Abstract:
Disclosed is a golf practice device which includes a camera and a monitor in a portable case. The case opens to form a practice surface. The monitor, which is protected by a durable plexiglass cover, is located in one half of the case. The user stands on the other half of the case. The monitor is located in a substantially parallel plane with, and slightly below the playing surface. A plurality of tee positions each enable the user to focus on the ball during a normal golf swing while simultaneously enabling the user to view the swing in real time in his or her peripheral vision.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     None.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     None.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     The present invention relates generally to the field of practice devices. More specifically, the invention relates to practice devices which include a monitor and camera enabling the user to view his or herself while making a proper swing.  
         [0005]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0006]     It is known in the prior art to use devices enabling the user to observe his or her swing while practicing. One of these devices, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,684 issued to Brostedt et al., enables the user to observe his or her swing (and an instructor) in special glasses which contain a display. A second patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,967 issued to O&#39;Leary et al., uses a mirror which is positioned so that the user may observe his or her swing.  
         [0007]     Perhaps the closest prior art to the present invention is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,484 issued to Burns. Burns discloses the use of both a camera and a monitor. The camera is aimed from a point of reference ideal for observing the users swing. The image viewed from this camera is projected in real time onto the monitor, the screen of which is positioned in an upright, substantially vertical position. Because the screen is viewed from its upright position, it is required to be located at a position beyond the ball from the user a considerable amount. This creates problems. The most important of these, is that the user, in observing his or her swing, must look away from the ball to see the monitor. With the proper golf swing, however, the user is required to stay focused on the ball. Because of this, when using the prior art device, the user is forced to swing in an unnatural manner which prevents him or her from making the normal swinging motion. Practicing in this awkward manner substantially impairs what would otherwise be a tremendous training method—watching your own swing in real time.  
         [0008]     Because of this significant disadvantage, there is a need in the art for a practice device which enables the user to view the swing while still looking at the ball.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices by providing a camera/monitor system in which the monitor is located proximate or beneath the position from which the ball is struck to enable the user to view the swing in real time while accomplishing a normal golf shot in which the users eyes remain trained on the ball.  
         [0010]     It is an object of the invention that the monitor be protected from damage.  
         [0011]     It is an additional object of the invention that the monitor be in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the playing surface.  
         [0012]     It is a further advantage of the present invention that the monitor and camera used are easily portable such that the user may take them from place to place with ease.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the portable practice device of the present invention in open condition.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows the practice device of the present invention in closed position, ready for transport. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The device of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 1  shows the device  10  of the present invention in open position. As can be seen from the figure, the device somewhat resembles an open suitcase. It has two halves. The first/standing half  14  is the half on which the user will stand when practicing his or her swing. The second/striking half  12  is the half on which a ball will be placed before being hit. On top of both halves, is a simulated playing surface  28 . The surface shown used here, for golf, is artificial turf, known commonly as “astroturf.” As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the artificial turf covers substantially all the top surface of device  10  when it is in open condition. Other surfaces for other sports, however, could be used as well and still fall within the scope of the invention. Virtually any sporting surface could be used by one skilled by the art depending on the type of sport being practiced.  
         [0017]     Examination of striking half  12  reveals a monitor having a screen  34  located thereon. Numerous types of monitors having flat screens are readily commercially available, and will be known to one skilled in the art. It is desirable that it be a type that is fairly durable, so that it will be able to endure the banging received from the golf head.  
         [0018]     In order to minimize the potential for damage to display  34 , screen  34  is protected by a highly durable and transparent plexiglass protective cover  36 . Cover  36  is of sufficient thickness to prevent screen  34  to be damaged when a user hits it with a club head. Immediately inward from screen  34  is a tee  43  at an inside-edge-tee location  44 , the tee, made of a durable thermoplastic or rubber material, being adapted to receive a golf ball. Also shown is a second tee  45  at center-screen location  46 , where the tee is actually located in the middle of screen  34 . Tee  45  is constructed of a durable thermoplastic or rubber material just like tee  43 . A third tee  47  at an outside-edge location  48  is also constructed of a durable thermoplastic or rubber material. Also present on striking half is a cut-out section  22 , which is shown containing a tripod  24  with a camera  26 . When camera  26  and tripod  24  are not in use, they may be stored within section  22 .  
         [0019]     Examination of standing half  14  reveals a right-foot placement pad  30  and a left-foot placement pad  32 . Pads  30  and  32  are smooth relative to the turf, and are shown being located in cut-out portions, but could also be easily sewn, or otherwise fixed atop the turf. They should be constructed of a material which will prevent the users feet from slipping. It is important to note that device  10  will function equally well without pads  30  and  32 . The pads only serve to help the user immediately position his or her feet in the appropriate places.  
         [0020]     Striking half  12  is hingeably joined to standing half  14  by a pair of hinges  20 . These are standard metal hinges, the make-up and function of which will be understood and readily know to one skilled in the art as ones similar to those used on a suitcase. These hinges enable halves  12  and  14  to be brought together and device  10  closed up as shown in  FIG. 2 . When the device is closed, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a pair of hoop-latches  18  are provided on standing half  14  to clasp a pair of hooking-tabs  38  on striking half  12  and lock device  10  in closed position.  
         [0021]     Once in this position the device may be carried from place to place using, like many suitcases, a handle  16  which is provided on half  14 , but it could optionally be located on half  12 .  
         [0022]     Because device  10  is portable, it may be transported to any location, i.e., driving ranges, golf courses, for practice.  
         [0023]     Once it is brought to a desired location, device  10  may be opened up by unhooking latches  18  from tabs  38  and halves  12  and  14  dropped to the position shown in  FIG. 1 . A front  40  surface and a rear surface  41  of the device when closed are constructed of a material having superior traction properties. These surfaces may be made of rubber. As shown in  FIG. 2  here, these surfaces are rubber pads with an irregular surface located thereon. This is similar to the configurations on the bottom of industrial/office floor mats. The important principle is that once the device is opened up into open position as shown in  FIG. 1 , it is not allowed to slip on the grass, or whatever surface it is placed upon.  
         [0024]     Also on one (or both) sides  40  or  41  of device  10 , indicia might be presented (not shown). Indicia  47  might be a logo or contain other information.  
         [0025]     When device  10  is opened up, cutout  22  is then exposed, and camera  26  on tripod  24  may be removed for use. In the preferred embodiment, camera  26  is a real-time capable mini-cam, which operates in a manner known to those skilled in the art. Such cameras are also readily commercially available. Camera  26  includes jacks which electrically connect via an electrical conduit wire to jacks on striking half  12  (not shown), and from these jacks, the signal is transferred to the embedded monitor and screen  34  in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The camera and monitor act together to display real-time images on screen  34 , also in a manner known to those skilled in the art. This enables the user to view his or her swing in real-time for practice purposes. The camera may be placed directly in front of the user to obtain viewing of the swing head on. Because it is provided on a transportable tripod, however, the camera may be moved to almost any position, and aimed at the user. The unlimited number of vantage points available to the user for viewing are helpful to the practice process.  
         [0026]     While looking at the monitor, the user may simultaneously focus on the ball. Regardless of whether the ball is placed on tee  43  at inside-edge-tee location  44 ; on tee  45  at center-screen location  46 ; or on tee  47  at outside-edge location  48 ; the user is able to focus on the ball without loosing view of the images provided on screen  34 . This is because (i) the monitor is positioned to be substantially parallel to, but slightly beneath, the playing surface (astroturf), and (ii) the tee is located so close to, or on, the monitor such that the user is able to peripherally view the real-time image while still focusing on the ball during the course of making a proper golf swing. Thus, he or she is able to observe the swing in real time without having to move his or her head away to see the monitor.  
         [0027]     Thus, there has been shown and described a sport practice device. Many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification together with the accompanying figures and claims.  
         [0028]     For example, the device could be easily transformed into a device for practicing the appropriate hockey shot swing. In such a case, a hard flat surface would be used as the simulated playing surface instead of astroturf. Other variations adapting the device for other sports in which a swing are made could also be made, and are also included within the scope of the invention here.  
         [0029]     Further, the same device, together with ensuing benefits is also applicable to similar equipment in unrelated industries. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.