Batting mat systems and methods

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide reversible sporting equipment assemblies. A reversible sporting equipment assembly includes a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert includes a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29 / 992,918 filed Mar. 11, 2025 and entitled “BATTING MAT,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] One or more embodiments of the invention relate generally to batting mats and more particularly, for example, to systems and methods for providing reversible sporting equipment and assemblies for left-handed and right-handed athletes.BACKGROUND

[0003] Sporting equipment is often provided in a manner that requires multiple different versions for different handed athletes, which can make purchasing training and playing equipment prohibitively expensive, particularly for teams with young and / or beginning players, where a relatively low barrier to participation is desirable. At the same time, sporting equipment that resembles actual play conditions is also desirable in order to maximize the effectiveness of training and development of the athlete in the selected sport. Thus, there is a need for an improved methodology to provide high quality sporting equipment that can be alternately used by differently-handed players, or that can be used to help train ambidextrous players, particularly in the context of batting games.SUMMARY

[0004] Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide reversible sporting equipment assemblies. A reversible sporting equipment assembly may include a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert may include a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat. In various embodiments, the reversible play indicator insert may be placed within the cavity of the sporting equipment base mat to indicate the direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat.

[0005] The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments of the invention will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by consideration of the following detailed description of one or more embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of an illuminated sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates a rear view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0011] Embodiments of the invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, highly desirable sporting equipment may be provided by a reversible sporting equipment assembly including a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert may include a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat. In various embodiments, the reversible play indicator insert may be placed within the cavity of the sporting equipment base mat to indicate the direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat and / or to more closely match a real playing field, regardless of the stance or handedness of an athlete using the reversible sporting equipment assembly.

[0013] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that depending on the particular application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made in, and to, the materials, apparatus, configurations, and methods of use of the devices of the present disclosure, and the innovations herein are not limited to any of the particular embodiments that are illustrated and described herein. The description below is merely an explanation by way of some examples thereof that should be fully commensurate with that of the claims appended hereafter and their functional equivalents, and merely serves to inform one of ordinary skill in the art how to make and use the innovations disclosed herein. As used herein, securely coupling means coupling in a manner that prevents decoupling under kinetic forces, such as the type of which that are encountered under normal game play conditions.

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 includes a sporting equipment base mat 110 and a reversible play indicator insert 130 configured to indicate a direction of play 140 relative to an orientation of sporting equipment base mat 110. For example, reversible play indicator insert 130 may include a top surface 132 (shown in FIG. 2) that may include graphics, painting, and / or other indicators configured to indicate a direction of play relative to sporting equipment base mat 110, such as a direction a pitched ball typically comes from, or a general or average direction towards a field of play for a sport simulated by reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 (e.g., for training purposes, or for play).

[0015] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, reversible play indicator insert 130 includes a graphic meant to represent a home plate for baseball, with a design including lines and / or paint indicating direction of play 140 towards an outfield for a baseball field. In other embodiments, reversible play indicator insert 130 may include a graphic or design simulating a direction of play for a different sport or field of play, such as softball, T-ball, tennis, racquetball, squash, pickleball, and / or other sports.

[0016] Also shown in FIG. 1 are stance area 112 bounded by stance area border 114, which may be configured to indicate where an athlete should stand when using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100, for example. In various embodiments, stance area 112 and stance area border 114, and even sporting equipment base mat 110, may be shaped differently and / or include additional or different graphics than those shown in FIG. 1, for example, and be configured to indicate similar and / or various play characteristics to an athlete using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 in the context of any sport, including baseball, softball, T-ball, tennis, racquetball, squash, pickleball, and / or other sports.

[0017] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, sporting equipment base mat 100 also includes a swingway 116 and a swingway border 118, which may be configured to indicate to the athlete and bystanders an area above sporting equipment base mat 100 that is unsafe to occupy while an athlete is using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100. In various embodiments, swingway 116 and swingway border, and even sporting equipment base mat 110, may be shaped differently and / or include additional or different graphics than those shown in FIG. 1, for example, and be configured to indicate similar and / or various play characteristics to an athlete using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 and / or bystanders in the context of any sport, including baseball, softball, T-ball, tennis, racquetball, squash, pickleball, and / or other sports.

[0018] In various embodiments, sporting equipment base mat 110 includes a shaped cavity 120 configured to securely couple reversible play indicator insert 130 to sporting equipment base mat 110 to reversible play indicator insert 130 and within cavity 120 in order to help retain reversible play indicator insert 130 within cavity 120 during normal training, play, movement, and use of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100. In some embodiments, such secure coupling may be facilitated by matching the shape and size of cavity 120 to the shape and size of a perimeter of reversible play indicator insert 130. Reversible play indicator insert 130 may be shaped as an approximately square shaped mat, for example, or may be shaped as an oval, a rectangle, a puzzle piece, a keyhole, and / or any other shape that can reside generally within swingway 116. In various embodiments, reversible play indicator insert 130 and cavity 120 may be disposed between swingway border 118 and stance area border 114, such as centered between the nearest edges of each element, for example, or may cross over the nearest edges of each element. In some embodiments, sporting equipment base mat 110 may not include any one or more of stance area 112, stance area border 114, swingway 116, and swingway border 118, and / or graphics indicating such elements, for example.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, reversible play indicator insert 130 has been removed from cavity 120 in order to facilitate reversing the orientation of sporting equipment base mat 110 and / or reversible sporting equipment assembly 200 relative to direction of play 140.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. In particular, reversible sporting equipment assembly 300 includes all the same elements as those of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1, but with reversible play indicator insert 130 placed in cavity 120 of sporting equipment base mat 110 so as to reverse the direction of play 140 relative to that shown in FIG. 1 with respect to the orientation of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 and / or sporting equipment base mat 110.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a rear view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, a rear surface 111 of sporting equipment base mat 110 may be featureless, for example, or may include various graphics facilitating use and / or storage of reversible sporting equipment assembly 400, such as direction and insertion instructions and / or diagrams. Similarly, a rear surface 134 of reversible play indicator insert 130 may be featureless, for example, or may include various graphics facilitating use of reversible play indicator insert 130 and / or sporting equipment base mat 110, such as direction and insertion instructions and / or diagrams associated with insertion of reversible play indicator insert 130 into cavity 120 of sporting equipment base mat 110 (e.g., a through-hole cavity 120 formed in sporting equipment base mat 110).

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, reversible sporting equipment assembly 500 represents a zoomed-in view of a portion of a side of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100, sporting equipment base mat 110, and / or reversible play indicator insert 130. As shown in FIG. 5, reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 may include a simulated grass top portion or surface 512 securely coupled or glued or welded or otherwise affixed to flexible bottom 510, which together may be sufficiently supple and flexible to facilitate rolling up of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100, such as for compact storage. In various embodiments, top portion 512 and bottom 510 may be formed from any combination of organic, inorganic, or synthetic material, such as various types of plastics, rubbers, and / or other generally flexible formable materials. In some embodiments, such materials may be dyable, so as to form graphics on and / or within the materials, for example, and / or may be paintable so as to form graphics on such materials, as described herein.

[0023] Where applicable, the various components set forth herein can be combined into composite components and / or separated into sub-components without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0024] Embodiments described above illustrate but do not limit the invention. It should also be understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined only by the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0012]In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, highly desirable sporting equipment may be provided by a reversible sporting equipment assembly including a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert may include a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat. In various embodiments, the reversible play indicator insert may be placed within the cavity of the sporting equipment base mat to indicate the direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat and / or to more closely match a real playing field, regardless of the stance or handedness of an athlete using the reversible sporting equipment assembly.

[0013]Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that depending on the particular application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made in, and to, the materials, apparatus,...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29 / 992,918 filed Mar. 11, 2025 and entitled “BATTING MAT,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] One or more embodiments of the invention relate generally to batting mats and more particularly, for example, to systems and methods for providing reversible sporting equipment and assemblies for left-handed and right-handed athletes.BACKGROUND

[0003] Sporting equipment is often provided in a manner that requires multiple different versions for different handed athletes, which can make purchasing training and playing equipment prohibitively expensive, particularly for teams with young and / or beginning players, where a relatively low barrier to participation is desirable. At the same time, sporting equipment that resembles actual play conditions is also desirable in order to maximize the effectiveness of training and development of the athlete in the selected sport. Thus, there is a need for an improved methodology to provide high quality sporting equipment that can be alternately used by differently-handed players, or that can be used to help train ambidextrous players, particularly in the context of batting games.SUMMARY

[0004] Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide reversible sporting equipment assemblies. A reversible sporting equipment assembly may include a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert may include a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat. In various embodiments, the reversible play indicator insert may be placed within the cavity of the sporting equipment base mat to indicate the direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat.

[0005] The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments of the invention will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by consideration of the following detailed description of one or more embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of an illuminated sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates a rear view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0011] Embodiments of the invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, highly desirable sporting equipment may be provided by a reversible sporting equipment assembly including a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert may include a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat. In various embodiments, the reversible play indicator insert may be placed within the cavity of the sporting equipment base mat to indicate the direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat and / or to more closely match a real playing field, regardless of the stance or handedness of an athlete using the reversible sporting equipment assembly.

[0013] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that depending on the particular application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made in, and to, the materials, apparatus, configurations, and methods of use of the devices of the present disclosure, and the innovations herein are not limited to any of the particular embodiments that are illustrated and described herein. The description below is merely an explanation by way of some examples thereof that should be fully commensurate with that of the claims appended hereafter and their functional equivalents, and merely serves to inform one of ordinary skill in the art how to make and use the innovations disclosed herein. As used herein, securely coupling means coupling in a manner that prevents decoupling under kinetic forces, such as the type of which that are encountered under normal game play conditions.

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 includes a sporting equipment base mat 110 and a reversible play indicator insert 130 configured to indicate a direction of play 140 relative to an orientation of sporting equipment base mat 110. For example, reversible play indicator insert 130 may include a top surface 132 (shown in FIG. 2) that may include graphics, painting, and / or other indicators configured to indicate a direction of play relative to sporting equipment base mat 110, such as a direction a pitched ball typically comes from, or a general or average direction towards a field of play for a sport simulated by reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 (e.g., for training purposes, or for play).

[0015] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, reversible play indicator insert 130 includes a graphic meant to represent a home plate for baseball, with a design including lines and / or paint indicating direction of play 140 towards an outfield for a baseball field. In other embodiments, reversible play indicator insert 130 may include a graphic or design simulating a direction of play for a different sport or field of play, such as softball, T-ball, tennis, racquetball, squash, pickleball, and / or other sports.

[0016] Also shown in FIG. 1 are stance area 112 bounded by stance area border 114, which may be configured to indicate where an athlete should stand when using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100, for example. In various embodiments, stance area 112 and stance area border 114, and even sporting equipment base mat 110, may be shaped differently and / or include additional or different graphics than those shown in FIG. 1, for example, and be configured to indicate similar and / or various play characteristics to an athlete using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 in the context of any sport, including baseball, softball, T-ball, tennis, racquetball, squash, pickleball, and / or other sports.

[0017] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, sporting equipment base mat 100 also includes a swingway 116 and a swingway border 118, which may be configured to indicate to the athlete and bystanders an area above sporting equipment base mat 100 that is unsafe to occupy while an athlete is using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100. In various embodiments, swingway 116 and swingway border, and even sporting equipment base mat 110, may be shaped differently and / or include additional or different graphics than those shown in FIG. 1, for example, and be configured to indicate similar and / or various play characteristics to an athlete using reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 and / or bystanders in the context of any sport, including baseball, softball, T-ball, tennis, racquetball, squash, pickleball, and / or other sports.

[0018] In various embodiments, sporting equipment base mat 110 includes a shaped cavity 120 configured to securely couple reversible play indicator insert 130 to sporting equipment base mat 110 to reversible play indicator insert 130 and within cavity 120 in order to help retain reversible play indicator insert 130 within cavity 120 during normal training, play, movement, and use of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100. In some embodiments, such secure coupling may be facilitated by matching the shape and size of cavity 120 to the shape and size of a perimeter of reversible play indicator insert 130. Reversible play indicator insert 130 may be shaped as an approximately square shaped mat, for example, or may be shaped as an oval, a rectangle, a puzzle piece, a keyhole, and / or any other shape that can reside generally within swingway 116. In various embodiments, reversible play indicator insert 130 and cavity 120 may be disposed between swingway border 118 and stance area border 114, such as centered between the nearest edges of each element, for example, or may cross over the nearest edges of each element. In some embodiments, sporting equipment base mat 110 may not include any one or more of stance area 112, stance area border 114, swingway 116, and swingway border 118, and / or graphics indicating such elements, for example.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, reversible play indicator insert 130 has been removed from cavity 120 in order to facilitate reversing the orientation of sporting equipment base mat 110 and / or reversible sporting equipment assembly 200 relative to direction of play 140.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a reversible sporting equipment assembly 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. In particular, reversible sporting equipment assembly 300 includes all the same elements as those of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1, but with reversible play indicator insert 130 placed in cavity 120 of sporting equipment base mat 110 so as to reverse the direction of play 140 relative to that shown in FIG. 1 with respect to the orientation of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 and / or sporting equipment base mat 110.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a rear view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, a rear surface 111 of sporting equipment base mat 110 may be featureless, for example, or may include various graphics facilitating use and / or storage of reversible sporting equipment assembly 400, such as direction and insertion instructions and / or diagrams. Similarly, a rear surface 134 of reversible play indicator insert 130 may be featureless, for example, or may include various graphics facilitating use of reversible play indicator insert 130 and / or sporting equipment base mat 110, such as direction and insertion instructions and / or diagrams associated with insertion of reversible play indicator insert 130 into cavity 120 of sporting equipment base mat 110 (e.g., a through-hole cavity 120 formed in sporting equipment base mat 110).

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a reversible sporting equipment assembly 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, reversible sporting equipment assembly 500 represents a zoomed-in view of a portion of a side of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100, sporting equipment base mat 110, and / or reversible play indicator insert 130. As shown in FIG. 5, reversible sporting equipment assembly 100 may include a simulated grass top portion or surface 512 securely coupled or glued or welded or otherwise affixed to flexible bottom 510, which together may be sufficiently supple and flexible to facilitate rolling up of reversible sporting equipment assembly 100, such as for compact storage. In various embodiments, top portion 512 and bottom 510 may be formed from any combination of organic, inorganic, or synthetic material, such as various types of plastics, rubbers, and / or other generally flexible formable materials. In some embodiments, such materials may be dyable, so as to form graphics on and / or within the materials, for example, and / or may be paintable so as to form graphics on such materials, as described herein.

[0023] Where applicable, the various components set forth herein can be combined into composite components and / or separated into sub-components without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0024] Embodiments described above illustrate but do not limit the invention. It should also be understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined only by the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0012]In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, highly desirable sporting equipment may be provided by a reversible sporting equipment assembly including a sporting equipment base mat with a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert. The reversible play indicator insert may include a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat. In various embodiments, the reversible play indicator insert may be placed within the cavity of the sporting equipment base mat to indicate the direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat and / or to more closely match a real playing field, regardless of the stance or handedness of an athlete using the reversible sporting equipment assembly.

[0013]Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that depending on the particular application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made in, and to, the materials, apparatus,...

Claims

1. A system comprising:a sporting equipment base mat comprising a cavity configured receive a reversible play indicator insert; andthe reversible play indicator insert, wherein the reversible play indicator insert comprises a top surface configured to indicate a direction of play relative to the sporting equipment base mat.

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