stand  108  may also include telescopic tubing  112  for collapsibility of the flexible component  116  for portability and ease of storage or transport. The telescopic tubing  112  can also be utilized to adjust the height of the stand  108  or flexible component  116 , for example. The support or stand  108  can be adjustable to either side of a vertical plane to allow for differing angled pitches (see view  700  of  FIGS. 7A-B ). By moving the support or stand  108  to one side or the other of vertical, the angle of a right-handed or left-handed thrower can be emulated. 
         [0022]    The flexible component  116  is bent by the user in the direction of arrow  118 , away from the batter or second user and toward the first user (the person contacting the device), by pulling with one or more fingers for example. The pitcher may also pull the flexible component  116  off center to the left or right to emulate different pitching release points, angles or spin. The flexible component  116  can optionally twist as it is pulled back to provide spin. The flexible component  116  can be constructed of a material that bends sufficient to provide sufficient velocity of the ball  122  when pitched towards the batter, but also is strong enough to withstand repeated uses and flexible enough to bend without breaking during normal usage. An example material for constructing the flexible component  116  can include a fiberglass, such as a fiber-resin rod. 
         [0023]    The degree of bending to pitch a ball may be about 2 to about 5 degrees, about 5 degrees to about 40 degrees, about 40 degrees to about 90 degrees or between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, from a center, vertical starting position. The flexible component  116  may be adjustable vertically to accommodate the different heights of batters or different types of throws, such as to emulate underhand or overhand pitchers. This changes the desired distance and velocity of the ball  122  being pitched. The component  116  may also be made to adjust horizontally inherent to the flex and the direction when the component  116  is drawn back. Balls  122  from a bucket or bag may be loaded by hand on the head  120  and may be pitched in rapid succession with some practice. The device may also include an automated loading mechanism and release mechanism. 
         [0024]    The ball-supporting head  120  holds a ball  122  with gravity, with friction, by mechanical means or some combination thereof. The head  120  may include at least two contact points, such as to emulate a two-finger or “forked” pitching grip. The head can include a two-pronged holder and can optionally meet at an apex. The contact points may be joined at the apex, optionally creating a further contact point. The ball-supporting head  120  may be positioned in a neutral, vertical position, or adjusted to the left or right of center to emulate a right handed or left handed pitcher or to create different types of pitches. The combination of the head  120  angle and angle of the flexible component  116  when pulled back can create many different types of pitches. The head  120  can be removable and multiple types of heads can be interchangeable, for example. 
         [0025]    The device can include a guide, attached to one or more of the vertical support  108 , base  102 , flexible component  116  or head  120  to help the user create repeatable, consistent throws. The guide can lessen the learning curve of a user in creating consistent results, for example. The guide may be a component that the user contacts with the head  120  as it is pulled back to the same distance every time. The guide can visually or physically steer the user to pull back the head  120  to the desired distance or angle. 
         [0026]    The ball  122  may be a smaller than standard size ball for the sport being trained. For example, a small whiffle ball or ping pong-sized ball may be pitched to train baseball and softball players to hit the smaller balls. Standard sized baseball or softballs can be also be utilized, but the diameter and strength of the flexible component  116  may have to be adjusted to compensate for such heavier balls. Tennis balls, rubber bouncy balls or any recreational ball can be used in the device for throwing. Different sized balls/whiffle balls can be pitched by removing and replacing the head  120 . The head  120  may be designed specifically to allow the ball to rest in place when the flexible component  116  is perpendicular to the ground and stay at rest until the flexible component  116  is made to accelerate forward. It is during this action that the ball  122  is released from the head  120  and continues on the trajectory towards a batter. 
         [0027]    One example of the device utilizes the “pitcher” with weight on the base, pulling back on the ball and the head simultaneously (i.e., about 4 to 7 inches). This flexes a fiberglass/composite rod storing energy. The ball and head are quickly released at this point, catapulting the ball forward at a fairly flat trajectory. This action closely simulates the motion of a live pitcher. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A-D , are perspective views  200  of a ball-supporting head, according to some embodiments. The ball-supporting head  120  can contact a ball  122  at multiple contact points, including emulating a two-fingered throw of a baseball pitcher. The head  120  can be manufactured of plastic, aluminum, fiberglass or other material. The angle and distance of the head  120  from a horizontal plane  202  and vertical plane  204  can affect the trajectory, style (i.e., overhand, underhand) and angle of the pitch or throw. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 3A-B , are perspective views  300  of a hand-held ball throwing device, according to some embodiments. In one embodiment, the device can be used as a hand-held device in which a user grips or holds the vertical support, making a handle or gripping portion  302 . The gripping portion  302  can be separated from the vertical support or integrated with the support. The gripping portion  302  is held in one hand of the user and the other hand is used to pull back on one or more of the head  120 , ball  122  and flexible component  116 . The head  120  can be used to pick up or retrieve balls from the ground as well. View  600  in  FIG. 6  shows a stability support  602  that can be integrated or attached to the gripping portion  302  or vertical support. The stability support  602  can contact the lower and/or upper arm of a user to provider further support and stability. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 4A-B , are perspective views  400  of a ball throwing device including a compression sleeve, according to some embodiments. A compression sleeve  402  can partially or wholly cover the flexible component  116  to prevent fracturing or breaking of the flexible component and prevent injury if the flexible component  116  were to break. The compression sleeve  402  can be made or manufactured of one or more of rubber, plastic, cloth, nylon, fabrics, woven materials, etc. that do not interfere with the flexing or bending of the flexible component  116 . The compression sleeve  402  can attach or contact one or more of the vertical support  108  (or optional compression fitting  406  in contact with the support), flexible component  116  and ball-supporting head  120 .  FIG. 4B  shows a compression fitting  406  for receiving the flexible component  116  into or in contact with the support  108 . As an option, a compression adapter  404  can be in contact with or integrated with the compression fitting  406  to receive the flexible component  116  into the compression fitting  406 . The adapter  404  can be made of a shock-absorbing or cushioning material or include a layer that absorbs shock or reduces friction with the flexible component  116 . This reduces the wear of the flexible component  116  and optionally allows the flexible component to twist flexible component  116  if a user desires to add spin to the pitch. The compression fitting  406  can alternatively include a shock absorbing or friction reducing layer or material in contact with the flexible component  116 . The flexible component  116  can be turned or adjusted within the compression fitting  406 , compression adapter  404  or both to slightly turn (and optionally, set) the direction of the attached head  120 . This turning of the flexible component  116  can allow for spin or angled pitches. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , is a perspective view  500  of a ball throwing device including a base-attaching component, according to some embodiments. In conjunction with or in replacement of a base  102 , a base-attaching component  502  can be used. The component  502  can be a mechanical attachment component, either male or female. The component  502  can be used to attach to a fence, post, tire, trailer hitch of a vehicle or to the ground. The component  502  can be a receiver for a number of items or stability components that have sufficient weight to support the device.