Patent Publication Number: US-2011077108-A1

Title: Hockey practice machine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/247,398, filed on Sep. 30, 2009, by the same inventor, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a machine for practicing shooting a hockey puck. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In an ice hockey game, shooting the puck is one of the most difficult skills for the hockey player to master. Since the outcome of the game depends on the number of shots made by each team, it is desirable to improve hockey shooting skills. It is more likely that the team which includes players with better shooting skills will make more shots and win the game. 
     There are many different ways to improve hockey shooting skills. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,688 discloses a hockey puck shooting machine. There are other machines available that shoot a hockey ball instead of a hockey puck. These machines are often used off-ice and are convenient in situations in which an ice arena is not available. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a hockey practice machine which provides a moving object for practicing hockey shooting, as well as a method of manufacturing and using the machine. The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  is a perspective view of a hockey practice machine. 
         FIGS. 1   b  and  1   c  are front and back side views, respectively, of the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 1   d  is a side view of the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 2   a  is a cut-away side view of the hockey practice machine taken along a cut-line  2   a - 2   a  of  FIG. 1   b.    
         FIG. 2   b  is a cut-away side view of the hockey practice machine taken along a cut-line  2   b - 2   b  of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 2   c  is a top view of shelf, which is included with the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are perspective views of a tube, which is included with the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are top and side views, respectively, of the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 4   c  is a front side view of the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are side and perspective view, respectively, of a dispensing arm, which is included with the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIGS. 5   c  and  5   d  are perspective and top views, respectively, of a T-tube included with the hockey practice machine of  FIG. 1   a.    
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1   a  is a perspective view of a hockey practice machine  100 , and  FIGS. 1   b  and  1   c  are front and back side views, respectively, of hockey practice machine  100 .  FIG. 1   d  is a side view of hockey practice machine  100 . Hockey practice machine  100  can have many different shapes. However, in this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  spans a rectangular volume. 
     In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes a front sidewall  101  with a front sidewall opening  110  extending therethrough. Front sidewall opening  110  is positioned towards a bottom wall  106  of hockey practice machine  100 . Further, front sidewall opening  110  is positioned away from a top wall  105  of hockey practice machine  100 . 
     In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes opposed sidewalls  102  and  103 , which extend between front and back sidewalls  101  and  103 . Further, opposed sidewalls  102  and  103  extend between top and bottom walls  105  and  106 . 
       FIG. 2   a  is a cut-away side view of hockey practice machine  100  taken along a cut-line  2   a - 2   a  of  FIG. 1   b , and  FIG. 2   b  is a cut-away side view of hockey practice machine  100  taken along a cut-line  2   b - 2   b  of  FIG. 1   a . In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes a shelf  120 , which extends between front and back sidewalls  101  and  103 . Shelf  120  is for carrying an assembly for releasing an object, as will be discussed in more detail below. 
       FIG. 2   c  is a top view of shelf  120 , which is included with hockey practice machine  100 . In this embodiment, shelf  120  includes a shelf opening  121  extending therethrough. In this embodiment, shelf opening  121  is positioned towards sidewall  102  and away from sidewall  103 . 
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are perspective views of a tube  130 , which is included with hockey practice machine  100 . In this embodiment, tube  130  includes a tube body  131  with an upper tube opening  132  positioned proximate to an upper tube elbow  134 . In this embodiment, tube body  131  includes an upper tube opening  132  positioned proximate to an upper tube elbow  134 . It should be noted that upper tube opening  132  faces a direction that is perpendicular to the direction faces by lower tube opening  133 . 
     Tube  130  includes an inner tube channel that is sized and shaped to allow an object, such as a hockey ball, to move therethrough. In particular, upper and lower tube openings  132  and  133  are sized and shaped to allow the object to move through tube body  131 . 
     It should be noted that tube  130  extends through shelf opening  121 . Tube  130  extends through shelf opening  121  so that upper tube elbow  134  is positioned above shelf  120  and lower tube elbow  135  is positioned below shelf  120 . Tube  130  extends through shelf opening  121  so that upper tube opening  132  is positioned above shelf  120  and lower tube opening  133  is positioned below shelf  120 . It should be noted that shelf  120  and tube  130  are positioned so that lower tube opening  133  faces front sidewall opening  110  ( FIG. 1   a ). 
     Hence, the object is capable of moving from a location above shelf  120  to a location below shelf  120  by moving through upper tube opening  132 , tube body  131  and lower tube opening  133 . It should be noted that the object moves through tube  130  in response to gravity. As mentioned above, lower tube opening  133  faces front sidewall opening  110 . Hence, the object moves through lower tube opening  133  and front sidewall opening  110 . 
       FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are top and side views, respectively, of hockey practice machine  100 , and  FIG. 4   c  is a front side view of hockey practice machine  100 . In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes a support structure  120  carried by shelf  120 , and a T-tube  136  carried by support structure  120 .  FIG. 5   c  is a perspective view of T-tube  136 , and  FIG. 5   d  is a top view of the interior of T-tube  136 . T-tube  136  includes opposed openings  136   b  and  136   c , and an intermediate opening  136   a  which faces perpendicular to the opposed openings  136   b  and  136   c . It should be noted that tube  130  is coupled to T-tube  136  so that upper tube opening  132  faces intermediate opening  136   a  of T-tube  136 . 
     In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes a tray tube  137  which is coupled between opening  136   b  of T-tube  136 , and a tray  107 . Tray  107  is positioned proximate to top wall  105 , and is used to carry one or more objects, such as hockey balls  160 . 
     In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes a motor  141  which is positioned proximate to opening  136   c  of T-tube  136  so motor  141  is opposed to opening  136   b  and tray tube  137 . In this embodiment, hockey practice machine  100  includes a dispensing arm  150  operatively coupled to motor  141 . Dispensing arm  150  extends between motor  141  and tray tube  135 . Dispensing arm  150  is operatively coupled to motor  141  so that it rotates in response to the operation of motor  141 . Dispensing arm  150  can be of many different types, one of which will be discussed in more detail presently. 
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are side and perspective view, respectively, of dispensing arm  150 . In this embodiment, dispensing arm  150  includes a shaft  151 , which is cylindrical in shape. In this embodiment, dispensing arm  150  includes a plurality of arms coupled proximate to one arm of shaft  151 . In this embodiment, dispensing arm  150  includes three arms, which are denotes as arms  152 ,  153  and  154 , for illustrative purposes. Arms  152 ,  153  and  154  extend outwardly from shaft  151  and are equidistantly spaced apart from each other. It should be noted that the end of shaft  151  opposed to arms  152 ,  153  and  154  is received by motor  141 . In this way shaft  151  rotates in response to the operation of motor  141 . Further, arms  152 ,  153  and  154  rotate in response to the rotation of shaft  151 . The operation motor  141 , and the rotation of dispensing arm  150 , will be discussed in more detail below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b  and  4   c , hockey practice machine  100  includes a speed controller  142  operatively coupled to motor  141 . Speed controller  142  can be operatively coupled to motor  141  in many different ways. In this embodiment, speed controller  142  is operatively coupled to motor  141  through a control switch  143 , wherein control switch  143  is shown in  FIG. 1   d . As will be discussed in more detail below, speed controller  142  controls the speed with which dispensing arm  150  rotates. 
     In this embodiment, power is provided to motor  141  through a plug  144 , which is connected to speed controller  142 . Control switch  143  is repeatably moveable between activated and deactivated conditions, wherein power is provided to motor  141  in response to control switch being in the active condition and power is not provided to motor  141  in response to control switch being in the deactivated condition. 
     In operation, hockey balls  160  are positioned on tray  107 , wherein one hockey ball is denoted as hockey ball  161  in  FIG. 4   c . Tray  107  is sloped so that the hockey balls positioned on it are biased to move to the opening of tray tube  137  that is positioned towards tray  107 . In this way, the hockey balls move to T-tube  136  through tray tube  137 . In particular, the hockey balls move through the opening of T-tube  136  opposed to motor  141 . 
     During the operation of motor  141 , dispensing arm  150  rotates. In particular, during the operation of motor  141 , shaft  151  rotates, and arms  152 ,  153  and  154  rotate in response. Arms  152 ,  153  and  154  are positioned proximate to the intermediate opening of T-tube  136  so that the hockey ball moving through the opening of T-tube proximate to tray tube  137  is moved through the intermediate opening of T-tube  136 . In this way, dispensing arm  150  moves an object through the intermediate opening of T-tube  136  in response to the object moving through one of the opposed openings, and in response to rotation of dispensing arm  150 . 
     As mentioned above, T-tube  136  is coupled to drop tube  130  so that upper drop tube opening  132  faces the intermediate opening of T-tube  136 . Hence, the hockey ball that is moved through the intermediate opening of T-tube  136  in response to the rotation of dispensing arm  150  moves through upper drop tube opening  132 . In this way, dispensing arm  150  moves an object through drop tube  130  in response to the object moving through one of the opposed openings of T-tube  136 , and in response to rotation of dispensing arm  150 . 
     The hockey ball drops through drop tube body  131  and upper and lower drop tube elbows  134  and  135 , as well as through lower drop tube opening  133 . As mentioned above, lower drop tube opening  133  is positioned proximate to front sidewall opening  110 . Hence, the hockey ball flows through front sidewall opening  110  and away from front wall  101 . 
     It should be noted that the number of hockey balls which flow through front sidewall opening is adjustable in response to adjusting speed controller  142 . As the rotation speed of dispensing arm  150  increases and decreases in response to adjusting speed controller  142 , the number of hockey balls flowing through front sidewall increases and decreases, respectively. Further, as the rotation speed of dispensing arm  150  increases and decreases in response to adjusting speed controller  142 , the number of hockey balls flowing through drop tube  130  increases and decreases, respectively. 
     It should be noted that the speed of the object through lower tube opening  133  corresponds to a drop distance D Drop  of tube  130 , which is shown in  FIGS. 3   a,    3   b    4   b  and  4   c . In this embodiment, drop distance D Drop  of tube  130  corresponds to a distance between upper tube elbow  134  and lower tube elbow  135 . As the distance between upper tube elbow  134  and lower tube elbow  135  increases and decreases, the speed of the object through lower tube opening  133  increases and decreases, respectively. In one embodiment, drop distance D Drop  corresponds to a distance between the lower portion of upper tube elbow  134  and the upper portion of lower tube elbow  135 . In one embodiment, drop distance D Drop  corresponds to a distance between the lower portion of upper tube elbow  134  and the lower portion of lower tube elbow  135 . 
     It should also be noted that the speed of the object through lower tube opening  133  corresponds to a distance D Shelf  between shelf  120  and bottom wall  106 , which is shown in  FIGS. 2   a,    2   b ,  4   b  and  4   c . As distance D Shelf  increases and decreases, the speed of the object through lower tube opening  133  increases and decreases, respectively. Drop distance D Drop  corresponds to distance D Shelf . As drop distance D Drop  increases and decreases, distance D Shelf  increases and decreases, respectively. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.