US20080312002A1 - Portable adjustable boundary lines - Google Patents

Abstract

Our invention creates portable adjustable boundary lines for any ground surface. These boundary lines create portable adjustable fields, by attaching the webbing lines to lightweight sandbags that can be laid out by anyone on any desired playing surface. Any coach, player, or parent can use this invention to establish a field, a training grid, or a playing area for any sport such as, but not limited to, soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, hockey and baseball. These fields can be created on any ground surface such as grass, synthetic or artificial turf, indoor gymnasium, asphalt, concrete and sand.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• A provisional application was filed on Jun. 18, 2007 with regards to this present nonprovisional application. The application number for that application was 60/934,839
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• Throughout the years, individuals have utilized many ways to establish boundary lines. At the amateur level, players mark boundary lines and goals with any imaginable apparatus—shoes, cans, sticks, bags, etc. As the level of competition increases, coaches use painted lines, cones, posts, and flags to determine the playing area. At the organized competitive level, most sports determine the dimension of their playing field by using permanent lines.
• Generally, boundaries lines are permanently marked on the playing surface for the desired activity. Various approaches are used to mark a boundary lines for a sporting event. Hockey's boundary is established by glass boards; baseball boundaries are distinguished by permanent lines and a outfield wall or fence that determine homeruns; soccer, football and basketball use permanent marked lines to determine their respective perimeters. Prior inventions used different methods and approaches to demark the boundary lines. One method utilizes an apparatus that is embedded in the ground with the cushioning member exposed at the ground level having side walls and an open top face. (Eiden U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,059). A soccer court was created with an enclosed wall with goal openings in the end walls. (Cagle—U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,109). Yet another invention marks lines with a cable that locates particular yards on athletic fields and runs chalk lines from one side of the field to the other at the specified yardage. (Millburn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,921).
• Subsequently, boundary lines were inserted into the ground to determine the playing area. Boundary lines, consisting of cord with pennants or flags permanently attached to the cord, lay on the grounds with stakes or anchoring device. (Frederick, U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,416). A portable demarcating apparatus which has demarcation elements with corner loops. Stakes or spike device are used to anchor the demarcation to the ground. (Raub, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,243) Demarcating a region using a plurality of posts inserted into the ground, a connecting means, and/or pennants that are elevated above the ground to make the regions highly visible (Kenney, U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,689) and the use of decorative border fence system compromising a ground anchor, vertical posts fitted into the ground, so that chain links interconnect from vertical posts. (Rybak, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,601). Finally, a device was created that contained a plurality of lines and stakes inserted into the aligned guide. (Viens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,383) and the portability of the lines was improved by allowing the boundary lines to be unwound by a specifically constructed spool and hooks to hold the portable sports court boundary in place. (Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,359).
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The difference between our invention and prior ones is the ease of portability and adjustability of the boundary lines. Previous devices make it difficult to transport and adjust boundary lines to accommodate a particular sport or a particular training session within a particular sport. The previous devices use stakes that are inserted into the ground that only allow it to be used on soft surfaces. The lines used for demarcation are pre set and do not allow for easy adjustability. Accomplishing both portability and adjustability is made easy with this device.
• The previous products also provide for an anchoring device that is much heavier and cumbersome, such as a barbell weight, making adjustability very difficult. Our invention's anchoring device is lightweight and easy to manipulate for multiple field dimensional adjustments. The lightweight sandbags are easily placed on the marking lines, are easily attach, and ensure the preservation of any playing surface because there is no need to penetrate the ground or permanently mark the playing surface.
• In addition, the prior inventions use insertion devices to mark their demarcating regions allowing their use to be only for penetrable surfaces. Our device, on the other hand, consist of lightweight sandbags that permit the user to create boundary on any desired playing surface—such as grass, synthetic or artificial turf, indoor gymnasium, asphalt, concrete and sand. Furthermore, this adjustable marking device can be easily assembled and adjusted by anyone for multiple uses and storage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
• Figure I shows the perspective view of the portable adjustable boundary lines;
• Figure II shows the bottom view of the lightweight sandbag with its Velcro lining;
• Figure III illustrates the webbing material with its Velcro straps;
• Figure IV demonstrates the attachment of the webbing material to the bottom of the lightweight sandbag.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Figure I shows the perspective view of the adjustable boundary lines. This figure shows the complete layout of our portable adjustable boundary lines of four flat webbing materials and sandbags that creates playing boundaries. This invention requires the use of lightweight sandbags (1) and flat webbing lines (2) in order to design the boundary lines. The webbing line has numerous Velcro strap (3), that allow adjustments (4) every five yards and when the desired size is established the Velcro strap attaches to the bottom of the sandbag (5). The attachment can be adjusted to create any desirable shape and size. These fields can be created on any ground surface such as grass, synthetic or artificial turf, indoor gymnasium, asphalt, concrete and sand.
• In order for this invention to have stability and adjustment our customized lightweight sandbags are essential. Figure II shows the bottom view of the lightweight sandbag (1) and its Velcro lining (5). The sandbag is 4″×4″ and weighs one (1) pound. The sandbag is a lightweight anchor that gives the adjustable boundary lines its stability. The bottom of the sandbag is covered by a Velcro lining. The Velcro lining is 4″×4″ and it allows any Velcro strap from the flat webbing rope to attach to the sandbag.
• Figure III shows the webbing line and the Velcro straps. The webbing line (2) has 1″ wide and has a length of 20 yards. The Velcro strap (3) has 1″ width×2″ length. The Velcro strap is permanently placed on the webbing line so that it can easily attach to the sandbag. Also, the distance between the Velcro straps (4) on the webbing line is 5 yards between each Velcro strap. The reason for this distance is for the user to easily adjust the webbing lines to any desired size.
• Figure IV illustrates that attachment of the webbing material to the bottom of the sandbag. The lightweight sandbag (1) has a Velcro lining (5) that is permanently attached to the bottom of the sandbag. Once the webbing line (2) is laid out on the ground, the sandbag is attached on the webbing's Velcro strap (3).

Claims (3)

1. The adjustable marking device will provide enhance training sessions for any desired sport by allowing the user to easily create and adjust the boundary lines to accommodate his/her training regimen according to the age of the players and number of the player participating in the event.

2. An adjustable marking device that creates a portable playing area on any ground surface such as grass, synthetic or artificial turf, gymnasium, asphalt, concrete and sand, for any sport such as, but not limited to, soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, hockey and baseball.

3. The adjustable marking device is made of durable webbing elements and lightweight sandbags:

a. the durable webbing material creates boundary lines that are easily assembled and can be adjusted as desired;

b. said webbing material contains Velcro straps, every 5 yard apart, so that the boundary lines can attach and adjust to each other to create any desired size and shape of the playing perimeters;

c. the webbing material uses the lightweight small sandbags that are placed on the webbing's Velcro strap once the desired size is met;

d. The lightweight sandbags contain a Velcro lining that allows attachment to the webbing's Velcro straps; purposely, the lightweight sandbag provides stability because the sandbag fastens the boundary lines to the playing surface so that the webbing lines are firmly attached to the desired ground.

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