EP0340027A2 - Portable net support assembly for racket and ball games - Google Patents
Portable net support assembly for racket and ball games Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0340027A2 EP0340027A2 EP89304283A EP89304283A EP0340027A2 EP 0340027 A2 EP0340027 A2 EP 0340027A2 EP 89304283 A EP89304283 A EP 89304283A EP 89304283 A EP89304283 A EP 89304283A EP 0340027 A2 EP0340027 A2 EP 0340027A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- posts
- net
- assembly
- strut
- racket
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B61/00—Tennis nets or accessories for tennis or like games, e.g. volley-ball
- A63B61/02—Posts; Revolvably-mounted posts ; Straining or adjusting devices on the posts, e.g. coin- or time operated
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B61/00—Tennis nets or accessories for tennis or like games, e.g. volley-ball
- A63B61/04—Straining or adjusting devices for nets, e.g. centre strainers, single-double adjusters, net height meters
Definitions
- This invention relates to a portable net support assembly for racket and ball games. It has particular but not exclusive application, to tennis nets, especialy for use in playing the lawn tennis based games of Short or Compact Tennis (Trade Marks).
- the posts which support tennis and like racket and ball game nets are usually permanently anchored (eg. in concrete) to oppose the bending movements applied thereto by the nets when the latter are tensioned to the required height for play.
- the posts may be releasably received in sockets but the whole support net assembly is not portable. Attempts to provide a portable racket and ball game net support assembly have not been successful to date.
- the present invention provides a portable net support assembly for a racket and ball game, said assembly including: a pair of self-supporting posts for standing on a playing court surface and strut means interconnecting the posts and spaced above the supporting court surface; characterised in that foot means depend from the strut means intermediate said posts to contact the court surface so as to act as a fulcrum to oppose bending movements applied to the posts upon tensioning a net between said posts.
- the invention also provides a portable net assembly for a racket and ball game comprising a portable net support assembly of the invention and a net supported by and extending between the posts thereof.
- At least one of the posts will include winding means for tensioning a net between the posts.
- the posts have detachable feet and/or are tubular to enable them to be filled with ballast, eg. sand.
- ballast eg. sand.
- each post has a horizontal arm adjacent its lower end and is braced by an oblique member interconnecting the post upright and said arm.
- the horizontal arms will form part of or be connected to the strut means.
- the strut means preferably is collapsible and comprises two or more telescopically or otherwise axially connectable members, especially tubular members.
- the horizontal arms, if present can be integral with the terminal members of the collapsible strut means.
- net engaging means for example hooks are provided at spaced intervals along the strut means to secure the net thereto.
- net-engaging means are provided on each of the strut members.
- the assembly comprises a pair of posts 10, 11, each having a tubular upright 12, a horizontal arm 13 and an oblique brace 14 interconnecting said upright and arm.
- a winding mechanism 15 (with a rachet) is mounted on one post 10 and an anchor hook 16 is provided on the other post 11.
- Lower net cord hooks 17 are provided on the arms 13.
- Each post has a detachable foot 18 of hollow box section closed by end caps 19 and a peg 20 received in frictional engagement in the lower ends of the post upright 12.
- the feet 18 may be filled with ballast, eg. sand, if so desired.
- the arms 13 are joined by a strut formed of six tubular members 19-24 interconnected by suitable male/female friction couplings. As shown in FIG. 1 the tubular members are aligned with (and connected to) the arms 13 and are spaced above the court surface.
- a foot 25 is formed integrally with tubular section 21 and contacts the court surface.
- the support assembly and net become balanced in tension when the net is at the correct playing height. If further tension is applied to the net to raise it further, this will tend to overload the tubular sections and they will tend to bow in the horizontal direction, indicating that too much tension has been applied to the net.
- the support assemblies can be used for tennis, volley, or badminton or other racket and ball sports.
- One particularly suitable application is for the tennis-based game operating under the Trade Mark "COMPACT TENNIS", in which case the posts will be 80-100 cms high and spaced 6-8 m apart.
- the support assembly can be compactly packed for transport and easily assembled on site (and disassembled and packed for further transport).
- winding mechanism 15 can be replaced by one located within the post 12 in the manner of a conventional tennis net support post.
- hooks 17 can be, and preferably are, provided on each strut member 19-24.
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
- Toys (AREA)
- Special Chairs (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to a portable net support assembly for racket and ball games. It has particular but not exclusive application, to tennis nets, especialy for use in playing the lawn tennis based games of Short or Compact Tennis (Trade Marks).
- The posts which support tennis and like racket and ball game nets are usually permanently anchored (eg. in concrete) to oppose the bending movements applied thereto by the nets when the latter are tensioned to the required height for play. In certain installations, the posts may be releasably received in sockets but the whole support net assembly is not portable. Attempts to provide a portable racket and ball game net support assembly have not been successful to date.
- The present invention provides a portable net support assembly for a racket and ball game, said assembly including:
a pair of self-supporting posts for standing on a playing court surface and
strut means interconnecting the posts and spaced above the supporting court surface;
characterised in that foot means depend from the strut means intermediate said posts to contact the court surface so as to act as a fulcrum to oppose bending movements applied to the posts upon tensioning a net between said posts. - The invention also provides a portable net assembly for a racket and ball game comprising a portable net support assembly of the invention and a net supported by and extending between the posts thereof.
- Usually, at least one of the posts will include winding means for tensioning a net between the posts.
- Preferably, the posts have detachable feet and/or are tubular to enable them to be filled with ballast, eg. sand.
- Suitably each post has a horizontal arm adjacent its lower end and is braced by an oblique member interconnecting the post upright and said arm. Usually, the horizontal arms will form part of or be connected to the strut means.
- In order to facilitate storage and transport, the strut means preferably is collapsible and comprises two or more telescopically or otherwise axially connectable members, especially tubular members. In this case, the horizontal arms, if present can be integral with the terminal members of the collapsible strut means.
- Preferably, net engaging means, for example hooks are provided at spaced intervals along the strut means to secure the net thereto. When the strut means is collapsible, it is especially preferred that net-engaging means are provided on each of the strut members.
- The following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:-
- FIG. 1 shows a net support assembly, as assembled, with a net shown in dashed lines; and
- FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the components of said assembly.
- The assembly comprises a pair of
posts horizontal arm 13 and anoblique brace 14 interconnecting said upright and arm. - A winding mechanism 15 (with a rachet) is mounted on one
post 10 and ananchor hook 16 is provided on theother post 11. Lowernet cord hooks 17 are provided on thearms 13. - Each post has a
detachable foot 18 of hollow box section closed byend caps 19 and apeg 20 received in frictional engagement in the lower ends of the post upright 12. Thefeet 18 may be filled with ballast, eg. sand, if so desired. - The
arms 13 are joined by a strut formed of six tubular members 19-24 interconnected by suitable male/female friction couplings. As shown in FIG. 1 the tubular members are aligned with (and connected to) thearms 13 and are spaced above the court surface. Afoot 25 is formed integrally withtubular section 21 and contacts the court surface. - When a
net 26 is attached to theposts winding mechanism 15 is operated, the tension in atop cord 27 of the net 26 tends to pull theuprights 12 inwardly (and would do so if the posts were not restrained). - The pivotal movement of the
posts feet 18 is opposed by gravitational movement as the posts seek to pivot upwardly about thefoot 25, the tubular members being rigid under tension. - The support assembly and net become balanced in tension when the net is at the correct playing height. If further tension is applied to the net to raise it further, this will tend to overload the tubular sections and they will tend to bow in the horizontal direction, indicating that too much tension has been applied to the net.
- As stated above, the tension in the net will tend to pull the posts upwardly and inwardly but as this movement must be about the
foot 25 as a fulcrum, the weight of theposts - By varying the dimensions the support assemblies can be used for tennis, volley, or badminton or other racket and ball sports. One particularly suitable application is for the tennis-based game operating under the Trade Mark "COMPACT TENNIS", in which case the posts will be 80-100 cms high and spaced 6-8 m apart.
- As the components can be made from eg. tubular steel, aluminium or plastics material and the components are easily coupled together, the support assembly can be compactly packed for transport and easily assembled on site (and disassembled and packed for further transport).
- It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the particular details described above with reference to the presently preferred embodiment and that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, the
winding mechanism 15 can be replaced by one located within thepost 12 in the manner of a conventional tennis net support post. Further,hooks 17 can be, and preferably are, provided on each strut member 19-24.
Claims (8)
a pair of self-supporting posts for standing on a playing court surface and
strut means interconnecting the posts and spaced above the supporting court surface;
characterised in that foot means (25) depend from the strut means (19-24) intermediate said posts (10, 11) to contact the court surface so as to act as a fulcrum to oppose bending movements applied to the posts upon tensioning a net (26) between said posts.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU7988/88 | 1988-04-29 | ||
AUPI798888 | 1988-04-29 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0340027A2 true EP0340027A2 (en) | 1989-11-02 |
EP0340027A3 EP0340027A3 (en) | 1990-10-10 |
EP0340027B1 EP0340027B1 (en) | 1994-03-02 |
Family
ID=3773051
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19890304283 Expired - Lifetime EP0340027B1 (en) | 1988-04-29 | 1989-04-28 | Portable net support assembly for racket and ball games |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0340027B1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU616007B2 (en) |
DE (1) | DE68913335T2 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU637566B1 (en) * | 1992-08-26 | 1993-05-27 | ||
US5393051A (en) * | 1992-06-30 | 1995-02-28 | Forster Inc. | Adjustable net |
DE19530061A1 (en) * | 1995-08-16 | 1997-02-20 | Erhard Leonhard Soehne | Base socket for beach volley ball net support |
CN104117192A (en) * | 2014-08-12 | 2014-10-29 | 韩三喜 | Portable net post pile of badminton court |
FR3020278A1 (en) * | 2014-04-25 | 2015-10-30 | Stephane Descoubes | BALL OR FLYING DEVICE COMPRISING THROUGHPUT THREAD AND INTEGRATED FLOOR MARKING |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3998455A (en) * | 1975-02-18 | 1976-12-21 | National Associates (U.S.A.) Inc. | Free standing portable and knockdown tennis net supporting system |
US4274632A (en) * | 1977-10-21 | 1981-06-23 | Jacobs Brian J | Supporting means for nets and the like for sporting activities |
FR2551982A1 (en) * | 1983-09-19 | 1985-03-22 | Razny Jean Marie | Portable goal for football games |
DE8704887U1 (en) * | 1987-04-02 | 1987-05-27 | Potutschnig, Wolfgang |
-
1989
- 1989-04-28 AU AU33754/89A patent/AU616007B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1989-04-28 EP EP19890304283 patent/EP0340027B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1989-04-28 DE DE1989613335 patent/DE68913335T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3998455A (en) * | 1975-02-18 | 1976-12-21 | National Associates (U.S.A.) Inc. | Free standing portable and knockdown tennis net supporting system |
US4274632A (en) * | 1977-10-21 | 1981-06-23 | Jacobs Brian J | Supporting means for nets and the like for sporting activities |
FR2551982A1 (en) * | 1983-09-19 | 1985-03-22 | Razny Jean Marie | Portable goal for football games |
DE8704887U1 (en) * | 1987-04-02 | 1987-05-27 | Potutschnig, Wolfgang |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
Tennis Magazine, No. 1/2, January 1979, page 22, page 22, whole article "Von HASPO: Transportable Netzpfosten". * |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5393051A (en) * | 1992-06-30 | 1995-02-28 | Forster Inc. | Adjustable net |
AU637566B1 (en) * | 1992-08-26 | 1993-05-27 | ||
DE19530061A1 (en) * | 1995-08-16 | 1997-02-20 | Erhard Leonhard Soehne | Base socket for beach volley ball net support |
DE19530061C2 (en) * | 1995-08-16 | 1998-01-29 | Erhard Leonhard Soehne | Post bracket for a volleyball net |
FR3020278A1 (en) * | 2014-04-25 | 2015-10-30 | Stephane Descoubes | BALL OR FLYING DEVICE COMPRISING THROUGHPUT THREAD AND INTEGRATED FLOOR MARKING |
CN104117192A (en) * | 2014-08-12 | 2014-10-29 | 韩三喜 | Portable net post pile of badminton court |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU616007B2 (en) | 1991-10-17 |
DE68913335D1 (en) | 1994-04-07 |
DE68913335T2 (en) | 1994-09-29 |
EP0340027A3 (en) | 1990-10-10 |
EP0340027B1 (en) | 1994-03-02 |
AU3375489A (en) | 1989-11-02 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US5244213A (en) | Portable sports goal | |
EP0595815B1 (en) | Net support structure | |
US5562288A (en) | Portable elastic sports goal | |
US5273292A (en) | Portable soccer goal | |
US4407507A (en) | Portable soccer goal | |
US4274632A (en) | Supporting means for nets and the like for sporting activities | |
US6287220B1 (en) | Soccer practice return net | |
US4809988A (en) | Goal apparatus | |
US5308083A (en) | Rebounding portable soccer goal and method of use | |
US6099419A (en) | Interchangeable ball-practice trainer | |
JPS63272363A (en) | Training apparatus | |
US20030098545A1 (en) | Gaming apparatus and method for play thereof | |
US20050090336A1 (en) | Poolside goal system | |
US20020169052A1 (en) | Portable climbing wall | |
US3980299A (en) | Tennis game apparatus kit | |
GB2573985A (en) | Sports ball rebound and boundary system | |
EP0340027B1 (en) | Portable net support assembly for racket and ball games | |
US20040214665A1 (en) | Portable multi-functional ball game apparatus | |
US4010951A (en) | Portable support frame for a tennis net | |
CA2297302A1 (en) | Portable punching balloon support | |
US6261196B1 (en) | Releasable/break-away sports goal | |
US20030096684A1 (en) | Structure for practicing the acrobatic and ludic form of sport | |
US3998455A (en) | Free standing portable and knockdown tennis net supporting system | |
EP0758916A1 (en) | Portable equipment for the realization of sports nets | |
AU664065B2 (en) | Portable net support assembly |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): BE DE ES FR GB IT NL SE |
|
PUAL | Search report despatched |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A3 Designated state(s): BE DE ES FR GB IT NL SE |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 19910409 |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 19920324 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): BE DE ES FR GB IT NL SE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT;WARNING: LAPSES OF ITALIAN PATENTS WITH EFFECTIVE DATE BEFORE 2007 MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE 2007. THE CORRECT EFFECTIVE DATE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE RECORDED. Effective date: 19940302 Ref country code: ES Free format text: THE PATENT HAS BEEN ANNULLED BY A DECISION OF A NATIONAL AUTHORITY Effective date: 19940302 Ref country code: NL Effective date: 19940302 Ref country code: SE Free format text: THE PATENT HAS BEEN ANNULLED BY A DECISION OF A NATIONAL AUTHORITY Effective date: 19940302 Ref country code: BE Effective date: 19940302 |
|
REF | Corresponds to: |
Ref document number: 68913335 Country of ref document: DE Date of ref document: 19940407 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Payment date: 19940429 Year of fee payment: 6 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: DE Payment date: 19940614 Year of fee payment: 6 |
|
ET | Fr: translation filed | ||
NLV1 | Nl: lapsed or annulled due to failure to fulfill the requirements of art. 29p and 29m of the patents act | ||
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
26N | No opposition filed | ||
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Payment date: 19950512 Year of fee payment: 7 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Effective date: 19951229 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: DE Effective date: 19960103 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: ST |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Effective date: 19960428 |
|
GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19960428 |