Patent classifications
E01C13/04
HIGH FRICTION MODULAR FLOOR COVERING
A sports court can include a set of modular floor panels or tiles that are interconnected with each other and that have material compositions configured to provide increased friction when a ball or other game piece comes into contact with the top surface of the panels or tiles. The sports court can be used to decrease the speed or otherwise affect bounce behavior of a game ball as compared to a concrete slab or similar underlying surface on which the floor panels are positioned, thereby giving the court performance characteristics more similar to a conventional court used for ball sports such as tennis and pickleball and that are improved as compared to conventional rigid floor tiles. The material compositions can include rubberized or elastomeric materials with coefficients of friction measured using standardized testing procedures.
Portable water park
A splash pad has a plurality of interlocking pallet assembly modules with each pallet assembly module having a supporting body and a water permeable layer and each water permeable layer connects to at least one adjacent water permeable layer to form a continuous water permeable walking surface. At least one tubular dispenser has at least one nozzle extending through the splash pad continuous water permeable walking surface. A pumping station has at least one pump and at least one water intake device. The splash pad, the tubular dispenser, and the pumping station inserts into a recession having water therein. The water intake device provides water from the recession to the at least one pump, so that the pump can drive water through the tubular dispenser to project through the nozzle onto the splash pad continuous water permeable walking surface.
Portable water park
A splash pad has a plurality of interlocking pallet assembly modules with each pallet assembly module having a supporting body and a water permeable layer and each water permeable layer connects to at least one adjacent water permeable layer to form a continuous water permeable walking surface. At least one tubular dispenser has at least one nozzle extending through the splash pad continuous water permeable walking surface. A pumping station has at least one pump and at least one water intake device. The splash pad, the tubular dispenser, and the pumping station inserts into a recession having water therein. The water intake device provides water from the recession to the at least one pump, so that the pump can drive water through the tubular dispenser to project through the nozzle onto the splash pad continuous water permeable walking surface.
Playing Surface Assemblies And Systems, And Methods Of Making And Using Same
A playing surface assembly that defines at least a portion of a playing surface. The playing surface assembly has a backing, a plurality of reinforcement elements secured to and extending upwardly from the backing, and an infill material defining a top surface of the playing surface assembly. Each reinforcement element has a top end and a reveal distance corresponding to a vertical spacing between the top surface of the playing surface assembly and the top end of the reinforcement element. The reveal distance of each reinforcement element is less than 0.5 inches. In use, the reinforcement elements restrict lateral and vertical migration of the infill material, and the infill material is the primary source of performance characteristics of the playing surface assembly.
LOAD DISTRIBUTION AND ABSORPTION UNDERLAYMENT SYSTEM WITH TRANSITION FEATURES
A load distributing and absorbing system that lies below a barrier layer that is exposed to percussive and/or point-applied forces. The load distributing and absorbing system has one or more load distributing and absorbing tiles. At least some of the tiles have an underlayment infrastructure positioned below a barrier layer. The underlayment infrastructure includes one or more hat-shaped absorbing members. Each has a ceiling primarily for load distribution and a curvilinear wall primarily for load absorption extending from the ceiling. A transition feature is provided to smoothly graduate from one height and type of load distributing and absorbing tile to a load distributing and absorbing tile of another type and height. He system distributes and absorbs forces applied to the barrier layer over a broad area when applied either on a seam between adjacent tiles or within a tile.
Resilient deck structure
A resilient platform assembly has a playing deck with horizontally disposed deck panels. Each deck panel has a pair of foot flanges on the bottom of the deck panels. Receiving shoes are attached to the deck panels and configured to receive the foot flanges of the deck panels. A transverse member, perpendicular to the horizontally disposed deck panels, includes a plurality of notches. Each notch is cut in the transverse member in a predetermined spacing pattern. The receiving shoes are installed in the notches and the deck panels are attached to the transverse member through the receiving shoes. Resilient mounts connect the transverse member to a support assembly and allow relative motion between the transverse member and the support assembly. The resilient mounts include a first spring capture assembly attached to the support assembly, a second spring capture assembly attached to the transverse members, and a plurality of springs disposed between the first spring capture assembly and the second spring capture assembly.
Resilient deck structure
A resilient platform assembly has a playing deck with horizontally disposed deck panels. Each deck panel has a pair of foot flanges on the bottom of the deck panels. Receiving shoes are attached to the deck panels and configured to receive the foot flanges of the deck panels. A transverse member, perpendicular to the horizontally disposed deck panels, includes a plurality of notches. Each notch is cut in the transverse member in a predetermined spacing pattern. The receiving shoes are installed in the notches and the deck panels are attached to the transverse member through the receiving shoes. Resilient mounts connect the transverse member to a support assembly and allow relative motion between the transverse member and the support assembly. The resilient mounts include a first spring capture assembly attached to the support assembly, a second spring capture assembly attached to the transverse members, and a plurality of springs disposed between the first spring capture assembly and the second spring capture assembly.
Self-Standing Modular Structure and Support Thereof
A self-standing modular structure support is provided for a self-standing structure having a perimeter component. The self-standing structure support comprises a first member, the first member comprising a perimeter component receiving portion; a second member, being disposed, during use of the self-standing modular structure, in a generally horizontal plane, the second member extending, during the use, outwardly from an exterior surface of the perimeter component; and a third member, the third member being configured to detachably connect the first member to the second member; the first member being supported, during the use, on the second member; the support being configured to support the perimeter component without use of straps and without use of ground engaging projections when the perimeter component is received within a perimeter component receiving portion of the first member. The perimeter component can comprise a plurality of side panels. The structure can further support floor tiles.
METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A FOAM MAT
A method of manufacturing a substantially flat foam floor mat is described. The raw materials for each color layer are separately mixed and heated below their foaming temperature in different batches, and separately pressed through heated rollers to form a plurality of unfoamed sheets. The temperature of the rollers are maintained within a range of 5° C. or less. Two or more unfoamed sheets from each batch are stacked together in a press and heated above their foaming temperature to permit the stacked sheets to foam, expand, and heat-weld together. The press restricts the sheets from vertical expansion while allowing horizontal expansion. Once the sheets are foamed, a series of alternating teeth and receiving slots are cut around the boundary of the mat to form an interlocking peripheral wall.
System and method for customizing a playing field
A customizable tile system includes a tile disposed atop a surface; a forced fluid system comprising a pipe disposed below the tile and operatively coupled to a pump; a bladder operatively connected to the pipe, wherein the bladder is selectively inflatable; a sensor operatively coupled to the bladder; and a control system operable to control the pump. The control system includes a processor in data communication with the sensor, and computer memory, the computer memory comprising a program having machine readable instructions that, when effected by the processor, predicts a location of an impact upon the tile and selectively forces fluid through the pipe to inflate the bladder prior to the impact upon the tile.