Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Target or obstacle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-07
2003-02-04
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Target or obstacle
C273S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06514149
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a multi-loop golf net assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to a net assembly formed from first and second closed, elongated collapsible loops coupled to each other to form a vertical periphery and horizontal periphery to which is attached a netting panel to form a substantially vertical netting surface for engaging the ball when practicing golf driving strokes and a substantially horizontal netting surface for engaging the ball when practicing golf pitching strokes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Golf is one of the most popular sports and recreational past times ever. Every year, millions of golfers devote significant time and resources toward improving their golf skills, which primarily include three aspects of the game calling for three separate golf swing skills: driving off the tee or fairway; chip shots for approaching the green; and putting on the green. Playing the game to actually encounter these various aspects of the game at frequent intervals obviously best develops these skills.
While playing a round of golf on a golf course is, of course, the most pleasurable method is develop these skills, playing a round of golf is often difficult and inconvenient. It can require significant time and money. While it is possible to utilize driving ranges, where the golfer can repeatedly practice drive or tee shots from a driving station, it is usually not possible to efficiently practice chip shots or putting. Also, although consuming less time and money than a full round of golf, driving ranges also suffer from the limitations of access and availability to many golfers.
Solutions to this problem have been proposed through the years. One solution has been the development of frame and net structures that can be used at or near the golfer's home. Such nets typically include a circular or square frame forming a periphery to which is attached a mesh or net material. Such frames usually comprise a set of interlocking right-angle poles that, when fully assembled, form a rectangular shape across which a vertical screen or net is a positioned and into which a golf ball may be driven. These frames and nets of the prior art are, however, usually fairly expensive and complex to assemble, particularly when assembled alone. Also, the loss of even a single pole segment renders the entire net useless. Such nets further typically consume significant storage space when not in use.
Other frames comprise self-erecting flexible loops that can be folded upon themselves and which are attached about their periphery to a net or mesh. Although easier to deploy, such frames likewise consume significant space and are typically smaller when deployed and hence of lower utility.
More importantly, the frames and nets of the prior art are primarily dedicated solely to practice of drives off the tee or fairway, and do not contemplate practicing chip shots or putting. In the case of chip shots, it is deemed advantageous to provide a way of providing a horizontal, rather than a vertical, screen or net onto which the golf ball may be chipped. Moreover, it is deemed undesirable that a chip shot, which tends to fall vertically onto a surface, actually fall upon a hard surface. In such situations, the golf ball will tend to bounce and can become a danger to persons nearby and property, especially when used indoors. Similarly, putting shots require a horizontal surface upon which to practice putting the ball into a hole or other cavity, a feature also lacking in the frames and nets of the prior art.
Thus, the prior art lacks a golf practice nets that is capable of allowing practice of driving swing, as well as practice of the chip shot and putting swings. For the foregoing reasons, an unresolved need exists for an improved golf practice net.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome these and other disadvantages of the prior art, the present disclosure, briefly described, provides an improved multi-loop golf net assembly for engaging and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like. The assembly may be readily assembled for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and subsequently readily collapsed for storage. The assembly includes a pair of collapsible closed, elongated loops interconnected one to the other with a netting panel for receiving and retaining a golf ball or the like on any relatively flat ground surface. A first of the collapsible loops forms a first substantially horizontal periphery and a second of the collapsible loops is attached to opposite sides of the horizontal periphery of the first loop. An arc of the second loop defines a vertical portion disposed perpendicularly to the horizontal periphery of the first collapsible loop, while the remaining arc of the second loop generally defines a horizontal portion proximate a horizontal portion of the first loop. The netting panel is attached to the vertical portion of the second loop, to the base panel and to one of the horizontal portions of the first or second loop to form a substantially vertical netting surface for engaging the ball when practicing golf driving strokes and a substantially horizontal netting surface for engaging the ball when practicing golf pitching strokes, where the ball is prevented from contacting the ground in the latter instance.
The multi-loop golf net assembly of the present invention can be readily deployed and collapsed, while providing a net that is very effective for use in number of different golfing swings, such as a driving, chipping and putting.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining the preferred embodiment of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The multi-loop golf net assembly of the present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and not limitation. Where specific dimensional and material specifications have been included or omitted from the specification or the claims, or both, it is to be understood that the same are not to be incorporated into the appended claims.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims are regarded as including such equivalent constructions as far as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with the patent or legal terms of phraseology, to learn quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, the Abstract is intended to define neither the invention nor the application, which is only measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
The fundamental aspects of the invention, along with the various features and structures that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the multi-loop golf net assembly of the present disclosure, its ad
Graham Mark S.
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
Yoon Young W.
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