Dasher board system
First Claim
1. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
- a first dasher board section;
a second dasher board section, said second dasher board section and said first dasher board being positioned adjacent each other in an end-to-end relationship;
said first dasher board section having a wall portion, a top, a bottom, a length, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib extending rearwardly from the wall portion, and located between and spaced from the top and bottom of the first dasher board section, said horizontally extending strengthening rib being monolithic with the wall portion, and extending substantially the entire length of the first dasher board section;
a support post; and
a mounting member attached to said support post and said strengthening rib for restraining movement of the first dasher board section;
said horizontally extending rib includes a first horizontal portion extending horizontally away from wall portion and a vertical portion extending from the horizontal portion distal from the wall portion of the first dasher board section.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dasher board system for providing a surrounding barrier for the playing surface of a hockey rink. The dasher board system includes lower dasher board sections and extended continuous transparent upper shielding elements. The lower dasher board sections are formed by pultrusion. This gives the dasher board sections a high concentration of fiberglass and a high strength-to-weight ratio. This enables the sections to be made in longer lengths and reduces assembly time. The dasher board sections include horizontal ribs formed therein during the pultrusion process. A mounting system includes supports that are mounted to the horizontal ribs to stabilize the dasher board sections. Curved dasher board sections are formed by cutting the horizontal ribs and flexing the dasher board sections in the regions of the cuts. The transparent upper shielding is formed from by unrolling an elongated length of relatively thin polycarbonate material. The shielding is coupled to wires that extend between the supports, or to the supports themselves. The wires are pulled to tension the shielding and form the upper barrier. The dasher board system can be mounted to numerous different supporting structures, including but not limited to, fence posts, raised concrete curbs, flush concrete rings, and through asphalt surfaces. Alternatively, the dasher board system can be stabilized by supports that are not fixedly mounted to a support surface to permit the dasher board system to be easily assembled and disassembled without affecting the support surface. In one arrangement, the supports can be folded into the dasher board sections to facilitate storage of the system.
48 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
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a first dasher board section; a second dasher board section, said second dasher board section and said first dasher board being positioned adjacent each other in an end-to-end relationship; said first dasher board section having a wall portion, a top, a bottom, a length, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib extending rearwardly from the wall portion, and located between and spaced from the top and bottom of the first dasher board section, said horizontally extending strengthening rib being monolithic with the wall portion, and extending substantially the entire length of the first dasher board section; a support post; and a mounting member attached to said support post and said strengthening rib for restraining movement of the first dasher board section;
said horizontally extending rib includes a first horizontal portion extending horizontally away from wall portion and a vertical portion extending from the horizontal portion distal from the wall portion of the first dasher board section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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17. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
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a first dasher board section; a second dasher board section, said second dasher board section and said first dasher board being positioned adjacent each other in an end-to-end relationship; and said first dasher board section having a top, a bottom, a length, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib located between and spaced from the top and bottom of the first dasher board section, said horizontally extending strengthening rib extending substantially the entire length of the first dasher board section; wherein the second dasher board section has a top, a bottom, a length, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib located between and spaced from the top and bottom, said horizontally extending strengthening rib of said second dasher board section having first and second longitudinal ends and being cut at a plurality of spaced locations along the horizontally extending strengthening rib between the first and second longitudinal ends, said second dasher board section being curved in the plurality of spaced locations. - View Dependent Claims (18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey rink, the dasher board system comprising:
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a first dasher board section; a second dasher board section, said first and second dasher board sections being positioned adjacent each other in an end-to-end relationship; and first dasher board section having a top, a bottom, a length, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib located between, and spaced from, the top and bottom, said strengthening rib includes portions thereof that have been removed at a plurality of spaced locations along its length that significantly reduces the rigidity of the first dasher board section in the areas of the spaced locations enabling the first dasher board section to flex in the areas of said spaced locations, said first dasher board section being curved in the areas of said spaced locations. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
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a first dasher board section, said first dasher board section including at least 10% fiberglass by volume, and having a length in excess of fifteen feet; a second dasher board section, said second dasher board section including at least 10% fiberglass by volume, and having a length in excess of fifteen feet, said second dasher board section and said first dasher board being positioned adjacent each other in an end-to-end relationship and being attached to restrain movement therebetween; and each said first and second dasher board section further having a wall portion, a top, a bottom, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib extending rearwardly from and being monolithic with the wall portion, and located between and spaced from, and located between, the top and bottom, each said horizontally extending rib includes a first horizontal portion extending horizontally away from its respective wall portion and a vertical portion extending from its respective horizontal portion distal from its respective wall portion; a first support post disposed adjacent said first dasher board section and a second support post disposed adjacent said first dasher board section; and a first mounting member attached to said first support post and at least partially disposed between the vertical portion of the strengthening rib of the first dasher board section and the wall portion of the first dasher board section for restraining movement of the first dasher board section; and a second mounting member attached to said second support post and at least partially disposed between the vertical portion of the strengthening rib of the second dasher board section and the wall portion of the second dasher board section for restraining movement of the second dasher board section. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
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a plurality of dasher board sections, said plurality of dasher board sections forming a lower peripheral wall; supports, said supports being spaced around the peripheral wall on the outside of the dasher board sections, said support being attached to the dasher board sections and restraining movement thereof; a wire, said wire extending between a plurality of said supports; and transparent upper shielding, said transparent upper shielding extending along and above dasher board sections, said transparent upper shielding being coupled to said wire. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
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a plurality of dasher board sections, said plurality of dasher board sections forming a lower peripheral wall, said plurality of dasher board sections including first, second and third dasher board sections; and transparent upper shielding, said transparent upper shielding extending along and above said first, second, and third dasher board sections, providing an upper peripheral wall, and being a single frameless piece of material in at least the region above said first, second, and third dasher board sections. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. A dasher board system for providing the boundary of a hockey surface, the dasher board system comprising:
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a first dasher board section; a second dasher board section, said second dasher board section and said first dasher board being positioned adjacent each other in an end-to-end relationship; said first dasher board section having a wall portion, a top, a bottom, a length, and a horizontally extending strengthening rib extending rearwardly from the wall portion, said strengthening rib being T-shaped in cross section and located between and spaced from the top and bottom of the first dasher board section, said horizontally extending strengthening rib being monolithic with the wall portion, and extending substantially the entire length of the first dasher board section; a support post; and a mounting member attached to said support post and said strengthening rib.
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Specification