Patent Application
20240157209
The present disclosure is generally concerned with sporting goods. More specifically, some example embodiments are concerned with a pickleball net which, among other things, may be portable, and may be configured to be manipulated so as to assume various different configurations.
Conventional pickleball nets typically include a large number of components, which can lead to expense and mechanical complexity. As well, the number of components involved, and the similarity of some of the components in terms of their respective sizes and configurations, often makes the assembly of conventional pickleball nets a complicated, and time-consuming, process. Finally, the deployment and manipulation of conventional pickleball nets may be physically challenging for some.
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein do not constitute an exhaustive summary of all possible embodiments, nor does this brief summary constitute an exhaustive list of all aspects of any particular embodiment(s). Rather, this brief summary simply presents selected aspects of some example embodiments. It should further be noted that nothing herein should be construed as constituting an essential or indispensable component of any invention or embodiment. Rather, various aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined in a variety of ways so as to define yet further embodiments. Such further embodiments are considered as being within the scope of this disclosure. As well, none of the embodiments embraced within the scope of this disclosure should be construed as resolving, or being limited to the resolution of, any particular problem(s). Nor should such embodiments be construed to implement, or be limited to implementation of, any particular technical effect(s) or solution(s).
One example embodiment of the invention may comprise a pair of vertical uprights connected together, either directly or indirectly, by a scissor mechanism. The scissor mechanism may be configured to assume a variety of different configurations. In a fully expanded configuration, or state, the scissor mechanism may be manipulated by a user to move the uprights apart from each other a distance that may correspond to a width of a pickleball court. As well, the scissor mechanism may be manipulated by a user to draw the uprights closer to each other, so that the pickleball net assumes a collapsed configuration that a user may be able to readily transport. In another example embodiment, the scissor mechanism, which may comprise two different portions, may extend outward from either side of a vertical upright in the center of the court. This embodiment may employ three vertical uprights, but may make it easier for one person to assemble the apparatus. This embodiment may also enable a user to extend “half” of the net system, from a central vertical upright, for use as a “practice net.” Various other aspects of one or more example embodiments of the invention will be apparent from this disclosure.
The appended drawings contain figures of some example embodiments to further explain various aspects of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict only some embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit its scope in any way. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings.
Example embodiments set forth in the present disclosure are generally concerned with pickleball nets, components of pickleball nets, and the manipulation of pickleball nets into/out of various different physical configurations.
A. Context for an Embodiment of the Invention
It is well known that pickle ball is growing rapidly. In order to provide more pickle ball courts, many communities are painting pickle ball court lines on each half of a standard tennis court. While this provides a 2-1 ratio of pickle ball courts to tennis court, pickle ball players still have to bring their own nets, which are typically not provided. However, portable pickle ball nets have many components and take time to set-up. As well, these portable nets require the user to bend over and spend time on or near the ground while he or she is setting up, and taking down, the net. Further, many of the components in conventional pickle ball nets have similar shapes/appearances which can lead to confusion during assembly and, consequently, the pickle ball net may take more time to set up.
B. General Aspects of Some Embodiments
In general, the structural frame of the net may employ a series of mechanical scissor elements that expand across the width of the court without the need for the user to assemble individual components. In some configurations, the scissor elements may be connected to on upper and a lower support sleeve that may be attached to the vertical upright structure of the net. One of these support sleeves may slide up or down as the scissor elements extend across the court. Once the frame is fully extended, the sleeve components may snap into place with a spring pin, and/or other locking feature. A single player may be able to set the compact net frame on the ground, deploy the legs and then extend the scissor and structure to set up the net frame, in only a few seconds.
In an embodiment, the main scissor action structure may employ either folding/extendible legs, or a base plate, to stabilize the frame while the net is put up, and in use. One example baseplate option may comprise a relatively thin plate with a post, welded or otherwise connected/connectible, in the center of the plate that releasably engages with the base of the vertical upright.
In another embodiment, extendible legs may be provided. The legs may be configured to fold down using a partial scissor action. The bottom of a leg may connect at the base and be configured to fold up. The support brace for the folding leg may be attached to a sleeve that slides up and down the vertical upright post to lend stability and strength to the pickleball net assembly. When the sliding sleeve is in the correct position for the extendable legs, a locking mechanism, such as a spring pin for example, may serve to keep the legs in place during game play, and may enable the legs to be released when the pickleball net assembly is to be folded up. An embodiment configured as just described may not require separate parts to be connected/disconnected and, instead, may be deployed/folded by a single person, with the parts remaining connected to each other regardless of whether the pickleball net assembly is in a deployed state, or a folded state.
In an embodiment, the legs of the pickleball net assembly may be automatically extendible. For example, the scissor action fold out legs may be attached to the same sliding sleeve connectors that the main net structure is connected to. This configuration and arrangement may enable the legs to auto-extend at the same time that the main structure of the pickleball net assembly is extended across the court. In this embodiment, a spring pin locking mechanism may be used to releasably lock the legs in position when the pickleball net assembly is in the deployed state.
Any of the disclosed embodiments may include various other features to enhance portability of the folded/deployed pickleball net assembly and/or to help maintain the folded/deployed pickleball net assembly in a desired location and position. By way of example, an embodiment may include one or more wheel attachments, which may be permanently or removably attached to a base, or leg. In an embodiment, a wheel attachment may include a locking brake to help maintain the associated leg or base in a desired location and position.
C. Example Materials and Construction of One or More Embodiments
In general, structures such as, but not limited to, pickleball nets and their constituent components, disclosed herein may be constructed with a variety of components and materials including, but not limited to, plastic, polycarbonates, meshes, thermoplastics, composites, metals, wood, rubber, and combinations of any of the foregoing. Suitable metals may include steel, aluminum, and aluminum alloys, although the skilled person will understand that a variety of other metals may be employed as well, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the foregoing examples. Where metal is employed in the construction of one of the disclosed components, the metal components may take one or more forms including, but not limited to, pipe, square tube, rectangular tube, round tube, pipe, angles, flatbar, I-shapes, T-shapes, L-shapes, and combinations and portions of any of the foregoing.
Depending upon the material(s) employed in the construction of the disclosed embodiments, a variety of methods and components may be used to connect, releasably or permanently, various components of the disclosed embodiments. For example, the various plastic and metal components within the scope of this disclosure may be attached to each other by any one or more of allied processes such as welding or brazing, and/or mechanically by way of fasteners such as bolts, screws, pins, and rivets, for example.
Some, none, or all of portions of a one or more of the disclosed components may be coated or otherwise covered with paint, rubber, plastic or other materials, or any combination of the foregoing. Surface treatments and textures may also be applied to portions of the disclosed components. At least some of such materials may serve to help prevent, or reduce, rust, and corrosion.
As well, the present disclosure refers to various components being connected to each other in various ways. Such components may be connected directly to each other, or indirectly to each other. Where no particular connection is specified, the various components may be connected either directly, or indirectly, to each other.
In the case of a direct connection, a first component may be releasably connected to a second component and held in that arrangement by one or more retaining components such as a pin, sleeve, bolt, rivet, shaft, or stud, to name some examples. Alternatively, and still with reference to the case of the direct connection, the first component and second component may be directly, and permanently, connected to each other such as by welding, brazing, or any other process that effects a permanent connection between the components.
With reference to the case of an indirect connection, a first component may be indirectly connected to a second component by virtue of both of those components being connected to one or more intervening components. This indirect connection may be implemented by way of by one or more retaining components such as a pin, sleeve, bolt, rivet, shaft, or stud, to name some examples. Alternatively, and still with reference to the case of an indirect connection, the first component and second component may be indirectly, and permanently, connected to each other by way of one or more intervening components to which the first component and second component are attached, such as by welding, brazing, or any other process that effects a permanent connection between the components.
D. Structural Aspects of Some Example Embodiments
Directing attention now to
Any suitable material(s) may be used in the construction of the net 104. In an embodiment, a relatively fine mesh may be used for the net 104. This fine mesh may help to minimize any snagging or catching between the net and the scissor mechanism (discussed below). A relatively fine mesh may also provide more surface area that could be used for graphics or branding.
In an embodiment, the net 104 may have a respective sleeve 106, possibly comprising a fabric of some type, disposed at each end and configured to interface with a corresponding upright 102. In an embodiment, the sleeve 106 may have a tubular configuration such that the sleeve 106 can be slid onto/off of one of the uprights 102.
In other example embodiments, one or both of the sleeve(s) 106 may be omitted from the net, or may be configured differently. For example, the net may comprise various alternative devices, such as elastic, hook-and-loop, or other temporary connectors, to enable attachment of the net to the vertical upright, or sleeve. This could be done with pins, hooks, or magnets that do not require the use of an element that wraps around the upright 102. In another embodiment, a sleeve 106 may not have a tubular configuration and, instead, may wrap around 2, 3, or 4, sides of the respective upright 102.
In an embodiment, disclosed in
An embodiment of the net 104 may further comprise one or more straps 108 at either end. The straps 108 may be used, for example, to help secure the net 104 to the uprights 102 and/or to impose tension on the net 104 when the net apparatus 100 is in an expanded state or configuration, as discussed below. In one alternative embodiment, connectors may be employed may be used to tension the net. Such connectors include, but are not limited to, an elastic cord, similar to the draw cord on the waistband or hood of a jacket, or an elastic catch with a cleat feature similar to a windsurf boom attachment.
With continued reference to
In one alternative embodiment, the legs 110 may be omitted, and base plates 112 employed instead to support the uprights 102 and the net 104, as shown in
Where legs 110 are included in an embodiment of the net apparatus 100, the legs 110 may be connected with a socket 111 that is configured to removably receive an end of the upright 102. In an embodiment, the socket 111 is fixed so that it cannot move along the upright 102 although, in an other embodiment, the socket 111 may be movable along the upright 102, and may be releasably fixed to the upright 102 with a spring pin 113, or other locking mechanism. One example of a spring pin is discussed below. In one embodiment, the legs 110 may be rotatably connected, such as by way of a pin for example, to the socket 111, so that the legs 110 are rotatable with respect to the socket 111. In one embodiment, the legs 110 may have a rotatable range of motion of about 90 degrees, for example, from horizontal to vertical.
As further indicated in the Figures, the legs 110 may be connected by struts 115 to a sliding sleeve 116 that is configured to slide up and down along a corresponding upright 102. In an embodiment, the struts 115 may be rotatably connected at a first end to one of the legs 110, and at a second end to the sleeve 116. As a result of this configuration, movement of the sleeve 116 upward along the upright 102 pulls the legs 110 from a horizontal position, as shown in
In an embodiment, a locking spring pin, or other mechanism of comparable functionality, may be employed to releasably lock the sliding sleeve 116 in a first position in which the legs 110 are fully folded out into a substantially horizontal orientation, and in a second position in which the legs 110 are folded up into a substantially vertical position. Particularly, the locking spring pin, which may be carried by the sliding sleeve 116, may comprise a pin that is biased into an extended position by a spring or other resilient element. In an embodiment, the upright 102 may comprise a complementary structure, such as a hole for example, that is configured to engage the locking spring pin, such as by removably receiving the locking spring pin. The hole and the locking spring pin may thus enable the sliding sleeve 116 to be releasably locked into the aforementioned first and second positions, by permitting the spring to bias the pin into the hole. A user may overcome the bias, so as to enable movement of the sliding sleeve 116 relative to the upright 102, by retracting the pin from the hole.
One alternative embodiment may be configured so that the upper sliding sleeve includes a connecting mechanism that enables the upper sliding sleeve to releasably lock to the lower sliding sleeve. This configuration may thus enable the system to lock with a single spring pin, and may simplify assembly and disassembly. The two sleeves may be connected in any of a variety of ways, such as by way of a molded plastic buckle, hook and catch, magnetic latch, or twist-lock screw sleeve, for example.
With continued reference to
The scissor mechanism 118 may be connected, possibly releasably, to the uprights 102. In one particular embodiment, an end of the scissor mechanism 118 may be rotatably connected to the socket 111 and to the sliding sleeve 116. In this way, as the sliding sleeve 116 moves up/down along the upright 102, the scissor mechanism 118 may change its configuration, such as from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration, or vice versa. In an embodiment, the scissor mechanism 118 may be configured so that when it is positioned on the vertical uprights, and fully extended into the expanded configuration, the lowermost portion of the scissor mechanism 118 is positioned a distance above the ground or other playing surface, so as to define a gap sufficiently large to enable a pickle ball to roll beneath the net 104 unobstructed. This gap may, for example, enable pickle ball players pass the ball beneath the net to avoid bending over and picking the ball up.
Further, because the sliding sleeve 116 is also connected to the legs 110, movements of the scissor mechanism 118 may cause corresponding movements of the legs 110. For example, when the scissor mechanism 118 is in its collapsed configuration, the sliding sleeve 116 may be in its uppermost position on the upright 102 and the legs 110 may be folded up parallel to the upright 102. As the scissor mechanism 118 is moved from its collapsed configuration to its expanded configuration, the scissor mechanism 118 may pull the sliding sleeve 116 down along the upright 102. Because the legs 110 are connected to the sliding sleeve 16, this downward movement of the sliding sleeve 116, imposed by the manipulation of the scissor mechanism 118, may cause the legs 110 to automatically move down from their vertical position into a deployed, or horizontal, orientation.
Similarly, as the scissor mechanism 118 is moved from its expanded configuration to its collapsed configuration, the scissor mechanism 118 may push the sliding sleeve 116 upward along the upright 102. Because the legs 110 are connected to the sliding sleeve 16, this upward movement of the sliding sleeve 116, imposed by the manipulation of the scissor mechanism 118, may cause the legs 110 to automatically move down from their deployed, or horizontal, orientation, to a vertical orientation generally parallel to the upright 102.
Embodiments of the scissor mechanism 118 may be configured in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, and as best shown in
Finally, and as further disclosed in
In general, the net 104 may be stretched between the uprights 102 with adequate tension for the net 104 to be at the correct height relative to the playing surface. Conventionally, some amount of tension in the net was achieved with the mechanical pressure of the vertical uprights combined with a thin vertical rod in the center of the net. The vertical rod is typically inserted into a sleeve or a pocket in the center of the net and supports the net to keep it the correct distance off the ground. This approach is problematic however, at least because it requires an additional element, the vertical rod, as well as the sleeve/pocket to receive the rod. In contrast, one or more embodiments of the invention may achieve adequate tension in the net 104 without the use of such additional components.
For example, and as best shown in
In another embodiment, one or more of the cross brace bars 120 may have a slightly asymmetric configuration such that an upper edge of the cross brace bar 120 is longer than the bottom edge of the cross brace bar 120. The difference in length, which may be in a range from 0-10 mm, may create a slight arc shape in the cross brace bar 120 that will help give strength to the system, while also imposing tension on the net 104.
Still another embodiment comprises a configuration in which the two (top) cross braces 123, see
Finally, and as noted elsewhere herein, an embodiment may comprise one or more sets 122 of multiple cross braces 121. The additional strength provided by the multiple cross braces (
With particular reference now to
With reference now to
The example sliding sleeve latch mechanism 128 may comprise a pin 129 with a wide button cap that may be pulled to release the sliding sleeve 116. An internal spring disposed within or about the pin 129 may bias the pin 129 back into a locked position when a hole in the sliding sleeve 116 aligns with a hole in the upright 102.
In another embodiment, the example sliding sleeve latch mechanism 130 may comprise a rotatable latch 131 that includes a cam surface, or a surface configured and arranged to interface with a cam surface on the upright 102. To lock and unlock the sliding sleeve 116, a user may rotate the rotatable latch 131 and the cam surface/interface creates adequate pressure on the sliding sleeve 116 to keep the sliding sleeve 116 in position on the upright 102. The sliding sleeve 116 may be released by rotating the rotatable latch 131 in the direction opposite that which was used to lock the sliding sleeve 116. Advantageously, this sliding sleeve latch mechanism 130 does not require the use of a pin/hole configuration and, as such, the sliding sleeve 116 can be locked into any vertical position along the upright 102.
With continued reference to
Finally, the sliding sleeve latch mechanism 134 may comprise a lifting elbow latch mechanism 135. A handle of the lifting elbow latch mechanism 135 may be pulled upward to release the sliding sleeve 116. A pin of the lifting elbow latch mechanism 135 may interface with an internal ball and groove to define a latch interface with the upright 102. The pin can be moved downward with the handle of the lifting elbow latch mechanism 135 to push the ball into the groove in order to lock the sliding sleeve 116 in position.
E. Operational Aspects of Some Example Embodiments
With continued reference to
As shown in the Figures, when an embodiment of the net apparatus, such as the net apparatus 100, is in the folded state, the net 104 may be fully collapsed, and the legs 110 oriented vertically in a location near the uprights 102. In the folded state, the net apparatus 100 may be readily portable, such as by carrying for example. In an embodiment that includes wheels, the wheels may be connected to the legs 110 and may be in contact with the ground, floor, or other surface so that the net apparatus 100 may be readily rolled from one location to another.
The net apparatus 100 may be moved from the folded state to the deployed state by simply moving one of the uprights 102 away from the other. In an embodiment that includes wheels, the wheels on one end of the net 104 may be locked while the opposing upright 102 is moved away from the upright 102 to which the locked wheels are connected. In any case, as a result of this movement of one of the uprights 102, the scissor mechanism 118 may change from its collapsed configuration to its expanded configuration. As the scissor mechanism 118 changes its configuration in this way, the sliding sleeves 116 may move downward along their respective uprights 102, so as to automatically deploy the legs 110 downward into a horizontal position. When the sliding sleeves 116 have reached their lowermost positions on the uprights 102, the sliding sleeves 116 may lock into those positions, possibly by the presence of spring pins carried on each of the sliding sleeves 116, as disclosed earlier herein. The sliding sleeves 116 may lock into positions that correspond to a maximum unfurled configuration of the net 104. In this configuration, the net apparatus 100 is ready for use.
To change the net apparatus 100 from the deployed state to the folded state, the sliding sleeves 116 may be unlocked so that they are able to move upward along the uprights 102 into positions that correspond to the folded state of the net apparatus 100. Particularly, as the uprights 102 move closer together, the sliding sleeves 116 move upwards, automatically folding the legs 110 from horizontal position to a vertical position. The sliding sleeves 116 may lock into positions that correspond to the folded state of the net apparatus. In this folded state, the net apparatus 100 is ready for transport.
Note that, as shown in
F. Advantageous Aspects of Some Embodiments
As will be apparent from the disclosure, one or more embodiments of the invention can provide one or more advantageous and unexpected effects, in any combination, some examples of which are set forth below. It should be noted that such effects enumerated herein are neither intended, nor should be construed, to limit the scope of the claimed invention in any way.
For example, an embodiment of the invention may enable a pickleball net to be readily moved between, and releasably locked in, a folded state and a deployed state. As another example, an embodiment may be configured to be readily transported when not in use. An embodiment may help to ensure adequate net tension when the pickleball apparatus is in a deployed state. An embodiment may be configured so that it can be moved between a folded state and a deployed state by one person. Various other advantages of some example embodiments will be apparent from this disclosure.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms. The described embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63383949 | Nov 2022 | US |
