Strike zone trainer

Abstract

A strike zone trainer is described having a bottom horizontal member, a left vertical upright connected at a left side of the bottom horizontal member, a right vertical upright connected at a right side of the bottom horizontal member, and a top horizontal member connecting top portions of the left and right vertical uprights together. The bottom horizontal member, the left vertical upright, the right vertical upright, and the top horizontal member define a frame surrounding a strike zone for a batter. The trainer includes a left indicator indicating a left edge of the strike zone, a right indicator indicating a right edge of the strike zone, a top indicator indicating a top edge of the strike zone, and a bottom indicator indicating the bottom edge of the strike zone.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A strike zone trainer, comprising: 
 a bottom horizontal member;    a left vertical upright connected at a left side of the bottom horizontal member;    a right vertical upright connected at a right side of the bottom horizontal member;    a top horizontal member connecting top portions of the left and right vertical uprights together, wherein the bottom horizontal member, the left vertical upright, the right vertical upright, and the top horizontal member define a frame surrounding a strike zone for a batter;    a left indicator indicating a left edge of the strike zone;    a right indicator indicating a right edge of the strike zone, wherein the left and right indicators define the strike zone's width;    a top indicator indicating a top edge of the strike zone; and    a bottom indicator indicating the bottom edge of the strike zone, wherein the top and bottom indicators define the strike zone's height.    
     
     
         2 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least one of the top and bottom indicators may be moved to adjust the strike zone's height.    
     
     
         3 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the left and right indicators are strings extending between the top and bottom horizontal members, and    the top and bottom indicators are strings extending between the left and right vertical uprights.    
     
     
         4 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of eyelets disposed on the top and bottom horizontal members and the left and right vertical uprights, wherein the strings each extend between two eyelets.    
     
     
         5 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the top horizontal member and the left and right uprights are made from plastic piping.    
     
     
         6 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the plastic piping is made from polyvinylchloride.    
     
     
         7 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the bottom horizontal member is made from wood.    
     
     
         8 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a left bracket connected at the left side of the bottom horizontal member, and    a right bracket connected at the right side of the bottom horizontal member,    wherein the left bracket is adapted to receive the left vertical upright and the right bracket is adapted to receive the right vertical bracket.    
     
     
         9 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 at least one of the width and height of the strike zone is adjustable by moving one or more of the strings.    
     
     
         10 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of pairs of electromagnetic radiation emitters and sensors disposed on the top and bottom horizontal members and the left and right vertical uprights, establishing a grid of electromagnetic beams therebetween.    
     
     
         11 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 the top and bottom and left and right indicators are individual electromagnetic beams.    
     
     
         12 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 at least the top and bottom indicators may be moved to other electromagnetic beams to adjust the strike zone's height.    
     
     
         13 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 at least one input device operatively connected to the trainer to adjust the strike zone's height.    
     
     
         14 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the at least one input device is selected from a group comprising a keyboard, a mouse, and an electromagnetic radiation emitter.    
     
     
         15 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a speaker operatively connected to the trainer to provide an audible indication if a ball passes through one or more of the electromagnetic beams in the strike zone.    
     
     
         16 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a monitor operatively connected to the trainer to provide a visual indication of where a ball passes through one or more of the electromagnetic beams.    
     
     
         17 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of visual indicators positioned on the top and bottom horizontal members and the left and right vertical uprights.    
     
     
         18 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 the visual indicators are lights.    
     
     
         19 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 selected ones of the plurality of visual indicators indicate the left, right, top, and bottom edges of the strike zone.    
     
     
         20 . The strike zone trainer of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 selected ones of the plurality of visual indicators indicates where a ball passes through one or more of the electromagnetic beams.