Novelty basketball goal producing sound effects on made shot

• US 5,064,195 A
• Filed: 03/21/1991
• Issued: 11/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoopla, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Express Yourself, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jackson, Tso, Richard, McMahan, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US07/672,952
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1.5 R, 273/402, 273/85 R, 273/85 B, 273/374, 273/375
• US Class Current: 473/480
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/083 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/16 Music playing devices

Abstract

A novelty basketball goal producing a predetermined pattern of sound effects, such as crowd cheers and applause, responsive to a made shot. The goal includes a force activated sensor suspended within the net of the goal by the wires which connect the sensor to the sound effects generating means. The sensor will contact an object passing through the hoop thereby triggering the sound effects generator. The sensor is preferably a self-contained electrical switch having a housing and two conductors positioned therein. One of the conductors is suspended within the housing so that a force applied thereto causes the conductors of the switch to come into electrical contact. A inexpensive and readily manufactured novelty basketball goal with sound effects is provided by the simple force activated sensing arrangement. The backboard of the goal may include a clip for mounting to a vertical surface, such as the rim of a waste paper basket. The hoop may also be pivotally connected to the backboard so that the hoop may be folded against the backboard to facilitate storage and carrying of the goal.

Claims

1. A novelty basketball goal comprising:

a hoop;

a net secured to the hoop;

an electrical switch for generating a signal responsive to an object passing through the hoop, the electrical switch comprising

a housing;

a first conductor and a second conductor positioned within the housing; and

means for suspending the first conductor within the housing in a closely spaced-apart relation from the second conductor so that the first and second conductors come into contact responsive to a predetermined force applied to the housing;

means for suspending the electrical switch from the net; and

means for generating sound effects responsible to the signal from the electrical switch.

2. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 4 wherein the electrical switch is small in relation to the area defined by the hoop, and wherein the electrical switch is flexibly supported by the suspending means and the net so as to permit an object passing through the net to be substantially unimpeded by the electrical switch.

3. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 1 wherein the sound effects generating means comprises an integrated circuit having a predetermined pattern of at least one of crowd applause and crowd cheers stored therein.

4. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 1 further comprising a backboard, and wherein the hoop is pivotally connected to the backboard for permitting the hoop to be folded thereagainst.

5. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 1 further comprising a backboard secured to the hoop, and means for removably securing the backboard to a substantially vertical surface.

6. A novelty basketball goal comprising:

a hoop adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontal plane;

a self-contained force activated sensor positioned below the hoop in a location for contacting an object passing through the hoop, the self-contained force activated electrical sensor comprising

a housing;

a first conductor and a second conductor positioned within the housing; and

means for suspending the first conductor within the housing in a closely spaced-apart relation from the second conductor so that the first and second conductors come into electrical contact responsive to a predetermined force applied to the housing; and

means for generating sound effects responsive to the self-contained force activated sensor.

7. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 6 further comprising a cylindrical net secured to the hoop and adapted to depend therefrom, and wherein the self-contained force activated sensor is positioned within the cylinder defined by the net.

8. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 6 wherein the sound effects generating means comprises an integrated circuit having a predetermined pattern of at least one of crowd applause and crowd cheers stored therein.

9. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 6 further comprising a backboard, and wherein the hoop is pivotally connected to the backboard for permitting the hoop to be folded thereagainst.

10. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 6 further comprising a backboard secured to the hoop, and means for removably securing the backboard to a substantially vertical surface.

11. A novelty basketball goal comprising:

a hoop;

a net secured to the hoop and adapted to depend therefrom;

a force activated switch;

means for generating a predetermined pattern of sound effects responsive to the force activated switch; and

at least one wire interconnecting the force activated switch and the sound effects generating means, the wire being passed through a portion of the net so that the force activated switch is positioned in the interior thereof.

12. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 11 wherein the wire is readily reshapeable, and wherein the reshapeable wire is wrapped around a portion of the net for suspending the force activated switch therefrom.

13. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 11 wherein the force activated switch comprises:

a hollow cylindrical housing;

a hollow cylindrical electrical conductor positioned within the housing; and

an electrically conductive body suspended within the housing in a closely spaced-apart relation from the hollow cylindrical electrical conductor for electrically contacting same responsive to a predetermined force applied to the housing.

14. The novelty basketball goal according to claim 11 wherein the sound effects generating means comprises an integrated circuit having a predetermined pattern of at least one of crowd applause and crowd cheers stored therein.

15. A method for making a novelty basketball goal adapted to provide shooter feedback for a made shot comprising the steps of:

providing a hoop and a net depending therefrom, and a sound effects generator connected to a force activated sensor; and

suspending the force activated sensor from the net so that an object passing through the hoop will impart a force to activate the sensor and the sound effects generator to produce a predetermined pattern of sound effects; and

wherein the step of suspending the sensor from the net comprises the step of wrapping a reshapeable wire, interconnecting the sound effects generator and the sensor, around a portion of the net.