Volleyball holder as an aid for striking the ball

Abstract

The volleyball holder serves to hold the volleyball (1) at the net (17) of a playing field as an aid for practicing striking the ball. It consists of a holding rod (20), at the front end of which an adapter (3) with a circular seal (2) sits, and on which a volleyball (1) fits. At the rear end, a suction device, for example an electric suction device, is accommodated in a handle housing (12) in order to generate a negative pressure in relation to the atmosphere, which negative pressure propagates through the holding rod (20) to the interior of the seal (2) on the adapter (3). In this way, a volleyball can be held on the seal (2) of the adapter (3) on account of the suction force and yet can be released therefrom by a spiking move.

Description

Markus Koller Antonigasse 14 CH-5620 Bremgarten Volleyball holder as an aid for hitting

[0001] This invention relates to a holder for volleyballs to hold the volleyballs in a suitable position in front of the net of a playing field by a coach or an assistant, in order to practice the serves by the players training at different heights and distances from the net.

[0002] Volleyball is a technically demanding and tactically versatile sport that requires a range of physical and mental skills. Targeted training should focus on improving multiple aspects to maximize performance on the court. Here are some key areas that are particularly emphasized in volleyball training: Technical training is crucial, as volleyball requires very precise movements. Key techniques and aspects include:

[0003] Passing (digging and setting): These basic techniques are used to control the ball, either to prepare it for an attack or to play it precisely to a teammate. They require good posture and hand-eye coordination.

[0004] Attacking shots (smashes): An effective attack requires strong jumping power, precise ball technique and good timing to play the ball with high speed and precision.

[0005] Blocking: A successful block can stop the opponent immediately. It requires quick reflexes and good timing to jump and block the ball at the right moment.

[0006] Serve: The serve is the first attack in the game and can be both a strategic tool and a weapon. Different serving techniques, such as the jump serve, the floater, and the hard serve, need to be practiced.

[0007] Practicing attack shots is time-consuming. Currently, the balls have to be served by a player, which sometimes works well and sometimes less so. Attack shots are crucial in a match. Above all, attack shots should be practiced with balls in different positions in front of the net, at different heights, and, to execute these shots effectively in a match, with great power and accuracy so that the volleyball lands in an open area of ​​the opponent's court.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a technical aid for efficiently and effectively training hitting balls or for practicing attacking shots, i.e. so-called smashes.

[0009] This task is solved by a volleyball holder for holding the volleyball at the net of a playing field as an aid for practicing the serve, consisting of a holding rod, at the front end of which sits an adapter with a circular seal, onto which a volleyball fits, and at the rear end a handle housing with either a suction device inside it or a connection with a flexible pipe for connecting it to a central vacuum system, wherein the generated negative pressure to the atmosphere can be directed through the holding rod to the inside of the seal on the adapter, so that a volleyball is held by the suction force on the seal of the adapter and can be released by a serve.

[0010] The figures are used to illustrate this volleyball holder, which is then described and its function explained. It shows Figure 1 The complete, ready-to-use volleyball holder, and next to it a volleyball net indicated; Figure 2 The complete, ready-to-use volleyball holder in one Longitudinal section shown; Figure 3: The ball and the adapter for its holder in enlarged view Depiction; Figure 4 An enlarged view of the telescopic linear guide in the longitudinally variable support rod; Figure 5 The handle housing with its internal parts for creating a vacuum during mounting; Figure 6 The telescopic connection, that is, the linear guide between the thinner and the thicker section of the support rod, enlarged and shown in a longitudinal section; Figure 7 A variant of the volleyball holder with mechanical Suction device for generating a vacuum in the adapter.

[0011] This volleyball holder, used to hold the volleyball at the net of a playing field as an aid for practicing the serve, is shown in principle in Figure 1. It includes a support rod 20 made of two telescopically connected sections 4 and 5, at the front end of which is an adapter 3 with a circular seal. A volleyball 1 fits onto this adapter, and at the rear end of the support rod 20 carries a handle housing 12. Inside this handle housing 12 is a suction device, or the handle housing 12 has a connection with a flexible tube for connecting it to a central vacuum system. This suction device creates a vacuum relative to the atmosphere, which is directed through the support rod 20 to the inside of a seal on the adapter 3. As a result, a volleyball 1 can be held against the seal of the adapter 3 by the suction force.Nevertheless, the volleyball 1 can be released from the seal with almost no resistance by a spike and thus, for example, hit into the opponent's court. This volleyball holder is then used in such a way that the coach or an assistant holds the pole with the volleyball 1 attached to the end and held by the clamp in various positions close to or at a distance in front of and above the volleyball net, and the players can hit this ball 1 with a spike from this precisely predefined position. In Figure 1, a volleyball net 17 is indicated, and it shows the relative position in which the volleyball 1 is held to this net 17, with the distance to the net 17 on the one hand and the height on the other. The position relative to the top of the net 18 can be varied, allowing players to practice spikes from all conceivable positions. The volleyball 1 can also be held close to the ground, and players can practice hitting it optimally upwards from such a low position to avoid a penalty and maintain the flow of the game. The coach or assistant can quickly draw a new ball from a ready-made ball container at the end of the support pole and hold it in front of the net 17, allowing players to practice hitting balls from a defined position in front of the net at a high cadence.

[0012] The volleyball holder therefore allows the serve to be practiced from various chosen positions, once close to the net 17, once further away, once high above the net 17 and once just above the net 17, or at any height above the ground of the playing field, depending on which skills are to be practiced and improved.

[0013] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of this volleyball holder, it is constructed as shown in Figure 2. That is, its support rod 20 is designed as a telescopic support rod 20 with two sections 4 and 5, one of which is inserted into the other section 5. With this support rod 20, a volleyball 1 held at its front end can be held and carried in any extended position and in any position in space. The support rod 20 between the adapter 3 and the handle housing 12 can thus be continuously extended or retracted within a range of 1 m to 1.80 m and is sufficiently stable in the extended position to carry a volleyball 1 on the adapter 3. Here, the volleyball holder is shown in a vertical position with the volleyball 1 attached to the upper end. At the lower end, the handle housing 12 with the electrical suction device housed within it is shown in cross-section.

[0014] Figures 3 to 5, which show enlarged versions of the parts, provide even more insight into the construction of this design. Figure 3 shows the adapter 3 with a circular seal 2 made of rubber-elastic material at its upper end. When a volleyball 1 is placed on this seal 2, or when the adapter 2 with this seal 2 is placed against a ball lying on the ground or in a box, the suction force of the suction device draws it towards the seal 2, which creates a virtually airtight seal all around, as this rubber seal 2 conforms snugly to the volleyball 1. Only if a seam interrupts the seal 2 would the airtight seal be interrupted. A very small amount of air could penetrate the crossbar, but this would not noticeably weaken the suction power. Adapter 3 is airtightly attached to the front end of section 4 of the support rod 20.

[0015] Figure 4 shows the central section of the support rod, where the two sections 4 and 5 are telescopically guided relative to each other. Here, the thinner section 5, with its slightly larger diameter, is inserted into the upper section 4. A tubular linear guide 6 is arranged and installed in the overlap area between these two sections 4 and 5. This guide is secured to the upper end of the thinner tubular section 5 of the support rod 20, so that it always remains attached to this area of ​​section 5. The upper section 4 of the support rod 20 slides back and forth on this guide with its inner wall relative to the lower section 5, and the two sections 4 and 6 are nevertheless airtightly sealed against each other in every extended position, together with the intermediate linear guide 6.Thus, the vacuum generated by the suction device inside the handle housing 12 can be transmitted to the adapter 3 without loss. Even while a volleyball 1 is placed on top of the adapter 3 and held in place by suction, the support rod 20 can be extended or retracted telescopically without any reduction in suction. The two sections 4 and 5 seal against each other but are movable relative to each other by friction, so that the support rod 20, in any extension position of its sections 4 and 5, can support a volleyball 1 placed on the adapter 1 due to sufficient static friction. The volleyball 1 is held firmly on the seal 2 of the adapter 3 in all positions.

[0016] Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section through the handle housing 12 with the suction device housed within it. In the example shown, this includes an electric motor 7. A push button 8, a toggle switch, or a rotary knob is arranged on the handle housing 12 for switching the electric motor 7 on and off. This motor drives a fan wheel 11, which, due to centrifugal force, forces the air outwards between its blades, creating a corresponding negative pressure relative to the atmosphere at the center of the fan wheel 11. Air is supplied from the adapter 3 through the support rod 20, and during operation, the air flows towards the center of the fan wheel 11, while the air driven outwards in the fan wheel 11 is discharged to the outside via a duct. A control board 9, which serves to control the motor 7, is shown below the electric motor 7. At the bottom of the handle housing 12 is a battery 10 with a click connection. The volleyball holder is detachably attached, namely a rechargeable battery. Accordingly, this version incorporates a low-voltage electric motor 7, for example, a 12- or 24-volt motor, allowing it to be used safely anywhere without a power cable, including outdoors where no electrical outlet is available. The battery 10 is replaceable thanks to its detachable connection, so that multiple batteries 10 can be assigned to one volleyball holder. This allows for the replacement of depleted batteries with fully charged ones, preventing the entire volleyball holder from failing when the battery 10 is depleted.

[0017] If, however, the volleyball holder is intended for use exclusively in a sports hall, a 230V electric motor with a cable supply is also suitable, for example, from a small vacuum cleaner, to generate the necessary vacuum. Alternatively, a 12- or 24-volt motor can be used, in which case the handle housing 12 must contain a corresponding transformer. The vacuum should be at least 60 mbar lower than atmospheric pressure to securely hold the ball 1 on the adapter 3 and its seal 2.

[0018] If a hall even has a central vacuum connection, the volleyball holder can also simply have a suction port on the handle housing 12, instead of the handle housing being equipped with its own suction device. A flexible tube then leads from this suction port on the handle housing 12 to the central vacuum connection. In this case, the handle housing 12 has a slider, a lever, or a rotary knob for mechanically closing or opening a closing flap in the connection to regulate the negative pressure relative to the atmosphere in the support rod 4, 5, whereby the generated negative pressure relative to the atmosphere can be directed through the support rod 4, 5 to the inside of the seal 2 on the adapter 3.This allows a vacuum of at least 60 mbar relative to atmospheric pressure to be generated in the adapter 3 when the volleyball 1 is placed on its seal 2. This ensures that the volleyball 1 is held against the seal 2 of the adapter 3 by suction and can be hit away from it. This design offers particularly quiet operation, and the handle housing 12 and the entire volleyball holder are correspondingly lighter than with an internal electric motor with a fan wheel and an additional battery or transformer inside.

[0019] Figure 7 shows a mechanical version of the volleyball holder, in which the negative pressure relative to the atmosphere is generated purely mechanically and manually. This is achieved using a piston-cylinder unit 13, which encloses a cylinder tube 14 that extends from the handle housing 12 at an ergonomically favorable angle, as shown in Figure 7. A piston rod 15 with a grip ball 16 at its end protrudes from the cylinder tube 14. The operator grasps the handle housing 12 with one hand and, with the other hand, pulls the piston rod 15 out of the cylinder tube 14 at the grip ball 16, creating a negative pressure inside the front section of the cylinder tube 14. This negative pressure is then transmitted through the support rod 20 into the interior of the adapter 3.This piston-cylinder unit 13 functions like a reverse bicycle pump and is positioned at an acute angle to the handle housing 12 to ensure an ergonomically optimal grip when pulling out the piston rod 15 while holding the handle housing 12 with the other hand. Suction during the pull-out of the piston rod 15 occurs via a one-way valve located in the support rod 20. With the seal 2 attached to a volleyball, air can only flow from the adapter 3 through the inside of the support rod 20 into the cylinder tube 14, reliably creating a vacuum in the adapter 3. Thanks to the one-way valve, the vacuum is maintained, keeping the volleyball 1 in place on the seal 2 of the adapter 3 for a period of time.

[0020] In another embodiment, the upper support rod section 4 can include a hinged part in its end area in front of the adapter 3, so that the end area of ​​the support rod 4, 5 can be pivoted by up to 45° as required, and yet a volleyball 1 can still be held on the adapter 3 in all positions. This hinged part then allows a volleyball 1 to be held horizontally from its side.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Volleyball holder for holding the volleyball (1) against the net of a playing field as an aid for practicing the serve, consisting of a support rod (20) at the front end of which sits an adapter (3) with a circular seal (2) and on which a volleyball (1) fits, and at the rear end a handle housing (12) with either a suction device inside it or a connection with a flexible tube for connecting it to a central vacuum system, wherein the negative pressure to the atmosphere can be directed through the support rod (20) to the inside of the seal (2) on the adapter (3), so that a volleyball is held on the seal (2) of the adapter (3) due to the suction force and can be released by a serve.

2. Volleyball holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the support rod (20) is designed as a telescopic support rod (20) with two rod sections (4, 5), wherein one section (5) is inserted into the other section (4), so that in every extension position and position of the support rod (20) a volleyball (1) held at its front end can be carried by it.

3. Volleyball holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction device includes an electric motor in the handle housing (12), with a push button (8) or toggle switch on the handle housing (12) for switching the electric motor (7) on and off, and with a blower wheel (1 1) driven by it, controlled by a control board (9) and powered by a battery (10), such that when this electric motor (7) is operated and its associated blower wheel (1 1) is rotated in the adapter (3) with a volleyball (1 ) placed on its seal (2), a negative pressure of at least 60 mbar relative to the atmosphere can be generated, wherein the negative pressure relative to the atmosphere can be directed through the retaining rod (20) to the interior of the seal (2) on the adapter (3), so that a volleyball is held on the seal (2) of the adapter (3) by the suction force and can be released by a tap.

4. Volleyball holder according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, in the case where the handle housing (12) does not include a suction device, the handle housing (12) has a connection with a flexible tube for connecting the flexible tube to a central vacuum system of a building, and the handle housing (12) has a slide, a lever or a rotary knob for mechanically closing or opening a closing flap in the connection for regulating the negative pressure relative to the atmosphere in the holding rod (20), wherein the generable negative pressure relative to the atmosphere can be directed through the holding rod (20) to the interior of the seal (2) on the adapter (3), so that a negative pressure of at least 60 mbar relative to the atmosphere can be generated in the adapter (3) when a volleyball (1) is placed on its seal (2), so that a volleyball can be held on the seal (2) of the adapter (3) due to the suction force and can be released by a tap.

5. Volleyball holder according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the handle housing (12) includes a suction device in the form of a mechanical piston-cylinder unit (13) of the type of a bicycle pump, with which a negative pressure relative to the atmosphere can be generated in the holding rod (20) by pulling out the piston (15) via a one-way valve, wherein the generated negative pressure can be directed through the holding rod (20) to the interior of the seal (2) on the adapter (3), so that a negative pressure of at least 60 mbar relative to the atmosphere can be generated in the adapter (3) when a volleyball (1) is placed on its seal (2), so that a volleyball can be held on the seal (2) of the adapter (3) due to the suction force and can be released by a tap.

6. Volleyball holder according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the telescopic support rod (20) consists of a first section (5) and a second section (4) with a larger diameter than the first section (5), wherein the first section (5) is retractable into the second section (4), and a tubular linear guide (6) is installed between the first and second sections, such that the two sections (4, 5) are sealed against each other and can be displaced against each other by frictional force, so that the support rod (20) In each extension position of its sections (4, 5) a volleyball (1) placed on the adapter (3) can be carried due to sufficient static friction.

7. Volleyball holder according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support rod (20) includes a joint part at its end end in front of the adapter (3), so that the end area of ​​the support rod (20) can be pivoted by up to 45° as required and yet a volleyball (1) can be held on the adapter (3) in all positions.

8. Volleyball holder according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the support rod (20) between the adapter (3) and the handle housing (12) is continuously extendable or retractable between a minimum length of 1 m and a maximum length of 1.80 m and is sufficiently firm in each extension position to support a volleyball (1) on the adapter (3).

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