assistive devices

Abstract

This invention provides an auxiliary tool that can be used to draw lines in a baseball or softball batter's box, and that simplifies the preparation work required before use compared to conventional tools. [Solution] The auxiliary tool 1, which can be used for drawing lines in baseball or softball, comprises a sheet-like main body 2, the main body 2 has a right batter's box area 10, a home plate area 20, and a left batter's box area 30 arranged in order, the home plate area 20 is provided with a reference section 21 for aligning with the home plate, the four corners of the right batter's box area 10 which is set in a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2 are each provided with first reference holes 11 that pass through the main body 2, the four corners of the left batter's box area 30 which is set in a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2 are each provided with second reference holes 31 that pass through the main body 2, and the main body 2 is configured to be rollable or foldable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary tool that can be used for drawing lines in baseball or softball.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an auxiliary tool that can be used for drawing lines in a batter's box for baseball or the like is known. For example, the base hole line-drawing auxiliary tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a right batter's box frame, a left batter's box frame, a home base frame, and connecting hinges provided on each of the right batter's box, the left batter's box, and the home base frame. Each of the right batter's box, the left batter's box, and the home base frame can be folded by the connecting hinges provided thereon.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the base hole line-drawing auxiliary tool of Patent Document 1 requires an operation of expanding each of the folded right batter's box, left batter's box, and home base frame before using it for line drawing on the ground or the like. Therefore, this pre-use operation may be troublesome for the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object thereof is to provide an auxiliary tool that can be used for drawing lines in a batter's box for baseball or softball and has a simpler pre-use operation than conventional ones.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an auxiliary tool that can be used for drawing lines in baseball or softball, comprising a sheet-like main body, wherein a right batter's box area, a home plate area, and a left batter's box area are arranged in order on the main body, the home plate area is provided with a reference section for alignment with the home plate, first reference holes penetrating the main body are provided at each of the four corners of the right batter's box area which is set to be rectangular in the thickness direction of the main body, and second reference holes penetrating the main body are provided at each of the four corners of the left batter's box area which is set to be rectangular in the thickness direction of the main body, and the main body is configured to be rollable or foldable.

[0007] With the present invention configured in this way, after aligning the reference section of the auxiliary tool laid on the ground with the home plate, for example, point stakes inserted through the first and second reference holes are driven into the ground, and then, after removing the auxiliary tool, lines are drawn connecting the point stakes, thereby enabling the drawing of lines for the right and left batter's boxes. Furthermore, since the auxiliary tool can be used simply by unfolding the main body, which is rolled up or folded before use, the pre-use work is simpler than in conventional methods.

[0008] In the present invention, preferably, the home base region is transparent or translucent, and the reference portion is provided in the shape of a home base when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body.

[0009] According to the present invention configured in this way, the home plate area is transparent or semi-transparent, and the reference part is provided in the shape of a home plate when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body. Therefore, the user can align the reference part of the auxiliary device with the home plate while visually observing the home plate installed on the ground or elsewhere. This makes it easy to align the reference part with the home plate.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the right batter's box area has a first short side and a second short side facing the first short side, the left batter's box area has a third short side corresponding to the first short side and a fourth short side facing the third short side and corresponding to the second short side, the first short side is provided with a third reference hole that penetrates the main body, the second short side is provided with a fourth reference hole that penetrates the main body, the third short side is provided with a fifth reference hole that penetrates the main body, the fourth short side is provided with a sixth reference hole that penetrates the main body, and the first interval between the third reference hole and the fifth reference hole, and the second interval between the fourth reference hole and the sixth reference hole are set to lengths corresponding to the left-right width of the catcher's box.

[0011] According to the present invention configured as described above, after aligning the reference section of the auxiliary device laid on the ground with the home plate, for example, point stakes inserted through the fourth and sixth reference holes are driven into the ground, and then the position of the auxiliary device is changed so that the third reference hole is located at the position of the point stake corresponding to the fourth reference hole, and the fifth reference hole is located at the position of the point stake corresponding to the sixth reference hole. After driving the point stakes inserted through the fourth and sixth reference holes of the main body at the changed position into the ground, the main body is removed. Then, by drawing lines connecting the point stake corresponding to the fourth reference hole at the original position of the main body and the point stake corresponding to the fourth reference hole at the changed position of the main body, and the point stake corresponding to the sixth reference hole at the original position of the main body and the point stake corresponding to the sixth reference hole at the changed position of the main body, it becomes possible to draw lines for the catcher's box.

[0012] Preferably, the present invention further comprises a string-like member having a length corresponding to the radius of the dirt circle, and one end of the string-like member is attached to the reference portion.

[0013] According to the present invention configured in this way, one end of a string-like member having a length corresponding to the radius of the dirt circle is attached to a reference part. For example, by placing the lower end of a rod attached to the other end of the string-like member on the ground, and moving the rod so as to form an arc-shaped groove in the ground in a plan view, with one end of the string-like member as the center of rotation, a groove that serves as a marker for drawing the dirt circle line can be easily formed on the ground. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, an auxiliary tool can be used for drawing lines in a baseball or softball batter's box, and it is possible to provide an auxiliary tool that requires simpler preparation before use than conventional tools. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This figure shows an auxiliary device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (a) is a diagram showing the main body partially wound up, and (b) is a diagram showing the main body completely wound up. [Figure 3] (a) is a diagram showing the main body in an extended state and the auxiliary tool laid out to the side of home plate on the ground, (b) is a diagram showing the reference part aligned with home plate, and (c) is a diagram showing grooves formed on the ground to serve as markers for drawing the dirt circle line. [Figure 4] (a) is a diagram showing the state in which the position of the auxiliary device has been changed from the position shown in Figure 3(c), and (b) is a diagram showing the state in which the point stakes S inserted through each reference hole have been driven into the ground. [Figure 5] (a) is a diagram showing the left and right batter's boxes with the lines drawn, (b) is a diagram showing the catcher's box with the lines drawn, and (c) is a diagram showing the dirt circle with the lines drawn. [Figure 6](a) shows a state where the main body of the auxiliary tool according to the modified example is folded at the center in its longitudinal direction, and (b) shows a state where the main body of the auxiliary tool according to the modified example is further folded at the center in the orthogonal direction from the state of Fig. 6(a).

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature.

[0017] Fig. 1 shows an auxiliary tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The auxiliary tool 1 is in a scroll shape and includes a main body portion 2, a shaft portion 3, an eight-fold portion 4, and a winding end portion 5. In this embodiment, the auxiliary tool 1 can be used for drawing lines such as a batter's box for junior baseball.

[0018] The main body portion 2 is in a sheet shape and is configured to be wound. Further, the main body portion 2 is made of, for example, ester canvas.

[0019] Fig. 1 shows a state where the main body portion 2 is unfolded, Fig. 2(a) shows a state where the main body portion 2 is wound halfway, and Fig. 2(b) shows a state where the main body portion 2 is wound to the end. Note that the auxiliary tool 1 is laid on the ground in a posture where the first surface 2a is located on the upper side and the second surface 2b is located on the lower side (the ground side of the ground) when the main body portion 2 shown in Fig. 1 is unfolded. And the auxiliary tool 1 is such that the first surface 2a is located on the outside (exposed) and the second surface 2b is located on the inside (not exposed) when the main body portion 2 shown in Fig. 2(b) is wound to the end.

[0020] In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 2 in the state where the main body portion 2 shown in Fig. 1 is unfolded is referred to as the "longitudinal direction", and the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is referred to as the "orthogonal direction".

[0021] On the first surface 2a of the main body portion 2, a right batter's box area portion 10, a home base area portion 20, and a left batter's box area portion 30 are provided. The right batter's box area portion 10, the home base area portion 20, and the left batter's box area portion 30 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 2 in the state where the main body portion 2 is expanded. In other words, the right batter's box area portion 10 is provided on one side in the longitudinal direction of the home base area portion 2. On the other hand, the left batter's box area portion 30 is provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the home base area portion 2.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the right batter's box area portion 10 and the left batter's box area portion 30 have the same size and shape as the batter's box defined by the official baseball rules or the like. For example, the long side is 1.5 meters and the short side is 0.9 meters.

[0023] The right batter's box area portion 10 is set in a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body portion 2. The right batter's box area portion 10 includes a first short side portion 10a, a second short side portion 10b, a first long side portion 10c, and a second long side portion 10d that define a substantially rectangular frame-shaped outer edge. In the present embodiment, the first short side portion 10a, the second short side portion 10b, the first long side portion 10c, and the second long side portion 10d are formed by sticking an adhesive tape on the first surface 2a of the main body portion 2.

[0024] The first short side portion 10a and the second short side portion 10b extend in the longitudinal direction. The first short side portion 10a and the second short side portion 10b are arranged opposite to each other so as to be aligned in the orthogonal direction. The first short side portion 10a defines the outer edge on one side in the orthogonal direction of the right batter's box area portion 10. The second short side portion 10b defines the outer edge on the other side in the orthogonal direction of the right batter's box area portion 10.

[0025] The first long side 10c and the second long side 10d extend in orthogonal directions. Furthermore, the first long side 10c and the second long side 10d are positioned opposite each other so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction. The first long side 10c defines the outer edge of one side in the longitudinal direction of the right batter's box area 10. The second long side 10d defines the outer edge of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the right batter's box area 10.

[0026] The first long side portion 10c is provided to connect one longitudinal end of the first short side portion 10a with one longitudinal end of the second short side portion 10b. In other words, one orthogonal end of the first long side portion 10c is connected to one longitudinal end of the first short side portion 10a, and the other orthogonal end of the first long side portion 10c is connected to one longitudinal end of the second short side portion 10b.

[0027] The second long side portion 10d is provided to connect the other end in the longitudinal direction of the first short side portion 10a to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the second short side portion 10b. In other words, one end in the orthogonal direction of the second long side portion 10d is connected to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the first short side portion 10a, and the other end in the orthogonal direction of the second long side portion 10d is connected to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the second short side portion 10b.

[0028] Furthermore, first reference holes 11 are provided at each of the four corners of the right batter's box area 10, passing through the main body 2. The right batter's box area 10 also has a third reference hole 12 that passes through the main body 2 and is provided in the first short side 10a, and a fourth reference hole 13 that passes through the main body 2 and is provided in the second short side 10b, which is opposite the first short side 10a. In this embodiment, the third reference hole 12 and the fourth reference hole 13 are provided in a position closer to the second long side 10d than to the first long side 10c in the longitudinal direction.

[0029] In this embodiment, eyelets H are attached to the first reference hole 11, the third reference hole 12, and the fourth reference hole 13.

[0030] The home plate area 20 is set to be rectangular in shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2. In this embodiment, the home plate area 20 is set to have a smaller area than the right batter's box area 10 when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0031] The home plate area 20 is equipped with a transparent sheet material 20a. The transparent sheet material 20a is attached so as to cover the central hole 2c formed through the longitudinal center of the main body 2. In this embodiment, the portion of the main body 2 excluding the home plate area 20 is made of an opaque sheet material (for example, polyester canvas).

[0032] Furthermore, the home plate area 20 is provided with a reference section 21 for alignment with the home plate. The reference section 21 is shaped like a home plate when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2. In this embodiment, the reference section 21 is shaped like a frame when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2, and its contour is shaped like a home plate. Moreover, the contour of the reference section 21 is designed to coincide with the contour of a home plate as defined by the official baseball rules, etc.

[0033] Furthermore, a through hole 22 is provided at the other end of the reference portion 21 in the orthogonal direction. In this embodiment, an eyelet H is attached to the through hole 22.

[0034] Furthermore, one end of a string-like member 40 having a length corresponding to the radius of the dirt circle (for example, 3.3 meters) is attached to the through hole 22. The other end of the string-like member 40 is provided with an annular ring member 41.

[0035] The left batter's box area 30 is rectangular in shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2. Furthermore, the left batter's box area 30 has the same area as the right batter's box area 10 when viewed in the thickness direction. In addition, the left batter's box area 30 includes a third short side 30a, a fourth short side 30b, a third long side 30c, and a fourth long side 30d that define the outer edge of a roughly rectangular frame.

[0036] In this embodiment, the third short side portion 30a, the fourth short side portion 30b, the third long side portion 30c, and the fourth long side portion 30d are formed by attaching adhesive tape to the first surface 2a of the main body portion 2.

[0037] The third short side portion 30a and the fourth short side portion 30b extend in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the third short side portion 30a, which corresponds to the first short side portion 10a, and the fourth short side portion 30b, which corresponds to the second short side portion 10b, are arranged opposite each other so as to be aligned in an orthogonal direction. The third short side portion 30a defines the outer edge on one side in the orthogonal direction of the left batter's box area portion 30. The fourth short side portion 30b defines the outer edge on the other side in the orthogonal direction of the left batter's box area portion 30.

[0038] The third long side 30c and the fourth long side 30d extend in orthogonal directions. Furthermore, the third long side 30c and the fourth long side 30d are positioned opposite each other so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction. The third long side 30c defines the outer edge of one side in the longitudinal direction of the left batter's box area 30. The fourth long side 30d defines the outer edge of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the left batter's box area 30.

[0039] The third long side portion 30c is provided to connect one longitudinal end of the third short side portion 30a with one longitudinal end of the fourth short side portion 30b. In other words, one orthogonal end of the third long side portion 30c is connected to one longitudinal end of the third short side portion 30a, and the other orthogonal end of the third long side portion 30c is connected to one longitudinal end of the fourth short side portion 30b.

[0040] The fourth long side portion 30d is provided to connect the other end in the longitudinal direction of the third short side portion 30a and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the fourth short side portion 30b. In other words, one end in the orthogonal direction of the fourth long side portion 30d is connected to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the third short side portion 30a, and the other end in the orthogonal direction of the fourth long side portion 30d is connected to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the fourth short side portion 30b.

[0041] Furthermore, the left batter's box area 30 has second reference holes 31 that penetrate the main body 2 at each of its four corners. The left batter's box area 30 also has a fifth reference hole 32 that penetrates the main body 2 and is located in the third short side 30a, and a sixth reference hole 33 that penetrates the main body 2 and is located in the fourth short side 30b, which is opposite the third short side 30a. In this embodiment, the fifth reference hole 32 and the sixth reference hole 33 are located closer to the third long side 30c than to the fourth long side 30d in the longitudinal direction.

[0042] The first interval between the third reference hole 12 and the fifth reference hole 32, and the second interval between the fourth reference hole 13 and the sixth reference hole 33, are set to lengths corresponding to the left-right width of the catcher's box. The left-right width of the catcher's box is, for example, 0.901 meters.

[0043] In this embodiment, eyelets H are attached to the second reference hole 31, the fifth reference hole 32, and the sixth reference hole 33.

[0044] Furthermore, the main body 2 is provided with a first foul line reference line section 45 and a second foul line reference line section 46. The first foul line reference line section 45 extends inclined from the first short side section 10a of the right batter's box area section 10 so as it moves toward one side in the orthogonal direction, it is positioned toward one side in the longitudinal direction. The second foul line reference line section 46 extends inclined from the third short side section 30a of the left batter's box area section 30 so as it moves toward one side in the orthogonal direction, it is positioned toward the other side in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] Furthermore, the main body 2 is provided with a first catcher box line 47 and a second catcher box line 48. The first catcher box line 47 extends from the fourth reference hole 13 in one direction perpendicular to it. The second catcher box line 48 extends from the sixth reference hole 33 in one direction perpendicular to it.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first foul line reference line 45, the second foul line reference line 46, the first catcher's box line 47, and the second catcher's box line 48 are formed by attaching adhesive tape to the first surface 2a of the main body 2.

[0047] The shaft portion 3 is rod-shaped and inserted into the first cylindrical portion 2d formed at the other end of the main body portion 2 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the shaft portion 3 is configured to become the core of the auxiliary tool 1 when the main body portion 2 is wound around it.

[0048] The eight-pronged section 4 is rod-shaped and inserted into the second cylindrical section 2e formed at one end of the main body section 2 in the longitudinal direction.

[0049] The winding cord portion 5 is strip-shaped, and one end of it is attached to one end of the main body portion 2 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(b), the winding cord portion 5 is used to tie the main body portion 2 when it is wound up.

[0050] Next, the method of using the auxiliary device 1 will be explained using Figures 3 to 6. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a home plate 70 is already installed on the ground. The lines will be drawn using a line marker (not shown) capable of drawing white lines.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3(a), the user draws the first base foul line 71 and the third base foul line 72. In this case, there are designated areas where no lines are drawn between the first base foul line 71 and home plate 70, and between the third base foul line 72 and home plate 70.

[0052] Next, the user of the support device 1 unfolds the main body 2 and lays it on the ground. When doing so, the user lays it out so that the first surface 2a of the main body 2 is on top and the second surface 2b of the main body 2 is on the bottom.

[0053] Then, as shown in Figure 3(b), the user aligns the reference section 21 with the home plate 70, which is installed on the ground, so that the contour of the reference section 21 matches the contour of the home plate 70, while visually observing the home plate 70. At that time, the user aligns the reference section 21 with the home plate 70 so that the third base foul line 72 drawn on the ground is located on the extension of the first foul line reference line section 45 of the main body section 2, and the first base foul line 71 drawn on the ground is located on the extension of the second foul line reference line section 46 of the main body section 2. After this alignment, the user drives the point stakes S, which are inserted through the first reference hole 11, the second reference hole 31, the fourth reference hole 13, and the sixth reference hole 33, into the ground.

[0054] Next, the user places the lower end of the rod 75 attached to the ring member 41 of the string-like member 40 on the ground, and moves the rod so as to form an arc-shaped groove in the ground in a plan view, with one end of the string-like member 40 as the center of rotation. This forms a groove 76 in the ground that will serve as a marker for drawing the dirt circle line (see Figure 3(c)).

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(a), the user changes the position of the main body 2 (auxiliary device 1) so that the third reference hole 12 is located at the position of the point stake S corresponding to the fourth reference hole 13, and the fifth reference hole 32 is located at the position of the point stake S corresponding to the sixth reference hole 33. At that time, the user adjusts the position of the main body 2 (auxiliary device 1) so that the first reference hole 11, located on one longitudinal side of the third reference hole 12, is located at the position of the point stake S corresponding to the first reference hole 11, located on one longitudinal side of the fourth reference hole 13, and the second reference hole 31, located on the other longitudinal side of the fifth reference hole 32, is located at the position of the point stake S corresponding to the second reference hole 31, located on the other longitudinal side of the sixth reference hole 33.

[0056] Then, as shown in Figure 4(b), the user drives the point stake S, which has been inserted through the fourth reference hole 13 and the sixth reference hole 33 of the main body 2 at the modified position, into the ground. After that, the user removes the main body 2 (auxiliary device 1).

[0057] Next, as shown in Figure 5(a), the user draws lines connecting the point stakes S driven into the ground at positions corresponding to the first reference hole 11, thereby forming the right batter's box 81 on the ground. Also, as shown in Figure 5(a), the user draws lines connecting the point stakes S driven into the ground at positions corresponding to the second reference hole 31, thereby forming the left batter's box 82 on the ground.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(b), the user can draw lines connecting the point stake S corresponding to the fourth reference hole 13 at the original position of the main body 2 and the point stake S corresponding to the fourth reference hole 13 at the modified position of the main body 2, and the point stake S corresponding to the sixth reference hole 33 at the original position of the main body 2 and the point stake S corresponding to the sixth reference hole 33 at the modified position of the main body 2, thereby forming the left and right lines of the catcher's box 83 on the ground.

[0059] Then, as shown in Figure 5(c), the user can draw a line along the groove 76 to form a dirt circle 85 on the ground.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, after aligning the reference section 21 of the auxiliary tool 1 laid on the ground with the home plate 70, for example, point stakes S inserted through the first reference hole 11 and the second reference hole 31 are driven into the ground, and then the auxiliary tool 1 is removed and lines are drawn connecting the point stakes S, thereby enabling the drawing of lines for the right batter's box 81 and the left batter's box 82. Furthermore, the auxiliary tool 1 can be used for drawing lines simply by unwinding the main body 2 that is wound around it before use, thus simplifying the pre-use work compared to conventional methods.

[0061] Furthermore, since the home plate area 20 is transparent and the reference section 21 is shaped like a home plate when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2, the user can align the reference section 21 of the auxiliary device 1 with the home plate 70 while visually observing the home plate 70 installed on the ground or elsewhere. This makes it easy to align the reference section 21 with respect to the home plate 70.

[0062] Furthermore, after aligning the reference section 21 of the auxiliary device 1 laid on the ground with the home base 70, point stakes S inserted through the fourth reference hole 13 and the sixth reference hole 33 are driven into the ground, for example. Then, the position of the main body 2 of the auxiliary device 1 is changed so that the third reference hole 12 is located at the position of the point stake S corresponding to the fourth reference hole 13, and the fifth reference hole 32 is located at the position of the point stake S corresponding to the sixth reference hole 33. After driving the point stakes S inserted through the fourth reference hole 13 and the sixth reference hole 33 of the main body 2 at the changed position into the ground, the main body 2 is removed. Subsequently, by drawing lines connecting the point stake S corresponding to the fourth reference hole 13 at the position of the main body 2 before the change and the point stake S corresponding to the fourth reference hole 13 at the position of the main body 2 after the change, and the point stake S corresponding to the sixth reference hole 33 at the position of the main body 2 before the change and the point stake S corresponding to the sixth reference hole 33 at the position of the main body 2 after the change, it becomes possible to draw the lines for the catcher box 83.

[0063] Furthermore, since one end of the string-like member 40, which has a length corresponding to the radius of the dirt circle 85, is attached to the reference part 21, for example, by moving the rod 75 attached to the other end of the string-like member 40 so as to form an arc-shaped groove in the ground in a plan view, with the lower end of the rod 75 touching the ground, etc., with the one end of the string-like member 40 as the center of rotation, a groove 76 that serves as a mark for drawing the dirt circle 85 can be easily formed in the ground, etc.

[0064] Furthermore, the main body 2 of the auxiliary tool 1 is wound so that the first surface 2a is positioned on the outside and the second surface 2b is positioned on the inside. As a result, when the auxiliary tool 1 is laid on the ground, the main body 2 is wound so that the second surface 2b, which is on the ground side and is more prone to soiling with dirt, is positioned on the inside. This helps to prevent the cargo area of ​​a vehicle from becoming soiled with dirt when the auxiliary tool 1 is loaded and transported after use.

[0065] Furthermore, if it suddenly rains during a baseball game or practice and the game is interrupted, the auxiliary device 1, with its main body 2 unfolded, can be laid to cover the home plate 70, the right batter's box 81, and the left batter's box 82 on the field, thereby preventing the home plate 70, the right batter's box 81, and the left batter's box 82 from becoming muddy due to the rain. This allows the baseball game to resume quickly after the rain stops. Therefore, it is preferable that the main body 2 of the auxiliary device 1 has water-repellent, water-resistant, or waterproof properties.

[0066] In this embodiment, the main body 2 has been described using an example where it is configured to be windable, but the main body 2 may also be configured to be foldable. For example, as shown in Figure 6(a), the main body 2 may be folded in the longitudinal center so that the first surface 2a is on the outside, and then as shown in Figure 6(b), the main body 2 may be further folded in the orthogonal center. In this way, the auxiliary tool 1 can be used for line drawing simply by unfolding the main body 2 before use, thus simplifying the pre-use work compared to conventional methods.

[0067] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which the main body 2 is wound so that the first surface 2a is located on the inside, it may also be wound so that the first surface 2a is located on the outside.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example was described in which the right batter's box area 10, the home plate area 20, and the left batter's box area 30 are arranged in order along the longitudinal direction of the main body 2. However, the right batter's box area 10, the home plate area 20, and the left batter's box area 30 may be arranged in order along an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body 2.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the first short side portion 10a, the second short side portion 10b, the first long side portion 10c, the second long side portion 10d, the third short side portion 30a, the fourth short side portion 30b, the third long side portion 30c, the fourth long side portion 30d, the reference line portion 45 for the first foul line, the reference line portion 46 for the second foul line, the first catcher's box line 47, and the second catcher's box line 48 are formed by applying adhesive tape to the first surface 2a of the main body portion 2. However, tapes other than adhesive tape may be used, or paint or stitching may be provided instead of adhesive tape, or the first short side portion 10a, etc., may not be formed at all.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example was described in which the right batter's box area 10 is provided with a first short side 10a, a second short side 10b, a first long side 10c, and a second long side 10d, and the left batter's box area 30 is provided with a third short side 30a, a fourth short side 30b, a third long side 30c, and a fourth long side 30d. However, instead of these, the right batter's box area 10 and the left batter's box area 30 may be visually distinguished from other areas of the main body 2 by attaching a different cloth or the like, or by painting them.

[0071] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which the main body 2 is provided with a third reference hole 12, a fourth reference hole 13, a fifth reference hole 32, and a sixth reference hole 33, it is not necessary to provide the third reference hole 12, the fourth reference hole 13, the fifth reference hole 32, and the sixth reference hole 33.

[0072] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which the main body 2 is made of polyester canvas, it may be made of materials other than polyester canvas (for example, tarpaulin, polyethylene) as long as it is rollable or foldable.

[0073] Furthermore, although this embodiment has been described using an example in which eyelets H are provided in the first reference hole 11, the second reference hole 31, the third reference hole 12, the fourth reference hole 13, the fifth reference hole 32, the sixth reference hole 33 and the through hole 22, the eyelets H may not be provided.

[0074] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example where the home plate area 20 is transparent (for example, a transparent sheet material 20a), it may also be semi-transparent (for example, a semi-transparent sheet material). In this way, the home plate area 20 is semi-transparent, and the reference portion 21 is provided in the shape of a home plate when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body portion 2, so that the user can align the reference portion 21 with the home plate 70 while visually observing the home plate 70 installed on the ground or the like. This makes it easy to align the reference portion 21 with the home plate 70.

[0075] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example where the home base region 20 is transparent, it may also be opaque. In this case, for example, it is preferable that the home base region 20 has a through hole for a reference part that can be aligned with the home base 70 (for example, a through hole for a reference part that has a home base-shaped hole when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body 2).

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reference portion 21 was described using an example in which it is frame-shaped when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body portion 2 and its contour is provided in the shape of a home plate. However, it may have a shape other than a home plate as long as it can be aligned with the home plate 70.

[0077] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which the auxiliary device 1 includes a string-like member 40, it is not necessary to include the string-like member 40.

[0078] Furthermore, although this embodiment has described an example in which the main body 2 is provided with a reference line section 45 for the first foul line and a reference line section 46 for the second foul line, it may be provided with only one of the reference line section 45 for the first foul line and the reference line section 46 for the second foul line, or it may be provided without either the reference line section 45 for the first foul line and the reference line section 46 for the second foul line.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the auxiliary device 1 was described using the dimensions of a right batter's box 81, a left batter's box 82, a catcher's box 83, and a dirt circle 85 for youth baseball, but the dimensions may be those of a different type of baseball (for example, professional, general, high school, or junior high school). In addition, the auxiliary device 1 may be provided with first reference holes 11 to 6th reference holes 33 corresponding to the batter's boxes (right batter's box 81, left batter's box 82) and catcher's box 83 for youth baseball, and first reference holes (not shown) to 6th reference holes (not shown) corresponding to batter's boxes (not shown) and catcher's boxes (not shown) for a different type of baseball.

[0080] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which the auxiliary tool 1 can be used to draw lines in a baseball batter's box, it may also be used to draw lines in a softball batter's box. In this case, the positions of the first reference hole (not shown) and the second reference hole (not shown) of the auxiliary tool (not shown) will be set to match a batter's box for youth softball, or for general, high school, or junior high school softball. In the case of the auxiliary tool (not shown) for softball, the third reference hole (not shown) to the sixth reference hole (not shown) may not be provided.

[0081] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which point stakes S inserted through each reference hole are driven into the ground, the invention is not limited to this example. For example, after aligning the reference part 21 of the auxiliary tool 1 with the home base 70, a rod (not shown) inserted through each reference hole may be used to form recesses (not shown) in the ground for marking lines, or line powder or the like may be dropped onto the ground from above each reference hole through the reference hole to serve as a marker when drawing lines.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, we have shown an example where the point stakes S inserted through each reference hole are driven into the ground and used in that state, but if the point stakes S get in the way when starting practice such as baseball, the point stakes S may be pulled out. [Industrial applicability]

[0083] The present invention is suitable as an auxiliary tool that can be used for drawing lines in baseball or softball. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 1. Assistive devices 2 Main body 10 Right batter's box area 10a First short side 10b Second short side 11 1st reference hole 12 3rd reference hole 13 4th reference hole 20 Home base area 21 Reference section 30 Left batter's box area 30a Third short side 30b Fourth short side 31 2nd reference hole 32 5th reference hole 33 6th reference hole 40 String-like member 70 Home Plate 85 Dirt Circle

Claims

1. An auxiliary tool that can be used for drawing lines in baseball or softball, It has a sheet-like main body, The main body is arranged in the order of a right batter's box area, a home plate area, and a left batter's box area. The aforementioned home base area is provided with a reference section for aligning with the home base. In the thickness direction of the main body, the right batter's box area is set to be rectangular, and each of the four corners of the main body has a first reference hole that penetrates the main body. In the thickness direction of the main body, the left batter's box area is set to be rectangular, and at each of the four corners of the main body, a second reference hole is provided that penetrates the main body. The main body is configured to be windable or foldable, and is an auxiliary device.

2. In the auxiliary device described in claim 1, The home base area is transparent or semi-transparent. The aforementioned reference portion is an auxiliary device provided in the shape of a home plate when viewed in the thickness direction of the main body.

3. In the auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, The right batter's box area has a first short side and a second short side facing the first short side. The left batter's box area has a third short side corresponding to the first short side and a fourth short side facing the third short side and corresponding to the second short side. The first short side portion is provided with a third reference hole that penetrates the main body portion. The second short side portion is provided with a fourth reference hole that penetrates the main body portion. The third short side portion is provided with a fifth reference hole that penetrates the main body portion. The fourth short side portion is provided with a sixth reference hole that penetrates the main body portion. An auxiliary device in which the first interval between the third reference hole and the fifth reference hole, and the second interval between the fourth reference hole and the sixth reference hole are set to a length corresponding to the left-right width of the catcher's box.

4. In the auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, The system further includes a string-like member having a length corresponding to the radius of the dirt circle, One end of the string-like member is an auxiliary device attached to the reference part.

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