Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MECHANICAL GOALTENDER
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention generally relates to sports practice and training apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A goaltender, also referred to as "goalie," "goalkeeper," "tender" and by
other related
names, is arguably the most important and valuable player in any team sport
that
involves a projectile passing through or into a guarded net. The primary
objective of
these types of team sports (e.g. hockey and lacrosse) is to score more goals
or points
than the other team, and the goaltender's role is to occupy and protect the
net in order
to prevent the other team from scoring. Without a goaltender, a team can
neither
practice nor play the game properly.
Yet goaltenders are a rare commodity. On a team of 17 to 22 players,
goaltenders
represent at most 2 or 3; and being human, they cannot always attend, they can
suffer
from fatigue and they can be injured. So it is quite common for teams to
practice or
play without a goaltender. Additionally, players like to practice their
shooting on their
own time, not just at designated team practices, and finding a goalie for such
situations can be challenging. In these frequently occurring situations, teams
and
players resort to using various methods to replicate the challenge and fun of
shooting
on a goaltender.
There are many ways to emulate the presence of a goaltender. One way is to put
a
large object, like a garbage can, into the net. Doing so forces players to
shoot around
the object in order to score. While this may be beneficial for young and/or
beginner
players, this presents an important disadvantage in that a goaltender is not
stationary;
he or she can move and block a projectile with their body, limbs, and/or
stick.
Additionally, the available scoring areas when such an object is in the net
are much
larger than those actually available in a game situation (making it much
easier to
score goals), and this method does not scale or allow for variable difficulty
when
players of different skill levels are practicing. Accordingly, blocking the
net with a
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still object does not accurately emulate the challenge of scoring a goal in a
game
situation.
Another way to emulate the presence of a goaltender is to affix targets to or
in the net,
such that a player must hit a target with the puck in order to score. The
targets can be
made of foam (as used in National Hockey League skill competitions) or
plastic, be
ring-like objects which a puck, ball or other projectile can pass through, or
even a
front-loading washing machine as Sidney Crosby used as a young child. Such
targets
are somewhat effective because they force a player to aim for a specific area
of the
net, thus developing the player's accuracy. They also are available in
different sizes,
for players of different skill levels, a smaller target being more difficult
to hit.
However, as in the case of a still object placed in the net, such targets lack
movement,
so they do not accurately emulate this very important aspect of a real
goaltender.
Also, because the targets are stationary, the target locations can be
memorized, so a
player does not need to keep their head-up and look for an open area in order
to score.
Keeping one's head up is a key skill for successful goal scoring in a real
game
situation.
Another known way to emulate the presence of a goaltender is a category of
devices
sometimes known as a "shooter tutor." Such devices attach to a net and cover a
large
portion of the net opening, often feature the image of a goaltender, and have
cut-out
holes in the common scoring areas (typically the four corners and an area
between the
goaltender's legs) through which a projectile can pass. Shooter tutors can be
made of
material such as netting, vinyl, hard plastic or wood, and while they provide
more
restrictive scoring areas than simply placing an object in the net, they
similarly suffer
from the key disadvantage that they are stationary. Additionally, teams and
players
report that these devices tear or break after frequent use.
Like targets, shooter tutors help with aim, but only in a limited capacity, as
the
scoring locations can be memorized. Finally because shooter tutors are two-
dimensional, resting flat in or against the net, they fail to effectively
replicate the
presence of a person (or three-dimensional object), which affects a shooter's
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perspective on the available scoring areas and the actual size and difficulty
of
ensuring that a projectile is able to pass through the scoring areas.
It general, it can be seen that current shooter tutors and similar devices
suffer from a
variety of disadvantages: they do not move, and therefore do not accurately
represent
or simulate the presence of a goaltender; they are not scalable or adjustable
for
different skill levels; they lack durability; and they do not require players
to practice
the key skills required to score goals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In drawings that illustrate an embodiment of the invention by way of non-
limiting
example,
Figure 1 is a top front perspective view of a mechanical goaltender embodying
the
invention.
Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the mechanical goaltender of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the mechanical goaltender
of Figure 1
showing the interface between the two main portions.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the mechanical goaltender of
Figure 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a mechanical goalie or 'shooter tutor' that is
dynamic,
in order to best replicate the experience of shooting on a human goaltender,
allowing
players and teams to practice more effectively and find more enjoyment in the
game.
Such an apparatus can enhance an athlete's shooting performance; replace a
human
goaltender in practice or game situations; allow players to practice their
shot realistically
in the absence of a human goaltender; and force players to keep their head up,
time their
release appropriately and improve the accuracy of their shots.
In a preferred embodiment the apparatus of the invention can be tailored or
adjusted to
match the skill level of the player using it, and can be adjusted to rebound
projectiles
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realistically and at adjustable angles. The apparatus of the invention can
also be used to
provide feedback to players and/or their coaches on their shooting
performance.
Thus the mechanical goaltender of the present invention has scoring areas that
change in
size and shape, thus more accurately replicating the challenge and fun of
shooting on a
goaltender; can be built to be sufficiently durable as to repeatedly withstand
the force of a
puck being shot at over 100mph; has an easy method of adjusting the speed and
orientation of the scoring areas, so it can be used by players and teams of
all skill levels;
is portable and readily transported; and is capable of being battery-operated.
As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 the apparatus comprises two main portions
each
comprising a frame 10 supporting rotating boards 22 disposed behind stationary
boards 21. The stationary boards 21 are connected to frames 10 by mounting
brackets
13, and the two rotating boards 21 are mounted to the respective motor shafts
(not
shown) of the motors 31, preferably between the frame 10 and the stationary
boards
21, at mounting ports 14.
The stationary boards 21 each comprise at least one opening 21a, preferably a
plurality of openings 21a, serving as targets for the shooter, disposed at
strategic
locations for purposes of training and challenging the shooter. The openings
21a
through each stationary board 21, cooperating with the openings 22a through
each
rotating board 22, limit the available scoring areas to create scoring
opportunities that
emulate those which would arise through the movement and presence of a real
goaltender.
The rotating boards 22 each comprise at least one orbiting opening 22a which
orbit
about the motor shaft, preferably a plurality of orbiting openings 22a, and
are
mounted behind the stationary boards 21 such that the orbiting opening(s) 22a
through the rotating boards 22 pass the stationary opening(s) 21a through the
stationary boards 21. Thus, when a orbiting opening 22a is in alignment with a
stationary board opening 21a a direct path into the net through the aligned
openings
21a, 22a is provided to the shooter. To score requires that the projectile
(e.g. a puck)
reaches the mechanical goalie at the time both the stationary and orbiting
openings
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21a, 22a are in alignment, at the position where both openings 21a, 22a
overlap,
requiring accuracy of both aim and timing.
The frame 10, best seen in Figure 2, may be formed from components 11 extruded
from aluminum as shown. However, any material that has strong tensional
rigidity may
be used for the frame 10, including other metals, plastic and wood, and
depending upon
the material(s) used the frame components 11 may be formed by means other than
extrusion. Preferably the frame 10 is made from a material that is relatively
light-weight
and durable and that resists corrosion.
The frame 10 comprises supporting brackets 12 which affix the frame components
11
together to provide stability and structure to the apparatus, provide mounting
points
for the rest of the components of the apparatus, and absorb the shooting load
(momentum) of projectiles which strike a stationary board 21 or a rotating
board 22.
Mounting brackets 13 are connected to the stationary boards 21, distributed
about the
periphery of the frame 10, supporting the stationary boards 21 and
transferring the
shooting load to the frame 10. The supporting brackets 12 are located at each
intersection of the extruded aluminum frame components 11 to bond and
strengthen
the entire structure. Preferably one or more cross-members 11a are provided
for
additional strength and rigidity, and to support mounting ports 14 for the
motors 31
that rotate the rotating boards 22.
The stationary and rotating boards 21, 22 may be composed of a polycarbonate
material such as Lexan (Trademark) or any other suitably strong material. The
two
stationary boards 21 may feature a decal with the image of a goaltender to add
to the
realism of the experience, and the colours and graphics on the goaltender can
be
customized for each individual apparatus. The decal can be printed on vinyl
and
affixed to the stationary boards 21, or the image could be printed on other
materials
and/or directly onto the scoring boards themselves. Where the stationary
boards 21
are transparent, the decal may be affixed to the backs of stationary boards
21.
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The rotating boards 22 may optionally feature colours around the borders of
the
openings 22a, assisting an individual in visually differentiating each of the
openings
22a as it passes an opening 21a in the respective stationary board 21. Each
opening on
a rotating board 22 could be outlined with a different colour, although
preferably
colours are selected in order to improve visibility to those who are colour
blind.
Coloured outlines can also optionally be provided around the borders of
openings 21a
of the stationary boards 21. The coloured outlines on 21 and/or 22 can be
created using
a variety of materials, including lights such as (without limitation) LEDs.
The openings
21a in the stationary boards 21 may be of different sizes and/or shapes. The
openings
22a in the rotating boards 22 may also be of different sizes and/or shapes,
however
preferably the openings 22a are as large as the largest opening 21a so that
when an
opening 22a is in complete alignment with an opening 21a the shooter only sees
the
opening 21a, unoccluded by the opening 22a behind it.
The stationary boards 21 and rotating boards 22 may be demounted and replaced,
to
provide a different geometry, positioning, spacing etc. of openings 21a, 22a,
respectively, to increase the challenge and/or variety of playing and
practicing with
the mechanical goalie.
In the embodiment illustrated each half-portion of the apparatus is self-
contained, and
hinges 17 are provided allowing the centre edge 19a of one half portion (i.e.
the edge
that becomes the horizontal centre of the assembled apparatus) to be raised
slightly,
butted up against the centre edge 19b of the other half portion and dropped
into
position to hingedly lock the two portions for use. Alternatively the hinges
may be
permanent, so no assembly is required. In either case the portions may be
angularly
offset, as shown in Figure 1, to adjust the rebound angle of the apparatus.
The motor 31 comprises an actuator with an electric motor and a gear box. The
motor
31 terminals (not shown) may be connected to the controller. The function of
the
motor 31 is to drive the mounted rotating board 22 in the clockwise or
counterclockwise direction at the desired speed, preferably constantly
although
intermittent operation is also contemplated. The motor terminals are connected
to the
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controller in circuit housing with a pair of extension wires and the drive
shaft (not
shown) is connected in rotationally fixed relation to the rotating board 22.
In some embodiments the maximum speed of the rotating boards 22 is 36 RPM. In
some embodiments the speed of the rotating boards 22 can be adjusted, and the
rotating boards 22 can perform clockwise and counterclockwise movement.
The motor 31 itself may be mounted to the body frame 10, for example at the
upper
cross-member 11a shown in the drawing. The controller 33 is a structure with
three
components connected by wires. The controller 33 is preferably a combination
of a
switch, a speed adjusting knob, and a circuit housing with control circuit
inside,
however various shapes of the knobs, the switch and the circuit box may be
utilized
for the controller and these components may be housed and mounted separately.
The
controller may include two pairs of wires, each respectively connected to the
battery
pack 41 and to the motor 31.
The controller 33 allows the user to adjust the speed and the direction of
motor 31
(and thus rotating board 22) and to connect the battery pack 41 to the motor
31. The
switch may thus be a 3-way switch with forward, reverse and off positions to
control
the motor 31. In other embodiments the switch may contain fewer or more
settings,
for example an additional position that allows for intermittent rotation of
the rotating
board 22. The controller may be mounted on the body frame 10 with a cover
panel to
cover the wires. The electric motor may have a 24V input to allow for both
battery
and mains power supply connection (in the latter case via a suitable adapter).
In the
embodiment shown the motors 31 each have an output of 36w and a torque of 1.7
N/m, with an initial motor spinning speed of 320 RPM geared down to 36 RPM by
the
gearbox. The motor can be any kind of the motor as long as it carries the
rotation
board to spin, preferably (but not necessarily) at minimum of 36 RPM. The
control
unit is connected to the motor 31 to control the speed and the direction of
the motor
motion. It can also shut down the motor system if requested by the user,
and/or upon
overload or overheating. The knob can control the speed of the motor 31 and
the
circuit housing protects the control circuit. The controller can be any
variation of the
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controller, as long as the controller can properly control the speed and
direction of the
motor motion.
Motors 31 with higher power output may be used to increase the maximum speed
of
the rotating boards 22. Motors 31 with lower power may alternatively be used
to
decrease the power consumption from the battery pack 41. The gear box 32 on
the
motors 31 can also be changed in order to change the speed and/or rotational
forces.
The control unit 30 can also be changed to a more complicated version with
PCBs and
microcontroller due to the increasing data handling demand.
Alternatively, in some embodiments the invention can operate using a simple
switch,
it being appreciated that this may limit the versatility of the apparatus as a
shooting
target and the ability to challenge the shooter.
In some embodiments the apparatus of the invention provides a safety system,
preferably a combination of one or more distance sensors 44 mounted at a
suitable
location to sense the area in front of the mechanical goaltender, an Arduino
unit (not
shown), LED lights and a power relay (not shown). Various shapes of motion
sensors,
Arduino chips, LED lights and power relays may be utilized for the safety
system.
The safety system may include a battery pack 41 to support Arduino unit and
the
operation of the safety system overall. The function of the safety system is
to
temporarily suspend the movement of the rotating boards 22 when a person gets
too
close to the device, to ensure the safety of the device itself and the users.
The safety
system would be connected to the motor 31 input wires and the system is
mounted on
the body frame 10 with a protective box covering the entire system. When the
apparatus is activated, the distance sensors will sense if anyone is
approaching the
apparatus and send a signal to the Arduino unit. The Arduino unit will process
the
signal and send a signal to motor 31 to stop rotating the rotating board 22,
if
necessary, without interrupting other systems. The power relay will support
necessary
power to the motor 31 and shut it off. The two LED lights can indicate if the
system is
on and in-use. The safety system could be securely mounted to the frame 10 and
protected by the circuit housing.
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The battery pack 41 may be a heavy duty Li-ion battery. Battery pack 41 size
may be
either increased or decreased to meet the design requirements. For example,
the
battery size may be either increased to have a longer battery life or
decreased to
reduce the weight of the apparatus. The type of battery may also be changed to
meet
design requirements. For example, a super-capacitive battery may be installed
to
protect the environment and increase performance. Additionally, more sensors
may be
added to the system to ensure the apparatus and its users are kept safe.
A remote control system that can control the machine through a smart phone or
tablet,
or a dedicated remote controller, may be provided. The apparatus may also
feature a
scoring detection and measurement system, which will measure the shooting
accuracy
and/or speed of an individual player and/or group of players, which may also
contain
a data acquisition and transmitting system to collect a player's shooting
speed and
accuracy data and send it to the cloud for player review and analysis. The
machine
may also include a laser system to detect shooters' motions and positions.
In use of the illustrated embodiment, the user assembles the two sides
together by
connecting hinges 17 on the frame.
Once the frame is assembled, the user then places the apparatus in or in front
of the
goal net (not shown), with the outside parts of the frame 10 generally aligned
with the
goal posts, and fastens the frame 10 to the goal net securely to ensure no
relative
movement. Releasable ties (for example cords, straps equipped with Velcro,
grommets or other releasable fastening devices, etc.) may be provided for this
purposes.
When the apparatus is secured to the goal net, the user can then turn on the
apparatus
using the switches 34, which may be located at the top of each side of the
apparatus
(or a single switch may be provided to control both motors 31), and select the
desired
direction (clockwise or counterclockwise). This activates the two motors 31 to
drive
the two rotating boards 22 at the minimum speed. The user may then adjust the
speed
of the motors 31 by turning the speed adjust knobs, which may also be located
at the
top of each side of the apparatus, to the desired rotating speed. The user can
then start
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to use the apparatus to practice. When the user has run out of pucks or the
hockey
goal is full of the pucks, the user can switch off the device using the
switch(es) 34,
unfasten one side of the device from the net, and move/rotate the apparatus
such that
they can retrieve the pucks from the goal net. To continue use, the apparatus
is re-
secured to the goal net and reactivated as described above.
When the user is finished they can shut down the apparatus via the switch 34,
untie
the apparatus from the goal net, disconnect the left and right hand portions,
and stow
the apparatus back for transport or storage.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible
within the
spirit and scope of the invention.
