Patent Application
20240278104
The present disclosure relates to backstops. More specifically, the disclosure relates to an aquatic backstop for a skipping ball.
Water skipping balls are well known and sold a recreational articles that are often made of soft foam and used to skip over water when thrown. However, once thrown, they are often hard to retrieve if they are not caught by hand. This is due to the difficulties of navigating through water to retrieve the skipping balls.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can provide a catch for water skipping balls that are not caught by hand once thrown.
The present disclosure offers advantages and alternatives over the prior art by providing an aquatic backstop that can provide a catch the water skipping balls if not caught by hand. Additionally, the backstop can be the center piece of various games that may be created. The aquatic backstop is capable of being secured to the underlying bottom of a body of water, whether that bottom is composed of soil in a natural lake or cement in a man-made pool. Additionally, the backstop can compensate for a varying topography of the underlying bottom. Also, the backstop may be capable of pivoting from a fully open extended position for gaming to a collapsed folded position for ease of transporting.
An aquatic backstop in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure includes a lower frame structure including at least three lower corner junctions. The lower frame structure is configured to be leveled with a surface of a body of water. An upper frame structure includes hollow corner support posts. Each corner support post extends upwards above the water from each lower corner junction. Netting is disposable on the upper frame structure. The netting is configured to catch a ball skipping over the water. Legs are slidably disposed within each of the corner support posts. Each leg is configured to extend downward from each lower corner junction to compensate for a topography of an underlying bottom of the body of water. An anchoring system includes a harness attached to each lower corner junction. An anchoring device is configured to attach to the underlying bottom. Each harness is attachable to the anchoring device to secure the backstop to the underlying bottom.
A foldable aquatic backstop in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention includes a lower frame structure. The lower frame structure includes at least three lower corner junctions. The lower frame structure is configured to be leveled with a surface of a body of water. An upper frame structure includes hollow corner support posts. Each corner support post extends upwards above the water from each lower corner junction. Upper corner junctions are disposed on an upper distal end portion of each corner support post. A central shaft is located between the corner support posts. A lower center junction is slidably disposed on the central shaft. Lower ribs are pivotally attached to both a lower corner junction and the lower center junction. An upper center junction is slidably disposed on the central shaft. Upper ribs are pivotally attached to both an upper corner junction and the upper center junction. Legs are slidably disposed within each of the corner support posts. Each leg is configured to extend downward from each lower corner junction to compensate for a topography of an underlying bottom of the body of water. An anchoring system includes a harness attached to each lower corner junction. An anchoring device is configured to attach to the underlying bottom. Each harness is attachable to the anchoring device to secure the backstop to the underlying bottom.
It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein and may be used to achieve the benefits and advantages described herein.
The disclosure will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Certain examples will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the methods, systems, and devices disclosed herein. One or more examples are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the methods, systems, and devices specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting examples and that the scope of the present disclosure is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one example maybe combined with the features of other examples. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.
The terms “significantly”, “substantially”, “approximately”, “about”, “relatively,” or other such similar terms that may be used throughout this disclosure, including the claims, are used to describe and account for small fluctuations, such as due to variations in processing from a reference or parameter. Such small fluctuations include a zero fluctuation from the reference or parameter as well. For example, they can refer to less than or equal to ±10%, such as less than or equal to ±5%, such as less than or equal to ±2%, such as less than or equal to ±1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.5%, such as less than or equal to ±0.2%, such as less than or equal to ±0.1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.05%.
Referring to
In the example illustrated in
An upper frame structure 110 of the backstop 100 includes a plurality of hollow corner support posts 112. Each corner support post 112 extends upwards above the surface 106 of the water 108 from each lower corner junction 104.
The upper frame 110 may also have a netting 130 (see
The backstop 100 also includes legs 114 that are slidably disposed within each of the corner support posts 112. Each leg 114 is configured to extend downward from each lower corner junction 104 to compensate for a topography of an underlying bottom 116 of the body of water 108.
In the example of an aquatic backstop 100 illustrated in
The backstop 100 also includes an anchoring system 118. The anchoring system includes a harness 120 attached to each lower corner junction 104 and an anchoring device 122 configured to attach to the underlying bottom 116. Each harness 120 is attachable to the anchoring device 122 to secure the backstop 100 to the underlying bottom 116.
Referring to
The anchoring device may be of several different configurations appropriate to secure the backstop 100 to the bottom 116 of the body of water 108. For example, the body of water 108 may be a natural lake or ocean and the underlying bottom 116 may be composed of soil. In that case, the anchoring device 122 may be a screw that may have a general corkscrew shape, which is operable to be screwed into the soil of the underlying bottom 116. By way of another example, the body of water 108, may be a manmade swimming pool and the underlying bottom 116 may be composed of cement. In that case, the anchoring device 122 may include a suction cup that is operable to attach via suction to the cement of the underlying bottom 116.
Referring to
The lower frame structure 102 of the foldable backstop 200 further includes a lower center junction 204 that is slidably disposed on the central shaft. The lower frame structure 102 also includes a plurality of lower ribs 206. Each lower rib 206 is pivotally attached to both a lower corner junction 104 and the lower center junction 204.
The upper frame structure 110 of the foldable backstop 200 further includes an upper center junction 208 slidably disposed on the central shaft 202. The upper frame structure 110 also includes a plurality of upper ribs 210. Each upper rib 210 is pivotally attached to both an upper corner junction 126 and the upper center junction 208.
The aquatic foldable backstop 200 has an extended position and a folded position.
In the extended position (
Also in the extended position, the upper 210 and lower ribs 206 are extended radially and laterally outward from the central shaft 202. For example, the upper 210 and lower ribs 206 may extend substantially perpendicularly (within plus or minus 5 degrees or less) relative to the central shaft 202. Also be way of example, the upper and lower ribs 210, 206 may extend radially and laterally within a range of plus or minus 30 degrees, 20 degrees, 10 degrees or less from being perpendicular relative to the central shaft 202.
In the extended position, the upper center junction 208 and lower center junction 204 may be releasably positioned on the central shaft 202 via a push button release mechanism (not shown). Moreover, the upper and lower center junctions 208, 204 may be releasably positioned and held in their extended positions by several different appropriately designed release mechanisms.
Referring to
In other words, when moving from its extended position (
Therefore, when the foldable backstop 200 moves from its extended position (
Referring to
The foldable backstop 200 may also have a netting 130 disposed on its upper frame structure 110. The netting 130 may be configured to catch a ball skipping over the water. The netting or upper frame may also include various accessories, such as pockets, hoops, score keeping devices or the like for playing different types of games.
The netting 130 may be held in place against the corner support posts 112 via a series of elastic cords 132. However various other appropriately designed attachment devices may be used to secure the netting to the backstop 200.
It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail herein (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.
Although the invention has been described by reference to specific examples, it should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the described examples, but that it have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims.
This application is a non-provisional application of, and claims the benefit of the filing date of, U.S. provisional application 63/485,291, filed Feb. 16, 2023, entitled: “AQUATIC BACKSTOP FOR SKIPPING BALL,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63485291 | Feb 2023 | US |
