Asymmetric basketball net to support ball return

Abstract

The present invention is a basketball net designed to facilitate preferred directional momentum to an exiting basketball. The basketball net is designed and constructed in a manner such that the basketball exiting the net has desired exit-trajectory and rotational spin. The present invention enables the basketball leaving the net to return towards the preferred direction, which is, field of play instead of an undefined random direction. The asymmetry is induced by either substituting existing cord segments with those having elastomeric properties, or surface treatment on internal face of the net at particular sections so as to create frictional differentiation.

Claims

1. An asymmetric basketball net assembly comprising: an asymmetric net comprising at least one cord, wherein the at least one cord comprises a plurality of segments; said asymmetric net having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end is broader than the lower end; said asymmetric net having at least one fore section comprising one or more of the plurality of segments, at least one rear section comprising one or more of the plurality of segments, and at least two side sections each comprising one or more of the plurality of segments; wherein at least a portion of the one or more segments in each of the at least two side sections have varying elasticity, wherein one or more of the segments more proximate to the at least one fore section are less elastic than one or more of the segments more proximate to the at least one rear section; and wherein at least one of the at least two side sections comprises a panel of solid material, wherein at least a portion of two or more of the plurality of segments contained within the given side section are molded into at least a portion of the solid material.

2. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel of solid material comprises at least one of one or more rubber materials and one or more plastic materials.

3. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel of solid material comprises at least one thermo-formed material.

4. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel of solid material is attachable to and detachable from the asymmetric net.

5. An asymmetric basketball net assembly comprising: an asymmetric net comprising at least one cord, wherein the at least one cord comprises a plurality of segments; said asymmetric net having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end is broader than the lower end; said asymmetric net having at least one fore section comprising one or more of the plurality of segments, at least one rear section comprising one or more of the plurality of segments, and at least two side sections each comprising one or more of the plurality of segments; wherein at least a portion of the one or more segments in each of the at least two side sections have varying elasticity, wherein one or more of the segments more proximate to the at least one fore section are less elastic than one or more of the segments more proximate to the at least one rear section; and wherein at least one of the at least two side sections comprises a panel of solid material, wherein the panel of solid material is attachable to and detachable from at least a portion of the asymmetric basketball net assembly.

6. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the panel of solid material comprises at least one of one or more rubber materials and one or more plastic materials.

7. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the panel of solid material comprises at least one thermo-formed material.

8. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of said segments in one or more of the at least one fore section, the at least one rear section, and the at least two side sections differs in one or more surface frictional properties from one or more other segments among the plurality of segments.

9. An asymmetric basketball net assembly comprising: an asymmetric net comprising at least one cord, wherein the at least one cord comprises a plurality of segments; said asymmetric net having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end is broader than the lower end; said asymmetric net having at least one fore section comprising one or more of the plurality of segments, at least one rear section comprising one or more of the plurality of segments, and at least two side sections each comprising one or more of the plurality of segments; wherein at least one of said segments in a lower portion of the at least one fore section is separated into multiple disconnected sub-segments; wherein at least a portion of the one or more segments in each of the at least two side sections have varying elasticity, wherein one or more of the segments more proximate to the at least one fore section are less elastic than one or more of the segments more proximate to the at least one rear section; and wherein at least one of the at least two side sections comprises a panel of solid material, wherein at least a portion of two or more of the plurality of segments contained within the given side section are molded into at least a portion of the solid material.

10. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the panel of solid material comprises at least one of one or more rubber materials and one or more plastic materials.

11. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the panel of solid material comprises at least one thermo-formed material.

12. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the panel of solid material is attachable to and detachable from the asymmetric net.

13. The asymmetric basketball net assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one of said segments in one or more of the at least one fore section, the at least one rear section, and the at least two side sections differs in one or more surface frictional properties from one or more other segments among the plurality of segments.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1a shows a conventional basketball net.

(2) FIG. 1b shows trajectory of a basketball through state of the art net.

(3) FIG. 2 shows various identified sections of the basketball net according to the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3a shows asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 3b shows asymmetric net assembly having segments of differing properties according to an embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 4a shows asymmetric net assembly having front lower segments with varied elasticity.

(7) FIG. 4b shows asymmetric net assembly having front lower segments incised.

(8) FIG. 4c shows additional anchor according to an embodiment of the invention.

(9) FIG. 5a shows asymmetric net assembly having support elements according to an embodiment of the invention.

(10) FIG. 5b shows another asymmetric net assembly having support elements according to an embodiment of the invention.

(11) FIG. 6a shows another asymmetric net assembly having support elements according to an embodiment of the invention.

(12) FIG. 6b shows another asymmetric net assembly having support elements according to an embodiment of the invention.

(13) FIG. 7 shows a segment of the asymmetric net assembly anchored to the hoop of the net.

(14) FIG. 8a shows the resultant trajectory of a basketball through the asymmetric net.

(15) FIG. 8b shows the resultant momentum of a basketball through the asymmetric net.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(16) The present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the figures in which various embodiments of the present invention are shown. The subject matter of this disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

(17) Referring to FIG. 1a, conventional basketball net assembly is shown as a woven net system in a manner consistent with the conventional basketball goal system. The basketball goal includes a backboard 1, which supports a basketball goal rim 2 and conventional rams or anchors 201, used to attach basketball net 3 to the rim. The woven net system includes fore, aft, Left-side and Right-side portions with respect to the backboard and a plurality of segments woven together to form the net system. As shown in FIG. 1a, the net system suspends under the rams and tapers down to form a conical structure with a broader upper end and a narrower lower end. The basketball entering the broader upper end exits through the lower end.

(18) Referring to FIG. 1b, a basketball may exit through the lower end of a net system in any random direction depending on the route which basketball travels through the hoop or rim.

(19) Referring to FIG. 2 a basketball net assembly has fore and aft sections with respect to the attachment to the board. The upper and lower sections are identified with respect to the attachment to the hoop.

(20) Referring to FIG. 3a asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention has selective segments 361, 371 with different elastomeric properties from rest of the segments of the net system. In a further modification of this embodiment, the selected segment 371 has higher spring rate that that of selected segment 361.

(21) Referring to FIG. 3b asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention has selective segments 373, 372, 366, 365, 364, 363 with different elastomeric properties from rest of the segments of the net system. In a further modification of this embodiment, the selected segment 372 has higher spring rate that that of selected segment 373, and selected segment 364 has higher spring rate that that of selected segment 365 and 366. The asymmetric net assembly according to preferred embodiment of the invention has selective segments which traverse rearward downward, and are anchored on the sides of the rim 2 near to midpoint when viewed from the side. They are symmetrical and represent both Left and Right sides when viewed from the front. The said segments have gradually varying rate of spring wherein segment towards rear have higher spring rates than segments towards middle which in turn have higher rate of spring then segments towards front. In further modification, some or entire spring segment lengths may also be shortened as compared to similar segments by 1 to 10%. The selective segments 373, 372 are at least 1% shorter as compared to other segments. As shown in FIG. 6, cords are secured to the rim 2 with additional anchors 202 so as to limit the amount by which cords are able to slip through the rams thereby providing a stable anchor for the tension within the spring elements. In a further modification of the preferred embodiment the selective segments 373, 372, 366, 365, 364, 363 are substituted with 6 mm bungee cord.

(22) Referring to FIG. 4a asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention has selective segments 31-36, 31′-36′ in lower front of net system with lower spring rates. In a further modification of this embodiment, the loops formed by selective segments 31-31′ to 36-36′ are modified to make them 5% longer than comparable segments which results into a larger exit pathway for balls to escape with lower resistance. Such modifications in the length result in an oval or egg shaped lower end of the net where the narrower rear end of the exit resists the ball from going rearwards and broader front end of exit facilitates movement of exiting ball towards the field.

(23) Referring to FIG. 4b asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention has selective segments 300 in lower front of net system sliced open resulting into free flow of the basketball through the region especially when the ball is moving toward the field of play. In further modification of this embodiment, the sliced segments may be stiffened by means of plastic, starches or other state of the art method to maintain the familiar geometric net shape and minimize departure from traditional aesthetics.

(24) Referring to FIG. 4c, additional support anchor 202 is placed to prevent net cord 3 from slipping through ram 201.

(25) Referring to FIG. 5a asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention has net support elements 4c attached to the rim 2 at one end and mid rear segments of the net system. In a further modification of the embodiment, shown in FIG. 5b, the invention has an additional flat and rigid element 4a kept suspended at mid-rear slant position with the means of support elements 4b attached to the rim 2 at one end and to the element 4a at the other.

(26) Referring to FIG. 6a asymmetric net assembly according to an embodiment of the invention has a shield element 4d which may be a thermo-formed rubber trapezoid panel (or constructed of other flat material), is a replacement element for several line segments of the net. The shield has openings 204 on upper end which may be oval or rectangular and through which the horns 201 can be passed through to establish the means by which the shield is suspended from the rim 2. The cord segments of net anchor at the bottom of the shield by means of additional horns 203. The shield is designed to stretch down and to the rear and not to stretch to the front, thus helping to re-direct balls entering the net directly from the field of play without first bouncing off the back board.

(27) Referring to FIG. 6b, in an alternate embodiment, at least two cord segments 3a in middle or rear section of net immediately below the rim are molded into the rubber in a manner that it is unable to stretch in the forward direction, but can stretch perpendicularly to the embedded segments, thus any downward force would allow the bottom of the shield 4d to stretch downward and rearward. The surface area of the shield 4d also allows the net to be ‘branded’ with a logo. The cord segments of net anchor at the bottom of the shield by means of additional horns 203. The shield may be used independently or in any combination of other elements described in other embodiments of present invention.

(28) Referring to FIG. 7, the basketball 5 exiting from the lower end of the net has preferred trajectory resulting from the asymmetry of the net by virtue of elastomeric segment 321 in middle section traversing rearwards. The differential elasticity in the segment of the net assembly imparts downwardly forward momentum towards the field of play.

(29) Referring to FIG. 8a, the basketball exiting from the lower end of the net has preferred trajectory resulting from the asymmetry of the net. The differential elasticity in various segments of the net assembly imparts downwardly forward momentum towards the field of play.

(30) Referring to FIG. 8b, rotational momentum of the basketball is induced by an asymmetric net assembly in a desired manner. The surface of the ball facing the rear of the net is decelerated by increased friction and restriction while the surface of the ball facing front of the net is less restricted and experiences less friction allowing greater acceleration, inducing spin in the ball that will translate to horizontal momentum towards the field of play upon bouncing on the ground.

(31) It is prevalent from the foregoing embodiments and drawings that the basketball net assembly has constructional asymmetry wherein the fore and aft regions of the net differ from each other in spring rate, or elongation, or constructional elements, or weave pattern, or surface patterns and configuration. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the asymmetric net has segments in aft of the mid-line when viewed from the side designed to have a higher coefficient of friction on the surfaces that will likely contact the ball as it passes through the net, while segments fore of the mid-line when viewed from the side are designed to have a lower coefficient of friction on the surfaces that will likely contact the ball as it passes through the net. The coefficient of friction may be modified in any number of ways or combinations of ways. These may include spraying with lubricants or state of the art agents to confer a surface treatment. Use of threads in the construction of the segments that have different friction characteristics (e.g., including the use of a latex cord as one of the threads of the weave of a given rope to increase friction) is also workable. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a hybrid rope is used to form the net assembly. The rope allows limited stretch. Elastic segments are constructed that have a limited amount of stretch, after which it acts like rope, as opposed to having bungee cord only which has the ability to increase its length by more than 300%. State of the art material of basketball nets is hollow, with a tube style of weave with the appearance of broad strong rope. However, it is actually flexible, hollow, soft and light. This state of the art material with a bungee cord installed within the hollow thus making a hybrid rope imparts desirable limited stretch. Thus, the segment is allowed to have 15 to 35% stretch before the line reaches its taught state and behaves conventionally.

(32) In an alternate embodiment, the foregoing features may be integrated together. For instance, the fore segments being weak spring members as well as elongated resulting into minimal force return together with the bottom loops separated to allow passage with no force return. The combination of high and low friction coefficients may be applied in the assembly to have a cumulative effect on the overall momentum of the basketball exiting through the net.

(33) In an alternate embodiment, the upper-fore section and lower-rear section have higher spring rates as compared to that of lower-fore section.

(34) To achieve the desired asymmetry, spring effect has been induced in various embodiments explained in the foregoing paragraphs. Such spring effect may be introduced in a number of ways. Non-limiting examples include:

(35) substitution of the traditional line/rope with spring material; or

(36) modification of the traditional line/rope with spring material, for example, inserting bungee cord in the hollow of tubular weave line; or

(37) insertion of spring elements within the path of the traditional line/rope, for example—inserting a bungee or a spring or a shaped rubber loop; or

(38) addition of spring elements to supplement the traditional line segments, for example as a kit with anchors and elastic bungee members to allow rapid attachment and detachment when a user is playing on a public court and wishes the device to be easily removed where it can be kept safe when not in use; or

(39) insertion of spring elements at the juncture of traditional line/rope, for example instead of knotting 2 strands of the traditional line rope together to join them and create 4 emanating segments, a device could be created that acts as an anchor for 4 individual strands—for example a rubber ring or other device to enable this anchoring device to impart spring in either or both axes of line passage.

(40) The essence of the present invention is to make a basketball net asymmetric in physical, mechanical or both properties. This can also be achieved in already existing nets by means of kits which include removable segments and other accessories for customization. This is advantageous in the situation at public courts, where players may wish to install their kit upon arrival at the court and remove the kit upon departure.

(41) Given the fact that the preferred direction of ball return is towards field of play, the design of the net is symmetrical about the mid-line when viewed from the center court of the field of play. These left and right sides are symmetrical. Descriptions in this application describe only one side as a means of clarity of writing—and should not be assumed as a one-sided or limited solution.

(42) To address safety concerns, the present invention further provides multiple ways in which elastic members may be designed in order to limit their stretch. For instance, this may be achieved through the use of coaxial elastic within the hollow core of woven line. By limiting the extent to which the elastic members can stretch before reaching pre-defined limits safety levels as compared to a traditional net are maintained. In addition to the same, other means may also be employed to restrict people from hanging on the net, such as a tighter mesh weave to overlay all or part of the net such that one cannot place their fingers through the weave.

(43) In preferred embodiments, segments of varying mechanical qualities may be adorned with different colors to accentuate the net and highlight its performance characteristics and accentuate the brand image. Segments may also be modified with various means to change their acoustic quality, to enable a player to better hear the sound of the ball passing through the net and interpret the location and trajectory of the shot based upon the acoustic qualities of the ball interacting with the modified net.