Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Goal or target structure for projectile; element thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-15
2004-03-02
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Goal or target structure for projectile; element thereof
C473S483000, C473S482000, C473S481000, C248S283100, C248S280110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699146
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a system for adjusting the height of a basketball goal. More particularly, the present invention is related to a counterbalanced basketball adjustment system having an adjustment handle which permits the quick release and easy repositioning of the basketball goal using minimal effort.
2. Technical Background
Basketball is an increasingly popular sport in the United States and abroad. There are many cities, counties, and other associations that sponsor recreational and instruction leagues where people of all ages can participate in the sport of basketball. Today there are organized leagues for children as young as five and six years old. Accordingly, it is not surprising that more and more people have a basketball goal mounted on their property.
Some basketball goals are adjustable which allows people of all ages and sizes to enjoy the sport because the basketball goal can be positioned at a height lower than the standard height of ten feet. The adjustability of basketball goals has been especially beneficial to children. Many younger children simply do not have the strength to make a basket at the standard height of ten feet. Other children have had to heave the basketball at the higher goal in order to make a basket and in so doing develop improper shooting skills. Additionally, nonadjustable goals sometimes frustrate children and cause them to lose their confidence because the basketball goals are simply too high for children to consistently make a basket. This frustration sometimes causes children to ultimately give up the game.
Many attempts have been made to design a basketball goal which is adjustable to several different heights. Some of these designs employ pivotally mounted parallel bars which connect the basketball backboard to a rigid mounting device such as a pole. The parallel bars combine with the basketball backboard and the rigid mounting device to form a parallelogram. Since the bars are pivotally mounted, they allow the backboard of the basketball goal to move to several different heights while remaining vertically disposed.
In some basketball adjustment systems, once the basketball goal is at the desired height, it is secured in place by tightening one or more bolts which “lock” the parallelogram in place. One of the disadvantages of these devices is that whenever one desires to adjust the basketball goal, it requires the use of a ladder or similar device to enable one to reach the one or more bolts which must be loosened to “unlock” the basketball goal. This is complicated by the fact that when the bolt or bolts are loosened, the person adjusting the goal must support the entire weight of the goal until the goal has been set to the desired height and the bolt or bolts are tightened again. Still other systems are difficult to “unlock” and readjust without the use of both hands and often times coordinated efforts of more than one person.
Other adjustable basketball goals have adjustment systems that are only accessible with the use of a ladder or require the person adjusting the goal to use a long rod or pole to manipulate the adjustment system. Many of these systems also require the person adjusting the goal to support the entire weight of the goal while the height of the goal is being adjusted.
Other adjustable basketball goals are configured such that the weight of the basketball goal bears directly on the adjustment system. For example, one such device uses a crank system that can be turned to shorten or lengthen a post attached to a parallelogrammic structure to deform the parallelogrammic structure and change the height of a basketball goal attached to the structure. The weight of the goal bears directly on the post that is threaded through the crank system.
There are several disadvantages to this type of design. One disadvantage is that with the weight of the goal bearing on the crank system, the crank is relatively hard to turn. Another disadvantage is that it takes several turns of the crank to make an adjustment to the height of the goal of a few feet. Thus, for example, an adjustment from eight feet to ten feet may take a significant amount of time and effort.
These disadvantages are particularly troublesome for children who typically possess less strength and patience than adults. This is unfortunate because it is usually small children who have the greatest need for lowering the basketball goal.
A further disadvantage of some adjustable basketball systems is that once the height of the goal is changed from the standard height often feet, it is difficult to reposition the goal to that precise height without a measuring device.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a basketball adjustment system that can be adjusted without the use of a ladder or a pole. It would be a further advantage to provide such a basketball adjustment system that could be adjusted quickly and with minimal effort so that even a child could adjust it with minimal effort. It would be an additional advantage to provide a way to easily position the goal at a predetermined height above the playing surface. Such a basketball goal is disclosed and claimed herein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
The present invention is directed to a novel adjustable basketball goal system allowing for adjustment of the height of a basketball goal above a playing surface. The basketball goal system of the present invention includes a rigid support which extends in a substantially upward direction. The rigid support has a goal side and a back side opposite the goal side.
A first deformable parallelogrammic structure is pivotally attached to the goal side of the rigid support such that the first parallelogrammic structure is suspended above the playing surface. The first parallelogrammic structure includes an upper support and a lower support. In one embodiment, one of the supports has a tail section which extends beyond the back side of the rigid support.
A second deformable parallelogrammic structure is pivotally attached to the back side of the rigid support and is pivotally connected to the first deformable parallelogrammic structure such that deformation of the second deformable parallelogrammic structure selectively deforms the first deformable parallelogrammic structure. In one embodiment, the second deformable parallelogrammic structure is pivotally connected to the first deformable parallelogrammic structure by means of the tail section of one or more of the upper and/or lower supports.
A basketball goal may be attached to the first parallelogrammic structure. In one embodiment, the basketball goal consists of a rim and backboard. The first parallelogrammic structure is configured such that as the first parallelogrammic structure deforms, the height of the basketball goal above the playing surface changes, each height corresponding to a different deformation. Since the supports are pivotally mounted, they allow the backboard of the basketball goal to move to several different heights while remaining vertically disposed.
The second deformable parallelogrammic structure includes an adjustment lever pivotally mounted to the back side of the rigid support below the first parallelogrammic structure and an extension arm having a length positioned between the first parallelogrammic structure and the adjustment lever. Preferably, one end of the extension arm is pivotally attached to the tail section of the upper and lower supports and the other end of the extension arm is pivotally attached to the adjustment lever. This allows movement of the adjustment lever to deform both the second parallelogrammic structure and the first parallelogrammic structure and thereby adjust the height of the basketball goal above a playing surface. Thus
van Nimwegen Edward G.
Vaughan Coplan E.
Winter David C.
Chiu Raleigh W.
Lifetime Products, Inc.
Workman Nydegger
LandOfFree
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