Portable flat-faced interactive training soccer goal

• US 6,893,364 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dan Grunfeld
• Original Assignee: Dan Grunfeld
• Inventors: Grunfeld, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US10/300,264
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 473/422, 473/446, 473/197, 473490-495, 473/470, 473/471, 473/478, 473/477, 273/400, 273/407, 273/408, 273/410, 273/348, 135/115, 135/118, 135/119, 135/907, 135/913, 135/117, 139/24, 139/422, D21/699, D21/705, D21/704
• US Class Current: 473/446
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/004 Goals of the type used for football, handball, hockey or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0097 Ball rebound walls with holes or in combination with nets A63B63/00

Abstract

A flat-faced interactive training soccer goal used for soccer practice. The soccer goal has a goal frame held in compression and a net and web frame held in tension for increased rebounding of a soccer ball. The flat-faced soccer goal includes a goal frame made up of a plurality of metal tube sections joined together by plurality of connector sleeves and a pair of corner elbow sleeves for forming a pair of upright posts and a horizontal crossbar. A top portion of the upright posts is joined to opposite ends of the crossbar using the corner elbow sleeves. The corner elbow sleeves are bent at an angle greater than 90 degrees and upward to 110 degrees for forming a trapezoid configuration with the crossbar being parallel to the ground surface. The upright posts are disposed outwardly and at an angle from the vertical. When the goal frame is installed, the upright posts are moved inwardly into a vertical position for forming a rectangular configuration.

Claims

1. A portable flat-faced interactive training soccer goal used for soccer practice and training and mounting on a ground surface of a playing field, the soccer goal comprising:

a goal frame, said goal frame including a substantially horizontal crossbar and first and second upright posts, an upper portion of said first upright post attached to one end of said crossbar, an upper portion of said second upright post attached to an opposite end of said crossbar, said first and second upright posts extending outwardly at an angle greater than 90 degrees and upward to 110 degrees from said horizontal crossbar, said first and second upright posts and said horizontal crossbar adapted for forming a first position of a trapezoid configuration when held upright and prior to being secured to the ground surface; and

a soccer goal net attached to a web frame, said web frame attached to sides of said crossbar and sides of said first and second upright posts;

whereby said first and second upright posts are adapted for moving inwardly and at an angle of 90 degrees from said horizontal crossbar when a lower portion of said first and second upright posts is secured to the ground surface and forming a second position of a rectangular configuration, said goal frame is held in compression for increase strength and rigidity, said horizontal crossbar bowed slightly upward above the horizontal when held in compression for preventing a bottom of said net from dragging on the ground surface.

2. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein said horizontal crossbar is made up of a plurality of tube sections connected together using a plurality of connecting sleeves.

3. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein said first and second upright posts are made up of a plurality of tube sections connected together using a plurality of connecting sleeves.

4. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein the upper portion of said first and second upright posts are attached to opposite ends of said horizontal crossbar using a pair of corner elbow sleeves.

5. The soccer goal as described in claim 4 wherein said elbow sleeves include a horizontal arm and a lower arm, said lower arm bent at an angle greater than 90 degrees and upward to 110 degrees from said horizontal arm.

6. The soccer goal as described in claim 5 wherein said lower arm is bent at an angle of approximately 110 degrees from said horizontal arm of said elbow sleeves.

7. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein said goal frame includes a pair of ground engaging post bases attached to a lower portion of said first and second upright posts and adapted for holding said goal frame upright on the ground surface.

8. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein said web frame includes a combination of stretch and non-stretch webbing for increasing tension on said net and said web frame when attached along a length of said crossbar and when attached along a length of said first and second upright posts.

9. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein said web frame includes an upper horizontal portion, a lower horizontal portion and two vertical portions, said vertical portions made of non-stretch webbing, said upper and lower horizontal portions including sections of non-stretch webbing and sections of stretch webbing.

10. The soccer goal as described in claim 1 wherein said web frame includes an upper horizontal portion and a lower horizontal portion made of non-stretch webbing, said web frame also having two vertical portions made of non-stretch webbing.

11. A portable flat-faced interactive training soccer goal used for soccer practice and training and mounting on a ground surface of a playing field, the soccer goal comprising:

a goal frame, said goal frame including a substantially horizontal crossbar and first and second upright posts, said crossbar made up of a plurality of tube sections connected together using a plurality of connecting sleeves, said first and second upright posts made up of a plurality of tube sections connected together using a plurality of connecting sleeves, an upper portion of said first upright post attached to one end of said crossbar using a corner elbow sleeve, an upper portion of said second upright post attached to an opposite end of said crossbar using another corner elbow sleeve, said first and second upright posts extending outwardly at an angle greater than 90 degrees and upward to 110 degrees from said horizontal crossbar, said first and second upright posts and said horizontal crossbar adapted for forming a first position of a trapezoid configuration when held upright and prior to securing to the ground surface; and

a soccer goal net attached to a web frame, said web frame attached to and disposed around a periphery of said net, said web frame attached to sides of said crossbar and sides of said first and second upright posts;

whereby said first and second upright posts are adapted for moving inwardly and at an angle of 90 degrees from said horizontal crossbar when a lower portion of said first and second upright posts is secured to the ground surface and forming a second position of a rectangular configuration, said goal frame is held in compression for increase strength and rigidity, said horizontal crossbar bowed slightly upward above the horizontal when held in compression for preventing a bottom of said net from dragging on the ground surface.

12. The soccer goal as described in claim 11 wherein said elbow sleeves include a horizontal arm and a lower arm, said lower arm bent at an angle of approximately 110 degrees from said horizontal arm.

13. The soccer goal as described in claim 11 wherein said goal frame includes a pair of ground engaging post bases with a protective cover thereon and a plurality spikes adapted for securing said post bases to the ground surface, the lower portion of said first and second upright posts secured to a top of said post bases, said post bases adapted for holding said goal frame upright on the ground surface.

14. The soccer goal as described in claim 11 wherein said web frame includes an upper horizontal portion, a lower horizontal portion and two vertical portions, said vertical portions made of non-stretch webbing, said upper and lower horizontal portions including sections of non-stretch webbing and sections of stretch webbing, said sections of stretch webbing having a length in a range of 8 to 15 inches.

15. The soccer goal as described in claim 11 wherein said web frame includes an upper horizontal portion and a lower horizontal portion made of non-stretch webbing, said web frame also having two vertical portions made of non-stretch webbing.

16. A portable flat-faced interactive training soccer goal used for soccer practice and training and mounting on a ground surface of a playing field, the soccer goal comprising:

a goal frame, said goal frame including a substantially horizontal crossbar and first and second upright posts, an upper portion of said first upright post attached to one end of said crossbar, an upper portion of said second upright post attached to an opposite end of said crossbar;

a soccer goal net; and

a web frame, said web frame attached to a periphery of said net, said web frame releaseably attached to sides of said crossbar and sides of said first and second upright posts, said web frame having a combination of stretch and non-stretch webbing for increasing tension on said net and said web frame when attached along a length of said crossbar and when attached along a length of said first and second upright posts, said web frame having an upper horizontal portion, a lower horizontal portion and two vertical portions, said vertical portions made of non-stretch webbing, said upper and lower horizontal portions including sections of non-stretch webbing and sections of stretch webbing for applying tension horizontally on said net and said web frame, said sections of stretch webbing have a length in a range of 8 to 15 inches.