CN104884136A - Portable device for game of skill - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable device (10) for a game of skill that consists in passing an object through a target, comprising: - a board (12) having a front face (18) and a rear face (20); - a target (14) having a through-hole (28) defining an axis (A) and through which the object can pass, said target being fixed to the board by a hinge (38) such that the portable device can either take up a folded position, in which the target is flapped against the front face (18) of the board, or a deployed position, in which the target extends transversely with respect to the board; - fixing means (16) that are designed to allow the portable device to be fixed to a mounting. The invention is characterized in that at least one of the elements selected from the board (12) and the target (14) is formed by a layer of hard plastics material being joined to a layer of foam.

Description

Portable devices for games of skill

technical field

The present invention provides a portable device for a game of skill. A particular application of the invention is playing basketball or any other sporting activity, outdoors or indoors, that involves passing an object such as a ball through a target.

Background technique

Playing basketball requires specific equipment, in particular a backboard that carries the hoop, is mounted on a vertical support such as a post or a wall and is positioned several meters above the ground, which can complicate or even limit the opportunities to play the game.

Also known are mobile basketball backboards, which are adapted to be fitted to various stands in order to be able to play in various situations.

One such mobile basketball backboard is described inter alia in document US5813929, which discloses a portable device for a game of skill involving passing objects through targets, the device comprising: a board having a front surface and a rear surface; an object comprising a through-opening defining an axis through which an object can pass, the object being fastened to the plate by a hinge so that the portable device can assume both a folded state and an unfolded state in which the object The object is folded against the front surface of the board, in said unfolded state, the target object extends laterally relative to the board, furthermore, the portable device includes fastening means configured to enable the portable device to be fastened to stand.

The problem with this type of portable device is that its structure and its dimensions make its overall size and its weight quite large in the folded state, thereby greatly impairing its portability. Furthermore, since the user may hit the board or the target during the game phase, the stiffness of its various components (needed to hold the target in a stable manner while also helping the ball bounce off the board) allows the user to Risk of injury when touching the device. Furthermore, the fastening tool is configured to enable the device to be fastened to a limited number of brackets, thereby further reducing the chances of using the device.

Contents of the invention

The present invention seeks, among other things, to solve the above-mentioned various problems by proposing a portable device for playing games of skill that can be quickly and securely mounted on any type of stand and has features that facilitate transport and stowage of the device. Weight and compactness without compromising the gaming qualities users expect. Furthermore, the device must have strength characteristics suitable to limit the risk of degradation inherent in its use.

This object is achieved in that the invention provides a portable device in which at least one of the elements selected from the board and the object is constructed by assembling together a layer of hard material and a layer of foam.

The hard material is preferably a plastic material.

The device is therefore particularly lightweight thanks to the foam layer, which makes it easy to transport. Furthermore, the presence of the foam layer serves to limit any risk that a user may suffer injury when touching the device. In addition, the presence of a layer of hard material such as a plastic material ensures that the device can be fastened to the bracket in a stable manner and that objects such as a ball bounce properly against the front surface of the board, also that the shape of the through-opening in the target is constant . It will thus be appreciated that the foam layer and the hard material layer can provide a lightweight portable device with unimpaired gaming qualities.

Furthermore, by combining a hard material such as a plastic material with a foam layer to form a portable device, the hinges that secure the object to the board can be made resilient. In particular, it is possible to apply traction to the target so that it forms an angle with respect to the plate much greater than 90° without risk of breaking the hinge; moreover, the presence of the foam layer enables the target to return elastically once the traction ceases. its expanded state.

The invention is explained in detail below in terms of a set of embodiment variants which can be considered individually or in combination with one or more variants of the preceding embodiments.

Advantageously, the target also includes braking means configured to brake the item when it passes through the through-opening.

The braking means enables items that are thrown traveling at significant speed to bounce off the board and pass through the target without violently returning toward the user or others near the portable device, or away from the space belonging to the game.

Advantageously, the target comprises an inflatable element.

With this arrangement, the light weight of the object and thus of the portable device is further improved, making the device easy to transport.

Preferably, the inflatable element is inflatable. Therefore, in the folded state, the device occupies a limited space.

Advantageously, the target is constituted by assembling a layer of foam having a bottom surface and a top surface with a layer of hard material fastened to the bottom surface.

The layer of hard material present on the bottom surface of the foam layer serves to maintain the shape and size of the through-opening formed in the object. Furthermore, in the folded state, the bottom surface of the object faces the outside of the device, thereby imparting significant strength to the device so that it can be stowed without damage (eg, due to being placed under other items).

Advantageously, the layers of foam and rigid plastic material assembled together form an annulus.

By this shape, the loop has no sharp edges that could injure the user, damage the front surface of the panel in the folded state, or make it more difficult for any type of item to pass through the target when in the unfolded state. Additionally, the through opening is circular in shape, preferably suitable for playing basketball.

Preferably, the annulus has a top and a bottom arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the through-opening, the top and bottom respectively being formed by a layer of foam and a layer of hard material.

With this feature, when the user grabs the target to pass the ball through the through opening, that is, when performing a dunk, the user comes into contact with the top made of foam so that there is no risk of injury. In addition, in the folded state, the top made of foam rests against the front surface of the board in order to avoid damaging the board or scratching its surface.

Advantageously, the braking means comprise a plurality of flexible flaps protruding from the periphery of the ring and partially covering the through opening.

by being arranged across the through-opening, the flexible flap serves to slow the passage of the item through the target by means of friction exerted by a flexible flap for braking the item before it has completely passed through the through-opening, This allows the item to be reacquired by the user.

Advantageously, the flexible flap extends transversely, preferably perpendicularly, with respect to the axis defined by the through opening. Thus, in the folded state, the compactness of the device is not impaired by the presence of the flexible flap.

Preferably, the flexible flap is made of the same material as the foam layer making up the annulus.

Preferably, the target and the braking means form a single part.

With this structure, the flexible trap does not present a risk of injury to the user; moreover, the flexibility of the trap is improved, since there is no risk of objects being deflected when they come into contact with the flexible trap, which impairs the quality of the game played with the portable device. In addition, there is no risk of the flexible flap being separated from the target.

Advantageously, the flexible flap comprises a plurality of through holes. One advantage is making them more flexible.

Advantageously, the panel is constructed by assembling together a layer of foam and a layer of hard material.

Preferably, the front surface consists of a layer of hard material and the rear surface consists of a layer of foam.

With this arrangement, the rear surface can closely adapt to the roughness of the stand on which the portable device is fastened, thereby limiting the risk of instability that could impair the performance of the game of skill. In addition, the presence of a layer of hard material on the front surface allows thrown items to bounce off the board with a predictable behavior so as not to impair the quality of play.

Advantageously, the panel is constructed by assembling together layers of foam arranged between two layers of rigid material.

Due to the presence of the foam layer, the device is light in weight and thus transportability is improved. In addition, the presence of a layer of hard material on the rear surface enables the device to be protected from damage when it is in the folded state, for example when being transported or put away.

Advantageously, the foam extends at the periphery of the plate.

Advantageously, the periphery is convex.

With these arrangements, there is no risk of injury to the user when touching the device; moreover, there is no risk of damage to the stand to which the device is fastened when the device is in use.

Advantageously, the plate comprises a through slot and the fastening means comprises a tie arranged in the slot.

The presence of the slot enables the fastening tool to be firmly mounted to the device in order to enable the device to be fastened to any type of bracket in a stable and strong manner.

Advantageously, the hard material is a plastic material.

Preferably, the plastic material is polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Advantageously, the foam is made of polyethylene.

Advantageously, the foam is a polyurethane foam or a foam of the ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) type.

Thus, by combining layers of rigid material and foam, it is ensured that the various parts of the device are rigid, lightweight and flexible, while complying with the requirements of cost, speed and ease of manufacture.

Preferably, the top surface of the target and the top surface of the hinge are covered with foam when the portable device is in the unfolded state.

With this arrangement, the top surface of the hinge and the top surface of the target do not present any risk of injury to the user.

Advantageously, the dimensions of the board and the target are such that the target is located within the board when the portable device is in its folded state.

Preferably, the span of the panel is substantially equal to the diameter of the target such that the target is located within the panel when the portable device is in the folded position.

With this arrangement, the overall size of the device in the folded state is limited; moreover, the braking means of the object are protected in this way without any risk of jamming when the device is transported.

Advantageously, the fastening means is configured to hold the target folded down against the inner surface of the plate when the portable device is in the folded state.

In this way, the fastening means enable the device to be kept in a folded condition, for example when the device is being loaded or transported.

Preferably, the layers of rigid plastic material and foam are assembled together by hot pressing.

The use of the heat pressing method thus enables the hard material layer and the foam layer to be firmly and quickly fastened together.

Advantageously, a flexible flap is formed when the layers of objects made of rigid material and foam are assembled together by hot pressing.

By this feature, the production of the device is simplified and can be done quickly. Furthermore, the flexible trap is thus firmly fastened to the target without any risk of detachment from the target when the game of skill is played.

Advantageously, the layer of hard material and the layer of foam constituting the plate and the target respectively are identical.

Therefore, manufacturing cost and time can be significantly reduced.

Description of drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly and more completely on reading the following description of preferred embodiments given as non-limiting examples and with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable device of the present invention, which is in an unfolded state;

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view seen along a section of the portable device of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an exemplary diagram of the portable device of the present invention, which is in a folded state.

Detailed ways

In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the portable device 10 of the present invention includes a board 12 , a target 14 and a fastening tool 16 .

As an example and not by way of limitation, the board 12 is hexagonal in shape with a front surface 18 and a rear surface 20; the term "front" is used for the surface 18 of the board 12 to refer to the surface of the board facing the user when This surface is intended to receive an item, such as a ball, thrown through target 14 when device 10 is in the deployed state; the term "rear" is used for surface 20 opposite front surface 18 .

As shown particularly in FIG. 1 , the plate 12 also has an outer periphery 22 constituting a cushion material protruding from the ends of the plane defined by the front and rear surfaces.

By way of example and not limitation, the planes defined by the front and rear surfaces of the plate 12 are parallel to each other.

As a non-limiting example, the front surface 18 of the plate 12 includes a plurality of through slots 24 disposed in the center of the plate 12 .

Furthermore, the target 14 has an edge 26 , which may be annular in shape as a non-limiting example, defining a through-opening 28 ; the through-opening 28 defines an axis A .

The target 14 also has a detent means 30 which partially covers the through-opening 28 . As shown particularly in FIG. 1 , the braking means 30 is constituted by a flexible flap 32 extending from the periphery of the edge 26 , which will be described in more detail in the following description.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fastening means 16 consists of a tie 34, such as a belt, which is threaded through at least one through slot 24 formed in the plate 12; the fastening means 16 also includes a closure means 36, such as a spring-loaded strap. The buckle, when one of the ends of the tie is passed through the closure tool 36, can make the tie form a closed loop, for example, so that the portable tool 10 can be fastened to a support such as a post, railing or any other support element.

As a non-limiting example, the through slot 24 consists of a series of horizontal slots and a series of vertical slots; as shown in FIG. The device 10 is mounted on a vertical support such as a column. It will be appreciated that the strap 34 is optionally threaded through a horizontal slot to enable the device to be mounted on a horizontal support such as a fence.

After being engaged in the through-slot 24, the ties 34 protrude from the rear surface 20 of the board 12 to secure the board 12 to the stand, thereby enabling the device 10 to be used.

Plate 12 and target 14 are connected together by a hinge 38 , arranged for example near bottom end 13 of plate 12 , which hinge defines an axis P about which target 14 is pivotable relative to plate 12 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , device 10 may be in an unfolded state with target 14 extending laterally, preferably perpendicular to plate 12 .

As a non-limiting example, in the unfolded state, the pivot axis P is arranged perpendicular to the axis A defined by the through-opening 28 . Furthermore, in this unfolded state, the axis A is arranged parallel to the plane defined by the front and rear surfaces of the plate 12 .

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device 10 of FIG. 1 , the section being in plane II shown in FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the peripheral edge 26 of the target 14 has a top 40 and a bottom 42 arranged in a plane D perpendicular to the axis A defined by the through-opening 28 .

In the unfolded state, as shown in FIG. 2 , plane D is also perpendicular to the plane defined by the front and rear surfaces of panel 12 .

As a non-limiting example, the top 40 is circular, for example, consisting of a first coaxial semi-annular 44 and a second coaxial semi-annular 46 of different radii R1 and R2, the semi-annular 44 and 46 being mutually fasten.

The top 40 is made of a foam layer and has a top surface 48 defined by the circular surface of the first semi-annular 44 and a bottom surface 50 defined by the circular surface of the second semi-annular 46; Consisting of a limiting example of a layer of hard material, the bottom has a C-shaped profile and is arranged on the bottom surface 50 of the top 40 .

Any other form of top 40 and bottom 42 arranged in a plane D perpendicular to axis A and constituting edge 26 of object 14 is naturally conceivable without going beyond the scope of the invention.

By way of non-limiting example, the foam layer making up the top 40 is made of polyethylene, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane foam or any other material such as a plastic material having particularly favorable flexibility and lightness.

By way of non-limiting example, the layer of rigid material constituting the bottom 42 is made of plastic material, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or any other material having a particularly advantageous rigidity.

As a non-limiting example, top 40 and bottom 42 are assembled together by heat pressing.

As detailed above, the target 14 also has a flexible flap 32 extending from the periphery of the edge 26 to the through-opening 28 . As a non-limiting example, the flexible flap 32 is also constructed of a layer of foam, possibly the same foam that makes up the top 40 of the edge 26 . As a non-limiting example, the flexible flap and the top of the target, particularly the peripheral edge 26 of the target, form a continuous extension of material. It is also conceivable that the flexible flap 32 is made of a different foam than the foam constituting the top 40 without going beyond the scope of the invention.

The flexibility of the foam making up the flexible flap 32 allows the flexible flap 32 to bend relative to the edge 26 of the target 14 , the bending or tilting serving to slow the passage of an item such as a ball through the through opening 28 of the target 14 . It should therefore be understood that the detent means 30 constituted by the flexible flap 32 performs the same function as a mesh, such as a screen, conventionally disposed on the edge of a basketball backboard.

As a non-limiting example, the flexible flap 32 is formed when the layers of rigid material and foam that respectively make up the bottom 42 and top 40 of the object 14 are assembled together.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the panel 12 has a central panel 60 arranged between two side panels 62 and 64 constituting the rear surface 20 and the front surface 18 of the panel 12 respectively.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the central panel 60 extends to the outer perimeter 22 of the panel 12 .

As a non-limiting example, the central panel 60 is constructed of a layer of foam that may be the same or different than the foam that constitutes the top 40 of the edge 26 of the object 14; additionally, the side panels 62 and 64 are constructed of a layer of rigid material that is described. The two layers may be the same or different from each other and from the layer of hard material forming the bottom 42 of the edge 26 of the object 14 .

In particular, the periphery 22 is made of foam, in order to avoid injury to the user touching the peripheral edge of the object.

By way of non-limiting example, the layers of rigid material and foam respectively constituting the side panels 62, 64 and central panel 60 of the panel 12 are assembled together by hot pressing.

Any other method of joining together the layers of hard material and foam making up the plate 12 and object 14 is also conceivable without going beyond the scope of the invention, such as, as non-limiting examples, gluing or heat sealing .

As shown, the rear surface 20 of the plate 12 has an opening 21 formed in the layer of hard material configured, for example, to match the shape of a protrusion or portion in a raised structure of a stand to which the device 10 may be fastened. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the hinge 38 also has a top 66 and a bottom 68, which may be formed from layers of foam and hard material, respectively.

The combination of a foam layer and a hard material such as a plastic material for forming the portable device 10 of the present invention, more specifically forming at least one element selected from the board 12 and the object 14, is provided with a hinge 38 having elastic properties the target 14 can thus be tilted relative to the plate 12 to a greater extent than the target can be tilted when the device is in its unfolded state (e.g., when the user exerts traction on the target 12), when the user stops exerting force on the target The presence of the foam layer in particular enables the device to elastically return to the unfolded state upon traction.

It will be appreciated that the presence of the foam layer forming the top 40 of the edge 26 of the target 14 and the top 66 of the hinge 38 serves to limit any risk of injury to a user contacting the device 10, for example, because the user is close to the device 10 And try to put the ball into the through opening 28.

Furthermore, the presence of layers of hard material for constituting the side panels 62, 64 of the panel 12 serves to increase the strength of the panel 12 and to strengthen the fastening of the device 10 to the support.

FIG. 3 shows the device 10 in a folded state, wherein the target 14 is pivoted relative to the plate 12 about the pivot axis P so as to be folded against the front surface 18 of the plate 12 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the size of the target 14 and plate 12 is such that the target 14 in the folded state is located within the plate 12. Among other factors, this feature can ensure that the device 10 is compact in the folded state, thereby making it easy to load. And transportation is simpler.

In other words, the span of the board 12 is substantially equal to the diameter of the target 14, so that in the collapsed state the target is located within the board 12; compared to devices for games of skill known in the prior art, it should therefore be understood that Notably, the dimensions of the plate 12 are adjusted relative to the dimensions of the target 14 to facilitate compactness and transport of the device 10 due to its limited weight.

As shown, when in the folded state, the axis defined by the through opening 28 in the target 14 is arranged perpendicular to the plane defined by the front and rear surfaces of the plate 12; in addition, the axis defined by the through opening 28 Also perpendicular to the pivot axis P.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the fastening tool 16 is also configured to hold the target 14 folded against the front surface of the plate 12, again ensuring that the device 10 is compact in the folded state.

Without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is conceivable that such a device 10 is constructed by stacking multiple layers of rigid material and foam in order to limit the weight of the device 10 without impair its strength, the stability with which the device is fastened, or its gaming qualities in use. In the same way, it is conceivable that the board 12 is constructed separately by assembling, for example, a layer of foam and a layer of rigid material constituting respectively the rear surface 20 and the front surface 18 of the board 12 .

In the invention described with reference to the various figures, both the plate 12 and the object 14 are constructed by assembling together at least one layer of foam and at least one layer of rigid material; It is natural to think of a device 10 in which only one of the elements selected from the board and the target is constructed by assembling together a layer of foam and a layer of hard material.

In addition, layers of hard material such as plastic material and Any other distribution of foam layers.

In an alternative embodiment not shown, it is also conceivable to have a target 14 with an inflatable element which can be deflated when the device 10 is in the folded state, for example embedded in the structure constituting the target 14. In the foam layer, thereby further lightening the device 10.

Thanks to the presence of the fastening means 16, the device 10 of the present invention can thus be fastened simply and quickly to any type of support such as an item of public utility, so as to be suitable for use in a variety of situations; In the case of the range, it is also possible to prepare for the presence of a buffer (for example, made of rubber) which is arranged on the rear surface 20 of the plate 12 and enables it to closely fit the roughness on the bracket in order to improve The stability and strength with which the device 10 is fastened.

The entire description above is given as an example and thus does not limit the present invention.

In particular, while the invention is particularly well suited for playing basketball, it can also find numerous applications for any game of skill played outdoors or indoors.

Claims (17)

1. one kind for relate to make article pass object craftsmenship game portable equipment (10), described portable equipment comprises:

Plate (12), has front surface (18) and rear surface (20);

Object (14), comprise the pass through openings (28) limiting axis (A), described article can pass this object, described object is fastened to described plate by articulated elements (38), make described portable equipment can either be folded state, also can be deployed condition, under described folded state, described object is folded against the described front surface (18) of described plate, under described deployed condition, described object laterally extends relative to described plate; And

Fastened tools (16), is constructed such that described portable equipment can be secured to support;

The feature of described portable equipment is, is selected from least one in the element of described plate (12) and described object (14) by hard plastics layer and froth bed are fitted together and formed.

2. portable equipment according to claim 1 (10), is characterized in that, described object also comprises brake tool (30), and described brake tool is configured to when described article brake described article through during described pass through openings.

3. portable equipment according to claim 1 and 2 (10), is characterized in that, described object comprises can inflation element.

4. the portable equipment (10) according to any one in Claim 1-3, it is characterized in that, described object has the froth bed of basal surface (50) and top surface (48) by assembling and is secured to the hard plastics layer of described basal surface and forms.

5. portable equipment according to claim 4 (10), is characterized in that, the froth bed fitted together and hard plastics layer form ring.

6. portable equipment according to claim 5 (10), it is characterized in that, described ring has and is arranged in top (40) in plane (D) and bottom (42), described plane orthogonal is in the axis (A) of described pass through openings (28), and described top and described bottom are made up of froth bed and hard plastics layer respectively.

7. according to the portable equipment (10) described in claim 5 or 6 when being subordinated to claim 2, the feature of described portable equipment is, described brake tool (30) comprises and to stretch out from the periphery of described ring and partly to cover the multiple flexible trap (32) of described pass through openings.

8. portable equipment according to claim 7 (10), is characterized in that, the material making described flexible trap is identical with the material of the froth bed forming described ring.

9. the portable equipment (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 8, is characterized in that, described plate (12) is by fitting together the froth bed be arranged between two-layer hard plastics and forming.

10. portable equipment according to claim 9 (10), is characterized in that, described foam extends at periphery (22) place of described plate.

11. portable equipments (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 10, it is characterized in that, described plate comprises and runs through slit (24), and described fastened tools comprises the tie (34) be arranged in described slit.

12. portable equipments (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 11, it is characterized in that, described foam is made up of polyethylene.

13. portable equipments (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 12, is characterized in that, when described portable equipment is in described deployed condition, and the top surface of described object and the top surface foam coverage of described articulated elements.

14. portable equipments (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 13, it is characterized in that, the size of described plate and the size of described object make the described object when described portable equipment is in its folded state be positioned within described plate.

15. portable equipments (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 14, it is characterized in that, described fastened tools (16) is configured to when described portable equipment is in described folded state, and described fastened tools keeps described object to fold downwardly against the inner surface of described plate.

16. portable equipments (10) according to any one in claim 1 to 15, it is characterized in that, described hard plastics layer and described froth bed are assembled together by hot pressing.

Portable equipment (10) described in 17. according to Claim 8 with 16, is characterized in that, when being fitted together by the layer of the described object be made up of hard plastics and foam by hot pressing, described flexible trap (32) is formed.