DE20180368U1 - Exercise and training facility - Google Patents

Description

Utility model application from WO 01/83043

Applicant: STIGRA H. ERIKSENS EFTF.AS

Title: Training facility

Our reference: 51294 DE (PE)

Date: November 4, 2002

Description

The present invention relates to a training device with a target or a target impact plate for use in sports, in particular in sports with a ball, a puck, etc. aimed at a goal or a target, and which can be mounted in such a target or goal in order to register the hits on the target and also to register, if necessary, the force exerted on the target by means of the hit.

The training device according to the invention is equipped with one or more electronic sensors which register a blow/hit on the target or target plate and which, in a preferred embodiment, register the force exerted on the target by means of a blow/hit. According to the invention, the electronic sensor is connected to a recording or recording device for electronic signals, in which a first processing of the signals from one or more sensors is carried out, and wherein the recording device can further be connected to other peripheral units, such as a display device or a data processing device. The present invention further relates to a system for processing information from one or more training devices with electronic sensors.

In the context of various sports where a ball, puck or similar is aimed at a goal, it is desirable for individual games or teams to practice shooting at a goal in order to achieve both the desired precision and the desired power in a shot. This type of training can be difficult to evaluate as it gives only a poor indication of how well a shot is positioned in relation to the object the player is aiming at, while at the same time it is difficult to evaluate the power of the shot. Furthermore, it is difficult to evaluate different players in relation to each other in terms of accuracy of positioning and shot power.

In cases where teams are composed of players from different geographical origins, it is difficult to evaluate the different players in relation to each other, with the result

Resulting in coaches and team coordinators having to travel to the players' local training facilities to be able to evaluate the various individual players there. Alternatively, a large group of players can be selected for what is known as a "selection training" whereby the players are evaluated and selected to form a team. However, these procedures require a certain amount of travel which is both expensive and time consuming, and in addition, individual players may have a "bad day" which renders them unable to perform to their best during the selection process of this nature.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a training device which can give an indication of the accuracy of a player in positioning a shot, when at the same time the training device can give an indication of the power of the shot when it hits the target. It is a further object that the training device according to the invention can be easily moved and installed, so that it is possible to mount one or more training devices according to the invention in a goal at suitable locations along the goal posts, thus making it possible to practice the accuracy of the shot towards different parts of the goal, i.e. upon request by the coach or otherwise according to a specific system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for processing information from one or more training facilities according to the objects listed above, which system should enable players to be evaluated by recording the precision and power of the shot and then sending this information to a person who wants to evaluate this information. It is a further object of the invention that the person who is to evaluate one or more players can set up a sequence or series where a number of training facilities as described above specify via signal indicators which positions or places in a goal have to be hit by a player and then record whether the player is able to hit the desired target, e.g. within a specified time frame. This allows two-way communication between coach/player and the person evaluating the player, e.g. to put together a team of clubs, regions or perhaps nations.

Accordingly, according to the present invention, a training device is provided with the aim of both counteracting the above-mentioned problems and solving the above-mentioned objects. The training device is specified in the introductory part of the following independent claim 1, the characterizing features being listed in the characterizing part of claim 1. Further details

Embodiments of the training device are explained in claims 2 to 6. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a system for processing information is provided which counteracts the above-mentioned problems and solves the above-mentioned objects. The system of the present invention is specified in the following independent claim 7, the characterizing features being explained in the characterizing part of the following claim 7. Further embodiments of the system are explained in the dependent claims which follow claim 7.

According to the invention, a training device with a target plate or a target impact plate is provided for use in sports, wherein the training device is preferably immediately mountable on the inside of a goal post by fastening the training device by a suitable mounting device. In alternative embodiments, the training device can be arranged in any desired position in a goal, e.g. by varying the mounting device with struts which make a further distance from the goal post or the post to which the mounting device is attached possible. The training device according to the invention is therefore particularly suitable for those sports where precision and power are important elements, such as handball, football, hockey, ice hockey, etc. In these sports, placing the ball or puck next to the upper crossbar of the goal as well as at the intersections between the crossbar and a vertical goal post are strategic points for placing shots. Other strategic points for placing shots may be, for example, in the transition between a vertical goal post and the ground/floor. Therefore, it will be possible to install a plurality of practice devices according to the invention at a plurality of strategic locations in a goal, whereby players can practice strategic positioning of shots, while at the same time obtaining verification of whether a shot has been fired within a predetermined distance from a strategic point. This distance can be changed by changing the size and perhaps also the appearance of the target plate used on the practice device. It is the target impact plate surface on the practice device that is hit by a shot and which thereby converts a hit into electronic information which is then further registered according to the invention. By varying the size and appearance of the target impact plate, the strategic target area can be increased or decreased.

According to the invention, the exercise or training device consists of a housing on which an arm with a first and a second end is movably mounted. In a preferred

In the preferred embodiment, the mounting is implemented as a pivot point between the first and second ends of the arm. The first end of the arm is connected to the target surface on the outside of the housing and the second end of the arm is located inside the housing by preferably an electrical sensor, with the result that the arm influences the electrical sensor if there is a hit on the target. The sensor is further connected to a recording device for electrical signals, optionally via a signal amplifier or other necessary electronic device, which allows the transmission of the electronic signals from the electronic sensor to a recording unit. The transmission of the signals is preferably carried out by means of cables, but alternative embodiments can also be wireless, wherein a transmission unit is provided in connection with the electronic sensor, optionally in connection with a signal amplifier, while a receiver unit is provided in connection with the recording device for the electronic signals.

The electronic sensor used in connection with the present invention is preferably a pressure sensitive sensor and in a simple embodiment of the invention the sensor only digitally records whether or not a hit has occurred on the target. In further embodiments the electronic pressure sensor is able to quantify the force acting on the target plate; and by calibrating such a sensor it is possible to express the force in a known and measurable quantity to which players and coaches can refer. In a preferred embodiment the electronic sensor is comprised of a rod mounted perpendicularly relative to the direction of movement of the second end of the arm of the training device, on the rod being mounted a number of strain gauges which together provide an indication of the force on the target impact plate after it has been transferred via the first and second ends of the arm to the rod with the strain gauges. This embodiment is preferred because a technical solution using strain gauges or devices is reasonable and inexpensive, takes up little space and the signals can be easily processed in an electrical unit.

In order for the training device to give a representative indication of the force of a hit against the target impact plate, in a preferred embodiment the target impact plate is curved convexly towards the body (ball or puck) intended to hit the target. The force at the edge of the target impact plate will thereby be less than at the central part of the target impact plate and therefore this curved appearance will make it possible to compensate completely or partially for the torque that is generated due to the impact.

distance between the attachment point of the target impact plate and the target point outside that attachment point. The ball or puck will thereby "push back" the target impact plate and the force reading will therefore be correctly reflected even if the hit is registered at the edge of the target plate. Alternatively, the target impact plate may be conical in shape with an attachment point at the second end of the arm and with a fixed angle decreasing from the attachment point.

In a further embodiment, the training device according to the invention can be provided with a signaling device which is further connected to the recording device and which can be activated by the recording device. A signaling device of this kind can e.g. be a light diode or other light points mounted on the housing of the training device or in connection with the target impact plate. The activation of the signaling device can indicate that a player must aim or try to hit the marked training device and it will therefore be possible for a coach, e.g. if required, to mark one or more training devices which a player should aim at and try to hit with a shot by activating a signaling device in a training device among several training devices mounted on the same goal/target.

Furthermore, according to the invention there is provided a system for processing information from one or more training devices with electronic sensors as set out above, each of the electronic sensors as set out above being connected to a recording device, the recording device according to the invention being further connected to a peripheral data processing device. When a hit is indicated on the target, the display device receives electronic signals from a training device, whereupon these signals can be processed and forwarded to the peripheral data processing device together with information concerning which training device the signal comes from. Thus, there is a possibility of identifying which training device has been hit if a plurality of training devices have been mounted in a goal, while at the same time combining this information with information concerning, for example, the force of the hit.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the peripheral data processing device is a personal computer, which is preferred because personal computers nowadays

are inexpensive and easy to use, while at the same time having highly standardized signal inputs, and it is therefore possible to design the recording device according to the invention in such a way that it can communicate with a large number of personal computers of different types. Sports clubs and trainers, for example, can therefore use their own personal computers or personal computers belonging to the club or training establishments.

In a further embodiment, the peripheral data processing device may store information received from the recording device and it will therefore be possible to compare information concerning the accuracy and power of a hit by one and the same player over a period of time, if necessary to demonstrate improvement. Moreover, it will be possible to compare the accuracy and power of different players. The stored information may also be transmitted in electronic form, e.g. via e-mail or in another file format, to others who are interested in information concerning the accuracy and power of the player in hitting the target.

In a further embodiment, the peripheral data processing device can carry out a predetermined sequence which activates the signaling devices in different practice or training facilities via the display device. It is therefore possible to program a sequence when the signaling device in different practice or training facilities is activated in a predetermined sequence, e.g. when it is registered within a specified time frame whether a shot and hit has occurred at the particular practice or training facility. This enables the coaches or coordinators to set up specific sequences against which different players are to be tested before the results are compared. Furthermore, such pre-programmed sequences can also be transmitted in electronic form, e.g. from a coordinator to the coach in a club via e-mail or in another file format.

The invention will now be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows in cross-section from above an embodiment of the exercise or training device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a handball goal in which six training devices according to the invention are mounted;

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a system according to the invention with a plurality of training devices connected to a peripheral data processing device.

Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the training device according to the invention, which consists of a housing 1, substantially in the shape of an A, which housing can be mounted on the inside of a goal post 10. The housing 1 is clamped to the goal post 10 by means of a clamping element 11 which is rotatably connected at point 12 and which is provided with a locking device 20. The training device is thus mounted at a suitable and desired point along the inside of a goal post. Alternatively, one or more training devices can be mounted e.g. on a post or on another structure if this is desired in connection with shooting practice. The training device can also be unscrewed from the goal or post by opening the locking device 20, which is also necessary if the training device has to be moved e.g. on a goal post.

In connection with the housing 1 an arm 2 is further movably mounted with a first end 3 and a second end 4. The arm 2 in Fig. 1 is rotatably mounted in the housing 1 above the pivot point 13 and therefore in the length of the housing in the longitudinal direction an opening is provided where the arm 2 can move freely above the pivot point 13. The first end 3 of the arm 2 is further connected to a target impact plate 5, e.g. by means of a screw connection in the center of the plate. As shown in the figure and above, in a preferred embodiment, the target impact plate 5 is curved convexly towards the ball or puck intended to hit the target plate in order to compensate for the torque forces caused when the ball or puck hits the target surface at a distance from the centre (the attachment point to the second end 3 of the arm 2) and which may interfere with the registration of the force transmitted by a ball or puck.

The second end 4 of the arm 2 is located adjacent to the electronic sensor 6, which is shown in Fig. 1 as a t-bar with the attached strain gauges 7. At the contact point between the second end 4 of the arm 2 and the bar 6, as shown in Fig. 1, contact points 18, 19 can be attached, the purpose of which is both to reduce wear and to ensure good contact regardless of the angular deviation etc. Such contact surfaces can be e.g. pieces of flexible elements

which compensate parts of the difference in distance between the second end 4 of the arm 2 and the rod 6.

As mentioned above, in alternative embodiments, other electronic pressure sensors may be used, mounted in connection with the second end 4 of the arm 2.

The strain gauges or devices 7, as shown in Fig. 1, are further connected to a signal amplifier 15 via a cable connection 8, wherein the signal amplifier 15 is further connected to a recording device 9 for the electronic signals from the sensor 6 via a cable connection 31. In a further embodiment, the cable connection 31 between the signal amplifier 15 and the recording or recording device 9 can be replaced, for example, by a wireless transmission by means of a transmitter/receiver unit.

In the embodiment explained, a signaling device 16 can also be provided on the target impact plate 5, which is connected to the recording or registration device 9 via a cable connection 17. The signaling device 16 can be used during shooting exercises to indicate to a player which target he should aim at, for example if a large number of practice or training devices are installed in the same goal. The signaling device 16 is therefore activated by the display device 9.

hi Fig. 2 also shows a goal frame, such as a handball goal. On the inside of the goal frame 27, a training device according to the present invention is mounted in six different positions, the device 21 being mounted in the transition position between the left goal post and the ground, the training device 22 being mounted approximately in the middle of the left goal post, while the training device 23 is mounted in the intersection between the left goal post and the goal crossbar. hl similarly, the training device 24 is mounted on the right side of the goal post 27 at the intersection point between the crossbar and the right goal post, the training device 25 being mounted approximately in the middle of the right goal post, while the training device 26 is mounted at the transition point between the right goal post and the ground.

Fig. 2 therefore illustrates an embodiment in which a plurality of training devices according to the present invention are used for shooting exercises at a target 27, e.g. in connection with handball.

Furthermore, Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a system according to the invention in which a plurality of training devices are connected to a peripheral data processing device via the recording device, which is also part of the training device according to the present invention. The system shown in Fig. 3 can be used, for example, in connection with a plurality of training devices as shown in Fig. 2.

The system shown in Fig. 3 essentially comprises a plurality of sensors 6 which communicate via connecting cables 31 with the recording unit 9, according to what has been described in connection with the training devices according to the invention. The recording unit 9 can also be connected to a power source via a connecting cable 33 for operating the electronic unit. Alternatively, the registration unit 9 can be operated by means of a battery or via an external data processing device 30. The recording unit 9 also communicates with an external data processing device 30 via a connecting cable 32, preferably locked to an existing communication standard for personal computers (PCs), such as RS 232 Series Interface, USB, parallel port or directly into the internal bus system of the computer (if the recording unit 9 is in the form of a circuit which is directly in contact with the main circuit of the PC).

The data processing device 30 will therefore receive information from the recording device 9 when one of the sensors 6 registers a hit on one of the targets, and the recording device 9 then transmits the information about the hit together with the information about which sensor has been hit. The data processing device 30 may also show this hit information graphically on a screen connected thereto, or the data processing device 30 may further be connected to an external display device, such as a scoreboard in a sports hall, a large screen, a sound display device or the like. A hit on one of the training devices will therefore be suitable to be displayed in the form of information concerning the force of the hit etc., alternatively the hit may be displayed in the form of a sound signal without further indication of its force. In a further embodiment, the information may be shared in a manner such that information regarding the force of the blow/hit is recorded and displayed in the data processing device 30, while at the same time a simplified external signal, such as a sound effect, merely indicates that a blow/hit has occurred.

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The data processing device 30 may further carry out a predetermined sequence determining which training facilities (among those connected to the registration unit 9) are to be marked, e.g. by means of the signaling device 16, as shown in Fig. 1. The data processing device 30 may therefore activate one or more signaling units 16 via the registration unit 9 as a signal to a player that a shot should be fired at the indicated training facility. The data processing device 30 may then read all hits on the activated training facility within a predetermined period before activating the next stage in the sequence, after which a second signaling device is activated in one of the other training facilities. In this way it will be possible to test a plurality of players within a predetermined sequence in order to thereafter distinguish between the qualities of the players by comparing the results.

According to the present invention, the data processing device 30 can also communicate with other similar units via various types of electronic signal transmission, such as e-mail, diskettes, other transmission of data over e.g. data networks, etc. The present invention is therefore explained by way of example only by means of the above detailed description and the scope of protection is further specified in the following claims. Various modifications and variations which are obvious to those skilled in the art are of course not set out in the above description, but nevertheless fall within the scope of protection as defined in the following claims.

Claims (10)

1. Training device with a target or target impact plate for use in sport, for registering a hit on the target and optionally also for registering or recording the force exerted on the target by a hit, characterized in that the device consists of a housing with an additional device for detachable mounting on a goal post or the like with an arm which is movably mounted on the housing and which has a first and a second end, the first end being connected to a target surface on the outside of the housing and the second end being arranged inside the housing, preferably adjacent to an electronic sensor, so that in the event of a hit on the target the arm is caused to influence the electronic sensor, the sensor being connected to a recording or recording device for electronic signals from the electronic sensor. 2. Training device according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording device is connected to a display device which indicates when the arm influences the electronic sensor as a result of the influence of a force on the target surface. 3. Exercise or training device according to claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the electronic sensor is a pressure-sensitive sensor. 4. Training device according to claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the electronic sensor is a device with strain gauges arranged substantially perpendicularly relative to the movement of the second end of the arm. 5. Training device according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the target surface is convexly curved towards the body which is to hit the target. 6. Training device according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the training device is provided with a signaling device which is connected to the recording device and which can be activated by the recording device. 7. System for processing information from one or more training devices with electronic sensors according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each of the electronic sensors is connected to a recording device, which in turn is connected to a peripheral data processing device and which, when a hit on one of the targets is registered, processes the electronic signal of the electronic sensor, together with information concerning which of the sensors the information originates from, if applicable, and forwards it to the peripheral data processing device. 8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the peripheral data processing device is a personal computer (PC). 9. System according to claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the peripheral data processing device stores information from the recording device between predetermined times. 10. System according to claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the peripheral data processing device can perform a predetermined sequence which activates predetermined signaling devices via the recording device, while at the same time the data processing device records information from the recording device through all or part of the sequence.