Soccer ball delivery system and method
AssigneeSeattle Sport Sciences, Inc.
InventorJeffrey H. Alger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for delivering objects, such as soccer balls, the system including a delivery device and a methodology for training individuals that can be used with the delivery device, the delivery device including an accelerator that accepts, accelerates, and launches the object with motion characteristics, such as linear acceleration, angular acceleration, or a combination of both, and an assembly that adjusts the position of the accelerator to adjust an exit trajectory of the object that includes adjustment about a yaw axis, an elevation axis, and a spin axis of the object. Highly and accurate and consistent delivery of the object facilitates single and multi-player use for training, such as in the sport of soccer.
Claims35
A device for delivering a ball, comprising:
- an accelerator that accelerates and launches the ball with linear acceleration and angular acceleration;
- and
- an assembly that adjusts the accelerator position to adjust an exit trajectory of the ball about a yaw axis, an elevation axis, and a spin axis of the ball, the assembly structured to enable adjustment about the yaw axis, the elevation axis, and the spin axis of the ball in an order of adjustment that maintains the non-adjusted settings to provide a same line of flight as determined by the non-adjusted settings and a different trajectory as determined by the adjusted axis of the yaw axis, the elevation axis, and the spin axis of the ball.
A system to aid in developing soccer ball skills using at least one soccer ball, the system comprising:
- a wheel assembly to receive, accelerate and launch the soccer ball, the wheel assembly having two counter-rotating wheels with tires, and for each counter-rotating wheel, a motor to rotate the wheel;
- a wheel assembly support having a mechanism to vary an elevation angle at which the soccer ball is launched and its axis of spin;
- a main post assembly that includes a post to support the wheel assembly support, a turntable to support the post, and a yaw mechanism to rotate the turntable about an axis oriented substantially vertical to adjust a yaw angle at which the soccer ball is launched;
- a base unit to support the main post assembly;
- and
- a power source to supply electrical power to the system.
A device for delivering an object, the device comprising:
- an electrically driven wheel assembly to receive, accelerate and launch the object;
- a main post assembly to support the wheel assembly including means to adjust the trajectory of the object;
- a base unit to support the main post assembly;
- and
- a control mechanism to impart motion characteristics to the object about at least three rotational axes, the control mechanism comprising a training program that includes a sequence of levels of increasing difficulty, each level comprising tasks to be completed using ball skills, each level comprising an objective to be met in order to proceed to a next level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.