Modular Impact Absorber with Spring Energy Return for Indoor Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sports training equipment is often unsuitable for indoor use and lacks modularity, making it difficult for athletes to practice strikes and impacts throughout the year, especially in climates where outdoor equipment is not safe or feasible.
Innovation Solution
A modular device consisting of a mount, a target, and an energy-absorber that can be mounted to any stable structure, allowing for indoor use and featuring a spring mechanism to absorb and return kinetic energy, enabling repetitive and customizable hand strike and placement training.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If outdoor training equipment is used, then training can be performed in natural playing conditions, but it cannot be used year-round in all climates and cannot be mounted indoors
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate modular components: a mount assembly that attaches to indoor structures, a target assembly with striking surface, and an energy absorber assembly. This segmentation allows the device to be adapted for indoor use while maintaining year-round usability through controlled indoor environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mount assembly is designed with universal attachment capabilities that can be mounted to various indoor structures such as walls, racks, or beams. The device serves multiple functions: providing a striking target, absorbing impact energy, and being easily repositionable for different training scenarios, thereby achieving both indoor adaptability and year-round reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing strike equipment is used, then striking practice is possible, but the equipment is not modular and cannot be easily repositioned or adapted to different environments
Solution Approach 1:
The device consists of distinct modular assemblies: a mount assembly with attachment mechanisms, a target assembly with the striking surface, and an energy absorber assembly. Each module can be independently positioned and configured, enabling easy repositioning and adaptation to different indoor environments while maintaining striking practice functionality.
3Reliability
If a rigid strike target is used, then the target provides stable support, but it does not absorb impact energy effectively and may cause injury
Solution Approach 1:
The energy absorber assembly incorporates spring mechanisms that change the mechanical properties of the system during impact. The spring constant and compression distance are designed to absorb impact energy effectively, transforming the rigid target into a compliant system that reduces peak forces on the user's body, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing injury risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy absorber assembly is pre-configured with spring mechanisms that are compressed during impact to cushion the force of the strike. This beforehand cushioning design ensures that impact energy is absorbed before it can cause injury, while the spring's elastic properties maintain the target's structural integrity and reliability during repeated use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables athletes to practice hand strikes and placements indoors year-round, providing a safe and effective means to simulate impacts with customizable stiffness and portability, enhancing training flexibility and safety.
Implementation Method 1
An energy-absorber may be mounted between the mount and the target and converts the kinetic energy applied to the target by user to potential energy, preferably in the manner of compressing or expanding a spring.
Implementation Method 2
the energy-absorber is displaced and begins to store energy that is returned to displace the target to its original position upon release of the force
Data Source
AI summary
A portable, impact-absorbing apparatus having a striking portion, an energy-absorbing portion, and a mounting portion. The striking portion may be a padded plate and the mounting portion may be a collar that may mount to the vertical frame member of a squat rack. The energy-absorbing portion may be an insert that slides into the barrel of a hollow sleeve in which a spring is disposed. The sleeve may have slots in the top and bottom for bolts or pins, which are inserted therethrough for attachment to the insert, to define the longitudinal limits of the insert's extension.