EP3683788B1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: EP3683788B1
Application number: EP19200569.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: James OMeara; John GALASSON
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-01-15
Filing date: 2019-09-30
Publication date: 2022-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-30
Also published as: EP3683788A1

Description

The present invention relates to a basketball net cover and to a method of making a basketball net cover.
Basketball is a common sport among youths and adults, alike. A basketball hoop is typically provided with a net. The net is typically constructed as a very wide mesh formed by cords tied at some regular spacing.
A typical basketball net may use a nylon cord of approximately 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) diameter. Typical cords are comprised of a bundle of individual strands enclosed within a braided sheath. Once the braided sheath has become damaged by tearing, abrasion, accidental ripping, or the like, the individual strands within the cord quickly become destroyed as well.
Basketball nets are sometimes placed outdoors. Sun and weather may take their toll on a basketball net which is not quick to dry. That is, a diameter of approximately 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) means that the central fibers of the cord in the net are 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) from a surface. Thinner materials would dry more quickly.
Thus, water would not be left in a net for a long period of time, if the net could be dried faster.
One principal cause of damage in basketball nets is rough play by users. For example, it is not uncommon for youngsters to grab the mesh of a net, or to hang from the net. Since a net is only supported at certain discrete locations, substantial strain and stress may be applied at those support points.
Likewise, such a combination of cords threaded over the thin hooks of a basketball hoop, and knots tied at periodic junctions in the net, produce stress concentrations in the cords and fibers of the net. A knotted, kinked, tightly constricted, or otherwise restricted cord may have a local stress concentration that effectively multiplies the load applied by a user hanging from a net. The result is that a net may be damaged more than is apparent.
A typical basketball net is a rather generic, nondescript item. Personalizing articles of clothing, particularly sportswear and athletic gear, with an individual's name, with the name of a school, or with the name of a commercial team, has long been recognized as a powerful marketing device. Owing to the nature of its construction, a typical basketball net is not adapted to receive a logo, marking, image, or the like. Whether a team is a high school team, a national franchise, or a local city league, its logo may have meaning to some population. Thus, the desirability of placing some form of logo or name on a basketball net may be very significant.
A meaningful image requires sufficient surface area to receive the image. Thus, although an image may have gaps, or be formed in a mosaic-type of structure, surface may visually predominate over intermediate voids or be sufficient for forming an aesthetically pleasing image.
DocumentUS5735760 discloses a basketball net in the form of a frustum of a cone made from knit fabric.
DocumentCA2122765 discloses a basketball safety funnel which can be attached to a basketball net.
It is desired to have a basketball net with detachable portions to allow for increased visibility of advertising or team logos, as well as a device which assists in directing the flight course of the ball.
The present invention relates to a basketball net assembly as defined in claim1 and a method of making a basketball net assembly as defined in claim 13.

Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of a backboard, with a basketball net attached, and a cover attached to a net, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 depicts a front view of the basketball net and the cover, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 depicts a front view of the cover, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 depicts a front view of the basketball net and the cover, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described.
Referring now toFIGS. 1-4, anet cover 100 is attached to aconventional basketball net 200, which is attached to aconventional basketball rim 300. Thebasketball rim 300 is attached to aconventional basketball backboard 400. Thebasketball net 200,rim 300, andbackboard 400 can be any configuration known in the art including but not limited to outdoor basketball backboard assemblies, indoor basketball backboard assemblies and miniature basketball backboard assemblies. The net 200,rim 300, andbackboard 400, are made of materials known in the art. The net 200 may be made from a suitable flexible and durable material. Therim 300 may be made from a high strength metal, and thebackboard 400 may be made from a high strength glass or plastic material. Thenet cover 100 provides a cover which both assists in the redirection of the ball upon entering the net as well as providing a decorative cover for thetypical basketball net 200.
In the depicted embodiment, thenet cover 100 is secured to the net 200 through theloops 202 of thenet 200 which are attached to therim 300. Thenet cover 100 has a plurality ofslots 102 which allow the passage of theloops 202 to pass through thenet cover 100. The plurality ofslots 102 are positioned to coincide with theloops 202 of thenet 200. This assists in the orientation of thenet cover 100, and also assists thenet cover 100 to have minimal affect on the net 200. In the depicted embodiment, thelower end 103 of thenet cover 100 does not come in contact with the net 200. In some embodiments, thelower end 103 of the net cover is attached to thenet 200. In some embodiments, thenet cover 100 is secured to the net 200 only at top end of the net 200 near therim 300. Each of theslots 102 are sized substantially the same, so that when theloops 202 pass through theslots 102, thenet cover 100 is substantially level across thetop edge 104. In one embodiment, theslots 102 width is one inch. In additional embodiments, theslots 102 are a different length depending upon the intended position of thenet cover 100 relative to the net 200. For example, if thenet cover 100 is preferred to sit higher on the net 200, theslots 102 are a shorter length.
Thenet cover 100 is made from a durable yet flexible material and have a plurality of small openings substantially distributed symmetrically across the entirety of thenet cover 100. This provides a semi-transparent cover of thenet 200 while also providing a larger surface to display various colors, words, logos, images, or the like which could be printed on the type of material used to create thenet cover 100. In the depicted embodiment, alogo 106 is positioned across the surface of thenet cover 100. In various embodiment, thelogo 106 may be placed in various positions to allow for viewing in a 360-degree environment. In some embodiments, thenet cover 100 is made from a plurality of materials and may have different layers or rings of materials in its construction. Thenet cover 100 may be made from flexible, durable materials that are easily cleaned, such as plastic, acetate, nylon, cotton fabric, and cotton-polyester blend fabric. In some embodiments, thenet cover 100 has a plurality ofstructural supports 107 integrated into the net cover. Thestructural supports 107 may be various rigid pieces that are secured to thenet cover 100. This may be metal or rigid plastics which are preformed to contour to the shape of thenet cover 100. In some embodiments, thestructural support 107 may provide support for thenet cover 100 to maintain a proper shape of thenet cover 100, but may be moveable when interacting with a ball. Thestructural supports 107 may be used to keep thenet cover 100 in a set position to reduce its interaction with the net 200. In other embodiments, thestructural supports 107 may be integrated into thenet cover 100 to assist with affecting the trajectory of the ball as it passes through the net 200. In some embodiments, this structural support is integrated into thehem 105 of thenet cover 100. In other embodiments, the structural support extends from thetop edge 104 to thebottom edge 103.
The length of thenet cover 100 is dependent upon the desired imagery to be displayed so that it is visible from a predetermined distance. In the depicted embodiment, thenet cover 100 covers the upper portion of the net 200. The length of thenet cover 100 is designed to substantially follow the contour of the net 200 so as to not interfere with players reaching upwards towards therim 300.
Thetop edge 104 of thenet cover 100 has a circumference larger than but similar to that of the top rung of the net 200. This allows thenet cover 100 to have little effect on the openings and tension of the net 200. Thebottom edge 103 has a second circumference. In some embodiments, the second circumference is less than that of the top edge circumference, but greater than the circumference of the bottom end of the net 200. In some embodiments, vertical supports are positioned from thetop edge 104 to thebottom edge 103 to increase the rigidity of thenet cover 100. In some embodiments, thenet cover 100 has a linear exterior surface relative to thetop edge 104 and thebottom edge 103. In additional embodiments, thenet cover 100 may have a curved or contoured exterior surface to substantially mimic that of the net 200.
In some embodiments, thetop edge 104 and/or thebottom edge 103 may be hemmed 105. The hemmed design assists in improving the strength of thetop edge 104, as well as improving the aesthetics of thenet cover 100. Dependent upon the length of the overlap of the hemmed region, twoslots 102 cut into thenet cover 100 in predetermined locations, so that when the top or bottom edge is folded over and hemmed, theslots 102 substantially line up. In some embodiments, the top or bottom edge is hemmed and then the slot openings are cut through the double layered fabric to allow for passage of the net 200. In the depicted embodiment, both thetop edge 104 and thebottom edge 103 are hemmed.
Thenet cover 100 in some instances may assist in directing the trajectory of the ball through the net 200. In some embodiments, thenet cover 100 is designed to create minimal resistance with the ball once it passes below therim 300 and comes in contact with the net 200. In other embodiments, thenet cover 100 is designed to affect the trajectory of the ball once it comes in contact with the net 200, by reducing the amount of displacement or stretching of the net 200 by the force of the ball, and thereby assisting in directing the ball to exit the net 200 substantially directly down a center axis of the net 200. This is beneficial when the invention is used in a public area or by a road so that the ball does exit the net and travel into the street and potentially harm someone. The ball would preferably exit the net 200 straight down to the ground below the net 200. In some embodiments, wherein thestructural supports 107 are integrated into the net to assist in directing the ball substantially perpendicular to thebackboard 400, and back to the player.
Due to the net cover's 100 different physical properties from the net 200, the ball may interact differently with thenet cover 100. The flexibility of thenet cover 100 may be less than that of the net 200. In additional embodiments, thenet cover 100 may be reinforced with additional material to increase the strength and decrease the flexibility of thenet cover 100. Such as slow the movement of the ball. This may be beneficial to allow for easier retrieval of the ball once a basket has been made. This increases the safety of the game because if a ball at a high-speed pass through thehoop 300, the net 200 is unlikely to slow or redirect the ball sufficiently enough. Thenet cover 100 further assists with direction of the ball and reducing the speed at which the ball travels. This increases the safety of the game because the players, will anticipate where the ball will go after a basket is made regardless of the angle, speed, or direction of the shot.
In the depicted embodiment, thenet cover 100 is comprised of a single piece of material, wherein theslots 102 are cut through the material at the predetermined location, predetermined number, and predetermined width. In embodiments, where thehem 105 is incorporated into the design,slots 102 are cut a predetermined distance from the top of the material, the material is folded, so that theslots 102 align distal to the newly formedtop edge 104 is folded over so that theslots 102 align, and the folded section is secured to thenet cover 100. In the depicted embodiment, thebottom edge 103 is also folded and secured to improve the longevity of thenet cover 100. In additional embodiments, portions of thenet cover 100 may have additional fabric, material, coatings, or reinforcement to increase the longevity of thenet cover 100 where it is likely to come in contact with the basketball or other object. For example, along the interior surface of thenet cover 100 which is closed to thebackboard 400, there may be an additional piece of material that has a greater strength than thenet cover 100.
In additional embodiments, thenet cover 100 may be comprised of a plurality of different pieces of fabric or material.
While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A basketball net assembly, comprising:
a basketball net (200); and
a net cover (100) attached to the basketball net (200);
wherein the net cover (100) comprises a sheet of fabric having a top end, a bottom end, a first edge, and a second edge;
wherein at the top end a plurality of openings (102) are positioned a predetermined distance from one another and are each of a predetermined length to allow a loop (202) of the basketball net (200) to pass therethrough;
wherein when the first edge and the second edge are secured together a frustum of a cone is formed wherein a top edge (104) at the top end has a first circumference and a bottom edge (103) at the bottom end has a second circumference.
The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first circumference is that which is substantially similar to that of a basketball rim.
The assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second circumference is less than the first circumference, but larger than the circumference of a lower end of the basketball net.
The assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising a hem along the top end, wherein the top edge is formed, and the plurality of openings are positioned distal to the top edge.
The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the sheet of fabric is comprised of multiple pieces of fabric.
The assembly of claim 5, wherein the multiple pieces of fabric are of different materials.
The assembly of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sheet of fabric is made from a knitted material, wherein the knitted material has a predetermined elasticity property.
The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the sheet of fabric has a plurality of small openings substantially distributed symmetrically across the entirety of the sheet of fabric, wherein the sheet of fabric is semi-transparent.
The assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising at least one structural support (107) integrated with the sheet of fabric
The assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one structural support is made of rigid material.
The assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one structural support extends from the top edge to the bottom edge.
The assembly of claim 10, wherein the at last one structure support extends around at least the circumference of the top end.
A method of making a basketball net assembly, comprising:
providing a sheet of fabric having a top end, a bottom end, a first edge, and a second edge;
forming a net cover (100) from the sheet of fabric, wherein when the first edge and the second edge are secured together a frustum of a cone is formed, wherein a top edge (104) at the top end has a first circumference and a bottom edge (103) at the bottom end has a second circumference;
creating a plurality of openings (102) at the top end of the formed net cover, wherein the plurality of openings are positioned a predetermined distance from one another and are each of a predetermined length;
connecting the net cover to a basketball net (200) by passing loops (202) of the basketball net (200) respectively through the plurality of openings (102); and
connecting the basketball net (200) with the net cover (100) to a hoop.
The method of claim 13, further comprising integrating a plurality of structural supports (107) into the formed net cover extending from the top end to the bottom end at predetermined positions along the first circumference.
The method of claim 13, further comprising integrating a plurality of structural supports (107) into the formed net distal to at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge.