Hockey Stick-Handling Device with Sensor and Effects

Abstract

A hockey stick-handling device comprises cross members and support columns. The support columns elevate the cross members from a training surface to allow an object for stick-handling to be passed underneath. The cross members are rotatable with respect to one another to allow the hockey stick-handling device to be arranged in various configurations for stick-handling as well as to be collapsed for storage. The hockey stick-handling device is modular in nature such that it can be lengthened or shortened to a desired length. The hockey stick-handling device has sensors adapted to sense an object passing under the cross member. The sensor output may drive controls for illuminating lights, sounding horns, and/or actuating timers associated with the stick-handling device.

1 . A hockey stick-handling device, comprising:
 two cross members, each of said cross members configured to be elevated from a training surface by a height sufficient to allow an object for stick-handling to pass underneath said cross member;   three support columns, each of said support columns configured to support an end of one of said cross members, said cross members being rotatable with respect to one another at one of said three support columns; and   a sensor adapted to sense an object passing under the cross member.   
     
     
         2 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 1 , further comprising a light operatively connected to the sensor illuminating when an object passes under the cross member. 
     
     
         3 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 2 , wherein said cross members are rotatable to form a working configuration, said working configuration being one of the group consisting of a straight-line configuration, a curved configuration, and a zigzag configuration. 
     
     
         4 . A hockey stick-handling device, comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected links arranged in a series, each link comprising a cross member supported by a support column at opposite ends of the cross member, the support columns positioning the cross member at a height sufficient to allow an object to pass underneath the cross member, each support column allowing rotation of a cross member of each link relative to another cross member of the next adjacent link, at least one of the links having a sensor, the sensor being adapted to sense an object passing under the cross member of link and generate a signal indicative of an object passing under the cross member of the link.   
     
     
         5 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 4 , further comprising a light associated with each link. 
     
     
         6 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 5 , further comprising a control operatively connected to the link sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 6 , wherein in response to an object passing under the cross member, the control generates an output command to illuminate the light associated with the link. 
     
     
         8 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 5 , wherein the control has programming to determine a time lapse from when an object passes under the cross member of a first link in the series to when an object passes under the cross member of a last link in the series. 
     
     
         9 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 8 , further comprising a start light associated with the first link in the series. 
     
     
         10 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 9 , wherein in response to an object passing under the cross member associated with the first link in the series, the control generates an output command to illuminate the start light. 
     
     
         11 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 8 , further comprising an end light associated with the last link in the series. 
     
     
         12 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 11 , wherein in response to an object passing under the cross member associated with the last link in the series, the control generates an output command to illuminates the end light. 
     
     
         13 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 11 , wherein in response to an object passing under the cross member associated with the last link in the series, the control generates an output command to sound a horn. 
     
     
         14 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 8 , further comprising a display adapted to display the time lapse. 
     
     
         15 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 4 , wherein said cross members are rotatable to form a working configuration, said working configuration being one of the group consisting of a straight-line configuration, a curved configuration, and a zigzag configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 8 , wherein the control has an output interface adapted to transmit signals representative of the time lapse to a remote device. 
     
     
         17 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 16 , wherein the output interface transmits wirelessly. 
     
     
         18 . The hockey stick-handling device of  claim 6 , wherein in response to an object passing under the cross member of a link, the control generates an output command to illuminate a light of a next successive link in the series.