Batting Tee

The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/631,642, filed on Apr. 9, 2024, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

The present invention relates generally to sporting equipment and more specifically to swing training device or batting tee.

In the prior art, baseball and softball swing trainers or tees are often employed to enable individuals to develop proper swing paths without having to attempt to hit a moving ball. These swing trainers or tees normally include a ball or ball-shaped target that is held in a stationary position by a suitable support. The support holding the ball or target can support the ball from below, particularly with batting tees that are designed to hold an actual ball that is used in the sport for which the training with the batting tee is performed. With batting tees of this type, the ball can be hit out of the support position on the tee, such that the tee can be used in actual game play while also training a proper swing path.

However, batting tees of this type have certain drawbacks. First, the batting tee necessarily covers a portion of the ball in the supported position, creating an obstruction between the ball and a bat being swung at the ball. Thus, the obstruction limits the area of the ball that can be directly contacted by the bat, thereby limiting the swing paths that can be used to effectively contact the ball supported by the batting tee. Second, as the batting tee is designed to enable the ball to be driven off of the tee through contact with a bat, when simply training with the batting tee, there is significant time required to retrieve and replace the ball on the tee between uses.

Alternatively, the ball or target can be held by the batting tee in a suspended position, such that the ball remains attached to the tee during use. This configuration for the batting tee greatly improved the ease of use of the batting tee for training purposes as no retrieval of the ball is required. The ball or target is connected to the support by a tether engaged between the support and the target to maintain the ball in engagement with the support while eliminating any obstruction between the ball and the bat being swung at the ball.

However, the connection between the ball and the support creates issues with regard to the free movement of the ball on the support. In particular, with prior art batting tees the tether can often get wrapped around the support shortening the length of the tether available to suspend the ball from the support. This requires that the individual using the batting tee continually unwrap the tether to suspend the ball the proper length from the support for effective training with the batting tee. Further, even if the batting tee utilizes a securing mechanism that allows the tether to rotate around the support, such as a mounting ring, in situations where the ball is not struck in alignment with tether, the tether can pull the securing device out of alignment with the support, locking the securing device on the support and allowing the tether to wind around the support.

Therefore, in order to overcome these shortcomings of the prior art it is desirable to develop a batting tee that effectively maintains the ability of a tether suspending a ball from a batting tee support to freely rotate around the support when the ball on the tether is struck by a bat when in use and prevent wrapping of the tether around the support.

According to one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a batting tee includes a base, a support attached to the base, and a target mount rotatably attached to the support, the mount having a housing, a number of bearings disposed within the housing and spaced from one another, and a pair of wires engaged at one end with the housing and to a target at the opposite end, wherein the support is inserted through the housing and the number of bearings to allow the target mount to rotate with regard to the support.

Other objectives, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from this summary and its descriptions of certain embodiments of such formulations and compositions, and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having knowledge of the synthetic techniques described therewith. Such objectives, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken into conjunction with the accompanying examples, data, and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom.

With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure, a batting tee constructed according an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown generally atin. The batting teeincludes a baseadapted to be supported by and/or positioned on the ground or other supporting surface and connected to a postextending upwardly from the baseand a supportadjustably connected to the postopposite the base.

The basecan be formed of any suitable material, such as a rigid material including a plastic or a metal. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of, the baseis formed of a metal material to provide sufficient weight to the baseto maintain the batting teein an upright position when in use. The basecan additionally include portions of varying thicknesses that function to provide sufficient weight to the baseto prevent the basefrom becoming moved off of the ground to maintain the upright position of the batting tee.

Further, the baseincludes a number of surface-engaging members, or feet that extend outwardly from the corners of the baseto increase the area and corresponding engagement of the basewith a surface, such as the ground, to provide enhanced stability to the batting teewhen in use. Each of the memberscan be formed of a material that frictionally engages the surface on which the baseis positioned.

Also, to assist in maintaining the batting teein the upright position, the surface-engaging memberscan either include or be utilized with an anchor (not shown) that is attached to the memberand inserted into or otherwise with the ground.

To connect the postto the base, the baseincludes a strutextending upwardly from the baseand including opposed aperturesextending therethrough. The post, which can be formed as a hollow tube of a material similar to that for the base, such as a metal or hard plastic, is insertable within a hollow interiorof the strutto align the apertureswith a first pair of holesdisposed in opposed sides of the post. A first securing pincan be releasably inserted through the aperturesand the first pair of holesto engage and hold the postwithin or on the strutand the base.

The pinin the illustrated exemplary embodiment includes a headand a shaftextending outwardly from the headthat is inserted through the aperturesand the first pair of holes. The headalso includes a locking memberthat is pivotally secured to the headat one end and a second end that can be releasably engaged with the end of the shaftopposite the headand extending outwardly from the strut.

Referring now to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of, opposite the first pair of holes, the postincludes a second pair of holesformed in opposite sides of the post. The postadditionally includes a cappositioned around the periphery of the end of the postopposite the baseand adjacent the second pair of holes. The support, which can be formed as a hollow tube of a material similar to that for the baseand/or the post, such as a metal or hard plastic, is engaged with the postby inserting the first portionof the supportthrough the capand into the interior of the post. The capis formed of a suitable material that frictionally engages and aligns the supportwithin the postto minimize the movement of the supportrelative to both the capand the post.

Additionally, looking at, the supportincludes a number of spaced pairs of openingsdisposed along and extending through the first portionof the support. The supportis inserted through the capand into the postto align a selected pair of openingswith the second pair of holesadjacent the capto position a second portionof the supportengaged with the first portionat a selected height with regard to the baseand/or surface on which the baseis positioned. The second portion, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, is formed as an integral extension of the first portionthat is joined thereto by a curved portionthat positions the second portionin a horizontal position relative to the vertical position of the first portion. A second securing pinformed similarly to the first securing pincan be inserted through the second pair of holesand the aligned selected pair of openingsin the first portionto hold the supportin the desired position with regard to the post.

Referring now to, within the hollow interior of the second portionopposite the curved portionis positioned a rod adapter. The rod adapteris configured to be inserted within the second portionto engage the interior of the second portionin a non-rotatable manner. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of, the second portionis formed as a tube having a uniform cross-section along its length, which can be selected to be generally square. The body of the rod adapteris formed to have an exterior cross-section complementary to that of the second portion, such that the rod adaptercan be aligned with and slidably inserted within the second portionbut with the exterior of the rod adapterbeing engaged by the interior of the second portionupon any rotational movement of the rod adapterwithin the second portion.

The rod adapter, which can be formed as a hollow tube of a material similar to that for the postand/or support, such as a metal or hard plastic, includes an interior circular cross-section passageextending therethrough and a pair of apertureslocated on opposed sides of the rod adapterthat intersect the passage. The pair of aperturesare alignable with openingsdisposed adjacent the end of the second portionopposite the curved portion.

Within the second portion, the rod adaptercan be engaged with a rodinserted into the passageof the rod adapter. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of, the rodincludes a borethat can be positioned in alignment with the aperturesand the openings, such that an engaging pincan be inserted therethrough to hold the rodand adapterin a non-rotatable position within the second portion.

Opposite the rod adapter, the rodextends from the adapteroutwardly of the second portionand includes a knobthreadedly engaged within a passageformed in the rodopposite the adapter, as best shown in. The knobincludes a handle, a compression portionlocated on one side of the handle, and a threaded shaftextending outwardly from the compression portionopposite the handleand engaged within the passage.

Referring now to, removably disposed on the rodbetween the adapterand the knobis a rotatable target mount. The mountis formed with a housingincluding a pair of joined halves,each formed of a suitable material, such as a metal or a plastic, and defining a narrow central sectionand wide end sections,located at opposed ends of the central section. The halves,each include securing pinsthat are engageable with complementary sleeveslocated in alignment with the pinswhen the halves are joined to one another around the rod.

The narrow central sectionis formed to be larger in diameter than the rod, such that the rodcan extend through the central sectionwithout engaging the central section. Further, each of the end sections,includes a seatformed therein that receives a bearing. The bearingis formed with an outer ringfixed to the end sections,, e.g., secured to the seatin each end section,, and an inner ringdefining a passagetherein and spaced from the outer ringby a number of ball bearingslocated therebetween. The rodcan be inserted through the passagesin the inner ringof each bearing, such that the adaptercontacts the inner ringof the bearingon one end of the mountand the knobcontacts the inner ringof the bearingat the opposite end of the mount. This mechanical or frictional engagement of the bearingswith the adapterand knobat each end of the rodsecures the mounton the rod, while also allowing the mountto freely rotate around the rodas a result of the free rotation of the outer ringrelative to the inner ringprovided by the ball bearings.

The mountfurther includes a pair of wiresattached thereto. Each wireincludes a loopat one end that is positioned around the exterior of the outer ringof the bearing. Adjacent the loop, the wireis engaged by the housing, such as within one or more slotsformed in or adjacent the seat, to fix the looparound the bearingin a stationary position relative to the housingto enable the wiresto rotate around the rodin conjunction with the housingand the outer ringsof the bearings.

The wires, which can optionally be encased in a sheathing material (not shown), further extend outwardly from the housinginto connection with a target or ballopposite the loops. The targetis shaped similarly to a baseball or softball and includes a pair of channelsformed through the target. The wiresare each inserted through the channelsand engaged with a grommetdisposed against the targetin a position opposite the mount. The grommetis shaped to conform to the outer surface of the targetand includes a recessdisposed opposite the targetand extending between a pair of aperturesextending through the grommet. After exiting the channelsin the target, the wirespass through the aperturesand include a bendthat is oriented at approximately aangle to the wireexiting the channeland that extends along the recess. The bendseach engage the grommetwithin the recessto hold the wiresin position on the targetsuch that the targetis supported by the wiresin a suspended position below the mountfor use in practicing a batting swing.

In one exemplary embodiment for the operation of the batting tee, initially the height of the second portionof the supportas desired relative to the surface on which the baseis positioned by moving the first portionof the supportrelative to the post. The first portionis held in the desired position by engaging the second pinbetween the postand the first portion. The rodis then inserted within the rod adapteron the second portionand secured therein using the pin.

Subsequently, the mountcan be positioned on the rodby sliding the rodinto the mountthrough the inner ringsof the bearingsdisposed within the housing. The knobcan then be engaged with the rodopposite the rod adapterto retain the mountin position on the rodwith the targetlocated in a suspended position beneath the mountby the wires. In this configuration, when the targetis struck by a bat (not shown), the targetis driven in a direction away from the point of contact of the bat with the target. The movement of the targetin this direction causes the wiressecured through the targetby the grommetto move in the same direction. Consequently, the engagement of the wiresto the housingvia the slotand the loopssecured around the outer ringsof the bearingscauses the outer ringsand housingto move or rotate in the direction of movement of the wiresaround the rod. The construction of the housingto fix the bearingswith regard to one another prevent the bearingsand the wiresengaged with the bearingsan the housingfrom binding against the rodas the movement of the targetrotates the housingand bearingsaround the rod. Thus, with this construction, the batting teeallows the free rotation of the housingand targetattached to the housingby maintaining the alignment of the bearingsand wireswith the rodusing the housing.

In an alternative embodiment, the wirescan be engaged directly with the housingwithout the loop. In an additional alternative embodiment, the wirecan be formed as a single member with both loopsformed at each end of the wire. Further, in still another alternative embodiment, the housingcan include more than two bearingswithin the housingand disposed around the rod. In still an additional alternative embodiment, the baseand postcan be formed as a single piece to which the supportis adjustably secured.

The invention and the manner and process of making and using it are now described in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, to make and use the same. It is to be understood that the foregoing describes preferred embodiments of the present invention and that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.