Modular all sports net assembly
First Claim
1. A modular sports net assembly of the type forming an enclosure and used for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, wherein said assembly is assembled for deployment as a prism of varying shapes and sizes on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage, the assembly comprising:
- a tubular intermitting frame having the shape of a polyhedron having two polygon sides in parallel planes and two sides formed in the shape of parallelograms formed from a plurality of intermediate tubular pole segments, at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting a plurality of corner units to form a plurality of orthogonal edge peripheries, said corner units including projecting pole receiving portions extending along at least three independent axes, each pole receiving portion receiving an end of said at least portion of said intermediate pole segments, wherein the frame defines at least three interconnected planes;
a plurality of separate, discrete planar netting panels each removably attached to one of said edge peripheries of the frame so as to enclose the frame except for at least one side plane when the frame assembled is deployed on said relatively flat ground surface;
said netting panels further comprise upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said edge peripheries of said tubular frame, said upper attachment means comprising a fastener that is threadingly received in the outer surface of a pole in said tubular interfitting frame;
wherein said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An all sports net assembly is disclosed for providing an enclosure for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like. The net assembly may be readily assembled for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage. The assembly includes a tubular frame structure formed into the shape of a prism. A plurality of intermediate pole segments interconnect a plurality of corner units. Each of the corner units comprises projecting pole receiving portions extending along at least three independent axis, where each pole receiving portion receives an end of said intermediate pole segments to define at least four planes. A plurality of netting panels are removably attached to the tubular frame structure so as to enclose the frame assembly except for one plane of the tubular frame structure.
52 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A modular sports net assembly of the type forming an enclosure and used for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, wherein said assembly is assembled for deployment as a prism of varying shapes and sizes on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage, the assembly comprising:
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a tubular intermitting frame having the shape of a polyhedron having two polygon sides in parallel planes and two sides formed in the shape of parallelograms formed from a plurality of intermediate tubular pole segments, at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting a plurality of corner units to form a plurality of orthogonal edge peripheries, said corner units including projecting pole receiving portions extending along at least three independent axes, each pole receiving portion receiving an end of said at least portion of said intermediate pole segments, wherein the frame defines at least three interconnected planes;
a plurality of separate, discrete planar netting panels each removably attached to one of said edge peripheries of the frame so as to enclose the frame except for at least one side plane when the frame assembled is deployed on said relatively flat ground surface;
said netting panels further comprise upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said edge peripheries of said tubular frame, said upper attachment means comprising a fastener that is threadingly received in the outer surface of a pole in said tubular interfitting frame;
wherein said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 39)
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6. In combination with a practice sports net having a plurality of separate, discrete, planar netting panels arranged in intersecting planes to form an enclosure having at least three interconnected sides for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like when deployed on a relatively flat ground surface, a frame adaptable to form a prism of varying shapes and sizes from a plurality of intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting a plurality of corner units, at least a portion of said corner units having projecting pole receiving portions extending along at least three independent axes, each pole receiving portion receiving an end of said intermediate pole segments to form a plurality of orthogonal edge peripheries, said netting panels each being removably attached to one of said edge peripheries of the frame;
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said netting panels further comprise upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said edge peripheries of said tubular frame, said upper attachment means comprising a fastener that is threadingly received in the outer surface of a pole in said tubular interfitting frame;
wherein at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 40)
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12. A tubular frame adaptable to form prisms of varying shapes and sizes from a plurality of intermediate pole segments interconnecting a plurality of corner units in combination with separate netting panels to form a plurality of orthogonal edge peripheries and used for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, wherein said tubular frame is adapted for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage and wherein said corner units of said a tubular frame have projecting pole receiving portions extending along at least three independent axes, each pole receiving portion receiving an end of one of said intermediate pole segments, wherein the tubular frame defines at least four separate interconnected sides;
- a plurality of separate, discrete, planar netting panels each removably attached to the tubular frame forming said enclosure, said netting panels occluding at least three of the sides; and
attaching means for attaching the netting panels to the tubular frame;said attaching means comprising an upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said edge peripheries of said tubular frame, said upper attachment means comprising a fastener that is threadingly received in the outer surface of a pole in said tubular intermitting frame;
wherein said at least a portion of said intermediate pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said intermediate pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tares press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (41)
- a plurality of separate, discrete, planar netting panels each removably attached to the tubular frame forming said enclosure, said netting panels occluding at least three of the sides; and
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13. A modular sports net assembly of the type forming an enclosure of varying shapes and sizes and used for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, wherein said assembly is assembled for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage, the assembly comprising:
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a tubular interfitting frame having the shape of a prism formed from a plurality of intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting a plurality of upper corner units, each of the upper corner units having orthogonally projecting pole receiving portions extending in at least the vertical and two horizontal directions each pole receiving portion receiving an end of said intermediate pole segments, wherein the frame defines a flat horizontal top plane and four flat vertical side planes and forms a plurality of orthogonal edge peripheries; and
a plurality of separate, discrete, planar orthogonally oriented netting panels each removably attached to one of the edge peripheries of said frame so as to enclose the frame except for at least one side plane when the frame assembled is deployed on said relatively flat ground surface;
said netting panels further comprise upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said edge peripheries of said tubular frame, said upper attachment means comprising a fastener that is threadingly received in the outer surface of a pole in said tubular interfitting frame;
wherein at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 42)
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23. The modular sports net assembly of 22, wherein said locking members for locking said intermediate pole segment within said pole receiving portions comprises a locking turnbuckle having a threaded shank threadingly received within a cooperating nut attached to the pole receiving portion and extending through the tubular pole receiving portion, wherein when the end of one of the interchangeable intermediate pole segments is inserted into the pole receiving portion, the turnbuckle pushes against said intermediate pole segment for a snug fit therein.
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26. In combination with a practice sports net having a plurality of separate, discrete substantially rectangular orthogonally oriented planar netting panels to form an enclosure having a top, bottom and at least two side edges for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like when deployed on a relatively flat ground surface, a frame adaptable to form a prism of varying sizes and shapes from a plurality of intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting a plurality of upper corner units, each of the upper corner units having orthogonally projecting pole receiving portions extending in at least the vertical and two horizontal directions, each pole receiving portion receiving an end of said intermediate pole segments, wherein the frame defines a flat horizontal top plane and four flat vertical side planes and a plurality of orthoginal edge peripheries, each of said netting panels being removably attached to one of the orthogonal edge peripheries of the frame;
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said netting panels further comprise upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said frame, said upper attachment means comprising a fastener that is threadingly received in the outer surface of a pole in said tubular interfitting frame;
wherein at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said intermediate tubular pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43)
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37. A modular all sports net comprising a tubular frame in the shape of a regular square prism formed from a plurality of intermediate horizontal pole segments interconnecting a plurality of corner units and a plurality of vertical pole segments in combination with an enclosure and used for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, wherein said net is adapted for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage and wherein each of the corner units of said a tubular frame has orthogonally projecting pole receiving portions extending in at least the vertical and two horizontal directions, each pole receiving portion extending in the horizontal direction receiving an end of one of said horizontal intermediate pole segments and each pole receiving portion extending in the vertical direction receiving an end of one of said vertical pole segments, wherein the tubular frame defines a flat horizontal top plane and four flat vertical side planes to form a plurality of orthogonal edge peripheries;
- a plurality of separate, discrete orthogonally oriented planar netting panels, each netting panel removably attached to one of the orthogonal edge peripheries of said frame assembly, said netting panels occluding the horizontal top plane and at least two of the side vertical planes; and
attaching means for attaching the netting panels to the tubular frame;said attaching means comprising an upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said tubular frame;
wherein at least a portion of said pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (44)
- a plurality of separate, discrete orthogonally oriented planar netting panels, each netting panel removably attached to one of the orthogonal edge peripheries of said frame assembly, said netting panels occluding the horizontal top plane and at least two of the side vertical planes; and
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38. A tubular frame in the shape of a regular square prism formed from a plurality of intermediate horizontal pole segments interconnecting a plurality of corner units and a plurality of vertical pole segments in combination with an enclosure and used for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, wherein said tubular frame is adapted for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and disassembled for storage and wherein each of the corner units of said a tubular frame has orthogonally projecting pole receiving portions extending, in at least the vertical and two horizontal directions, each pole receiving portion extending in the horizontal direction receiving an end of one of said horizontal intermediate pole segments and each pole receiving portion extending in the vertical direction receiving an end of one of said vertical pole segments, wherein the tubular frame defines a flat horizontal top plane and four flat vertical side planes to form a plurality of orthoginal edge peripheries;
- a plurality of separate, discrete, orthogonally oriented planar netting panels removably attached to one of said orthogonal edge peripheries of said enclosure, said netting panels occluding the horizontal top plane and at least two of the side vertical planes; and
attaching means for attaching the netting panels to the tubular frame;said netting panels further comprise upper attachment means at each upper corner of said netting panels for ready attachment and detachment of said upper corners of said netting panels to said tubular frame;
wherein at least a portion of said pole segments interconnecting said plurality of corner units comprise a plurality of articulating and interlocking portions having cooperating first and second mating ends, where an interior diameter of said first mating end is larger than an exterior diameter of said second mating end and receives said second mating end therein to positively connect the portions, and wherein a stretchable connecting cable interconnects at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions of said at least a portion of said pole segments, the stretchable connecting cable including a wire segment at each end thereof, the wire segments including tangs located within said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions whereby the tangs press against an interior surface of said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions to positively connect the stretchable connecting cable to said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions and to positively connect said at least two of the articulating and interlocking portions together. - View Dependent Claims (45)
- a plurality of separate, discrete, orthogonally oriented planar netting panels removably attached to one of said orthogonal edge peripheries of said enclosure, said netting panels occluding the horizontal top plane and at least two of the side vertical planes; and
Specification