COVER ASSEMBLIES FOR USE IN COVERING A SAND AREA OF A JUMP PIT

• US 20190321673A1
• Filed: 04/19/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportsfield Intellectual, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sportsfield Intellectual, LLC
• Inventors: CLARK, Sean R., Hannigan, Andrew P., Hulbert, Eric W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,737,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/58 slideably retracted in a housing when not in use
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/08 Jumping, vaulting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 6/025 Sand landing pits, e.g. for long jumping
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/12 Removable protective covers for courts, rinks, or game pitches or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 7/166 characterised by a translation movement of the movable roof part, with or without additional movements
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/10 Coverings of flexible material

Abstract

A cover assembly may include a housing and an elongated cover. The housing defines a chamber therein. The chamber is disposable in the ground adjacent to a side of the sand area of the jump pit. The elongated cover has a first end, a second end, and spaced-apart sides extending from the first end to the second end. The elongated cover is storable in a compacted configuration in the chamber of the housing below the surface of the ground, and the elongated cover is removable from the chamber and extendable in an uncompacted configuration over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A jump pit system for use with a sand area of a jump pit, said jump pit system comprising:

a base form having a first side, a second side, and spaced-apart sides extending from said first side to said second side to define the sand area of a of the jump pit;

a retractable cover assembly operably attachable to said first side of said base form and disposable above said base form, said retractable cover assembly comprising;

a housing defining a chamber therein, said chamber being disposable in the ground;

an elongated cover having a first end, a second end, and spaced-apart sides extending from said first end to said second end;

at least one sand catcher attached to said spaced-apart sides of said base form;

one or more connectors;

wherein said elongated cover is storable in a compacted configuration in said chamber of said housing below the surface of the ground; and

wherein said elongated cover is removable from said chamber and extendable in an uncompacted configuration and secured with said one or more connectors over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area.

3. The jump pit system of claim 21 further comprising a crank operably attached to said rotatable member for rotating said rotatable member.

4. The jump pit system of claim 21 further comprising a biasing member for automatically rotating said rotatable member.

6. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said housing comprises a side wall facing the sand area and said side wall comprises an elongated slot, and said elongated cover extendable in said uncompacted configuration over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area extends through said slot.

7. The jump pit system of claim 6 wherein said housing comprises brushes extending adjacent and along said elongated slot.

8. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising one or more sand catcher trays disposed in said chamber in said housing.

9. The jump pit system of claim 8 wherein said one or more sand catcher trays comprises a sloped bottom.

11. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising one or more removable solid access panel attachable to said housing over said chamber.

15. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said elongated cover comprises a monolithic elongated cover having a width of 10 feet and a length of 30 feet.

16. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said elongated cover comprises a rigid member disposed along said first end of said elongated cover.

17. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said elongated cover comprises a mesh cover.

21. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising a rotatable member disposed in said chamber of said housing, and wherein said elongated cover in said compacted configuration is rolled up on said rotatable member.

22. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said compacted configuration comprises a compacted folded configuration, and said compacted folded configuration being storable in said chamber of said housing.

23. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising one or more sand catcher trays disposed in said chamber in said housing, and at least one of one or more grates and one or more mats disposable over said one or more sand catcher trays.

24. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said base form comprises an inside wall, an outside wall, and a plurality of support members disposed between said inside wall and said outside wall, and said retractable cover assembly operably attachable to said first side of said base form and disposed above said base form.

25. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising a pair of cables, said pair of cables extendable along opposite sides of the sand area for securing corresponding sides of said elongated cover extendable in said uncompacted configuration over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area.

26. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising wherein said one or more sand catchers comprises one or more sand catchers attachable to and extendable along said second side and said spaced apart sides of said base form.

27. The jump pit system of claim 20 wherein said housing comprises length of 13 feet, a width of 1 foot, and a depth of 1 foot.

28. The jump pit system of claim 20 further comprising a plurality of rigid cover panels.

29. A method comprising:

removing a compacted cover stored in a chamber of a jump pit system of claim 20 disposed underneath a surface of the ground alongside the sand a sand area of a jump pit, the jump pit system comprising;

a base form having a first side, a second side, and spaced-apart sides extending from the first side to the second side to define the sand area of the jump pit;

a retractable cover assembly operably attachable to the first side of the base form, the retractable cover assembly comprising;

a housing defining the chamber therein, the chamber being disposable in the ground;

an elongated cover having a first end, a second end, and spaced-apart sides extending from the first end to the second end;

one or more connectors;

wherein the elongated cover is storable in the compacted configuration in the chamber of the housing below the surface of the ground;

wherein the elongated cover is removable from the chamber and extendable in an uncompacted configuration over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area;

positioning the uncompacted cover over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area; and

fixedly securing the uncompacted cover over the sand area with the one or more connectors.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the removing comprises unwinding the compacted cover from a rotatable member disposed in the chamber.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the removing comprises removing the compacted cover from the chamber and unfolding the cover.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the jump pit system further comprises one or more sand catchers attached to the spaced-apart sides of the base form.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the removing comprises removing the cover stored in the chamber from a minor side of the sand area.

34. A jump pit system for use with a sand area of a jump pit, said jump pit system comprising:

a base form having a first side, a second side, and spaced-apart sides extending from said first side to said second side to define the sand area of the jump pit, said base form having an inside wall, an outside wall, and a plurality of support members disposed between said inside wall and said outside wall;

a retractable cover assembly operably attachable to said first side of said base form and disposable above said base form, said retractable cover assembly comprising;

a housing defining a chamber therein, said chamber being disposable in the ground;

an elongated cover having a first end, a second end, and spaced-apart sides extending from said first end to said second end;

one or more connectors;

wherein said elongated cover is storable in a compacted configuration in said chamber of said housing below the surface of the ground; and

wherein said elongated cover is removable from said chamber and extendable in an uncompacted configuration and secured with said one or more connectors over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area.

35. The jump pit system of claim 34 further comprising a rotatable member disposed in said chamber of said housing, and wherein said elongated cover in said compacted configuration is rolled up on said rotatable member.

36. The jump pit system of claim 34 wherein said compacted configuration comprises a compacted folded configuration, and said compacted folded configuration being storable in said chamber of said housing.

37. The jump pit system of claim 34 wherein said housing comprises a side wall facing the sand area and said side wall comprises an elongated slot, and said elongated cover extendable in said uncompacted configuration over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area extends through said slot, and said housing comprising brushes extending adjacent and along said elongated slot.

38. The jump pit system of claim 34 further comprising one or more sand catcher trays disposed in said chamber in said housing.

39. The jump pit system of claim 34 further comprising at least one sand catcher attached to said spaced-apart sides of said base form.

40. The jump pit system of claim 34 further comprising a pair of cables, said pair of cables extendable along opposite sides of the sand area for securing corresponding sides of said elongated cover extendable in said uncompacted configuration over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area.

41. The jump pit system of claim 34 further comprising a plurality of rigid cover panels.

42. A method comprising:

removing the compacted cover stored in the chamber of the jump pit system of claim 34 disposed underneath a surface of the ground alongside the sand area of the jump pit;

positioning the uncompacted cover over the sand area of the jump pit to conceal the sand area; and

fixedly securing the uncompacted cover over the sand area with the one or more connectors.

44. The method of claim 44 wherein the removing comprises removing the compacted cover from the chamber and unfolding the cover.

43. The method of claim 44 wherein the removing comprises unwinding the compacted cover from a rotatable member disposed in the chamber.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the jump pit system further comprises at least one sand catcher attached to the spaced-apart sides of the base form.