U.S. patent application number 15/624922 was filed with the patent office on 2017-10-05 for basketball stopping wall.
The applicant listed for this patent is Indian Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Philip Elpers, Michael Guerzini, Andrew Hughes.
Application Number | 20170282034 15/624922 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49715751 |
Filed Date | 2017-10-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170282034 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Elpers; Philip ; et
al. |
October 5, 2017 |
BASKETBALL STOPPING WALL
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a basketball stopping apparatus
arranged for attachment to a basketball goal assembly. In some
embodiments, the basketball stopping apparatus is configurable
between a first position and a second position, the first position
being arranged for the deflection of errant basketball shots and
the second position being arranged for storage of the basketball
stopping apparatus before and/or after use. Additionally, some
embodiments include a wall coupled to base arms that are pivotably
mounted to a bottom end of the basketball goal assembly.
Inventors: |
Elpers; Philip; (Evansville,
IN) ; Guerzini; Michael; (Newburgh, IN) ;
Hughes; Andrew; (Evansville, IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Indian Industries, Inc. |
Evansville |
IN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49715751 |
Appl. No.: |
15/624922 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13911728 |
Jun 6, 2013 |
9717973 |
|
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15624922 |
|
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|
61656602 |
Jun 7, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2225/09 20130101;
A63B 63/083 20130101; A63B 71/022 20130101; A63B 2210/50
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 71/02 20060101
A63B071/02 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A method of using an apparatus for stopping an errantly shot
basketball, comprising: attaching an upper edge of a flexible wall
of a net material to a top end region of a post of a basketball
goal, the flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions,
said wall portions defining left and right wall upper perimeter
edges; pivotally connecting a left base arm to a bottom end region
of the post, the left base arm having a length secured along a
bottom edge of the left wall portion; pivotally connecting a right
base arm to the bottom end region of the post, the right base arm
having a length secured along a bottom edge of the right wall
portion; spreading the left and right wall portions of the flexible
wall laterally away from the post to form a wall to stop an
errantly shot basketball by pivoting the left and right base arms
from a vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration wherein
said left wall upper perimeter edge extends in an outward and
downward direction away from the top end region of the post, and
said right wall upper perimeter edge extends in an outward and
downward direction away from the top end region of the post to the
spread open configuration; gathering the entirety of the flexible
wall near the post by pivoting the left and right base arms from
the horizontal configuration to a vertical configuration; and,
storing the flexible wall and the left and right base arms in a
gathered position adjacent the post.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein: the left and right wall upper
perimeter edges include a flexible perimeter member.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein: the flexible perimeter member
is a cord.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein: in the spread open
configuration intermediate portions of the left and right wall
upper perimeter edges are spread upward and away from the bottom
end region of the post.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein: in the horizontal
configuration the left and right base arms are generally parallel
to a supporting surface.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein: the left and right wall
portions are separate nets.
27. A method of operating an assembly for stopping an errantly shot
basketball, comprising: radially spreading an assembly attached to
a basketball goal so as to stop an errantly shot basketball, the
assembly including a flexible wall of a net material having an
upper portion secured to an elevated portion of the basketball goal
and left and right wall portions, the left wall portion having a
bottom edge secured along a length of a left base arm and the right
wall portion having a bottom edge secured along a length of a right
base arm, the left and right base arms pivotally connected to a
bottom end region of the basketball goal and wherein when spread
said wall includes a left wall upper perimeter edge extending in an
outward and downward direction away from the elevated portion of
the basketball goal, and a right wall upper perimeter edge
extending in an outward and downward direction away from the
elevated portion of the basketball goal; and, radially collapsing
the assembly to a vertical configuration in which the entirety of
the flexible wall and left and right base arms are gathered near a
basketball post of the basketball goal by pivoting the left and
right base arms to the vertical configuration.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein: the left and right wall upper
perimeter edges include a flexible perimeter member.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein: the flexible perimeter member
is a cord.
30. The method of claim 27, wherein: in a spread open configuration
intermediate portions of the left and right wall upper perimeter
edges are spread upward and away from the bottom end region of the
post.
31. The method of claim 27, comprising selectively securing the
left and right base arms and the flexible wall in a gathered
arrangement for storage.
32. The method of claim 27, wherein: the left and right base arms
are rigid along their length.
33. A method of using an apparatus for stopping an errantly shot
basketball, comprising: pivotally connecting a rigid left base arm
to a bottom end region of a post of a basketball goal, the left
base arm having a length secured along a horizontal edge of a left
wall portion of a flexible wall of a net material; pivotally
connecting a rigid right base arm to the bottom end region of the
post, the right base arm having a length secured along a horizontal
edge of a right wall portion of the flexible wall; attaching an
upper edge of the flexible wall to a top end region of the post,
wherein each wall portion defines a horizontal edge parallel to a
base arm, a vertical edge parallel to the post and a perimeter edge
extending from an upper portion of the post to a base arm end
distal from the post; spreading the left and right wall portions of
the flexible wall laterally away from the post to form a wall to
stop an errantly shot basketball by pivoting the left and right
base arms from a vertical configuration to a horizontal
configuration such that said perimeter edges extend in an outward
and downward direction away from the top end region of the post;
and gathering the horizontal, vertical and perimeter edges of the
flexible wall near the post by pivoting the left and right base
arms from the horizontal configuration to a vertical
configuration.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein: the right and left rigid base
arms pull the perimeter edges taut when the left and right rigid
base arms are in the horizontal configuration; and wherein the
perimeter edges are gathered when said base arms are in the
vertical configuration.
35. The method of claim 33, wherein: the perimeter edges include a
flexible perimeter member.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein: the flexible perimeter member
is a cord.
37. The method of claim 33, wherein: when the left and right base
arms are in the horizontal configuration, the perimeter edges of
the flexible wall define a semi-octagonal shape.
38. The method of claim 33, wherein: the edges of the flexible wall
are spread along the entirety of their lengths when the left and
right base arms are in the horizontal configuration.
39. The method of claim 33, wherein: the perimeter edge of at least
one of the left or right wall portions includes a segment extending
diagonally relative to the horizontal edge of the wall portion when
the left and right base arms are in the horizontal
configuration.
40. The method of claim 33, wherein: the left and right wall
portions are portions of a continuous section of the net material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 13/911,728, filed Jun. 6, 2013, which claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/656,602, filed Jun. 7, 2012,
the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure pertains generally to accessories for
use in combination with a basketball goal assembly. More
particularly, the present invention pertains to devices capable of
stopping errant basketball shots from traveling into an area behind
and/or adjacent to a basketball goal assembly.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In the sport of basketball a player can shoot a basketball
towards a basketball goal from an infinite number of possible
locations. Each shot is typically aimed at either a
horizontally-oriented rim of the basketball goal or a
vertically-oriented backboard that is adjacent the rim and useful
for banking shots into the rim.
[0004] A skilled player can shoot the basketball such that the
basketball hits the targeted backboard and/or enters the rim at
some point along its trajectory. However, during play a basketball
player may shoot a basketball in such a manner that the ball misses
its targeted rim or backboard and travels into the area behind
and/or adjacent to the basketball goal. Basketball shots that
continue past the backboard may become cumbersome and
time-consuming to retrieve, thus interrupting play. Additionally,
errant shots can cause damage to various valuables or surroundings
and/or risk injury or harm to small children who pursue the
errantly shot ball.
[0005] In light of the burdensome and harmful effects of errant
basketball shots, a number of apparatuses have been developed in an
effort to help stop errant basketball from traveling into the area
behind the basketball goal. Unfortunately, many of the existing
collection apparatuses interfere with one's ability to move around
the basketball goal assembly during periods of non-use.
Additionally, many of the existing collection apparatuses are
unsightly, having large and/or protruding portions that
substantially increase the space that the basketball goal assembly
occupies. During windy conditions, increased forces may be exerted
on these large and/or protruding portions and are transmitted to
the basketball goal assembly, thus increasing the likelihood of
damage to the collection apparatus and/or the basketball goal
assembly. Additionally, many of the collection apparatuses may be
difficult to set-up and/or take-down before and/or after periods of
use.
[0006] Thus new devices for minimizing errant basketball shots are
desired.
SUMMARY
[0007] In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an
apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, the apparatus
comprising a flexible wall, a left base arm, and a right base arm.
The flexible wall is attachable to a post of a basketball goal and
comprises left and right wall portions having upper edges securable
to a top end region of the post. The left base arm is secured to a
bottom edge of the left wall portion and arranged to pivotally
connect to a bottom end region of the post. Similarly, the right
base arm is secured to a bottom edge of the right wall portion and
arranged to pivotally connect to a bottom end region of the post.
When connected to the bottom end region of the post, the left and
right base arms are pivotable between a vertical configuration and
a horizontal configuration. In the vertical configuration the left
and right base arms gather the bottom edges of the left and right
wall portions of the flexible wall near the post; and in the
horizontal configuration the left and right base arms spread the
left and right wall portions of the flexible wall laterally away
from the bottom end region of the post so as to spread the flexible
wall portions into an open arrangement. In some instances, a length
of the left base arm is arranged along a length of the bottom edge
of the left wall portion, and a length of the right base arm is
arranged along a length of the bottom edge of the right wall
portion.
[0008] In certain aspects, the present disclosure provides an
apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, the apparatus
comprising a flexible wall attachable to a basketball goal, the
flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions each having a
bottom portion that is securable to a base positioned on a support
surface and an upper portion that is securable to an elevated
portion of the basketball goal. A left base arm is secured to a
bottom edge of the left wall portion and arranged to pivotally
connect to the base, and a right base arm is secured to a bottom
edge of the right wall portion and arranged to pivotally connect to
the base. When connected to the base, the left and right base arms
are pivotable between a vertical configuration and a horizontal
configuration. In the vertical configuration the left and right
base arms gather the bottom edges of the left and right wall
portions of the flexible wall above the base, and in the horizontal
configuration the left and right base arms spread the left and
right wall portions of the flexible wall laterally away from the
base so as to spread the flexible wall portions into an open
arrangement behind a backboard of the basketball goal. In some
instances, the apparatus also comprises a left intermediate arm
secured to the left wall portion and a right intermediate arm
secured to the right wall portion, wherein the left and right
intermediate arms each have a length and spread the secured wall
portion along the length.
[0009] In some instances, the present disclosure provides an
apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, comprising a
flexible wall attachable to a basketball goal, the flexible wall
comprising left and right wall portions each having a bottom
portion that is securable to a base positioned on a support surface
and an upper portion that is securable to an elevated portion of
the basketball goal, left and right base arms and left and right
intermediate arms. The left base arm is secured to a bottom edge of
the left wall portion and arranged to pivotally connect to the
base, and the right base arm is secured to a bottom edge of the
right wall portion and arranged to pivotally connect to the base.
The left intermediate arm is secured to the left wall portion and
the right intermediate arm secured to the right wall portion, and
the left and right intermediate arms each have a base end, an outer
end, and a length and spread the secured wall portion along their
length. The base ends of the left and right intermediate arms are
adjacent to the base and the outer ends are adjacent a peripheral
edge of the respective flexible wall. In some embodiments, it is
preferred that the left and right base arms are rigid along their
length and the left and right intermediate arms are flexibly
resilient along their length.
[0010] Further forms, objects, features, aspects, benefits,
advantages, and embodiments of the present invention will become
apparent from a detailed description and drawings provided
herewith.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a partial view of one embodiment of the present
disclosure and of a basketball goal assembly.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a partial, back view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a partial, perspective view of one embodiment of
the present disclosure and of a basketball goal assembly.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a partial, perspective view of one embodiment of
the present disclosure and of a basketball goal assembly.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a top
portion of one embodiment of the present disclosure and of a
basketball goal assembly.
[0020] FIG. 10 is a partial, perspective view of one embodiment of
the present disclosure and of a basketball goal assembly.
[0021] FIG. 11 is a partially exploded perspective view of a bottom
portion of one embodiment of the present disclosure and of a
basketball goal assembly.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure in an open configuration.
[0023] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure in a partially closed configuration.
[0025] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 16 is a partial, perspective view of the back of one
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 17 is a partial, perspective view of the front of one
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 18 is a partial, perspective view of the back of one
embodiment of the present disclosure and of a basketball goal
assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the
embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will
be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood
that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby
intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the
described embodiments, and any further applications of the
principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as
would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the
invention relates.
[0030] With respect to the specification and claims, it should be
noted that the singular forms "a", "an", "the", and the like
include plural referents unless expressly discussed otherwise. As
an illustration, references to "a device" or "the device" include
one or more of such devices and equivalents thereof. It also should
be noted that directional terms, such as "up", "down", "top",
"bottom", and the like, are used herein solely for the convenience
of the reader in order to aid in the reader's understanding of the
illustrated embodiments, and it is not the intent that the use of
these directional terms in any manner limit the described,
illustrated, and/or claimed features to a specific direction and/or
orientation.
[0031] In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a
basketball stopping apparatus for attachment to a basketball goal
assembly. The basketball stopping apparatus comprises a wall that
is spread into an open configuration by one or more arms. In some
embodiments, at least one of the arms is pivotably coupled to the
base of the basketball goal assembly, and spreads the wall along a
horizontal direction. Additionally, some embodiments have a
perimeter member that extends along a periphery of the wall. The
perimeter member may couple one or more arms of the basketball
stopping apparatus. Some embodiments have the perimeter member
coupled to a top portion of the post of a basketball goal assembly
and extending in an outward and downward direction, towards an end
of at least one of the arms.
[0032] In other aspects, the present disclosure provides a
basketball stopping apparatus for attachment to a basketball goal
assembly, comprising: a wall spread into an open configuration by a
base arm and an intermediate arm. In some instances, the base arm
is pivotably coupled to the base of the basketball goal assembly,
such as the bottom of the post. In some embodiments, the
intermediate arm has one or more free-floating ends. A perimeter
member may extend along a periphery of the wall and couple one or
more arms of the basketball stopping apparatus. In some
embodiments, the base arms and the intermediate arms have different
properties. For example, the base arms may be rigid and the
intermediate arms may be flexible. Similarly, the base arms and the
intermediate arms may be constructed from different materials.
[0033] In some instances, the present disclosure provides a
basketball stopping apparatus for attachment to a basketball goal
assembly, comprising a wall and one or more arms arranged to hold
the wall into a spread configuration. In some embodiments, the
basketball goal assembly is configurable between a spread, playing
configuration and a collapsed, stored configuration.
[0034] The disclosed embodiments and variations thereof may be used
to stop or block basketballs. In some instances, a basketball
stopping wall may be used to divert an errantly shot basketball
from entering into the area located behind the basketball goal
assembly. For example, an errantly shot basketball following a
trajectory into an area adjacent to and/or behind the basketball
goal assembly may contact a wall of the basketball stopping
apparatus, thus preventing the basketball from traveling into the
area adjacent to and/or behind the basketball goal assembly. In
some embodiments, an errantly shot basketball may contact a wall
and be directed in a downward direction towards an area generally
beneath the backboard. In other embodiments, the basketball may be
deflected in a direction back onto the basketball court and/or
towards a player.
[0035] An embodiment of the invention will be disclosed in detail
below with reference to a basketball goal assembly 1000.
Specifically, various aspects of the disclosed embodiments will be
discussed with reference to a basketball goal assembly 1000 having
a support such as a post 1002 with a top end 1004 and a bottom end
1006. In some cases, the backboard 1008 having a front surface 1010
and a rim assembly 1012 attached thereto is coupled to the top end
1004 of the post 1002, the post 1002 is often perpendicular to the
surface supporting the basketball goal assembly 1000. For example,
some basketball goal assemblies have the post 1002 entering a hole
in the ground or being bolted to the ground. Other basketball goal
assemblies have the post 1002 being supported by a weighted base,
such as a sand or water filled container. Sometimes the weighted
bases are portable and may have wheels attached thereto.
[0036] Many basketball goal assemblies have slanted and/or
curvilinear posts and some basketball goal assemblies have no post
at all. For example, some basketball goal assemblies are mounted on
a wall and/or are suspended from a ceiling. As will be apparent to
one of ordinary skill in the art, different arrangements of
basketball goal assemblies are contemplated by the inventor(s) of
the present disclosure and the embodiments illustrated and
described in the present disclosure may be modified for the various
arrangements of basketball goal assemblies without departure from
the invention.
[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a basketball stopping
wall 100 suitable for stopping errant basketball shots. Generally,
the basketball stopping wall 100 comprises a wall that is spread
into an open configuration by one or more arms. In some instances,
the basketball stopping wall 100 comprises two halves, each with
one or more spreading arms and a wall portion. As will be
appreciated, the wall may be made of a spreadable material suitable
for preventing a basketball from passing therethrough, such as a
net, screen, mesh, or sheet material. Alternatively or
additionally, the wall may comprise a plurality of elongate
elements, such as cables, or chains, that extend individually
across the area of the wall and/or have portions that intersect
with other elongate elements, such as in a woven or overlapping
pattern, to name just a few non-limiting examples.
[0038] In some instances the wall is inelastic and is made from a
material such as plastic. In other instances, the wall has elastic
and/or flexible resilient portions so as to aid in stopping or
blocking the errantly-shot ball. For example, portions of the wall
may be made from an elastomer such as rubber and/or have elastic
members such as springs, to name a few non-limiting examples.
[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the wall portions of the
basketball stopping wall 100 are spread open by a pair of base arms
102 and 104 that, when deployed, can lie on a support surface such
as the ground or a floor and extend generally in a horizontal
direction away from the bottom end 1006 of the post 1002 of the
basketball goal assembly 1000. In some embodiments, base arms 102
and 104 extend in directions that are substantially parallel to the
surface each lies upon. However, in some instances, base arms 102,
104 can be suspended above the ground or floor by portions of the
wall, with the weight of base arms 102 and 104 pulling portions of
the wall in a downward direction.
[0040] In some embodiments, the base arms 102 and 104 extend in
directions substantially opposite of one another. For example, base
arm 102 may extend to the left of the post 1002 and base arm 104
may extend to the right of the post 1002 from the illustrated
perspective, with both base arm 102 and base arm 104 typically
residing in the same plane. In some embodiments the base arms 102
and 104 extend in directions that are non-parallel to one another.
Additionally or alternatively, base arms 102 and/or 104 may extend
in directions that are substantially parallel to the supporting
surface, e.g., the ground or floor.
[0041] In many instances, portions of the flexible wall are
generally parallel with the backboard of the basketball goal.
However, in some embodiments, the wall may be angled with respect
to the backboard 1008. For example, one or more of the base arms
102 and/or 104 may extend in a direction that is non-parallel to a
plane defined by the front surface 1010 of the backboard 1008 and
therefore spread the wall in that direction. Specifically, one or
more of base arms 102 and/or 104 may be angled towards or away from
the basketball court. For example, base arms 102 and 104 may extend
away from the area located behind the basketball goal assembly
1000, so as to form a V arrangement in a plane that generally is
parallel to the ground or floor. In some instances, the one or more
of base arms 102 and/or 104 extend in a direction that is
perpendicular to the direction from which a player is practicing
shooting a basketball. So, for example, if a player is shooting a
basketball from a position to the right of the basketball goal
1000, such as the perspective shown in FIG. 1, the base arm 102 may
be angled towards the basketball court and/or the base arm 104 may
be angled away from the basketball court and therefore present the
wall in a similar fashion. Advantageously, this type of arrangement
can position a wall portion of the basketball stopping wall 100 in
an orientation that faces the shooting player, such that the wall
will stop, redirect and/or guide an errantly shot ball. In some
instances, the wall is arranged to guide an errantly shot ball back
towards a player.
[0042] In some embodiments, base ends 106 and 108 of the base arms
102 and 104 are pivotably coupled to the bottom end 1006 of the
post 1002 so as to allow the base arms 102 and 104 to be vertically
pivoted. For example, the base arms 102 and 104 may be rotated from
their generally horizontal position into an upright position where
the base arms 102 and 104 are generally perpendicular to the
support surface and parallel to the post 1002 of the basketball
goal 1000. Additionally, the wall portions may be collapsed and/or
gathered at the same time. Such an arrangement decreases the amount
of space the basketball stopping wall 100 occupies during periods
of nonuse and thus allows for one to more easily maneuver around
the basketball goal assembly 1000. Alternatively, and/or
additionally, the base arms 102 and 104 may be pivotably coupled in
an arrangement capable of horizontal rotation. For example, the
base arms 102 and 104 may be horizontally rotated into an
orientation that is non-parallel to the plane defined by the front
surface 1010 of the backboard 1008. As discussed above, one or more
of the base arms 102 and/or 104 may angle towards or away from the
basketball court (i.e., the area in front of the basketball goal
assembly 1000) to present the wall in a desired orientation to stop
or block errant shots. For basketball goals that do not have a
post, the base arms 102 and 104 may be pivotably coupled to a base
member positioned on a supporting surface, such as the ground or
the floor.
[0043] In some embodiments the basketball stopping wall 100 has
intermediate arms 110 and 112 that spread portions of the wall
between the base arms 102 and 104 and the post 1002. For example,
intermediate arms 110 and 112 may be arranged in an angled
relationship with respect to the post 1002 and/or the base arms 102
and 104. The intermediate arms 110 and 112 may have base ends 114
and 116 positioned at and/or near the base 1006 of the basketball
goal assembly 1000 and extend from the base ends 114 and 116 in an
upward direction away from the post 1002. For example, base end 114
may be positioned adjacent to but spaced apart from base 1006 with
intermediate arm 110 extending away from base 1006 and having an
outer end 142 positioned adjacent a periphery of a wall portion.
Similar to the arrangement of the base arms 102 and 104, the
intermediate arms 110 and 112 may extend in directions that lie in
the same plane or in different planes. In some instances, one or
more of the intermediate arms 110 and/or 112 lie in the same plane
as one or more of the base arms 102 and/or 104. In many
embodiments, the ends of the intermediate arms 110 and 112 are
coupled to the wall so as to spread the wall along the length of
the intermediate arm. In some embodiments, base ends 114 and 116
are free-floating and are not coupled to the post 1002.
[0044] As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art,
the base arms 102 and 104 and intermediate arms 110 and 112 may be
various shapes and sizes, and each arm may be formed by one or more
members. For example, base arms 102, 104 and/or intermediate arms
110, 112 can comprise telescoping members arranged to adjust the
length of the arms. Additionally, fewer or more base arms 102 and
104 and/or intermediate arms 110 and 112 than those described above
and illustrated with respect to FIG. 1 may be used. For example,
two intermediate arms may be used on each half of the ball stopping
wall, so as to have a total of four intermediate arms.
Alternatively an embodiment may include zero intermediate arms.
[0045] The base arms 102 and 104 and the intermediate arms 110 and
112 may be constructed from any suitable material(s) apparent to
one of ordinary skill in the art and may have different properties
and/or be made of the same or different materials. In some
embodiments, the base arms 102 and 104 are made of a rigid material
and the intermediate arms 110 and 112 are made from a resilient
material or vice versa. For example, the base arms 102 and 104 may
be made of a metal such as steel or aluminum while the intermediate
arms 110 and 112 are made of plastic, fiberglass, or a composite,
to name a few non-limiting examples.
[0046] The wall of the ball stopping wall 100 may have multiple
portions and may be made of a single wall piece or of multiple wall
pieces. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the wall may have
two wall portions, one for each half of the ball stopping wall 100.
As mentioned above, the base arms 102 and 104 and the intermediate
arms 110 and 112 spread portions of the wall. For example, the base
arms 102 and 104 and intermediate arms 110 and 112 may spread outer
wall portions 120 and 122 horizontally and vertically. In some
instances, portions of the wall may be coupled to portions of the
basketball goal assembly 1000, such as the post 1002 and/or the
backboard 1008.
[0047] In basketball goal arrangements that do not have a post 1002
supported by the ground (e.g., backboard assemblies mounted on a
wall and/or from a ceiling), various modifications may be made to
the embodiments described in the present disclosure. For example,
the wall may be coupled to the backboard assembly, its supporting
structure, a ceiling, and/or a wall adjacent the backboard assembly
instead of the post 1002 described above. In some embodiments, the
basketball stopping wall further comprises a vertical arm extending
in a vertical direction generally towards the backboard assembly.
The vertical arm may be supported on the bottom end by a stand, and
portions of the wall may be attached to the top end of the vertical
arm so as to spread the wall vertically towards the backboard
assembly. In any of the embodiments, the arms of the basketball
stopping wall may be pivotably coupled to a stand or base
positioned on the ground or may be coupled to one another. For
example, the base arms 102 and 104 can be pivotably coupled to a
vertical arm.
[0048] A perimeter member 130 may extend along a perimeter of the
wall portions 120, 122, 124, and/or 126. In some embodiments, the
perimeter member 130 extends from the outer ends 140, 142, 144,
and/or 146 of the base arms 102 and/or 104 and/or the intermediate
arms 110 and/or 112. Additionally, the perimeter member 130 may be
coupled to a portion of the basketball goal assembly 1000, such as
the post 1002. The perimeter member 130 can be a rigid member, such
as a bar or bar sections, and/or it may be a flexible resilient
member, such as a cord and/or a chain or sections thereof, just to
name a few examples. The perimeter member 130 may also have
straight and/or curved sections.
[0049] In some instances, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the perimeter
member and wall portions form a semi-octagonal shape, corresponding
to the number of wall portions defined by the arms; however, as
will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, a variety
of shapes can be formed by the perimeter member and wall.
Alternatively, the perimeter member 130 may have multiple sections
extending along the periphery of the wall portions 120, 122, 124,
and/or 126.
[0050] When in an expanded, ball-diverting configuration, such as
the one illustrated in FIG. 1, the basketball stopping wall 100 may
form a substantially planer arrangement adjacent to and often
slightly behind the backboard 1008. The base arms 102 and 104
spread the outer wall portions 120 and 122 and the perimeter member
130 horizontally away from the post 1002 and in a downward
direction, such as by the weight of the base arms 102 and 104
pulling down on the outer wall portions 120 and 122 and the
perimeter member 130. Additionally, the intermediate arms 110 and
112 spread the wall portions 120, 122, 124, and/or 126 along the
length of the intermediate arms 110 and 112. The arms preferably
spread the wall to a configuration having a maximum wall area, thus
increasing the likelihood that the wall will be positioned in the
trajectory of an errantly shot basketball.
[0051] When in a compact, stored configuration, the base arms 102
and/or 104 and/or the intermediate arms 110 and/or 112 can be
positioned vertically, for example alongside the post 1002 of the
basketball goal assembly 1000. Similarly, the wall portions 120,
122, 124, and/or 126 are gathered or collapsed to be positioned
adjacent to the base arms 102 and 104 and/or intermediate arms 110
and 112. The base arms 102 and/or 104, the intermediate arms 110
and/or 112, and/or wall portions 120, 122, 124, and/or 126 may be
secured to one another and/or a portion of the basketball goal
assembly 1000, such as the post 1002, by any appropriate fastener
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art by a such as a hook, a
strap, a clamp, and/or an adhesive member, to name a few
non-limiting examples. In embodiments without a post 1002, the ball
stopping wall may be collapsed into a vertical arrangement and
coupled to a portion of the basketball goal assembly 1000, such as
the backboard 1008, coupled to a wall or a ceiling, or coupled to a
vertical arm of the ball stopping wall, such as one supported by a
stand or base.
[0052] In some instances, the basketball stopping wall 100 may have
a compact, stored configuration that is portable. A portable ball
stopping wall may be desired so as to make the space below the
backboard 1008 available for use and/or so as to allow the ball
stopping wall to be taken with the player to another location for
use and/or storage. Various arrangements of a portable ball
stopping wall 100 are possible. For example, the ball stopping wall
100 may be collapsed into an arrangement with the arms
substantially parallel to one another and with the wall portions
120, 122, 124, and/or 126 gathered and secured to the arms. In some
embodiments, the ball stopping wall is detachably coupled to the
basketball goal. Additionally, portions of the ball stopping wall
100 may be compactable. For example, one or more of the arms may
have telescoping segments that, when in a compact arrangement,
decrease the overall length of the arm.
[0053] FIG. 2 illustrates a partial view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure and of a basketball goal assembly 1000. In some
instances, a fastening member 150 couples the upper portion of the
wall and/or the perimeter member 130 to the basketball goal
assembly 1000. The fastening member 150 may be any member known to
a person of reasonable skill in the art capable of fastening a
portion of the basketball stopping wall 100 to the post 1002. To
name a few non-limiting examples, the fastening member 150 may be a
bolt and nut, a tie strap, a hook and grommet, a hook and loop
connector, and/or a detachable snap.
[0054] FIG. 3 illustrates a partial view of one embodiment of the
wall, such as inner wall portion 124 and outer wall portion 120,
from the backside of the basketball stopping wall 100. In some
instances, the intermediate arm 110 has an end, such as outer end
142, coupled to the wall and arranged to spread the net into an
open arrangement. In some arrangements, the ends of the
intermediate arms are received in opposing end pockets that are
secured to wall portions. For example, the outer end 142 of the
intermediate arm 110 may be positioned within a pocket 162 that is
coupled to an upper portion of the wall. Similarly, the base end
114 of the intermediate arm 110 may be in a pocket coupled to a
lower portion of the wall so that the arm length pushes ends 142
and 114 to spread the wall.
[0055] In some instances, the intermediate arm 110 is at least
partially covered along a portion that is intermediate the outer
end 142 and the base end 114. For example, the intermediate arm 110
may have a cover 164 and/or a sleeve that covers portions of the
intermediate arm 110. The sleeve and/or cover 164 can help provide
protection to the intermediate arm 110 and/or aid in the alignment
of the intermediate arm 110 with the wall and spreading of the
wall. In some embodiments, the arm and/or sleeve may be coupled to
the wall at one or more locations between the two ends 142 and 114
of the intermediate arm 110.
[0056] Various arrangements for coupling the intermediate arm 110
to the wall are possible. For example, in ball stopping wall 100
arrangements that have a pocket 162, the wall, such as wall
portions 120 and 124 may be coupled to the pocket 162 by stitching
along a seam 166. Similarly, in the embodiments having a sleeve
and/or cover 164 along a portion of the intermediate arm 110, the
wall may be coupled to the sleeve and/or cover 164 by stitching.
Alternatively, or in addition, the intermediate arm 110 may be
coupled to the wall by connecting members and/or the intermediate
arm 110 may be threaded through openings in the wall, such as net
and/or mesh-like portions of the wall. For example, the wall may be
coupled to the intermediate arm 110 with a tie such as a zip tie, a
cable tie, laces, or a strap, to name a few non-limiting examples.
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the
means for coupling the intermediate arm 110 to the wall as
described above may also be used to couple any of the other arms to
the wall.
[0057] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom end 1006
of the post 1002 of the basketball goal assembly 1000. The wall
portions and intermediate arms are not shown for ease of
illustration. In the embodiments in which the base arms 102 and 104
are coupled to the post 1002, the bottom end 1006 of post 1002 may
have a lower bracket 170 comprising a front portion 172 and a back
portion 174 so as to mount the base arms 102 and/or 104 to the post
1002. The front portion 172 of the lower bracket 170 is coupled to
the back portion 174 by a coupling member 176. The coupling member
176 may be any device capable of coupling the front portion 172 to
the back portion 174 as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill
in the art, such as a screw, a bolt, and/or a clamp, to name a few
non-limiting examples.
[0058] In some embodiments, the base arms 102 and/or 104 are
pivotably coupled to the post 1002 via bracket 170. For example,
the coupling member 176 may extend through a portion of the base
arm 102 and/or 104 and serve as an axle to allow the base arm 102
and/or 104 to vertically rotate. The coupling member 176 may be
accompanied by the appropriate fasteners, such as washers,
bushings, and/or bearings. Alternatively, the base arm 102 and/or
104 may be coupled to a portion of the lower bracket 170 and/or the
post 1002 by an additional member, such as a hinge.
[0059] In some embodiments, the ball-diverting wall 100 does not
have a lower bracket 170. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary
skill in the art, a number of different variations are capable of
coupling the base arms 102 and/or 104 to the post 1002. For
example, the base arms 102 and/or 104 may be pivotably coupled to
the post 1002 by a pin that passes through the base arm 102 and/or
104 and the post 1002. Alternatively, the base arms 102 and/or 104
may have a flexible resilient member that passes through holes in
the base arms 102 and/or 104 and wraps around the post 1002, such
as a cord, wire, or string, to name a few non-limiting
examples.
[0060] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom end 1006
of the post 1002. As can be seen, the base end 116 of the
intermediate arm 112 extends into a pocket 180. Pocket 180 is
adjacent the pivot axle but is not attached. This enables the
intermediate arm 112 to have a free or floating base end 116.
However, it is contemplated that the base end 116 of intermediate
arm 112 can be pivotably coupled to the bottom end 1006 of the post
1002. For example, the coupling member 176 illustrated and
described with respect to FIG. 4 may also pass through base end 116
of intermediate arm 112. FIG. 5 also illustrates an optional covers
or sleeves 182 and/or 184 extending over the intermediate arm 110
and base arm 102. In some instances, the outer wall 120 is coupled
to the base arm 104 by capturing a portion of the outer wall 120
within the cover 184 and sewing the cover 184 together along seam
186.
[0061] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate one operation of the basketball
stopping wall 100. FIG. 6 illustrates a spread-open, in-use
configuration, while FIG. 7 illustrates the basketball stopping
wall 100 in a gathered, stored configuration. Portions of the
basketball stopping wall 100 are pivotably maneuverable around a
point on or near the bottom end 1006 of the post 1002 so that when
an operator desires to store the basketball stopping wall 100 for
periods of nonuse, the operator may pivot the base arms 102 and 104
vertically into a position alongside the post 1002. Similarly, in
some embodiments, the intermediate arms 110 and 112 also are moved
into position alongside the post 1002. The basketball stopping wall
100 is collapsed and gathered around the base arms 102 and 104
and/or intermediate arms 110 and 112 for storage and may then be
retained in its upright, stored position, for example by using a
strap 190 positioned around the middle or adjacent to the
outer/upper ends of the base arms 102 and 104 and/or the
intermediate arms 110 and 112.
[0062] Another exemplary embodiment of a basketball stopping wall
is illustrated in FIG. 8. Similar to the embodiments described
above, basketball stopping wall 800 has wall portions that are
spread open by a pair of base arms 802, 804 and intermediate arms
810, 812. Similar to the base arms 102 and 104 described above,
base arms 802 and 804 can be arranged so that, when deployed, they
extend and/or spread wall portions in any number of directions.
Similarly, portions of the flexible wall can be spread and angled
in a number of directions, such as those described in the
previously discussed embodiments.
[0063] Base ends 806 and 808 of the base arms 802 and 804 are
pivotably coupled to the bottom end 1006 of the post 1002 so as to
allow the base arms 802 and 804 to be vertically pivoted and the
wall portions to be collapsed and/or gathered adjacent the post
1002 at the same time. Such an arrangement decreases the amount of
space the basketball stopping wall 800 occupies during periods of
nonuse and thus allows for one to more easily maneuver around the
basketball goal assembly 1000. Base arms 802 and 804 may be
pivotably coupled in an arrangement capable of rotation in other
directions, and, in some instances, is pivotably coupled to a base
member positioned on a supporting surface.
[0064] Similar to intermediate arms 110 and 112 described above,
intermediate arms 810 and 812 spread portions of the wall between
the base arms 802 and 804 and the post 1002 and may extend in any
number of directions. In many instances, intermediate arms 810 and
812 have base ends 814 and 816 positioned at and/or near the base
1006 of the basketball goal assembly 1000 and extend from the base
ends 814 and 816 in an upward direction away from the post 1002.
Preferably, the ends of the intermediate arms 810 and 812 are
coupled to the wall so as to spread the wall along the length of
the intermediate arm.
[0065] In comparison to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1,
intermediate arms 810 and 812 of the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
8 are longer than base arms 802 and 804 whereas intermediate arms
110 and 112 of FIG. 1 are illustrated as having substantially the
same length as base arms 102 and 104. While it should be
appreciated that the intermediate arms and base arms of any of the
embodiments disclosed herein, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1
and 8, can have any relative length, there may be instances in
which certain lengths or relative lengths between the arms are
desirable. For instance, it may be preferred that the intermediate
arms are longer than the base arms so that the wall portions, when
in an open configuration, form a generally rectangular shape.
Additionally, longer intermediate arms may spread more portions of
the wall vertically and laterally without increasing the footprint
of the basketball stopping wall 800, i.e., the area of the
supporting surface that a vertical projection of the wall 800
occupies. Advantageously, having portions of the wall spread to a
more elevated and/or lateral position can aid in stopping an
overshot basketball from traveling behind the basketball goal.
Similarly, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the
art, the base arms 802 and 804 and intermediate arms 810 and 812
may be various cross-sectional shapes and sizes and may be formed
from different materials.
[0066] Like the embodiments illustrated and described above, the
wall of the ball stopping wall 800 may have multiple portions and
may be made of a single wall piece or of multiple wall pieces. For
example, the base arms 802 and 804 and intermediate arms 810 and
812 may spread outer wall portions 820 and 822 horizontally and
vertically. In some instances, portions of the wall may be coupled
to portions of the basketball goal assembly 1000, such as the post
1002 and/or the backboard 1008, and/or a vertical arms supported by
a stand or base member.
[0067] One or more perimeter members 830 may extend along a
perimeter of the wall portions 820, 822, 824, and/or 826. In some
embodiments, the perimeter member 830 extends between one or more
outer ends of arms, such as outer end 840 of base arm 802 and outer
end 842 of intermediate arm 810 and/or outer end 844 of
intermediate arm 812 and outer end 846 of base arm 804.
Additionally, the one or more perimeter members 830 may be coupled
to a portion of the basketball goal assembly 1000, such as the post
1002.
[0068] When in an open or spread, ball-diverting configuration,
such as the one illustrated in FIG. 8, the basketball stopping wall
800 may form a substantially planer arrangement adjacent to and
often slightly behind the backboard 1008. The base arms 802 and 804
spread the outer wall portions 820 and 822 and the perimeter member
830 horizontally away from the post 1002 and in a downward
direction, such as by the weight of the base arms 802 and 804
pulling down on the outer wall portions 820 and 822 and the
perimeter members 830. Additionally, the intermediate arms 810 and
812 spread the wall portions 820, 822, 824, and/or 826 along the
length of the intermediate arms 810 and 812.
[0069] When in a compact, stored configuration, the base arms 802
and/or 804 and/or the intermediate arms 810 and/or 812 can be
positioned vertically, for example alongside the post 1002 of the
basketball goal assembly 1000. Similarly, the wall portions 820,
822, 824, and/or 826 are gathered or collapsed to be positioned
adjacent to the base arms 802 and 804 and/or intermediate arms 810
and 812. Like the embodiments described above, the base arms 802
and/or 804, the intermediate arms 810 and/or 812, and/or wall
portions 820, 822, 824, and/or 826 may be secured to one another
and/or a portion of the basketball goal assembly 1000 by any
appropriate fastener apparent to one of ordinary skill in the
art.
[0070] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary arrangement for attaching
wall portions to a post 1002. Similar to the embodiments discussed
above, a fastening member 850 couples the upper portion of the wall
and/or the perimeter member 830 to the basketball goal assembly
1000, and the fastening member 850 may be any member known to a
person of reasonable skill in the art capable of fastening a
portion of the basketball stopping wall 800 to the post 1002.
[0071] In some instances, an existing portion of the basketball
goal assembly 1000 is used as the fastening member 850 to secure
portion of the basketball stopping wall 800 to the basketball goal
assembly 1000. For example, some basketball goal assemblies 1000
that have an adjustable height backboard and rim may have one or
more safety stops, such as a safety stop bolt, that limits the
travel of the adjustable portion of the backboard and rim. In some
aspects, the safety stops, such as the safety stop bolts, may be
used to secure a portion of the basketball stopping wall 800 to the
basketball goal assembly 1000.
[0072] Returning to FIG. 8, the ends of the intermediate arm 810,
such as outer end 842, are coupled to the wall and arranged to
spread the wall into an open arrangement. For example, the outer
end 842 of the intermediate arm 810 may be positioned within a
pocket 862 that is coupled to an upper portion of the wall, such as
wall portion 824. Similarly, the base end 814 of the intermediate
arm 810 may be received in a pocket coupled to a lower portion of
the wall so that the arm length pushes ends 842 and 814 to spread
the wall. Alternatively or additionally, intermediate arm 810 may
have a cover 864 and/or a sleeve that covers portions of the
intermediate arm 810 and, in some embodiments, is coupled to the
wall at one or more locations between the two ends 842 and 814 of
the intermediate arm 810.
[0073] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a perspective view of the bottom
end 1006 of the post 1002 of the basketball goal assembly 1000. For
ease of illustration, the intermediate arms are not shown, and the
wall portion is not shown in FIG. 11. In the embodiments in which
the base arms 802 and 804 are coupled to the post 1002, a lower
bracket 870 comprising a front portion 872 and a back portion 874
may be connected to the bottom end 1006 of post 1002 so as to mount
the base arms 802 and/or 804 to the post 1002. The front portion
872 of the lower bracket 870 is coupled to the back portion 874 by
one or more coupling members 876. The coupling member 876 may be
any device capable of coupling the front portion 872 to the back
portion 874 as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the
art, such as a screw, a bolt, and/or a clamp, to name a few
non-limiting examples.
[0074] The base arms 802 and/or 804 are pivotably coupled to the
post 1002 via bracket 870. For example, the coupling member 876 may
extend through a portion of the base arm 802 and/or 804 and serve
as an axle to allow the base arm 802 and/or 804 to vertically
rotate. Alternatively, the base arm 802 and/or 804 may be coupled
to a portion of the lower bracket 870 and/or the post 1002 by an
additional member, such as a hinge.
[0075] In some instances, a base end of an intermediate arm is
coupled to the post 1002 and/or a base arm. For example, as
illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, a pivot tube 880 is pivotably
coupled to bracket 870 and is arranged to be inserted into base end
816 of intermediate arm 812 or receive base end 816 into the pivot
tube 880 so as to pivotably couple the intermediate arm 812 to the
basketball goal assembly 1000. Alternatively, intermediate arm 812
could be directly pivotably coupled to bracket 870, such as by
having coupling member 876 pass through an aperture in base end 816
of intermediate arm 812. As illustrated, pivot tube 880 may share a
common pivot axis with base arm 804, such as coupling member 876.
Advantageously, the intermediate arms and base arms are arranged to
pivot individually and separately from one another. This can allow
an operator to configure individual wall portions between an open
and a gathered configuration. FIG. 10 also illustrates a sleeve 884
extending over the base arm 804 that can be used to couple outer
wall 822 to the base arm 804, such as by securing a portion of the
outer wall 822 to sleeve 884 and sliding sleeve over base arm
804.
[0076] FIGS. 12, 13, and 14 illustrate one operation of the
basketball stopping wall 800. FIG. 12 illustrates a spread-open,
in-use configuration, while FIG. 14 illustrates the portions of the
basketball stopping wall 800 in a gathered, stored configuration.
As discussed above, portions of the basketball stopping wall 800
are pivotably maneuverable around a point on or near the bottom end
1006 of the post 1002 so that when an operator desires to store the
basketball stopping wall 800 for periods of nonuse, the operator
may pivot the base arms 802 and 804 vertically into a position
alongside the post 1002. Similarly, the intermediate arms 810 and
812 also are movable into a position alongside the post 1002. Once
the basketball stopping wall 800 is collapsed and gathered around
post 1002 by the base arms 802 and 804 and/or intermediate arms 810
and 812, the basketball stopping wall 800 may then be retained in
its upright, stored position.
[0077] As illustrated in FIGS. 12-14, portions of the basketball
stopping wall 800, such as left and right sides, may be moved
individually, or portions of the basketball stopping wall 800 may
be collapsed simultaneously. In many instances, the basketball
stopping wall 800 may be collapsed by lifting one of the base arms
in an upward direction towards an adjacent intermediate arm, then
rotating both the base and intermediate arm into position adjacent
to the post 1002 of the basketball goal 1000. Alternatively, one
may begin collapsing the wall 800 by rotating an intermediate arm
towards the post 1002, causing a connected base arm to be lifted
upwards, and then rotating the base arm towards the post 1002. One
may also collapse or gather the basketball stopping wall 800 by
grasping and pulling on portions of the wall, so as to move one or
more of the intermediate arms and/or base arms into a gathered
configuration.
[0078] Another exemplary embodiment of a ball stopping wall is
illustrated in FIG. 15. Similar to the embodiments described above,
basketball stopping wall 1500 has wall portions that are spread
open by a pair of base arms 1502 and 1504 and intermediate arms
1510 and 1512. These base arms 1502 and 1504 and intermediate arms
1510 and 1512 may be constructed and/or arranged similar to those
described in the embodiments above and may be configured to operate
in a similar fashion. For example, the base arms 1502 and 1504 and
intermediate arms 1510 and 1512 may base ends 1506, 1508, 1514, and
1516 (corresponding with base ends 806, 808, 814, and 816 described
above) pivotably coupled to a bottom end region of the post 1002
and may be arranged to extend in any number of directions.
Similarly, the flexible wall of basketball stopping wall 1500 can
be similar to that described in any of the above embodiments.
[0079] In addition to any of the features or embodiments described
above, basketball stopping wall 1500 has upper spreading arms 1550
and 1552 (illustrated in FIG. 16). Upper spreading arms 1550 and
1552 aid in spreading portions of the wall 1500 in an upward
direction behind the backboard 1008 of the basketball goal assembly
1000. In many instances, upper spreading arms 1550 and 1552 spread
portions of the wall 1500 above the top end of the post 1002. In
some instances, upper spreading arms 1550 and 1552 are coupled to
the top end 1004 of post 1002 and extend upwardly and laterally
away from the post 1002.
[0080] The wall of the ball stopping wall 1500 may have multiple
portions and may be made of a single wall piece or of multiple wall
pieces. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the wall may have
two wall portions, one for each half of the ball stopping wall
1500. As mentioned above, the base arms 1502 and 1504, intermediate
arms 1510 and 1512, and upper spreading arms 1550 and 1552 spread
portions of the wall. For example, the base arms 1502 and 1504 and
intermediate arms 1510 and 1512 may spread outer wall portions 1520
and 1522 horizontally and vertically. Additionally, intermediate
arms 1510 and 1512 and upper spreading arms 1550 and 1552 can
spread wall portions 1524 and 1526 horizontally and vertically.
Additionally, similar to the embodiments described above, the
basketball stopping wall may comprise one or more perimeter members
1530 that extend along a perimeter of the wall portions 1520, 1522,
1524, and/or 1526 and aid in spreading one or more wall portions
away from the basketball goal 1000.
[0081] FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate one embodiment of the present
disclosure and of a basketball goal assembly 1000. Upper spreading
arms 1550 and 1552 each have an upper portion 1554 or 1556 and a
lower portion 1558 or 1560. Upper portions 1554 and 1556 extend
above the top end 1004 of post 1002 and are coupled to wall
portions 1524 and 1526, such as by sleeves 1562 and 1564. In some
instances, upper portions 1554 and 1556 are bent relative to their
respective lower portions 1558 and 1560. For example, upper portion
1554 of upper spreading arm 1550 may bend away from the
longitudinal axis of post 1002 as it extends upwardly away from the
top end 1004 of post 1002.
[0082] Lower portions 1558 and 1560 can be coupled to the top end
1004 of post 1002 by any number of means, as will be apparent to
one or ordinary skill in the art. As illustrated in FIGS. 15-17,
lower portions 1558 and 1560 are coupled to post 1002 by an upper
bracket assembly 1600 comprising an upper coupling member 1602, a
lower coupling member 1604, an upper fastening plate 1606, and a
lower fastening plate 1608. The upper and lower coupling members
1602 and/or 1604 can comprise a square U-bolt arranged to extend
through the lower portions 1558 and 1560 and around a portion of
the post 1002. The ends of the U-bolt are threaded and arranged to
receive a threaded fastener, such as a nut. Accordingly, the upper
and lower fastening plates 1606 and/or 1608 may define one or more
holes or slots arranged to receive ends of the coupling member 1602
and/or 1604. When the ends of the coupling member are received in
the holes or slots of the fastening plates 1606, 1608, one or more
nuts may be threaded onto U-bolt so as to press the fastening plate
1606 or 1608 against the post 1002 and correspondingly squeeze a
portion of the post 1002 between the fastening plate 1606 or 1608,
the coupling member 1602 or 1604, and/or the lower portions 1558 or
1560.
[0083] In some instances, the upper spreading arms 1550 and 1552
may have one or more aligning members arranged to align the upper
spreading arm 1550 and 1552 with the post 1002. For example, in
FIG. 16, upper spreading arm 1550 comprises aligning member 1570
and upper spreading arm 1552 comprises aligning member 1572.
Aligning members 1570 and 1572 are arranged to contact the back
surface of the post 1002 so as to keep the upper spreading arms
1550 and 1552 from sliding along a coupling member 1602 or 1604
and/or moving out of a desired alignment with the post 1002.
Aligning members 1570 and 1572 can comprise one or more plates or
pieces of angle iron attached to the lower portions 1558 and 1560
of the upper spreading arms 1550 and 1552 and can be arranged to
contact one or more surfaces of the post 1002.
[0084] Returning again to FIG. 15, outer portions 1540, 1542, 1544,
and 1546 of the arms (corresponding to outer portions 840, 842,
844, and 846 described above) may be coupled to wall portions. For
example, outer end 1542 of intermediate arm 1510 can be coupled to
the wall and arranged to spread the net into an open arrangement.
Similar to the previously described embodiments, outer end 1542 may
be coupled to the wall in a number of ways. For example, the outer
end 1542 of the intermediate arm 1510 may be positioned within a
pocket 1580 that is coupled to an upper portion of the wall, such
as wall portion 1524. Additionally, or alternatively, the
intermediate arm 1510 may have a cover and/or a sleeve that covers
portions of the intermediate arm 1510 so as to provide protection
to the intermediate arm 1510 and/or aid in the alignment of the
intermediate arm 1510 with the wall and spreading of the wall.
[0085] FIG. 18 illustrates one embodiment for attaching portions of
a basketball stopping wall to the bottom end 1006 of the post 1002.
The embodiment can comprise a lower bracket 1870 having a front
portion 1872 and a back portion 1874. Front and back portions 1872
and 1874 are coupled to one another by one or more coupling members
such as a pin or bolt 1876 and are arranged to pivotably couple one
or more arms, such as base arms 1502, 1504 and/or intermediate arms
1510, 1512, to post 1002. However, as will be apparent to those of
skill in the art, the coupling members 1876 may be any device
capable of coupling the front portion 1872 to the back portion 1874
as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, such as a
screw, a bolt, and/or a clamp, to name a few non-limiting
examples.
[0086] In some embodiments, lower bracket 1870 is adjustable to fit
different sizes of posts. For example, back portion 1874 of lower
bracket 1870 may define one or more openings 1880 through which a
securing member, such as bolt 1882, may extend. Advantageously,
when attaching the basketball stopping wall to a post 1002, an
operator may choose the appropriate opening 1880 through which to
extend the securing member, e.g., bolt 1882, so as to secure the
lower bracket 1870 firmly to the post 1002.
[0087] In some embodiments, the base arms of the basketball
stopping wall, such as base arms 1502 and/or 1504, are pivotably
coupled to the post 1002 via bracket 1870. For example, the
coupling member 1876 may extend through a portion of the base arm
1502 and/or 1504 and serve as an axis about which base arm 1502
and/or base arm 1504 can rotate. In some instances, both an
intermediate arm and a base arm to the post 1002 share a pivot
axis. For example, coupling member 1876 may extend through portions
of base arms 1502 and intermediate arm 1510. The coupling member
1876 may be accompanied by the appropriate fasteners, such as
washers, bushings, and/or bearings. Alternatively, the base arm
1502 and/or 1504 may be coupled to a portion of the lower bracket
1870 and/or the post 1002 by an additional member, such as a
hinge.
[0088] The following numbered clauses set out specific embodiments
that may be useful in understanding the present invention: [0089]
1. An apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, the
apparatus comprising:
[0090] a flexible wall attachable to a post of a basketball goal,
the flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions having
upper edges securable to a top end region of the post;
[0091] a left base arm secured to a bottom edge of the left wall
portion and arranged to pivotally connect to a bottom end region of
the post;
[0092] a right base arm secured to a bottom edge of the right wall
portion and arranged to pivotally connect to a bottom end region of
the post;
[0093] wherein when connected to the bottom end region of the post,
the left and right base arms are pivotable between a vertical
configuration and a horizontal configuration;
[0094] wherein in the vertical configuration the left and right
base arms gather the bottom edges of the left and right wall
portions of the flexible wall near the post; and
[0095] wherein in the horizontal configuration the left and right
base arms spread the left and right wall portions of the flexible
wall laterally away from the bottom end region of the post so as to
spread the flexible wall portions into an open arrangement. [0096]
2. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein:
[0097] a length of the left base arm is arranged along a length of
the bottom edge of the left wall portion; and
[0098] a length of the right base arm is arranged along a length of
the bottom edge of the right wall portion. [0099] 3. The apparatus
of clause 1, comprising:
[0100] a left intermediate arm secured to the left wall portion and
a right intermediate arm secured to the right wall portion;
[0101] wherein the left and right intermediate arms each have a
length and spread the secured wall portion along the length. [0102]
4. The apparatus of clause 3, wherein:
[0103] the left and right intermediate arms have base ends
positioned at or near the bottom end region of the post and outer
ends positioned at or near a periphery of the wall portion so as to
push the periphery of the respective wall portion away from the
bottom end region of the post. [0104] 5. The apparatus of clause 3,
wherein:
[0105] the left and right base arms are rigid along their length
and the left and right intermediate arms are flexibly resilient
along their length. [0106] 6. The apparatus of clause 1,
wherein:
[0107] in the horizontal configuration the left and right base arms
are generally parallel to a supporting surface. [0108] 7. The
apparatus of clause 1, wherein:
[0109] in the horizontal configuration the left and right base arms
are positioned behind a backboard of the basketball goal. [0110] 8.
An apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, the
apparatus comprising:
[0111] a flexible wall attachable to a basketball goal, the
flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions each having a
bottom portion that is securable to a base positioned on a support
surface and an upper portion that is securable to an elevated
portion of the basketball goal;
[0112] a left base arm secured to a bottom edge of the left wall
portion and arranged to pivotally connect to the base;
[0113] a right base arm secured to a bottom edge of the right wall
portion and arranged to pivotally connect to the base;
[0114] wherein when connected to the base, the left and right base
arms are pivotable between a vertical configuration and a
horizontal configuration;
[0115] wherein in the vertical configuration the left and right
base arms gather the bottom edges of the left and right wall
portions of the flexible wall above the base; and
[0116] wherein in the horizontal configuration the left and right
base arms spread the left and right wall portions of the flexible
wall laterally away from the base so as to spread the flexible wall
portions into an open arrangement behind a backboard of the
basketball goal. [0117] 9. The apparatus of clause 8,
comprising:
[0118] a left intermediate arm secured to the left wall portion and
a right intermediate arm secured to the right wall portion;
[0119] wherein the left and right intermediate arms each have a
length and spread the secured wall portion along the [0120] 10. The
apparatus of clause 8, wherein:
[0121] in the horizontal configuration the left and right
intermediate arms each have a base end adjacent to but spaced apart
from the base. [0122] 11. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein:
[0123] in the horizontal configuration the left and right base arms
spread the left and right wall portions into a planar arrangement.
[0124] 12. The apparatus of clause 11, wherein:
[0125] in the horizontal configuration the wall portions are
generally parallel with the backboard of the basketball goal.
[0126] 13. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein:
[0127] a length of the left base arm is arranged along a length of
the bottom edge of the left wall portion; and
[0128] a length of the right base arm is arranged along a length of
the bottom edge of the right wall portion. [0129] 14. The apparatus
of clause 8, wherein:
[0130] the left and right base arms are received in left and right
sleeves that extend along and are secured to the left and right
wall portions. [0131] 15. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein:
[0132] the left and right intermediate arms are received in left
and right sleeves that extend along and are secured to the left and
right wall portions. [0133] 16. An apparatus for stopping an
errantly shot basketball, comprising:
[0134] a flexible wall attachable to a basketball goal, the
flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions each having a
bottom portion that is securable to a base positioned on a support
surface and an upper portion that is securable to an elevated
portion of the basketball goal;
[0135] a left base arm secured to a bottom edge of the left wall
portion and arranged to pivotally connect to the base;
[0136] a right base arm secured to a bottom edge of the right wall
portion and arranged to pivotally connect to the base; and
[0137] a left intermediate arm secured to the left wall portion and
a right intermediate arm secured to the right wall portion;
[0138] wherein the left and right intermediate arms each have a
base end, an outer end, and a length and spread the secured wall
portion along their length; and
[0139] wherein the base ends of the left and right intermediate
arms are adjacent to the base and the outer ends are adjacent a
peripheral edge of the respective flexible wall. [0140] 17. The
apparatus of clause 16, wherein
[0141] the left and right base arms are rigid along their length
and the left and right intermediate arms are flexibly resilient
along their length. [0142] 18. The apparatus of clause 16,
comprising:
[0143] connecting members connecting the left intermediate arm to
the left wall portion and the right intermediate arm to the right
wall portion. [0144] 19. The apparatus of clause 16, wherein:
[0145] the base and outer ends of the left and right intermediate
arms are received in opposing end pockets that are secured to the
left and right wall portions. [0146] 20. The apparatus of clause
16, wherein:
[0147] the left and right intermediate arms spread the flexible
wall portions behind a backboard of the basketball goal.
[0148] While at least one embodiment has been illustrated and
described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the
same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in
character, it being understood that the preferred embodiment has
been shown and described and that all changes, equivalents, and
modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions defined
by following claims are desired to be protected. It will be evident
from the specification that aspects or features discussed in one
context or embodiment will be applicable in other contexts or
embodiments. All publications, patents, and patent applications
cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as
if each individual publication, patent, or patent application were
specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by
reference and set forth in its entirety herein.
* * * * *