Foldable goal frame

Abstract

A goal frame for a goal apparatus, the goal frame including a crossbar member, a first and a second goalpost member, a support member, and a rotatable attachment member. Respective ends of the crossbar member are attached to, or are operable to attach to, a respective end of the first and second goal post members to form a goal face. The attachment of the respective end of the crossbar member to the end of the first goal post member forms a crossbar-goalpost corner portion of the goal face. The rotatable attachment member is attached to, or is operable to attach to, the goal face adjacent to the crossbar-goalpost corner portion. The rotatable attachment member is attached to, or is operable to attach to, an end of the support member. The rotatable attachment member is operable to rotate about the part of the goal face to which it is attached from a first position in which the attached support member extends outwardly from the goal face to a second position in which the attached support member extends along substantially the same plane as the goal face.

Claims

1. A goal frame for a goal apparatus, the goal frame comprising a crossbar member, a first and a second goalpost member, corner attachment members, a support member, and a rotatable attachment member, wherein the corner attachment members are operable to reversibly attach respective ends of the crossbar member to a respective end of each of the first and second goalpost members to form a goal face, wherein the rotatable attachment member comprises a collar attachment portion, and wherein the collar attachment portion of the rotatable attachment member is operable to receive a part of one of the corner attachment members to attach the rotatable attachment member to the goal face, wherein the rotatable attachment member is attached to, or is operable to attach to, an end of the support member, and wherein the rotatable attachment member is operable to rotate about the corner attachment member from a first position in which the attached support member extends outwardly from the goal face to a second position in which the attached support member extends along substantially the same plane as the goal face and, wherein at least a portion of the collar attachment portion of the rotatable attachment member is substantially flush with an adjacent outer face of the goal face when attached to the goal face.

2. The goal frame according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable attachment member comprises a second attachment portion operable to form an attachment with the support member.

3. The goal frame according to claim 2, wherein the rotatable attachment member comprises a linker between the collar attachment portion and the second attachment portion.

4. The goal frame according to claim 3, wherein the linker is flexible.

5. The goal frame according to claim 3, wherein the linker is in the form of a ribbon.

6. The goal frame according to claim 3, wherein the linker comprises two or more discrete spaced portions extending between the collar attachment portion and the second attachment portion.

7. The goal frame according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable attachment member is operable to attach to an upper end of one of the goalpost members.

8. The goal frame according to claim 1, wherein the goal face comprises a flange operable to abut against the rotatable attachment member and hold the rotatable attachment member in position on the goal face.

9. A kit of parts for a goal apparatus comprising the goal frame according to claim 1 and a net configured for attachment to the goal frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an assembled and erect goal frame according to the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the goal frame of FIG. 1 in the collapsed configuration.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the goal frame of FIG. 1 partly dissembled and enlarged views of the crossbar-goalpost corner portion and crossmember-arm corner portion.

(4) FIG. 4(A) shows enlarged perspective view and FIG. 4(B) an exploded view of the crossbar-goalpost corner portion of the goal frame of FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 5(A) shows a side view of the crossbar-goalpost corner portion of FIG. 4(A), FIG. 5(B) shows a perspective view of rotatable attachment member 148 and FIG. 5(C) a side view of rotatable attachment member 148.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an assembled goal frame 102 according to the present invention. Goal frame 102 comprises crossbar member 106, goalpost members 108, 110, base member 114 and diagonal support members 122, 124, wherein crossbar member 106 and goal post members 108, 110, form goal face 104, and the diagonal support members 122, 124 delineates a cavity behind the goal face 104. Net (not shown) is operable to attach to frame 102 such as to form a partial enclosure around the cavity of the goal frame.

(7) The base member 114 is formed from a series of reversibly attached linear inflexible hollow plastic cylindrical portions of variable size and length in the form of arm members 116, 118, and crossmember 120. Arm members 116, 118 each consist of a single inflexible portion, whereas the crossmember 120 consists of two inflexible portions 120a, b joined together by linear attachment member 126a.

(8) The distal ends of crossmember 120 are each reversibly attached to arm members 116 and 118 by corner attachment members 128a and b to form a right angle at each corner attachment member with arm members 116 and 118 residing in a parallel planes to each other and extending in the same direction toward the lower end of goalpost members 110 and 108, respectively.

(9) Goal face 104 comprises crossbar member 106 and goal post members 108 and 110. The crossbar member 106 and goal post members 108, 110 each consist of two inflexible hollow plastic cylindrical portions, wherein the two portions 106a, b are reversibly attached at proximal ends by a linear attachment member 126d, the two portions 108a, b are reversibly attached at proximal ends by a linear attachment member 126b and the two portions 110a, b are reversibly attached at proximal ends by a linear attachment members 126c.

(10) The distal ends of crossbar member 106 are each reversibly attached to goalpost members 108, 110 by corner attachment members 128 e, f to form right angles at each corner member with goalpost members 108, 110 residing in parallel planes to each other.

(11) The ends of arm members 116, 118 distal to the ends attached to the crossmember 120 and the lower ends of goal post members 108, 110 of goal area 104 are reversibly attached together by corner attachment members 128 c, d to form right angles at each corner member retaining the parallel relationship between opposing arm members 116 and 118, and opposing goalpost members 108 and 110.

(12) Diagonal support members 122, 124 each consist of two inflexible hollow plastic cylindrical members which are reversibly attached by linear attachment members 126e, f. The diagonal support members are reversibly attached to the goal post member 108, 110 and arm member 116, 118 at opposed ends by post rotatable attachment members 132a, b and arm rotatable attachment members 134 a, b respectively. The post rotatable attachment members 132 are located at the top ends of goal post members 108, 110 (adjacent to crossbar member 106). The arm rotatable attachment members 134 are located at the rear end of arm members 116, 118 (adjacent to crossmember 120). The diagonal support members when attached form a triangular prism shape, providing rigidity to goal frame 102, specifically the goal face 104 in the erect position.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the goal frame 102 with the diagonal support members 122, 124 detached from arm collar attachment members 134a, b. Expansions are shown of the detached arm collar attachment members 134a, and the attached post collar attachment member 132a. Flexibility of the post and collar rotatable attachment members 132, 134 facilitates their detachment from diagonal support members.

(14) Linear attachment members 126 and corner attachment members 128 comprise a central section 136. The central section 136 is the same diameter as the corresponding members to which the attachment members combine, for example, crossbar member 106, the linear attachment member 126d is the same diameter as crossbar members 106a and b.

(15) Linear attachment member 126d comprises two male attachment portions which are able to respectively insert into an end of crossbar member 106a and b, the ends of which act as female attachment portions with a bore to receive the projection of the male attachment portion. The male attachment portions are smaller in diameter than the female attachment portions. The central section orientates the male attachment portions so that they are in a linear orientation

(16) The linear attachment member 126d comprises a discrete cuff 140 comprising a resiliently deformable knob 142. The cuff 140 resides within the bore of the male attachment portion and the knob extends through an aperture in the wall of the bore of the male attachment member. The bore of the female attachment member also comprise an aperture in the wall of the bore. When the male attachment portion is inserted into the female attachment member the knob is depressed by the wall of the bore of the female attachment portion until the knob aligns with the aperture of the female attachment portion at which point the knob extends through the wall of the female attachment portion to lock the attachment member to the crossbar member. When dissembling the goal frame, knob 142 is depressed, releasing the male and female attachment portions.

(17) Corner attachment members are the same as linear attachment members, except the central section arranges the male attachment members 138 in a perpendicular orientation, resulting a corner attachment member as seen in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B).

(18) Linear attachment members and corner attachment members allow the rotation of connected members. This can be seen in FIG. 2, where after detaching crossmember 120 from corner attachment members 128a, the corner attachment member 128c allows rotation about the goalpost member axis resulting in goalpost members 108, 110 and crossbar member 106, i.e the goal face, residing in substantially the same plane as arm members 116, 118 and support members 122, 124.

(19) Post attachment member 132 and arm attachment member 134 comprise a rotatable attachment member 148 as seen in FIGS. 5(A), 5(B), and 5(C). Rotatable attachment member 148 comprises a first attachment portion 150, a second attachment portion 152, and a linker 154. The first attachment portion 150 and second attachment portion 152 are attached together by linker 154.

(20) Linker 154 is a curved flexible material. This allows for facilitation of movement of the diagonal support members of the goal frame when being dissembled.

(21) The first attachment portion 150 of post attachment member 132 comprises annular collar 156, which is similar in diameter as goalpost member 108. When assembling the goal frame, the male attachment member 138 of corner attachment member 128e is pushed through annular collar 156 and inserted into the female attachment member 144 of goalpost member 108. As the annular collar 156 is larger in diameter than the male attachment member, the annular collar can freely rotate about the axis of the goal post member. The lower face of the collar 156 sits on the upper edge of goalpost member 108 such that the upper edge acts as a blocking flange holding the attachment member 132 in position on the goal face.

(22) When a post attachment member is present, the aperture in the adjacent goal post member is located higher in the female member when compared to, for example, the location of the aperture in the distal attachment portion of the goal post member. This is to facilitate the annular collar 156, whilst retaining the ability for the knob 142 to engage the aperture 146 as discussed above. This difference in aperture position can for example be seen in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), where the aperture of goal post member 108, is closer to the end of the female member than the corresponding aperture of crossbar member 106, which does not facilitate an annular collar.

(23) The second attachment portion comprises male attachment member 158 and blocking flange 160. The male attachment member 158 reversibly attaches to the end of the diagonal support members 122, 124 by forming a close fit attachment. The end of diagonal support members 122, 124 are female attachment members, capable of receiving the male attachment member by the same method as described above. Blocking flange 160 is operable for the diagonal support members to abut against, preventing the male attachment member from entering the female attachment member too deeply.

(24) The arm collar attachment members 134 are the same as the post collar attachment members 132, except they are located toward the rear of the goal frame, at the distal ends of arms 116, 118, adjacent to crossmember 120.

(25) One post collar attachment member attaches to one side of a diagonal support member, and one arm collar attachment member attaches to the other side of the diagonal support member forming a triangular shape, which forms the sides of the goal frame.

(26) Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

(27) All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

(28) Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

(29) The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.