WO2012019221A1

WO2012019221A1 - Football kicking tee

Info

Publication number: WO2012019221A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jamie Hopgood
Original assignee: Footy Tee Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2010-08-09
Filing date: 2011-08-08
Publication date: 2012-02-16
Also published as: AU2011288964A1; EP2603295A1; EP2603295A4

Abstract

The invention relates to a football kicking tee (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) having a concave seat (11, 11A, 11B, 11C) which has a support surface which as a substantially continuous and generally concave curvature from a rear end (18) to a high end (17) whereby the seat (11, 11A, 11AB, 11C) has a relatively deep recess or concavity (19) adjacent the front end (18) and there is now formed a more shallow part (20) which is of greater height than the deep recess and where the seat has a pair of side edges (30) that taper outwardly from the rear end (18) to the front end (17).

Description

FOOTBALL KICKING TEE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a kicking tee that can be used with footballs having an oval shape that can be used In football codes, inclusive of Rugby League, Rugby Union and American football such as the National Football League or NFL.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In Rugby Union or Rugby League It is necessary when kicking for goal that a player manually positions the football In the correct orientation before each kick and this is necessary for place kicks (i.e. kicking a football when supported on the ground) which are used for kicking penalties or for the conversion of tries. It was conventional practice for a player to place the football on a mound of soil or the like to ensure that the football had a suitable orientation for kicking i.e. where the longitudinal axis of the ball was inclined to horizontal of between 30-60° dependent upon the length of the kick required and of the angle to a crossbar connecting a pair of goal posts. However recently moulded tees have been preferred and these may have a shape as shown for example in US Patents 4418910 or 4537397. In US Patent 4418910 there was provided a frusto conical tee having an upwardly extending side wail from the ground which tapered inwardly from bottom to top and which surrounded a circular cavity having a slot located in the side wall for location of the football - In US Patent 4537397 there was provided a kicking tee having a horizontal ball supporting platform having three depending legs that supported the tee at a desired height. The three legs included two upright elements at a front end of the tee and a third upright element at a rear end of the tee. However in relation to the prior art discussed above it was difficult for a player to adjust the angle of the football relative to a horizontal plane. Such adjustment is necessary because an individual player will often use different kicking tees with different orientations for use on different positions on the field. Thus different orientations may be required. For example:-

(i) a short distance conversion or penalty kick; or

(ii) a medium distance conversion or penalty kick; or

(iii) a long distance conversion or penalty kick.

Thus to cater for this situation tees such as those described above were not suitable because often only one particular orientation could be adopted.

Tees having a socket in a plate like member are also described in US Patents 5961402, 6309316 and 7452293. However again these tees were not capable of adjustment or of a very limited adjustment in ensuring the desired orientation of the football to a horizontal plane. Similar problems were encountered in kicking tees described in US Patent 4655453, New Zealand Patent 227564, New Zealand Patent 245727, US Patent 2659604, US Patent 3309087, US Patent 4657252 and US Patent 5368294.

In fact upon review of the conventional tees described above It was noted that tees described in New Zealand Patents 245727 and 227564 and US Patents 5368294, 2659604 and 3309087 had a similar structure to the tee described in US Patent 4418910. The tees described in US Patents 4657252, 5961402, 6309316 and 7452293 again had a similar structure to the tee described in US Patent 4537397.

It therefore is an object of the invention to provide a kicking tee which is of simple structure and wherein the football when placed on the tee can be directed at different angular orientations to a horizontal plane.

The kicking tee of the invention has a ball seat having a support surface which has a substantially continuous and generally concave curvature from a rear end to a front end whereby the seat adjacent the rear end has a relatively deep recess or concavity and approaching the front end there is formed a more shallow part which is of greater height than said deep recess and wherein said seat has a pair of side edges that taper outwardly from the rear end to the front end. The seat desirably has a continuous concave curvature from rear end to front end as exemplified by the preferred embodiment and it will be appreciated that In some cases it will be necessary to finely adjust the orientation of the ball In an axial direction or left or right of the axial direction. This is the purpose of the shallow part being of a greater height than the relatively deep recess or cavity. In this regard the height of the front end may be at least 20mm above the rear end in use. In some cases the football may cover at least 30% of the surface area of the support surface and in other situations more than at least 50% and also in other cases more. than at least 70%. The width of the seat may support at least 80% of the width of the ball and in other cases at least 90% of the width of the ball. In regard to the length of the tee such length can be at least 35% of the length of the ball or at least 50% or at least 60%. In this regard the term "front end" as shown in the drawings of the preferred embodiment has regard to an end of the Kicking tee remote from the kicker in use. The term "rear end" has regard to an end proximal or adjacent the kicker in use.

The term "substantially continuous" means that the ball seat may include a small flat or planar part adjacent the front end for supporting an adjacent end of a football or may not have an exact continuous concave curvature from front end to rear end.

The term "generally concave" means that the ball seat can have small areas that are not concave or that the seat does not have to have an exact concave curvature from front end to rear end.

The kicking tee of the invention may also be provided a stem for supporting the concave seat and this may be Integral with the concave seat in a unitary or one piece plastics moulding or may be releasably attached to the concave seat by way of snap fit, interference fit or screw threaded engagement. The stem may have a bottom end which is pointed or forms a spike for insertion in the ground. In an alternative to the use of the stem there may be provided a support plate for supporting the concave seat which may be integral with the concave seat or releasably attached thereto such as by plug-socket interaction, snap fit, interference fit or screw threaded engagement.

The invention may also relate to a method of use of the kicking tee as described above which includes the steps of orientating a football at a desired angle to horizontal by placing the football in the relatively deep recess so that the football is oriented at an angle to horizontal of 15-45° and more preferably 20-30°.

The method of the invention as described above may also include a further step of adjusting the angle of the football by rotating or replacing the football in the concave seat. In this regard the concave seat may be formed from resilient or flexible material so that an adjacent supporting surface of the concave seat may flex upon contact with the football. Preferably the tee is fixed or embedded in the ground and this may occur with the use of the stem as described above.

The Invention may also Include a method of use of a kicking tee which Includes the steps of:

(i) orientating a football at a desired angle to horizontal by placing the football in a concave seat of the kicking tee; and

(ii) fixing the kicking tee in the ground by use of a spike or stem which is embedded in the ground or by use of a support plate which is supported on the ground,

Preferably in step (I) above the kicker may insert the stem or spike at different depths within the ground so as to obtain a variety of different heights for kicking the football in use.

The kicker may also choose to orient the stem or spike at different angles to a vertical axis as shown In the drawings to achieve a range of desired kicking angles and in addition he may choose to simuJtaneously achieve a range of different kicking heights.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference may now be made to a preferred embodiment of the Invention shown in 5 the drawings wherein:

FIG 1 is an end view of the kicking tee of the invention;

FIG 2 is a perspective view of the kicking tee ehown in FIG 1 ;

FIG 3 is a side view of the kicking tee shown in FIG 1 ;

FIG 4 is a similar view to FIG 3 showing section line A- A;

10 FIG 5 is a sectional view through line A-A of FIG 4;

FIG 6 is a similar view to FIG 1 showing section line B-B;

FIG 7 is a sectional view through line B-B of FIG 6;

FIG 8 is a similar view to FIG 3 showing the various angles a football can adopt when positioned In the concave seat of the tee;

IS FIG 9 is a side view of the kicking tee shown in FIG 1 showing the various angles a football can adopt when poeitioned In the kicking tee and when the angle of the stem is altered;

FIGS 10-11 show one embodiment of the kicking tee of the invention in relation to the stem;

0 FIG 12 shows another embodiment of the kicking tee of the invention in relation to the stem;

FIGS 13 and 14 are sectional views along lines G-G of FIG 12 and FIG 14 is a detail of section H shown in FIG 13;

FIG 15 shows a side view of the concave seat of the kicking tee shown in FIG 5 1 showing section lines C-C, D-D, E-E and F-F respectively;

FIGS 16, 17, 18 and 19 show sectional views through lines C-C, D-D, E-E, and F-F of FIG 15 respectively; and

FIGS 20, 21, 22 and 23 show an alternative aspect of the kicking tee of the invention wherein the stem is replaced by a support plate which is screw threadediy0 attached to the concave seat. In FIGS 1-3 there is shown kicking tee 10 having a concave seat 11 and support stem 12. Support stem 12 is also provided with flanges 13 and a pointed bottom end 14 for insertion in the ground. There is also shown football 15 shown in phantom located in concave seat 11. There is also provided a web or boss 16 of stem 12 which may be moulded integrally with concave seat 11. Preferably stem 12 can be over-moulded with concave seat 11. Concave seat 11 is formed from different but compatible thermoplastic elastomers. The stem 12 is preferably made from a rigid plastics material such as polypropylene ABS or polycarbonate. Thermoplastic elastomers can also be over-moulded with polypropylene. Over-moulding can occur with many different materials Inclusive of different formulations of thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethane, co-polyesters and co-polyamides which can be over- moulded with the rigid plastics materials referred to above.

FIG 3 also shows that concave seat 11 has a relatively high front end 17 and a relative low rear end 18. In fact concave seat 11 tapers Inwardly from front end 17 to rear end 18 as shown in FIG 1 , FIG 12 and FIGS 16-19.

FIGS 4-5 show that though the longitudinal axis of stem 12 the seat is already forming a relatively deep concavity 19 and this is also shown in FIGS 6-7 where rear end 18 is more concave than the shallower front end 17. FIG 7 in particular shows that the adoption of deep concavity 19 adjacent rear end 18 and a shallower concave portion 20 adjacent front end 17 provides a suitable support for football 15 and allows football 15 to be oriented at an angle of around 20-60" to the horizontal which ensures that when kicked football 15 will attain a suitable height to soar over a crossbar of a pair of goalposts used in rugby league or rugby union codes.

FIG 8 shows that the adoption of a relatively deep concavity or recess 19 adjacent rear end 17 and shallower concave portion 20 adjacent front end 18 enables football 15 to be oriented at a variety of different angles A, B and C relative to the horizontal. Thus for example A may be 40°, B may be 30* and C may be 20°. In all of the positions A, B and C football 15 is securely supported by concavity 19 in combination with shallow concave portion 20. The material forming concave seat 11 also is suitably resilient or elastomeric and thus may flex to also facilitate achieving this objective. This is shown by the position of the seat 1 in alternative positions D and E shown in phantom on either side of position F shown in full outline. The double headed arrow shown in FIG 8 also shows that stem 12 may be inserted in ground 21 at various heights which may be elected or chosen by the kicker.

FIG 9 also shows that stem 12 may also be supported in ground 21 at different angles to the vertical i.e at 10° for example on either side of vertical axis 22 as indicated by positions X and Y on either side of vertical axis 22. This also allows football 15 to be angled at different angles to horizontal which is caused by concave seat 11 also being oriented at different angles to horizontal as shown by positions G and H in phantom on either side of position I shown in full outline. The position of football 15 in positions G and H have been omitted for the sake of clarity. Again the adjustment in height of stem 11 is shown by the double headed arrow.

FIGS 10Ί 1 show that stem 12A of kicking tee 10A of the invention may be screw threadedly attached to socket 22 of concave seat 12. Thus stem 12A may be provided with a projection 23 having a screw thread 24 which engages with internal thread 25 of socket 22. This arrangement also may facilitate rotation of seat 11A relative to stem 12A as shown by the arrow in FIG 10 for the purpose of adjustment of football 15. It will also be appreciated that in another arrangement the stem 12A may be provided with a plug (not shown) and seat 1 may be provided with a socket (not shown). in another embodiment shown in FIGS 12-14 showing kicking tee 10B concave seat 11B may be provided with a socket 26 which is engaged by plug or projection 27 of stem 2B in either interference fit or with the assistance of locating or attachment rib 28 which may be a peripheral or circumferential rib or a series of spaced ribs. Attachment rib 28 may locate in corresponding groove 29 of stem 12B as shown in FIG 14. There is also shown web or boss 16A. FIGS 15-19 show a series of sectional views through concave seat 11 along lines C- C, D-D, E-E and F-F of FIG 15 and illustrate the feature of opposed side edges 30 of 6eat 11 converging or tapering inwardly from front end 17 to near end 18. Also there is shown the formation of concavity or recess 19 which is relatively deep in FIGS 16 and 17. However the concave curvature of seat 11 becomes more shallow towards front end 17 to form a more shallow portion 20.

In FIG 16 angle β1 may range from 25° to 45° and more suitably 35° and angle β2 may range from 30° to 50° and more suitable 40°. This means in general that at Its deepest point X having regard to a vertical section through concave seat 11 an angle to horizontal as shown in FIG 17 may be from 30°-50° and more suitably 40°.

In FIGS 20-23 there is shown another football Kicking tee 10C which has replaced the stem 12 with a support plate 30A which may be integral with concave seat 11 or as shown in FIGS 22-23 may be screw threadedly attached to concave seat 11. Support plate 30A has a horizontal planar orientation as shown wherein horizontal peripheral rib 31 contacts the ground (not shown). There Is also shown a threaded stem 32 of concave seat 11C engaging with threaded socket 33 of support plate 30A. Kicking tee 10C also includes a depending plug part 34 which engages in a corresponding cavity or recess 35 as shown in FIG 23. Concave seat 11 C also has flat or planar part 36 which in use is clear of a football supported by seat 1 C and is part of an air space below the football. Concave seat 11C also has slots or cut-outs 37 and 38 through which the football may extend and which also facilitate the prevision of the air space. Slot 37 allows the kicker to contact the football directly and avoid contacting concave seat 11. There is also provided recess 39 in plate 30 as well as reinforcement rib 40.

The use of support plate 30A is useful in relation to certain football grounds and pitches which are harder than other grounds which are softer. The use of peripheral rib 31 provides support plate 30A with an ability to contact uneven ground surfaces. In use as shown in FIGS 20-23 the football is mainly supported by top edge 41 of seat 11C and the provision of an air space facilitated by cut outs 37 and 38 reduces the effect of frictional forces in retaining the football within seat 11C. The kicking tee 10, 10A, 10B or 10C of the invention may have a height of approximately 26cm, with the length of the stem 12 being 12cm and the width of stem 12 at the bottom having a width of 5cm. There also may be provided thumbnails and arrows (not shown) showing the direction of alignment. The stem 12 may be made from rigid plastics material such as hard poiyurethane or polycarbonate and can also be made in various colours with seat 11 being a different colour to stem 12. Also advertising may be shown on the top surface of seat 11.

In contrast concave seat 11 may be formed from rubber or elastomeric plastics materials inclusive of poiyurethane, PVC, ethylene co-polymers, polyacrylates, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), PTFE po!yether block amides and elastomeric or flexible polyethylenes such as cross linked polyethylene and low density polyethylenes.

Stem 12 provides the ability for the kicker to adjust the height of kicking tee 10. This provides an added advantage to the kicker compared to conventional kicking tees as described above which have no height adjustment.

The kicking tee 10 would be suitable for multiple codes (e.g. rugby league, rugby union and American football). The seat 11 is flexible and can accommodate various ball shapes and sizes.

The tee 10 is placed in the ground 21 prior to kicking. The stem tee 10 also remains in the ground after kicking. This provides the kicker with better balance between the foot and the ball. The tee 10 remains balanced and in the ground. This enhances the accuracy and diatance as there is no interference between the kicker's foot and the tee 10 on contact of the ball as the tee 10 remains in the ground. Other conventional kicking tees as described above sit on the ground and movement happens on contact with the foot. This may affect both the accuracy and the distance of the kick.

The tee 10 provides the kicker with an ability to adjust the angle and height of the ball which provides better accuracy, height and greater distance if required as shown in FIGS 8-9.

For example, if one is kicking from a restart, it is of advantage to regather the ball Using the tee 10 one would raise the tee higher which would give one greater ball height and/or distance and hang time which gives one a greater opportunity to regather the ball or be In a better defensive position. if one is kicking for goal one can adjust the tee to suit a particular kicking style. Lowering the tee 0 would provide more accuracy or greater angle for kicking the goal. If one is not a strong goal kicker one could raise the tee higher (eg the more height - the greater the distance).

It therefore will be appreciated that the kicking tee of the invention is very efficient in use and can be easily adjusted to accommodate a wide range of kicking styles.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

I . A football kicking tee having a ball seat which has a support surface which is of substantially continuous and generally concave curvature from a rear end to a front end whereby there is provided adjacent the rear end a relatively deep recess or concavity and approaching the front end there is formed a more shallow part which is of greater height than said deep recess and wherein said seat has a pair of side edges that taper outwardly from the rear end to the front end.

2. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the height of the front end is at least 20mm above the rear end in use.

3. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a football when retrieved within the seat covers at least 30% of the surface area of the support surface.

4. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 3 wherein the football covers at least 50% of the surface area of the support surface.

5. A football kicking tee as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 which also has a Stem for supporting the seat which is insertable in a ground surface.

6. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 5 wherein the stem has a pointed bottom end or spike.

7. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the stem is integral with the seat in a unitary or one piece plastics moulding.

8. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 5 or Θ wherein the stem is releasably attached to the seat.

9. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 8 wherein the stem is screw threadedly attached to the seat.

10. A football kicking tee as claimed In claim 9 wherein the stem engages with the seat in plug-socket interaction or interference fit.

I I . A football kicking tee as claimed in any one of claims 1 -4 wherein the seat has a support plate for contact with a ground surface.

12. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 11 wherein the support plate is integral with the seat.

13. A football kicking tee as claimed in claim 11 wherein the support plate is releasably attached to the seat.

14. A football kicking tee as claimed In claim 13 wherein the support plate is screw threadedly connected to the seat.

15. A football kicking tee as claimed in any one of claims 1-14 wherein the seat has a front end cout-out and a rear end cut out to facilitate provision of an air space beneath the football in use to reduce the effect of frictional forces retaining the football within the seat.

16. A method of use of a football tee which includes the steps of

i. orientating a football at a desired angle to horizontal by placing the football in a concave seat of the kicking tee which has a rear end higher than a front end which is adjacent a kicker; and

ii. fixing the kicking tee in the ground by a spike or stem which is embedded within the ground or by use of a support plate which is supported by the ground.