Patent Grant
8475301
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to sports gaming equipment and, more particularly, to a multi-functional gaming assembly having modular components that enable a user to simultaneously construct a variety of different games that can be played at the same time.
2. Prior Art
Traditionally fixed poles or other stationary structures are required to hold a sports net for games such as tennis, basketball and the like. These structures must be positioned in a suitably rigid position during game play. The impact of the ball when struck on a net requires that such net poles be mainly set in concrete permanently. The effect of strong winds and even the tailwind caused by, for example super fast tennis balls may cause a net if not suitably secured to crumble and ruin a shot or even end the game. In all cases permanent games courts use fixed installations which are expensive and inflexible as some of these courts may have the possibility of playing different games at different times or seasons. Conventional portable game poles such as the backboards for basketball are usually bulky, large and heavy and cannot be transported over long distances.
Additionally, most portable game nets are usually designed for a single type of game and therefore several different sets of equipment can be found in most sports facilities. The cost and space required for a few of these sets of equipment would be very high and added to the maintenance cost and tedious efforts in setting up different equipment may discourage sports halls and individuals in private homes to engage in the many courts games that can be played at home or located at a convenient location.
Accordingly, a need remains for a system in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a portable multifunctional sports net assembly that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in its applications, and designed for providing a user with means to easily construct a sports net for playing various court games in different locations.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for allowing a player to participate in a variety of alternate games. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a multi-functional gaming assembly.
The multi-functional gaming assembly may include a portable free-standing first section capable of being selectively modified into a baseball batting game, a basketball shooting game, and a tether-ball swinging game assembly respectively. A portable free-standing second section may be removably connected to the portable free-standing first section in such a manner that the portable free-standing first and second sections may cooperate to selectively include a tennis playing game, a badminton playing game, and a volleyball playing game. A plurality of anchor stakes may be removably attached to the portable free-standing first and second sections respectively. Such an arrangement provides the unexpected and unpredictable advantage of using the multi-functional gaming assembly to play the games of baseball, basketball, tether-ball, tennis, badminton, volleyball and even as a stationary football target.
The portable free-standing first section may include a mobile primary base which may include a wire frame preferably having a handle and a plurality of rings extending out from a perimeter of the mobile primary base. A rear axle may be attached to the wire frame such that a pair of wheels may be rotatably connected to the rear axle. A cover may be removably positioned over the wire frame and may be adapted to be selectively weighed down with an existing filler material. A primary pole may be connected to the wire frame. The primary pole may further include at least two primary pole base sections attached to the wire frame. The primary pole base section may extend upwardly and orthogonally from the cover and preferably has a base slot formed therein. A primary pole first section may be removably connected to the primary pole base section and may be axially aligned with the primary pole base section. The primary pole first section preferably has a first slot formed therein. A primary pole second section may be removably connected to the primary pole first section and may be axially aligned therewith. A primary pole third section may further be removably connected to the primary pole second section and may be axially aligned therewith. Such an arrangement provides the unexpected and unpredictable advantage of detachably adapting the portable free-standing first section for a plurality of heights that games with a single pole may require such as basketball, baseball batting or tether-ball swinging game. For example, a baseball batting game may require just a primary pole first section while a basketball game may require all three primary pole sections to be erected to play the games. The filler material may further provide a stable and weighted mobile primary base to ensure that the assembly will not be knocked down by a user's ball.
The baseball batting game may include a non-linear shaft removably connected to the base slot and the first slot respectively. A baseball-holding member may be attached to an upper most end of the non-linear shaft. In this way, the baseball-holding member may be adapted to receive and support a baseball at an elevated position spaced from the primary pole first section. The basketball shooting game may include a back board preferably having a basketball hoop pivotally connected thereto.
The backboard may be removably coupled to the primary pole third section and thereby be simultaneously supported directly above the non-linear shaft during game-playing conditions. The tether-ball swinging game may include an end cap fitted on a top end of the primary pole third section. An eyelet may be coupled to the end cap. A flexible rope may be anchored to the eyelet. A ball may be tethered to the flexible rope. The flexible rope may further be suitably sized to swing the ball about the primary pole base, first, second and third sections respectively. Such an arrangement provides the unexpected and unpredictable advantage of adapting the assembly to be used for a number of games by simply using the designated parts as explained to install for example a baseball batting game, a basketball shooting game or a tether-ball swinging game easily and quickly. For example, the backboard may also be used as a stationary football target for practice sessions by football players.
The portable free-standing second section may include a mobile auxiliary base spaced apart from the mobile primary base. The portable free-standing second section may further include an auxiliary pole with an auxiliary pole base section statically mated to the mobile auxiliary base. An auxiliary pole first section may be removably connected to the auxiliary pole base section such that the auxiliary pole first section may be axially aligned with the auxiliary pole base section and may further be axially aligned therewith. An auxiliary pole second section may be removably connected to the auxiliary pole first section and may be axially aligned therewith.
An auxiliary pole third section may further be removably connected to the auxiliary pole second section and may be axially aligned therewith. The portable free-standing second section may further include a net removably attached to at least one of the auxiliary pole first, second and third sections respectively. In this way, for the tennis playing game, the net may be simultaneously coupled to the primary and auxiliary pole first sections respectively. For the badminton playing game, the net may be simultaneously coupled to the primary and auxiliary pole second sections respectively. For the volleyball playing game, the net is simultaneously coupled to the primary and auxiliary pole third sections respectively. Such an arrangement provides the unexpected and unpredictable advantage of adapting the assembly for playing net games requiring at least one pole section to hold a net between them. In this way, the assembly may be used to play games such as tennis, badminton and volleyball.
The invention may include a method of utilizing a multi-functional gaming assembly for allowing a player to participate in a variety of alternate games. Such a method may include the chronological steps of: providing a portable free-standing first section; selectively modifying the portable free-standing first section in such a manner to provide a baseball batting game, a basketball shooting game, and a tether-ball swinging game; and providing and removably connecting a portable free-standing second section to the portable free-standing first section.
The method may further include the chronological steps of: providing for the portable free-standing first and second sections to cooperate with each other to provide a tennis playing game, a badminton playing game, and a volleyball playing game; and providing and removably attaching a plurality of anchor stakes to the portable free-standing first and second sections respectively.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention 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 invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
It is noted the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the figures are not intended to be drawn to any particular scale; nor are the figures intended to illustrate every embodiment of the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the figures or the shapes, relative sizes or proportions shown in the figures.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, this embodiment is provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures.
The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.
One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “present invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed to less than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as defining separately claimed subject matter.
The below disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within the true scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.
The assembly of this invention is referred to generally in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Such an arrangement of primary pole sections provides the unexpected and unpredictable advantage of detachably adjusting the portable free-standing first section 21 between a variety of heights for various games such as basketball game 70, baseball batting game 60 or tether-ball swinging game 80. For example, a baseball batting game 60 may require just a primary pole first section 35 while a basketball game 70 may require all three primary pole sections 35, 37, 38 to be erected to play the games as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5-8, the portable free-standing second section 22 may further include a net 55 removably attached to at least one of the auxiliary pole first, second and third sections 52, 53, 54, respectively. In this way, for the tennis playing game 90, the net 55 may be simultaneously coupled to the primary and auxiliary pole first sections 35, 52, respectively. For the badminton playing game 100, the net 55 may be simultaneously coupled to the primary and auxiliary pole second sections 37, 53, respectively. For the volleyball playing game 110, the net 55 is simultaneously coupled to the primary and auxiliary pole third sections 38, 54, respectively. Such an arrangement provides the unexpected and unpredictable advantage of adapting the multi-functional gaming assembly between alternate games requiring primary and secondary poles 32, 50 to hold a net 55 therebetween at alternate heights.
Referring to
In an alternative embodiment, the assembly 10 may feature a vinyl sheet that could be clipped into place over net 55. The vinyl sheet may have the approximate dimensions of a hockey net. The vinyl sheet may be painted with the shape of a hockey goalie in it. The vinyl sheet may be a solid piece with cutouts in the positions of the hockey net that would typically be exposed because the goalie cannot cover them. For example, the areas over the goalie's shoulders, the area immediately to either side of the goalie, and a space between the goalie's legs may be left open to simulate the areas of the net the player could score in, in actual game play. This embodiment would allow the user to practice their street hockey skills but giving them a target to shoot.
The present invention may further include a method of utilizing a multi-functional gaming assembly 10 for allowing a player to participate in a variety of alternate games. Such a method may include the chronological steps of: providing a portable free-standing first section 21; and selectively modifying the portable free-standing first section 21 in such a manner to provide a baseball batting game 60, a basketball shooting game 70, and a tether-ball swinging game 80.
The method may further include the chronological steps of: providing and removably connecting a portable free-standing second section 22 to the portable free-standing first section 21; causing the portable free-standing first and second sections 21, 22 to cooperate with each other in such a manner to provide a tennis playing game 90, a badminton playing game 100, and a volleyball playing game 110; and providing and removably attaching a plurality of anchor stakes 23 to the portable free-standing first and second sections 21, 22, respectively. The combination of such claimed elements provides an unpredictable and unexpected benefit of providing a portable multi-functional and transformable sports assembly, which solves the problem of having to individually provide bulky, expensive and non-portable sports equipment for these games.
While the invention has been described with respect to a certain specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, with respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the present invention may include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/234,053, filed Aug. 14, 2009, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3602504 | Chapman et al. | Aug 1971 | A |
| 4786053 | Barnes, Jr. | Nov 1988 | A |
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| 5730668 | Hege et al. | Mar 1998 | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61234053 | Aug 2009 | US |
