Screen assembly for simulator

• US 8,164,830 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Todd M. Astill
• Original Assignee: Todd M. Astill
• Inventors: Astill, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US13/242,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 359/461, 359/443, 359/449, 160/241
• US Class Current: 359/443
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/56 electrically folded and erected
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/04 for small-room or indoor sporting games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/58 collapsible, e.g. foldable; of variable area
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A screen assembly for a projectile-based simulator is comprised of front, right and left fabric panels that form a hitting bay with a front projector impact screen. Each fabric panel can be raised and lowered with respective roller assemblies that operate unison so that the fabric panels are simultaneously raised and lowered. Zippers are provided between each of the fabric panels that are configured to cause adjacent fabric panels to engage as the panels are lowered and to disengage as the panels are raised to allow the panels to wind upon respective roller assemblies.

Claims

1. A screen assembly for a projectile-based simulator, comprising:

a front screen assembly comprised of a first rectangular fabric panel having first and second longitudinal sides and a first roller assembly configured to raise and lower the first fabric panel;

a first side screen assembly comprised of a second rectangular fabric panel having first and second sides with the first side thereof proximate the first longitudinal side of the first fabric panel, the second fabric panel oriented at an angle relative to the first fabric panel, and a second roller assembly configured to raise and lower the second fabric panel;

a second side screen assembly comprised of a third rectangular fabric panel having first and second sides with a second side thereof proximate the second longitudinal side of the first fabric panel, the third fabric panel oriented at an angle relative to the first fabric panel, and a third roller assembly configured to raise and lower the third fabric panel;

a first elongate fastening device attached to and between the first longitudinal side of the first fabric panel and an adjacent first side of the second fabric panel;

a second elongate fasting device attached to and between the second longitudinal side of the first fabric panel and an adjacent second side of the third fabric panel; and

a motor coupled to at least one of the front, first side and second side screen assemblies to simultaneously raise and lower the first, second and third fabric panels, wherein raising of the first, second and third fabric panels causes the first and second elongate fastening devices to separate proximate first and second ends of the first roller assembly to allow the first, second and third fabric panels to wind upon the respective first, second and third roller assemblies and lowering of the first, second and third fabric panels causes the first and second elongate fastening devices to engage along their length to interconnect the first, second and third fabric panels.

2. The screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first gear assembly coupled between the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly and a second gear assembly coupled between the first roller assembly and the third roller assembly, the first and second gear assemblies causing the first, second and third panels to raise and lower in unison.

3. The screen assembly of claim 2, wherein the motor is coupled to at least one of the first and second gear assemblies to drive at least one of the first and second gear assemblies in a first direction to raise the first, second and third panels and in a second direction to lower the first, second and third panels.

4. The screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second elongate fasting devices each comprise a zipper, each zipper having a first side thereof attached to one of the second and third fabric panels and a second side thereof attached to the first fabric panel.

5. The screen assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the first and second sides of each elongate fastener are fixedly attached to one another at a first end thereof so as to prevent a zipper pull of each elongate fastener from moving past the first end.

6. The screen assembly of claim 5, wherein the zipper pull of each of the first and second elongate fasteners is held proximate the first roller assembly so that as the first, second and third panels are lowered, the zipper pull of each of the first and second elongate fasteners causes teeth of the respective zipper to engage along its length and as the first, second and third panels are lowered, the zipper pull of each of the first and second elongate fasteners causes teeth of the respective zipper to disengage along its length to separate the first, second and third panels above the zipper to allow the first, second and third panels to wind upon a respective roller assembly.

7. The screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising a lower frame assembly comprised of a first elongate member coupled to a lower end of the first fabric panel, a second elongate member coupled to a lower end of the second fabric panel and a third elongate member coupled to a lower end of the third fabric panel, the first, second and third elongate members having adjacent ends that are coupled to one another.

8. The screen assembly of claim 7, wherein the lower frame assembly is configured to weight the lower ends of the first, second and third fabric panels.

9. The screen assembly of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third fabric panels are each provided with a lower pocket for receiving a respective elongate member of the lower frame assembly.

10. The screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third fabric panels form a generally rectangular golf ball hitting bay.

11. A screen assembly for a projectile-based simulator, comprising:

a front fabric panel forming an impact screen having a left longitudinal side and a right longitudinal side;

a right fabric panel having a first side positioned adjacent the right side of the front panel;

a left fabric panel having a first side positioned adjacent the left side of the front panel;

front, right and left roller assemblies configured for raising and lowering a respective one of the front, right and left fabric panels, the front, right and left roller assemblies configured to operate in unison so as to raise and lower the front, right and left fabric panels substantially simultaneously;

a first zipper coupled between the front fabric panel and the right fabric panel;

a first end of the first zipper being fixedly coupled together to prevent separation of the second zipper at the first end and having a zipper pull configured to be held relative to one of the front and right roller assemblies as the front and right fabric panels are raised to cause the first zipper to separate above the first zipper pull allowing the front and right fabric panels to separately wind on a respective roller assembly and lowered to cause the first zipper to zip below the zipper pull to connect the front and right fabric panels along the first zipper; and

a second zipper coupled between the front fabric panel and the left fabric panel, a first end of the second zipper being fixedly coupled together to prevent separation of the second zipper at the first end and having a zipper pull configured to be held relative to one of the front and left roller assemblies as the front and left fabric panels are raised to cause the second zipper to separate above the second zipper pull allowing the front and left fabric panels to separately wind on a respective roller assembly and lowered to cause the second zipper to zip below the zipper pull to connect the front and left fabric panels along the second zipper.

12. The screen assembly of claim 11, further comprising at least one motor coupled to at least one of the front, right and left roller assemblies for substantially simultaneously raising and lowering the front, right and left fabric panels.

13. The screen assembly of claim 12, further comprising a first gear assembly coupled between the front roller assembly and the right roller assembly and a second gear assembly coupled between the front roller assembly and the left roller assembly to cause the front, right and left roller assemblies to rotate in unison, the at least one motor coupled to at least one of the first and second gear assemblies.

14. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the right and left fabric panels are comprised of a netting material.

15. The screen assembly of claim 11, further comprising a lower frame assembly comprised of a front elongate member coupled to a lower end of the front fabric panel, a right elongate member coupled to a lower end of the right fabric panel and a left elongate member coupled to a rawer end of the left fabric panel, the front, right and left elongate members having adjacent ends that are fixedly coupled to one another.

16. The screen assembly of claim 15, wherein the lower frame assembly is configured to weight the lower ends of the front, right and left fabric panels.

17. The screen assembly of claim 16, wherein the front, right and left fabric panels are each provided with a lower pocket for receiving a respective elongate member of the lower frame assembly.

18. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the first, second and third fabric panels form a generally rectangular golf ball hitting bay and the front fabric panel comprises an impact screen.

19. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the front screen is comprised of a backing panel and a front panel attached to the backing panel, the front panel forming a projection screen surface and the backing panel forming a black mask around at least a portion of the front panel.

20. The screen assembly of claim 19, wherein the front panel is formed from an open weave material and the backing panel extends behind the entire front panel to add strength and increase an image contrast of the front panel.