Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Means for dividing field or court into compartments; element...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-13
2001-06-05
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Means for dividing field or court into compartments; element...
C473S493000, C403S102000, C403S353000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241630
ABSTRACT:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to sports poles and more especially to a relatively long pole structure which is readily compacted for transportation and storage.
The most common applications for such sports poles are in the fields of volleyball, badminton and tetherball.
There have been numerous attempts to reduce the overall size of such a pole structure to enable it to be transported or stored. Existing designs include telescoping a tubular member within a larger diameter tubular member or simply providing several lengths of same diameter tubes with various means of coupling and uncoupling them from each other. For example, by flaring or necking-down one end of a tubular member, two or more such members may be joined end to end. By employing dissimilar diameter tubular members, they may be separated, reversed, and one nested within the other for transportation or storage. One annoying problem with such an arrangement is when lifting any but the lowermost tubular member, the lower ones frequently separate and fall to the ground. The user must then repeat the assembly process. Shock cording the pole sections together avoids this problem, but the pole sections can no longer be nested. Such shock cord arrangements are undesirable for a number of other reasons.
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a pole structure which both collapses and telescopes; the provision of a collapsible, telescoping pole structure which compacts without disassembly or removing any component part; the provision of a sports pole which folds by means of a lockable hinge mechanism articulating two separate tubular members between collinear and parallel positions with a telescopic member slidingly situated within or about one of the tubular members; and the provision of a lockable hinge for joining tubular members and useful for forming an articulated tubular structure. These as well as other advantageous features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
In general and in one form of the invention, a sports pole is formed of at least two and frequently three elongated hollow tubular members permanently joined together. A first one of the tubular members is pivotably joined near one end to a second one of the tubular members. A third tubular members is telescopically received within or about the first tubular member and slidingly movable therealong between retracted and extended positions. This facilitates erection of relatively high nets such as used in volleyball or other items where the two pivotable members may be pivoted to the extended position and locked. The net or other item is then fastened to the upper end of the second member and thereafter the third member is telescopically extended so the net is located well above the users head. There is an arrangement for locking the third tubular member in the extended position. The first and second tubular members are pivotably joined by a hinge mechanism for selective pivotal motion between collapsed and extended positions, and a cuff or cam arrangement is provided for locking the hinge to prevent pivotable motion between the first and second tubular members when the first and second tubular members are in the extended or coaxial position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2812945 (1957-11-01), Barreca
patent: 2957187 (1960-10-01), Raia
patent: 3017183 (1962-01-01), Chalcroft
patent: 3811455 (1974-05-01), Thur
patent: 4993719 (1991-02-01), Hernandez
patent: 5014983 (1991-05-01), Saunders
patent: 5326109 (1994-07-01), Robl
patent: 5539957 (1996-07-01), Schmidt
patent: 5746533 (1998-05-01), Schmidt
Passaniti Sebastiano
Taylor & Aust P.C.
LandOfFree
Collapsible sport pole does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Collapsible sport pole, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Collapsible sport pole will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2508816