Patent Application
20140171232
This invention generally relates to inflatable goal posts and more particularly to inflatable goal posts having regulation sized opening.
Football is a sport that is played on a field that includes goal posts at each end of the field. The goal posts are typically constructed from fiberglass, aluminum, or steel and include a crossbar connected between two side posts. The crossbar is suspended parallel to the ground and the two side posts extend upward from the ends of the crossbar. Points are scored by kicking the football over the crossbar and between the side posts. The dimensions of the goal posts are set by the rules for each level of play. Dimensions set by the National Football League (NFL) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Canadian Football League (CFL) place the crossbar at 10 feet high and separate the side posts by 18 feet, 6 inches. High school rules dictate the same height but are wider at 23 feet, 4 inches wide.
An inflatable goal post includes interconnected hollow inflatable members formed with a flexible material where some of the inflatable members form side posts and a crossbar. A blower provides continuous positive air pressure into the hollow structure formed by the inflatable members. The dimensions of the inflatable goal post allow for training and game play. For example, the height of the crossbar is between 9 feet and 11 feet and the distance between the side posts is between 14 feet and 24 feet.
Football goal posts are often needed at game fields or practice areas where permanent goal posts are not present. The inflatable goal post device provides a portable goal post for practices and games where permanent goal posts are unavailable. When an inflatable goal post structure is connected to a blower and fully inflated, a crossbar member connected between a left post member and right post member form a goal area such that the cross bar is positioned at a height above the ground that is at least in the vicinity of a regulation height. Also, the distance between the side posts is at least similar to a regulation width. Accordingly, the inflatable goal post structure has dimensions in accordance with regulation dimensions. In some implementations, the crossbar height is equal to the regulation height of 10 feet while the distance between the goal post members is less than regulation widths. Such dimensions encourage more accurate kicking during training. Additional sturdiness may also be achieved with a narrower width.
The inflatable goal post structure 100 includes several cylindrical or tubular members formed from a flexible material such as vinyl coated polyester. An example of a suitable thickness for the material is a thickness weight in the range between 12 and 24 ounces. The material for the examples discussed herein has a weight of 14 to 18 ounces. The hollow members are interconnected such that members form an airtight, or nearly airtight, structure having a unified interior volume. The structure 100, therefore, includes several connected flexible tubes that facilitate airflow between the members. Sections of the flexible material are sewn to each other to form the structure in a shape of a goal post. Other techniques can be used to connect the sections of material. For example, the material may be bonded, glued, and/or stapled in some situations. In the examples discussed herein, the flexible members are formed by sewing sheets of the flexible material to form tubular sections. The tubular sections are connected to each other to create the structure. In some situations, the flexible material may be sealed by heat sealing. Sealing the seams and connections between the sections minimizes air loss. In some implementations, as discussed below, a blower is connected to the structure during use to create positive air pressure within the structure which results is expanding the flexible members to their full size. When the structure 100 is fully inflated, the position and size of the members result in a goal post shape that resembles a permanent, metal goal post in height and width although the tubular members are larger than components of a metal goal post. In some situations where the connections and seams are airtight (or nearly airtight) the blower can be removed after the inflatable goal post is fully inflated.
A goal area 102 is formed by a crossbar member 104, a first post member 106 and a second post member 108. The goal area 102 extends between lines 110, 112 that extend from the top 114 of the crossbar member 104 to an infinite height where the lines 110, 112 extend along the innermost surfaces of the post members 106, 108. The crossbar 104 and post members 106, 108 are supported above a base 116 by at least one extension member 118, 120. For the examples discussed herein, the base 116 is connected by a first extension member 118 and a second extension member 120 where the first extension member 118 is directly below the first post member 106 and the second extension member 120 is directly below the second post member 108. In some situations, additional extension members may be included for additional support and strength. In the example, the extension members 118, 120 have a diameter that is slightly larger than the post members 106, 108. Such a structure increases sturdiness and strength in many situations.
The base 116 includes any combination of members that maintain the crossbar 104 and side post members 106, 118 in the appropriate position during use when the structure is inflated. The lower surface of the base 116 is disposed in a plane that contacts the ground when the goal post structure 100 is in use. For the example of
As indicated in
For implementations intended for training or other purposes, the width (W) 132 may be in the range of 15 feet to 17 feet. In one example, the width is at or near 16 feet.
Although the total height (HT) 136 may be similar to regulation goal posts, in most situations the total height (HT) 136 will be shorter than metal goal posts. Since the goal area 102 extends to an infinite height, it is not critical to provide long side posts. On the contrary, minimizing the total height (HT) 136 allows for generally smaller dimension of the base 116 and other members and increasing stability and sturdiness without significantly altering the goal area 102. An example of a suitable total height is 23 feet.
As also indicated in
Although various dimensions may be used, a suitable thickness (TLB) 138 of the base lateral member is 32 inches where the width is between 15 and 18.5 feet and the height is between 8 and 12 feet. In the example, the base cross members 124, 126, 128, 130 have a thickness (TCM) 140 of 25 inches, the extension members 118, 120 have a thickness (TEM) 142 of 25 inches, the side post members 106, 108 have a thickness (TSP) 144 of 19 inches, and the crossbar member 104 has a thickness (TCB) 146 of 17 inches.
The dimensions of the base 116 are selected in accordance with the other dimensions of the structure. Accordingly, the base lateral member length (LLB) 148 and the base cross member lengths (LCM) are selected to maintain adequate stability and sturdiness during use based on the total height, width, and crossbar height. As the width and heights are increased, the dimensions of the base 116 may need to be increased.
In the example, the base lateral member 122 has a length that is greater than a distance between the outer edges of the extension members in order to increase stability of the structure during use. An example of a suitable length (LLB) 148 of the base lateral member 122 is 30 feet, 10 inches when the width (W) 132 is between 15 and 18 feet. In situations where the width (W) 132 is greater than 18 feet, the base lateral member 122 may have a greater length. An example of suitable lengths (LCM) of the base cross members 124, 126, 128, 130 is 58 inches. The length (LCM) of the base cross members may be adjusted in accordance with the other dimensions of the structure.
The blower 200 may be any of commercially available blowers used for inflating inflatable play structures. Examples of blowers suitable for use with the inflatable goal post structure 100 are blowers available from the B-Air Blowers company in Azusa, Calif. The blower 200 connects to the inflatable goal post structure 100 through a blower interface 202. The blower interface 202 may be located at any one of several locations along the structure. An example of a suitable location is a position along the base 116 that places the blower behind the structure 100 during use of the structure such that poorly kicked balls are less likely to hit the blower. Accordingly, the blower interface 202 may be connected anywhere along to the base lateral member 120. The blower interface 202 may be simply an opening for accepting the output of the blower or may include additional features such as flaps, sections of material, or fasteners such as hook and loop connectors.
The blower 200 moves air from the exterior to the interior of the goal post structure to create a positive air pressure within the structure. The structure is inflated as the air is pumped into the structure 100. After the structure is inflated and the structure is formed into the intended goal post shape, the blower continues to provide a positive air pressure relative to the exterior of the structure 100 to maintain the structure in the intended shape. With adequate air pressure, the flexible members are firm, sturdy, and are positioned to provide a consistent goal area 102 at the appropriate height, width, and position.
Each member of the structure 100 has an interior separated from ambient air by the material forming the structure 100. Accordingly, the crossbar member 104 has an interior 204, the first side post member 106 has an interior 206, the second side post member 108 has an interior 208, the first extension member 118 has an interior 210, the second extension member 120 has an interior 212, the base lateral member 122 has an interior 214, and each of the base cross members 124, 126, 128, 130 has a corresponding interior 216, 218, 220, 222. The interiors 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222 are connected to each other to form a unified interior 224 of the inflatable goal post structure 100. The dashed arrows in
As mentioned above, the blower may be removed after inflation in situations where air leakage from the inflatable goal post is minimized. Such a situation may be possible where the seams and connections are formed by heat sealing the inflatable goal post such that the goal post does not include any holes or other openings that allow air to escape.
The inflatable goal post may be modified and/or additional features may be added. For example, flags, streamers, or other devices may be added to the tops of the side posts to provide an indication of wind direction and strength to the kicker.
Clearly, other embodiments and modifications of this invention will occur readily to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of these teachings. The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. This invention is to be limited only by the following claims, which include all such embodiments and modifications when viewed in conjunction with the above specification and accompanying drawings. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
