Patent Application
20240374985
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to demarcation systems and more particularly pertains to a new demarcation system for demarcating a playing area for a sport.
The prior art describes several systems for demarcating a playing area for a sport, including systems which use ropes, strips, or the like to indicate boundaries and systems which use a template to mark indicia on a ground surface to indicate boundaries. Some systems of the prior art provide several separated strips which are positionable in relation to each other to define playing area boundaries. However, the prior art does not disclose a demarcation system for demarcating a playing area for a sport which includes a plurality of strips that are foldable in an accordion fold fashion to store the plurality of strips. Such a system is desirable over the prior art, because it minimizes the number of separate pieces relative to the systems of the prior art which use several separated strips which are not configured for folding in an accordion fashion.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of strips lying on a shared plane and defining a boundary of a playing area. The plurality of strips is configured to rest on a ground surface to define a portion of the ground surface as a playing surface for a sport. The plurality of strips is foldable in an accordion fold fashion for storage.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each strip 12 of the plurality of strips 12 has a frictionally enhanced bottom surface 22. The bottom surface 22 is textured such that the bottom surface 22 is frictionally enhanced. Each strip 12 of the plurality of strips 12 is elongated, and the plurality of strips 12 bounds within the playing area 14. The plurality of strips 12 includes a pair of sets 26 of strips 12, in which each set 26 of strips 12 of the plurality of strips 12 corresponds to demarcating an associated one of a pair of halves 17 of the playing area 14. The strips 12 of each set 26 of strips 12 are interconnected.
Each set 26 of strips 12 of the plurality of strips 12 includes a baseline strip 28, a first sideline strip 30, a second sideline strip 32, a non-volley line strip 34, a centerline strip 38, and a net strip 44. The baseline strip 28 is coupled to and extends between the first and second sideline strips 30, 32, and each of the first and second sideline strips 30, 32 extends perpendicularly away from the baseline strip 28. The first and second sideline strips 30, 32 and the baseline strip 28 bound an associated one of the pair of halves 17 of the playing area 14. The non-volley line strip 34 is coupled to and extends between the first and second sideline strips 30, 32 and is also spaced away from the baseline strip 28. The non-volley line strip 34 and the first and second sideline strips 30, 32 bound a non-volley zone 36 of the associated half 17 of the playing area 14.
The centerline strip 38 is coupled to and extends between the baseline strip 28 and the non-volley line strip 34 and is centered between the first and second sideline strips 30, 32. A first service zone 40 is bounded by the centerline strip 38, the baseline strip 28, the first sideline strip 30, and the non-volley line strip 34, and a second service zone 42 is bounded by the centerline strip 38, the baseline strip 28, the second sideline strip 32, and the non-volley line strip 34. The net strip 44 is coupled to and extends between distal ends 46 of the first and second sideline strips 30, 32 with respect to the baseline strip 28. The net strip 44 indicates a location for a net 88 above the net strip 44.
A length of the baseline strip 28 is between 19.0 feet and 21.0 feet, a length of each of the first and second sideline strips 30, 32 is between 21.0 feet and 23.0 feet, and a length of the centerline strip 38 is between 14.0 feet and 16.0 feet. To conform to standard pickleball court dimensions, the length of the baseline strip 28 may be 20.0 feet, the length of each of the first and second sideline strips 30, 32 may be 22.0 feet, and the length of the centerline strip 38 may be 15.0 feet. A width of the baseline strip 28 is equal to each of a width of each of the first and second sideline strips 30, 32, a width of the non-volley line strip 34, and a width of the centerline strip 38. A width of the net strip 44 is equal to half the width of the baseline strip 28.
Each set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 is foldable into an intermediate folded configuration 48 in an accordion fold fashion such that each set 26 of strips 12 contracts along a first axis 50 extending along the shared plane. Each set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 has a plurality of first grooves 52 extending alternately downwardly and upwardly into an associated set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 to facilitate folding the associated set 26 of strips 12 into the intermediate folded configuration 48. Each first groove 52 of the plurality of first grooves 52 extends parallel to each of the first and second sideline strips 30, 32.
Each set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 is foldable from the intermediate folded configuration 48 into a final folded configuration 54 in an accordion fold fashion such that each set 26 of strips 12 contracts along a second axis 56 perpendicular to the first axis 50. Each set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 has a plurality of second grooves 58 extending alternately downwardly and upwardly into an associated set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 when the associated set 26 of strips 12 is positioned in the intermediate folded configuration 48 to facilitate folding the associated set 26 of strips 12 into the final folded configuration 54. Each second groove 58 of the plurality of second grooves 58 extends perpendicularly to each one of the plurality of first grooves 52.
Each strip 12 of said plurality of strips 12 comprises a bendable material such that said plurality of strips 12 are foldable as described. The bendable material may comprise silicone, rubber, vinyl, acrylic, or the like.
A storage bag 60 has a cavity 62 positioned therein which is shaped to contain the plurality of strips 12 when each set 26 of strips 12 of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 are positioned in the final folded configuration 54. The storage bag 60 comprises a base wall 64, a perimeter wall 66, and a lid 72. The perimeter wall 66 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the base wall 64. The cavity 62 is bounded by the base wall 64 and the perimeter wall 66, and an upper edge 68 of the perimeter wall 66 defining an opening 70 to the cavity 62. The lid 72 is coupled to the upper edge 68 of the perimeter wall 66 and is movable between an open position 74 and a closed position 76 with respect to the opening 70. The storage bag 60 also comprises a connector 78 which is coupled to the lid 72 and the perimeter wall 66 for releasably securing the lid 72 to the perimeter wall 66. The connector 78 comprises a zipper 80 but may comprise a hook-and-loop fastener, a button fastener, a snap fastener, a tie, or the like. The storage bag 60 also includes a handle 82 which is coupled to an exterior surface 84 of the lid 72.
In use, the plurality of strips 12 is positioned on the ground surface 18 to define the playing area 14. The demarcation system 10 may be used at a tennis court 86 wherein the tennis court 86 defines the ground surface 18 demarcated by the plurality of strips 12 and the net 88 to be positioned above the net strip 44 of each set 26 of strips 12 of the plurality of strips 12, but which does not have boundary lines which correspond to standard pickleball court dimensions. To store the plurality of strips 12, each one of the pair of sets 26 of strips 12 of said plurality of strips 12 is folded into the final folded configuration 54 and placed in the storage bag 60.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
