Collapsible sports goal apparatus

• US 5,690,339 A
• Filed: 05/07/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chen, David E.
• Original Assignee: Chen, David E.
• Inventors: Chen, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US08/646,023
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 273/398-402, 273/26 A, 273/29 A, 273/411, 473/197, 473/421, 473/454, 473/478
• US Class Current: 273/400
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/004 Goals of the type used for football, handball, hockey or the like

Abstract

Collapsible sports goal apparatus includes a goal base member and a goal net attached to the goal base member. Two flexible, resilient poles extend between the goal base member and the top of the goal net. The poles are bent and exert continuous opposed forces on the goal base member and the goal net top to continuously bias the goal net top away from the goal base member and maintain the goal net in stretched condition and disposed upwardly from the goal base member.

Claims

1. Collapsible sports goal apparatus comprising in combination:

a rigid, unitary goal base member having a generally U-shaped configuration for positioning on a support surface;

a goal net comprising a central panel and two spaced side net panels angularly disposed relative to said central panel and including a goal net bottom and a goal net top attached to said goal base member at said goal net bottom;

flexible, elongated reinforcement members interconnecting said goal base member to said goal net top; and

first and second flexible, resilient poles supported by the goal base member and connected to said goal base member extending upwardly and outwardly to spaced locations on said goal net top, said first and second poles being flexed and curved between said goal base member and said goal net top and exerting continuous opposed forces on said goal base member and said goal net top to continuously bias said goal net top away from said goal base member and maintain said goal net disposed upwardly from said goal base member, one of said flexible, elongated reinforcement members extending between said goal base member and said goal net top generally along a line of intersection between said central net panel and one of said side net panels and another of said flexible, elongated reinforcement members extending between said goal base member and said goal net top generally along a line of intersection between said central net panel and the other of said side net panels, said first and second flexible resilient poles maintaining said flexible, elongated reinforcement members under tension.

2. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second poles each have first and second pole ends, said first pole end of each pole connected to said goal base member and said second pole end of each pole connected to said goal net top.

3. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the goal base member has spaced goal base member ends, said first pole ends of said first and second poles being adjacent to one another and connected to said goal base member between said goal base member ends.

4. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first pole ends of said first and second poles are connected to said goal base member generally midway between said goal base member ends.

5. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said goal net top terminates at spaced goal net top corners, one of said second pole ends being connected to said goal net top at one of said goal net top corners and the other of said second pole ends being connected to said goal net top at the other of said goal net top corners.

6. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first and second poles cross each other between said goal base member and said goal net top.

7. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said goal base member includes receptacle means releasably retaining the first pole ends of said first and second poles.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the flexible elongated reinforcement members are shorter than said first and second flexible, resilient poles.

9. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said goal base member is comprised of separable goal base member segments.

10. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 5 additionally comprising a flexible, elongated reinforcement member extending along said goal net top between said goal net top corners.

11. The collapsible sports goal apparatus according to claim 1 defining a substantially rectangular front opening.

12. Collapsible sports goal apparatus comprising, in combination:

a substantially rigid goal base member comprised of separable goal base member segments;

a goal net including a goal net bottom and a goal net top attached to said goal base member at said goal net bottom;

flexible, resilient pole means supported by the goal base member and connected to said goal base member and to said goal net top, said flexible, resilient pole means flexed and curved between said goal base member and said goal net top and exerting continuous opposed forces on said goal base member and said goal net top to continuously bias said goal net top away from said goal base member and maintain said goal net in stretched condition and disposed upwardly from said goal base member; and

a substantially rigid goal top member comprised of separable goal top member segments connected to said goal top net.