Sports event advertising display system

• US 8,366,570 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: DeMarco, Joseph Michael, Berghammer, Joseph John, van Es, Jonathan Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAHAM, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US13/469,518
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 273398-402, 473476-478, 40602-604, 406/061.8, 405/98, 406/060.3, 406/061.9, 406/15, 406/17
• US Class Current: 473/477
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/008 Goals for rugby or American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0025 display surface tensioning means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 17/00 Flags; Banners; Mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/0066 on sports articles, e.g. golf clubs

Abstract

A method for using a netting apparatus adapted to display advertising content at a sporting event is disclosed. The netting apparatus comprises a first panel and a second panel. The first panel may comprise an open mesh netting, wherein the open mesh netting is adapted to safely stop a ball without significant obstruction of view through the open mesh netting. The second panel may comprise a solid material, wherein the solid material is located either in front of the first panel or behind the first panel.

Claims

1. A method for displaying advertising content at a sporting event, the method comprising:

storing a netting apparatus at a stadium;

raising the netting apparatus from a stored configuration to a raised configuration in the stadium, wherein in the raised configuration, the netting apparatus is adapted for displaying advertising content to spectators, wherein the netting apparatus exhibits no visible wrinkles to spectators sitting in the stadium viewing the netting apparatus when the netting apparatus is raised from the stored configuration, further wherein the netting apparatus comprises;

a first panel comprising an open mesh netting, wherein the open mesh netting is adapted to safely stop a ball without significant obstruction of view through the open mesh netting; and

a second panel comprising a solid material, wherein the solid material comprises a nonwoven fabric, wherein the second panel is attached to the first panel and the second panel is located either in front of the first panel or behind the first panel,

wherein the open mesh netting is colored or painted with an image of a first logo and the solid material is colored or painted with an image of a second logo, wherein the first logo and the second logo include matching words or design and wherein the location of the first logo on the open mesh netting is in front of or behind the location of the second logo on the solid material and aligned therewith when the second panel is attached to the first panel; and

lowering the netting apparatus to the stored configuration, thereby removing the netting apparatus from the raised configuration.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is not significantly see-through, such that the spectators are not able to significantly view the sporting event or sports activities through the second panel when the second panel is in position.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the color of the colored portion of the open mesh netting and the color of the colored portion of the solid material is identical to enhance the visual appearance of the netting apparatus.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the storing, raising, and lowering steps are repeated multiple times throughout the entirety of the sporting event.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is a solid color which is a different color from a color of the open mesh netting.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second panel is attached to the first panel by sewing the second panel to the first panel.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the open mesh netting is painted on a first side and at least partially painted on a second side opposite the first side.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the netting apparatus further includes a third panel that is painted or colored similar to the first panel and the second panel.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the third panel comprises an open mesh netting that is attached to one of the first panel or the second panel.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the netting apparatus further includes a fourth panel that is painted or colored similar to the first panel and the second panel.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the fourth panel comprises an open mesh netting that is attached to one of the first panel, the second panel, or the third panel.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the open mesh netting is painted on a first side and at least partially painted on a second side opposite the first side.

12. A method for providing a sports blocking and display apparatus at a sporting event, the method comprising:

storing a netting apparatus in a stored configuration, wherein the netting apparatus is configured to be stored at a stadium;

raising the netting apparatus to a raised configuration, wherein in the raised configuration, the netting apparatus is adapted for displaying advertising content to spectators, wherein the netting apparatus exhibits no visible wrinkles to spectators viewing the netting apparatus when the netting apparatus is raised from the stored configuration, further wherein the netting apparatus comprises;

a first panel comprising an open mesh netting, wherein the open mesh netting is adapted to safely stop a ball without significant obstruction of view through the open mesh netting;

a second panel comprising a solid material, wherein the solid material comprises a nonwoven fabric, wherein the second panel is attached to the first panel and the second panel is located either in front of the first panel or behind the first panel;

a third panel that is painted or colored similar to the first panel and the second panel, wherein the third panel comprises an open mesh netting that is located in between the first panel and the second panel; and

a fourth panel that is painted or colored similar to the first panel and the second panel, wherein the fourth panel comprises an open mesh netting that is located in between the second panel and the third panel,

wherein the first panel is colored or painted with an image of a first logo, the solid material is colored or painted with an image of a second logo, the third panel is colored or painted with a third logo, and the fourth panel is colored or painted with a fourth logo, wherein the first logo, the second logo, the third logo, and the fourth logo include matching words or design and wherein the location of the first logo on the open mesh netting is in front of or behind the location of the second logo on the solid material and aligned therewith when the second panel is attached to the first panel, the third logo on the third panel is behind the location of the first logo on the open mesh netting and in front of the location of the second logo on the solid material, and the fourth logo on the fourth panel is behind the location of the third logo on the open mesh netting and in front of the location of the second logo on the solid material, and

further wherein the color of the colored portion of the open mesh netting, the color of the colored portion of the solid material, and the color of the colored portion of the third panel is identical to enhance the visual appearance of the netting apparatus; and

lowering the netting apparatus to the stored configuration, thereby removing the netting apparatus from the raised configuration.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the solid material is not significantly see-through, such that the spectators are not able to significantly view the sporting event or sports activities through the second panel when the second panel is in position.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the storing, raising, and lowering steps are repeated multiple times throughout the entirety of the sporting event.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the second panel is attached to the first panel by sewing the second panel to the first panel.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the third panel is attached to both the first panel and the second panel by sewing the third panel to the first panel and second panel.

18. A method for displaying advertising content at a sporting event, the method comprising:

storing a netting apparatus in a stored configuration, wherein the netting apparatus is configured to be stored at a stadium;

raising the netting apparatus to a raised configuration, wherein in the raised configuration, the netting apparatus is adapted for displaying advertising content to spectators, wherein the netting apparatus exhibits no visible wrinkles to spectators viewing the netting apparatus when the netting apparatus is raised from the stored configuration, further wherein the netting apparatus comprises;

a first panel comprising an open mesh netting, wherein the open mesh netting is adapted to safely stop a ball without significant obstruction of view through the open mesh netting; and

a second panel comprising a solid material, wherein the solid material comprises a nonwoven fabric, wherein the second panel is attached to the first panel by sewing the second panel to the first panel, and the second panel is located either in front of the first panel or behind the first panel, and further wherein the solid material is not significantly see-through, such that the spectators are not able to significantly view the sporting event or sports activities through the second panel when the second panel is in position,

wherein the open mesh netting is colored or painted with an image of a first logo and the solid material is colored or painted with an image of a second logo such that the color of the colored portion of the open mesh netting and the color of the colored portion of the solid material are identical to enhance the visual appearance of the netting apparatus, wherein the first logo and the second logo include matching words or design and wherein the location of the first logo on the open mesh netting is in front of or behind the location of the second logo on the solid material and aligned therewith when the second panel is attached to the first panel; and

lowering the netting apparatus to the stored configuration, thereby removing the netting apparatus from the raised configuration.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the open mesh netting is painted on a first side and at least partially painted on a second side opposite the first side.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the netting apparatus further includes a third panel that is painted or colored similar to the first panel and the second panel, wherein the third panel comprises an open mesh netting that is attached to one of the first panel or the second panel.