Abstract:
A training device comprising a target member, having a target face, a target arm and target support facilitates a training regiment for soccer, baseball, football and hockey players. The target support is coupled to a goal post or cross-bar of a goal. The target member is adjustably joined to the target support such that the target member and corresponding target face may be positioned in a plurality of locations without uncoupling the target support. The target face can be positioned in a plurality of positions throughout a vertical plane and may also be adjusted in a direction parallel to the target arm. The adjustability of the target face provides a versatile training device which can be arranged in numerous configurations to maintain fresh training regiments. In practice, multiple training devices maximize the effectiveness of the training. Other features include target face illumination means, counters and speakers for transmitting audio outputs.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The embodiments of the present invention relate to a training device for multiple sports. More particularly, a plurality of adjustable and pivotable targets provide a means for an athlete to improve his or her throwing, shooting and kicking skills. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Sports have become a billion dollar a year industry in the United States. Worldwide the numbers are even more staggering. However, the success of sports is not predicated on any single attribute, but rather many attributes. Participating in sports allows players and/or athletes to exercise their bodies, learn team work and sportsmanship and attain common goals and objectives. In addition, many athletes may someday reach the major league in their respective sport. 
   The success of sports has created a great need to teach players the required skills necessary to excel at a chosen sport or sports. Many sports require players to rely on a great deal of hand-eye or foot-eye coordination. For example, football, baseball, soccer and hockey, to name a few, require such hand-eye or foot-eye coordination. Thus, there is a tremendous need in the sports field for a simple device and method for training such skills as they relate to multiple sports. 
   While a multitude of issued patents disclose different training devices and methods of use suitable for multiple sports, the devices and methods often suffer drawbacks, including the ease at which athletes master the device and method. Much like a video game that is easily defeated, many of the previous training devices fail to provide significant versatility thereby falling short of furnishing a complete training regiment. More particular to the embodiments of the device and method disclosed herein, previous training devices utilize target systems for training soccer, football and hockey players. Unfortunately, none of the previous target systems incorporate the versatility necessary to adequately and efficiently train an athlete. 
   In general, target systems seek to train an athlete&#39;s hand-eye and foot-eye coordination by repetition. In other words, athletes repeatedly attempt to strike a fixed target with a soccer ball, football, baseball or puck. In this fashion, players are trained to strike a target positioned in a desired location. Nonetheless, the previous target systems are fixed or require substantial effort to re-position the targets from a first location to a second or third location. It is apparent that a target device having target faces capable of being re-positioned quickly and effortlessly will provide significant versatility needed by athletes and will reduce the labor required to utilize the target device. 
   SUMMARY 
   Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention comprise a target device incorporating a means for adjusting a target face, without uncoupling the target device from a rigid structure. The rigid structure may be a soccer goal post, hockey goal post, field goal post or any fixed post. 
   The target device incorporates a target member, having a target face, a target arm and a target support member. In a first embodiment, one or more target devices are rigidly coupled to one or more goal posts and/or a cross-bar. The target member and corresponding target face is rotatably joined to the target support member by the target arm such that the target face may be adjusted through at least 180° of motion within a goal area. In this arrangement, a single target device can be adjusted quickly without having to uncouple and re-position the entire target device thereby allowing the athlete to spend more time training as opposed to re-positioning training devices. In addition, correctly positioning multiple target devices minimizes the number of target devices needed to cover the same, or more, goal area as former target devices. The capability of quickly re-positioning the target members and faces also provides the athlete with more locations to focus his or her attention and repetition resulting in maximum training benefits. 
   The rotation of the target member and face is facilitated by the target arm which is rotatable about the support member. In the first embodiment, the support member is circular and provides a plurality of locking positions for the rotating target arm and corresponding target face. In one embodiment, a target device attached to a vertical goal post may have its target face positioned in an upper, lower or horizontal position. Similarly, a target device attached to a horizontal goal post (or cross-bar) may have its target face positioned in a left, right or center position. Of course, as set forth below, additional target face positions are contemplated by the embodiments of the present invention. 
   Each target arm is comprised of a first arm section and second arm section joined by a hinge device for allowing the first arm section and target face to pivot at least 90° into the goal area in response to being struck by a sports article. Once struck by the sports article, the target face momentarily pivots into the goal area and then, as dictated by the hinge, automatically pivots to its original position. In this manner, the player does not need to constantly manually maintain the target faces during training. 
   It is envisioned that the versatile target devices of the embodiments of the present invention can be used to, at a minimum, train quarterbacks to throw a football, baseball players to throw a baseball, soccer players to kick soccer balls and hockey players to shoot hockey pucks. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a target device prior to connection to a post; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of a portion of a target device, more particularly a first arm section, hinge, support member and stem prior to attachment of the target device to a post; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a rear view of a portion of the target device, more particularly, the first arm section, second arm section, hinge, support member and strut prior to attachment of target device to a post; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of multiple target devices coupled to soccer goal posts and a cross-bar and illustrates alternative positions of target members and target faces (shown in dotted lines); 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of a target device coupled to a single post in various positions (shown in dotted lines) for use in training a baseball pitcher; 
       FIG. 6  is an illustration of a top view of a single target device in an original and pivoted position after being struck by a sports article; and 
       FIG. 7  is an illustration of a rear view of a portion of the target device showing other features of the training device including audible and visual indicators and an electrical counter. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout.  FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a target device generally designated as reference numeral  100 . The target device comprises a target member  115 , having a target face  120 , target arm  140 , target support member  160 , strut  180  and straps  200 . 
   The target arm  140  includes a first arm section  145  and a second arm section  150  (shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  7 ). The first arm section  145  extends from its connection with hinge  220  (shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  7 ) to support the target face  120 . A second arm section  150  extends from its connection with hinge  220  to behind the support member  160 . The spring-biased hinge  220  enables the target face  120  (and the first arm section  145  of the target arm  140 ) to pivot approximately 90° in response to being struck by a sports article (e.g., soccer ball, baseball, football, puck, etc.). As described below, in this manner, the target face  120  is generally removed momentarily from a goal area. The spring-biased hinge  220  automatically returns the first arm section  145  and corresponding target face  120  to their original position. The automatic nature of the target device  100  permits the user to optimize training time rather than spending wasteful time repositioning the target face  120 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the support member  160  provides three different target member  115  or target face  120  positions (target face and target member are used synonymously herein). It is recognized that many more target face positions are available in practice. As shown in  FIGS. 1–3  and  7 , to facilitate the different positions of the target face  120 , the target arm  140 , more particularly the second arm section  150 , is rotatably joined to a rear portion of the circular support member  160  by a nut, bolt and washer assembly  230 . Three adjustment apertures  185 - 1  through  185 - 3  in combination with an adjustment pin  190  provide a simple means for securing the target face  120  in a desired position throughout a generally vertical plane. Once the target face  120  is arranged as desired, the pin  190  is inserted through the proper adjustment aperture  185 - 1 ,  185 - 2  or  185 - 3  and then through an opening  195  in the second arm section  150 . 
   Alternatively, multiple adjustment pins may be rigidly joined to a backside of the target support member  160 . One of the rigid pins can then be inserted through opening  195  to hold the target face  120  in place as desired. In either embodiment or others, more than three adjustment apertures  185 - 1  through  185 - 3  or three adjustment pins may be incorporated to provide additional target face  120  positions and a greater range of motion. 
   The embodiments of the present invention further provide means for the target face  120  to be adjusted longitudinally along the target arm  140 , specifically first arm section  145 . In a first embodiment, the means comprises one or more nut and bolt combinations  240 . An elongated opening  245  in a target face extension  250  is aligned with a slot  255  in the first arm section  145 . To longitudinally adjust the target face  120 , the target face  120  is first arranged in a desired position along the target arm section  145 . Then, one or more nut and bolt combinations  240  are used to secure the target arm  140  in place. More particularly, the bolts are inserted through the opening  245  and then through the slot  255  so that the nut may be attached to the bolt on a backside of the arm section  145  thereby securing the target arm  140  in place. The length of the slot  255  dictates the degree of adjustment of the target face  120 . 
   As also illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the apertures  185 - 1  through  185 - 3  are spaced such that when the target device  100  is attached to a vertical post the target face  120  can be positioned in an upper, lower or horizontal position and when a target device  100  is attached to a horizontal post the target face  120  can be positioned in a left, right or central position. In such arrangements, the apertures  185 - 1  through  185 - 3  permit a single target face  120  to be positioned through an approximately 180° range of motion. It would require at least two, or even three, former target devices to cover the same goal area as the single target device  100  according to the embodiments of the present invention. While only three possible target face  120  positions are illustrated, it is obvious that numerous additional positions can be accommodated by the embodiments of the present invention. 
   While a target device  100  may be removably attached to a soccer goal post, cross-bar or other rigid post in any number of ways,  FIG. 1  shows the support member  160  ready for secure attachment to a rigid elongated strut  180  which then has multiple straps  200  attached thereto. The straps  200  provide a mechanism for attaching the target device  100  to a rigid post. The straps  200  incorporate a buckle  205 , having a pin  210  and a series of strap openings  215  for receipt of the buckle pin  210  to permit the straps  200  to accommodate various post sizes. The strut  180  can also be clamped or similarly joined to a post or the like. In one embodiment, the cross-section of the strut  180  is generally shaped to conform to the exterior cylindrical shape of a post. In other words, the strut  180  may have a concave surface which generally matches the contour of a cylindrical post. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates several of the target devices  100  having their target faces  120  in rotated positions throughout the goal area. It is obvious that the target devices  100  can be attached to any rigid post, including a hockey goal post or cross-bar and are not limited to use with a soccer goal. 
   In  FIG. 5  a single target device  100  is shown attached to a single post  260  in an ideal embodiment for training baseball pitchers. The post  260  is secured such that the target face  120  is situated above a baseball plate  265 . The target face  120  acts as a strike zone and is capable of being adjusted to reside in the heart of a baseball strike zone, high or low in the strike zone or inside or outside in the strike zone. As illustrated, the post  260  also acts to simulate a right-handed batter. The post  260  may also be positioned to simulate a left-handed batter. Upon impact, the target face  120  and first arm section  145  rotate in an opposite direction to the impact. The rotation causes the target face  120  to briefly exit the goal area. The hinge device  220  then causes the target face  120  and first arm section  145  to return to their original position. The automatic return is particularly useful with respect to the baseball embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 . As set forth above, in this baseball embodiment the target face  120  pivots in response to being struck by a baseball and automatically swings back to its original position. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of a single target device  100  with its target face  120  in an original position (OP) and a pivoted position (PP). In the pivoted position (PP), the target face  120  is temporarily removed from a contact area until the hinge  220  causes the target face  120  to swing back to its original position (OP). 
   While the figures show a circular target face  120  and target support member  160 , each may take any desired shape, including that of a rectangle or triangle. In addition, the strut  180  and straps  200  are only one means for attaching the target device to a post. Other means include clamps, brackets, pins, screws, nails, etc. 
   Now referring to  FIG. 7 , a rear view of a portion of the target device  100  illustrates other features of the training device  100  including audible and visual indicators and a counter. A series of connected lights or LEDs  300  about a perimeter of the target face  120  are driven by a power source  310  permitting enhanced visualization of the target face  120  during both day and night training sessions. In the example shown the target face  120  and target face extension  250  are transparent so that the emitted light is viewable to a user. However, the LEDs  300  may also be placed on a front surface of the target face  120 . In such an arrangement, a transparent protective covering may be necessary to prevent the LEDs  300  from being destroyed by a sports article. One or more lights or LEDs may also be positioned at or near a center of the target face  120  to illuminate an optimum target location. The center lights or LEDs may also cause a word or phrase such as “GOAL” to illuminate. Although shown attached to the first arm section  145 , the power source  310  can be attached or integrated on any location of the target device  100 . 
   An electrical counter  320  increments a running count by a single digit each time the target member  115  and corresponding target face  120  are pivoted about hinge  220  in response to being struck by a sports article. The counter  320  records the number of times the target member  115  has been successfully struck thereby allowing a user to track his or her performance. In one embodiment, an electrical counter  320  is in communication with a sensor  330 , such as an optical sensor positioned near the hinge  220 . The sensor  330  is triggered by sufficient angular displacement of the first arm section  145 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the sensor  330  is secured to a top surface (or bottom surface) of the hinge  220  and senses angular displacement of the target member  115  with respect to the original position of the target member  115 . Thus, should the target member  115  pivot through a preestablished minimum angle (e.g., 75°) the sensor  330  sends, via wire  340 , a signal to the counter  320  which correspondingly increments the count. The signal can also be sent via a wireless system. A mechanical counter may also be physically attached to the hinge  220  so that each sufficient movement of the hinge  220  increments the mechanical counter accordingly. 
   The electrical counter sensor  330  may also be used to drive a speaker  350 . In response to receiving a signal from the sensor  330 , the speaker  350  transmits an audio output. While the audible output may be any tone or sound, it is envisioned that cheers of a crowd or similar positive tones will enhance the training experience. 
   Therefore, although the invention has been described in detail with reference to several embodiments, additional variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.