Patent Application
20220339510
The present invention relates generally to the field of hockey nets. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved hockey mininet and the addition of a Goal screen. (To be known as GoalScreen). The mini-net is comprised of a mininet structure, a goal screen, a puck or a ball, and a simulated ice surface. The GoalScreen can further removably and magnetically attach to the mininet structure via a magnetic frame, and is comprised of an screen/net that returns a puck or ball to the user once the puck/ball has been shot at the screen. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
Over half a million individuals in the United States play hockey every year. However, hockey is normally only practiced and played at an indoor ice rink, or at an outside ice rink during the winter months. Individuals may find the cost too high or may lack the time or transportation means to regularly frequent an indoor ice rink to practice their hockey skills such as shooting, which is undesirable for developing their skills as a hockey player. As a result, many individuals may place hockey nets outside in their yard or driveway to practice shooting. However, once an individual shoots a puck at the net and makes the shot, they must retrieve the puck from the net. This can be a repetitive and tiring process, especially if the individual does not own a large number of hockey pucks and is required to retrieve the puck from the net after every shot. Further, practicing on surfaces such as black top or a driveway does not mimic the exact feel of ice, and therefore does not adequately mimic the handling of a puck on ice. This is also undesirable, as in order to develop great skill any athlete in any sport should practice on a surface that most closely mimics the field, court, or surface on which they ultimately play. Further, because traditional hockey nets are large, they may be difficult to transport to a community area such as a park in order to play hockey.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved hockey net that is smaller in size than existing hockey nets, such that the goal can be easily transported and stored. There also exists a long-felt need in the art for a hockey net that is further comprised of a puck/ball return feature that does not require a user to retrieve a puck from the net after every made shot. Further, there exists in the art a long-felt need for a hockey net and return feature that allows easily and quickly removeability from the face of the minnet as necessary. Finally, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a hockey net that enables the mininet to be easily attachable/detachable to the simulated ice surface that mimics the feel of real ice.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises an improved hockey net and GoalScreen . The minnet is comprised of a mininet structure, a return feature, a puck, a ball and a utilized simulated ice surface. The GoalScreen may removably and magnetically attach to the mininet structure via a magnetic frame, that returns a puck or ball to the user once the puck/ball has been shot at the screen.
In this manner, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides an improved hockey net. Further, the hockey mininet does not require that a user physically retrieve a puck/ball after it has been shot and made into the net.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a hockey mininet and GoalScreen. The mininet is comprised of a mininet structure, a GoalScreen, a puck, a ball and a utilized simulated ice surface. The mininet structure may be made of a magnetic metal and is preferably smaller than a traditional hockey net, wherein the net further receives a GoalScreen. The GoalScreen is comprised of a magnetic frame that attaches to the face of the mininet structure in a removable manner. The GoalScreen is further comprised of a mininet netting that returns a puck or ball back in the direction from which the puck/ball was shot. In this manner, the puck/ball does not have to retrieved from inside the mininet structure after each made shot. In differing embodiments, the GoalScreen may be attached to the mininet structure via a plurality of clips or other fasteners.
Accordingly, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen of the present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides an improved hockey net that does not require a user to retrieve their shot from within the net. Further, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen utilizes a simulated ice surface that can be used to adequately simulate the feel of real ice. Further, the GoalScreen is easily removable to allow the mininet to be used as a miniature hockey net as necessary.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long-felt need in the art for an improved hockey net that is smaller in size than existing hockey nets, such that the goal can be used in a confined space enabling the shooter to shoot pucks or balls as much as they want and such that the goal can be easily transported or stored. There also exists a long-felt need in the art for a hockey net that is further comprised of a puck/ball return feature that does not require a user to retrieve a puck from the net after every made shot. Further, there exists in the art a long-felt need for a hockey mininet and puck/ball return feature that allows that feature to be easily and removed from the face of the net as necessary.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of a hockey mininet and GoalScreen. The mininet is comprised of a mininet structure, a GoalScreen, a puck or a ball, and utilizing a simulated ice surface. The mininet structure may be made of a magnetic metal and is preferably smaller than a traditional hockey net, wherein the mininet further receives a GoalScreen. The GoalScreen is comprised of a magnetic strip that attaches to the face of the mininet structure in a removable manner. The GoalScreen is comprised of mininet netting that returns a puck or ball back into the direction from which the puck/ball was shot. In this manner, the puck/ball does not have to be retrieved from inside the mininet structure after each shot. In differing embodiments, the GoalScreen may be attached to the mininet structure via a plurality of clips or other fasteners.
The mininet may also utilize a simulated ice surface. The simulated ice surface mimics the feel of real ice and can be of any dimension to allow a shooting area of appropriate size to be formed. The simulated ice surface may further have a magnetic connection or other connection to allow the mininet to be attached to it to keep the mininet from moving upon the receipt of hard shots. The top surface of the simulated ice may also be comprised of a plurality of indicia and/or traditional hockey rink markings/lines. In addition, the mininet utilize a digital timer that can be removably-attached to the simulated ice surface or mininet structure offering a metric of shooting a number of pucks or balls with respect to time.
Accordingly, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen of the present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides an improved hockey mininet that does not require a user to retrieve their shot from within the net after each made shot. Further, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen utilizes a simulated ice surface that can be used to simulate the feel of a real ice surface. Further, the GoalScreen is easily removable to allow the mininet to be used as a miniature hockey net as necessary.
Referring initially to the drawings,
In one embodiment, the GoalScreen 130 may be only comprised of a loose netting and no border 131 such that the GoalScreen mininet netting 130 is secured to the top crossbar 110 via zip ties 144 or other removable fasteners such that it can hang and swing freely to allow the puck or ball to be elegantly tossed back towards the user. In addition, the GoalScreen 130 may have a border 131 made of rope, nylon, or other material. The border 131 may be present on all sides of the GoalScreen 130, with only the bottom side being leaded rope to provide a resistive force to allow a puck or ball to recoil appropriately off of the GoalScreen 130. The GoalScreen 130 may also have a nylon banding weighted rope 150.
The mininet and GoalScreen 100 are meant to be used with a standard hockey puck weighing 6 ounces and being 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. The mininet and Goal Screen are also meant to be used with a commercial Smartball made by Smarthockey. The Smart ball(s) weigh the same as a puck.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “hockey net with the GoalScreen”, “mininet and GoalScreen”, “device” and “net”, are interchangeable and refer to the hockey mininet and GoalScreen 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen 100 of the present invention and its various components can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that they accomplish the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the hockey mininet and GoalScreen 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the hockey mininet and GoalScreen 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the hockey mininet and GoalScreen100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the hockey mininet and GoalScreen 100 may be of any size, shape and/or configuration that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/180,163 which was filed on Apr. 27, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63180163 | Apr 2021 | US |
