US-12623133-B2 - Ball game practice apparatus

US12623133B2US 12623133 B2US12623133 B2US 12623133B2US-12623133-B2

Abstract

A ball game practice apparatus for receiving and delivering balls. The ball game practice apparatus including a backstop assembly having a framework supporting a flexible covering, the flexible covering including a back portion with an opening and a bottom portion shaped to funnel balls to an exit opening formed therein. A ball elevating device includes a base, a framework extending vertically from the base, an endless conveyor carried by the framework, and a feeder mechanism coupled to the endless conveyor, the feeder mechanism positioned under the exit opening of the bottom portion. A ball throwing device has a hopper and an outlet. The hopper is positioned to receive balls from the endless conveyor and deliver balls through the outlet and the opening.

Inventors

Akira Kakizawa

Assignees

Akira Kakizawa

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230727

Claims (20)

1 . A ball game practice apparatus comprising: a backstop assembly including a framework supporting a flexible covering, the flexible covering including a back portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion shaped to funnel balls carried thereon to an exit opening formed therein, and the back portion having a delivery opening; a ball elevating device including a base, a framework extending vertically from the base, an endless conveyor carried by the framework, and a feeder mechanism coupled to the endless conveyor, the feeder mechanism positioned under the exit opening of the bottom portion; and a ball throwing device having a hopper and an outlet, the hopper positioned to receive balls from the endless conveyor and deliver balls through the outlet and the delivery opening.
2 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the flexible covering further includes an annular reinforcing member encircling the exit opening.
3 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , further including a pair of tensioning members, each tensioning member of the pair of tensioning members attached between an opposing side of the annular reinforcing member and the framework, pulling bottom portion downwardly to form a funnel shape centered on the exit opening.
4 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the back portion attached to the ball throwing device, securing the delivery opening registered with the outlet.
5 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the back portion further includes a reinforcing collar encircling of the delivery opening.
6 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising the reinforcing collar attached to the ball throwing device, securing the delivery opening registered with the outlet.
7 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the endless conveyor of the ball elevating device includes: a first double spindle rotatably carried by a first spindle bracket coupled to a bottom portion of the framework of the ball elevating device, the double spindle spaced apart from the base to form a gap therebetween; a motor coupled to the first double spindle, the motor movable between an off configuration and an on configuration, in the on configuration, the motor rotating the first double spindle; a second double spindle rotatably carried by a second spindle bracket coupled to a top portion of the framework of the ball elevating device; a pair of endless belts coupled between the first double spindle and the second double spindle, the pair of endless belts moving vertically with the motor in the on configuration; and a plurality of carrier members, each carrier member of the plurality of carrier members coupled to the pair of endless belts for movement therewith.
8 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each carrier member of the plurality of carrier members includes a back member having a bottom edge, a fork element extending perpendicularly outwardly from the bottom edge for receiving and holding a ball, and a notch formed in each opposing side of the back member, each notch receiving one of the pair of endless belts thereby fixing the back surface thereto.
9 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each carrier member of the plurality of carrier members includes a concave back surface at each notch for intermittent engagement with the first double spindle and the second double spindle providing stability to each carrier member during the intermittent engagement.
10 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each fork element is positioned at intervals transverse to a longitudinal direction of the pair of endless belts and each fork element is bifurcated with partial semicircular tines defining a central opening sized to securely nestle a ball therein.
11 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further including a deflector element carried at the top of the framework of the ball elevating device, the deflector element positioned to engage balls and redirected them to the side and into the hopper of the ball throwing device.
12 . A ball game practice apparatus comprising: a backstop assembly including a framework supporting a flexible covering, the flexible covering including a back portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion shaped to funnel balls carried thereon to an exit opening formed therein, and the back portion having a delivery opening; a ball elevating device including a base, a framework extending vertically from the base, an endless conveyor carried by the framework, and a feeder mechanism coupled to the endless conveyor, the feeder mechanism positioned under the exit opening of the bottom portion; a ball throwing device having a hopper and an outlet, the hopper positioned to receive balls from the endless conveyor and deliver balls through the outlet and the delivery opening; and the back portion of the flexible covering coupled to the ball throwing machine, securing the delivery opening registered with the outlet.
13 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the back portion including a reinforcing collar encircling the delivery opening, the reinforcing collar coupled to the ball throwing machine, securing the delivery opening registered with the outlet.
14 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the bottom portion of the flexible covering further includes an annular reinforcing encircling the exit opening.
15 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , further including a pair of tensioning members, each tensioning member of the pair of tensioning members attached between an opposing side of the annular reinforcing member and the framework, pulling bottom portion downwardly to form a funnel shape centered on the exit opening.
16 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the endless conveyor of the ball elevating device includes: a first spindle rotatably carried by a first spindle bracket coupled to a bottom portion of the framework of the ball elevating device, the spindle spaced apart from the base to form a gap therebetween; a motor coupled to the first spindle, the motor movable between an off configuration and an on configuration, in the on configuration, the motor rotating the first spindle; a second spindle rotatably carried by a second spindle bracket coupled to a top portion of the framework of the ball elevating device; an endless belt coupled between the first spindle and the second spindle, the endless belt moving vertically with the motor in the on configuration; and a plurality of carrier members, each carrier member of the plurality of carrier members coupled to the endless belt for movement therewith.
17 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first spindle is a first double spindle, the second spindle is a second double spindle, and the endless belt is a pair of endless coupled between the first double spindle and the second double spindle.
18 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each carrier member of the plurality of carrier members includes a back member having a bottom edge, a fork element extending perpendicularly outwardly from the bottom edge for receiving and holding a ball, and a notch formed in each opposing side of the back member, each notch receiving one of the pair of endless belts thereby fixing the back surface thereto.
19 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein each fork element is positioned at intervals transverse to a longitudinal direction of the pair of endless belts and each fork element is bifurcated with partial semicircular tines defining a central opening sized to securely nestle a ball therein.
20 . The ball game practice apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further including a deflector element carried at the top of the framework of the ball elevating device, the deflector element positioned to engage balls and redirected them to the side and into the hopper of the ball throwing device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/393,545, filed Jul. 29, 2022, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to ball game practice apparatus configured to capture and deliver balls. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Pickleball is a racket/paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It is played on a court the size of a badminton court, with a low net similar to tennis, using a paddle, a form of a racket, and a ball, a form of a wiffle ball in the nature of a plastic ball with holes. A player uses his paddle to hit the ball, commonly referred to as a pickleball, over the net to his opponent. The best way to score points in the game is to play at the non-volley line, seven feet from the net. The player hits the ball to advance from the baseline to their non-volley line, aiming for a successful drop shot into the opponent's non-volley zone between the net and the opponent's non-volley line. As the ball flies toward the opponent, the player runs toward their non-volley line to hit the ball. There are many rallies or ball exchanges at each team's non-volley line. The greater a player's racket game skill level, the greater the chance of that player winning a game. Typically, a player improves his skills through practice and repetition. He can enhance his ball-playing skills by hitting hundreds of balls with his racket continuously for each skill, a form of training many players want to perform at home. Currently, the player uses a ball-throwing machine to hit tens of balls at a court, then spends dozens of times longer picking them up and returning them to the machine. Or the player hires a coach for practice at a considerable expense. This invention eliminates this extra time, work, and cost. It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art by providing a ball game practice apparatus configured to retrieve and deliver balls repeatedly for allowing a player to practice his racket/paddle sport skills. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, to achieve the desired objects and advantages of the instant invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment provided is a ball game practice apparatus. The ball game practice apparatus includes a backstop assembly a ball elevating device and a ball throwing device. The backstop assembly includes a framework supporting a flexible covering having a back portion, a bottom portion, an exit opening, and a delivery opening. The bottom portion is shaped to funnel balls carried thereon to the exit opening formed therein. The back portion has the delivery opening. The ball elevating device includes a base, a framework extending vertically from the base, an endless conveyor carried by the framework, and a feeder mechanism coupled to the endless conveyor. The exit opening is open to the feeder mechanism positioned under the exit opening of the bottom portion. The ball throwing device has a hopper and an outlet. The hopper is positioned to receive balls from the endless conveyor and deliver balls through the outlet and the delivery opening. The back portion is attached directly to the ball throwing device, securing the delivery opening registered with the outlet. In a particular embodiment, the back portion has a reinforcing collar encircling the delivery opening and attached directly to the ball throwing device, securing the delivery opening registered with the outlet. In another aspect, the endless conveyor of the ball elevating device includes a first double spindle rotatably carried by a first spindle bracket coupled to a bottom portion of the framework of the ball elevating device. The double spindle spaced apart from the base to form a gap therebetween. A motor is coupled to the first double spindle, the motor movable between an off configuration and an on configuration, in the on configuration, the motor rotating the first double spindle. A second double spindle is rotatably carried by a second spindle bracket coupled to a top portion of the framework of the ball elevating device. A pair of endless belts is coupled between the first double spindle and the second double spindle, the pair of endless belts moving vertically with the motor in the on configuration. A plurality of carrier members are carried by the pair of endless belts. Each carrier member of the plurality of carrier members is coupled to the pair of endless belts for movement therewith. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball game practice apparatus according to the present invention, in use; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a backstop a