Abstract
A glare-reducing lighting system for an indoor pickleball court includes a hanging noise baffle grid and a hanging downwardly directed light fixture. The hanging downwardly directed light fixture is positioned within an outside perimeter of the hanging noise baffle grid. A ceiling and walls of the indoor pickleball court are black.
Claims
1. A glare-reducing lighting system for an indoor pickleball court, comprising: a hanging noise baffle grid; and a hanging downwardly directed light fixture, wherein the hanging downwardly directed light fixture is positioned within an outside perimeter of the hanging noise baffle grid, and wherein a ceiling and walls of the indoor pickleball court are black.
2. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 1, wherein the hanging noise baffle grid is positioned between about 18 feet and about 20 feet above the indoor pickleball court.
3. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 1, wherein the hanging downwardly directed light fixture has a bottommost edge, and wherein the hanging noise baffle grid has a bottommost edge.
4. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 3, wherein the bottommost edge of the hanging downwardly directed light fixture is positioned level to the bottommost edge of the hanging noise baffle grid.
5. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 3, wherein the bottommost edge of the hanging downwardly directed light fixture is positioned above the bottommost edge of the hanging noise baffle grid.
6. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 5, wherein a vertical distance between the bottommost edge of the hanging downwardly directed light fixture and the bottommost edge of the hanging noise baffle grid is between about 0.5 inches and about 6 inches.
7. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 1, wherein the glare-reducing lighting system includes a plurality of the hanging noise baffle grids that form a cloud grid positioned directly over a playable surface of the indoor pickleball court.
8. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 7, wherein the glare-reducing lighting system includes six hanging downwardly directed light fixtures.
9. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 8, wherein all of the hanging downwardly directed light fixtures are positioned within an outside perimeter of the cloud grid.
10. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 7, wherein the glare-reducing lighting system includes nine hanging downwardly directed light fixtures.
11. The glare-reducing lighting system of claim 10, wherein all of the hanging downwardly directed light fixtures are positioned within an outside perimeter of the cloud grid.
12. A lighting system for an indoor pickleball court, comprising: a plurality of hanging noise baffle grids, wherein the plurality of hanging noise baffle grids define a cloud grid that is positioned directly above a playable surface of the indoor pickleball court; and a plurality of hanging light fixtures, wherein all of the hanging light fixtures are positioned within an outside perimeter of the cloud grid, wherein a ceiling and walls of the indoor pickleball court are black, and wherein indirect lighting is less than 40% of a total light distribution on the indoor pickleball court.
13. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of hanging light fixtures has a bottommost edge, and wherein the cloud grid has a bottommost edge.
14. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of hanging light fixtures is hung such that each of their respective bottommost edges is positioned equal to or above the bottommost edge of the cloud grid.
15. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of hanging light fixtures includes between six and nine hanging light fixtures.
16. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of hanging light fixtures are positioned at least about 7 feet from each other.
17. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein the cloud grid is positioned between about 18 feet and about 20 feet above the indoor pickleball court.
18. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein indirect lighting is less than 15% of the total light distribution on the indoor pickleball court.
19. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of hanging light fixtures is positioned inside a different hanging noise baffle grid.
20. A lighting system for an indoor pickleball court, comprising: a plurality of hanging noise baffle grids, wherein the plurality of hanging noise baffle grids define a cloud grid that is positioned directly above a playable surface of the indoor pickleball court; and a plurality of hanging light fixtures, wherein all of the hanging light fixtures are positioned within an outside perimeter of the cloud grid, wherein each of the plurality of hanging light fixtures has a bottommost edge, wherein the cloud grid has a bottommost edge, wherein the plurality of hanging light fixtures is hung such that each of their respective bottommost edges is positioned equal to or above the bottommost edge of the cloud grid, wherein the cloud grid is positioned between about 18 feet and about 20 feet above the indoor pickleball court, wherein a ceiling and walls of the indoor pickleball court are black, and wherein indirect lighting is less than 40% of a total light distribution on the indoor pickleball court.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0114] In the descriptions that follow, like parts or steps are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures may be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0115] FIG. 1 (Prior Art) illustrates the basic layout and lines of a pickleball court;
[0116] FIGS. 2A-C (Prior Art) illustrate the overall sizes of pickleball courts, including both the playable surface and applicable overruns for different levels of competition and layout;
[0117] FIGS. 3 (Prior Art) illustrates prior art acrylic court surface systems;
[0118] FIGS. 4A-C (Prior Art) illustrate prior art pickleball court fencing and gate placement, in both plan view and elevational view;
[0119] FIG. 5 (Prior Art) illustrates a plan view of a prior art pickleball court with prior art light meter measurement points at specific locations around the court;
[0120] FIG. 6 is a photograph of an indoor space, with a newly-cured concrete floor, on which seams and imperfections are visible;
[0121] FIG. 7 is a photograph of the same indoor space, showing completed pickleball courts;
[0122] FIG. 8 is another photograph of the completed pickleball courts from a different angle;
[0123] FIG. 9 is a photograph of a pickleball court surface upon which a grid has been drawn using chalk lines;
[0124] FIG. 10 is a photograph of the same pickleball court surface of FIG. 9, showing a closer view of the grid of chalk lines;
[0125] FIG. 11 is a photograph of a marker on the chalk grid of the pickleball court surface indicating the relative location of a light fixture with respect to the court;
[0126] FIG. 12 is a photograph of the ceiling above the pickleball court surface, with a laser pointer beam, generated by a laser leveling device, projecting onto the ceiling, marking the point on the ceiling where a noise baffle grid attachment wire should be hung;
[0127] FIG. 13 is a photograph of the pickleball court surface and ceiling above the court, while a lift is being used by a worker to hang noise baffle grid attachment wires to the ceiling, while the laser level can be seen on the surface of the court at a chalk line grid point, near the lift;
[0128] FIG. 14 is a photograph of the ceiling of the pickleball court facility, from which many noise baffle grid attachment wires have been hung by workers on the lift shown in the left of the image;
[0129] FIG. 15 is a photograph of the ceiling of the pickleball court facility ceiling, providing a closer view of the many noise baffle grid attachment wires have been hung;
[0130] FIG. 16 is a photograph of a light fixture support cable, which has been marked with marker tape for identification;
[0131] FIG. 17 is a photograph of the ceiling of the pickleball court facility ceiling, showing the light fixture support cable-marked with the marker tape-hanging from the ceiling in a position relative to the nearby noise baffle grid attachment wire;
[0132] FIG. 18 is a photograph of the ceiling of the pickleball court facility ceiling, showing the light fixtures hung from the light fixture support cables in position such that there are nine lights per pickleball court;
[0133] FIG. 19 is a photograph of a section of the noise baffle grid, assembled on the surface of the pickleball court, in preparation for hanging above the court;
[0134] FIG. 20 is a close-up photograph of the section of the noise baffle grid of FIG. 19, showing the position and alignment of one of the attachment holes for attaching the noise baffle grid section to the already-installed noise baffle grid support wires;
[0135] FIG. 21 is another photograph of multiple assembled sections of the noise baffle grid, resting on the court surface, with two of the grid sections in the background aligned on the court in the relative location at which they will be hung above the court;
[0136] FIG. 22 is a photograph of one of the assembled sections of the noise baffle grid being raised above the court surface by a mechanical lift, in order to hoist it into its installation position above the court surface;
[0137] FIG. 23 is another photograph, from a different angle, of the assembled section of the noise baffle grid being raised above the court surface by a mechanical lift, in order to hoist it into its installation position above the court surface;
[0138] FIG. 24 is a photograph showing workers using a second lift, in conjunction with the first lift, to secure the raised assembled noise baffle grid section into its installation position above the court surface so that it can be secured by the previously installed noise baffle grid support wires;
[0139] FIG. 25 is a close-up photograph of the installation step of FIG. 24;
[0140] FIG. 26 is a photograph showing workers on two different lifts, working to connect an installed first section of the noise baffle grid to a second installed section of the noise baffle grid;
[0141] FIG. 27 is a schematic plan diagram of the noise baffle grid, with overall system dimensions, baffle blade relative spacing, and anchor point locations, for a six-light-fixture configuration;
[0142] FIG. 28 is a schematic plan diagram of the FIG. 27 noise baffle grid, with indications of the different sections from which it is assembled, and their installation positions with respect to one another;
[0143] FIG. 29 is another schematic plan diagram of the FIG. 27 noise baffle grid, showing the two different colors of material that are used and also showing connection points and dovetail connections;
[0144] FIG. 30 is a schematic plan diagram of a noise baffle grid, with overall system dimensions, baffle blade relative spacing, and anchor point locations, for a nine-light-fixture configuration;
[0145] FIG. 31 is a schematic plan diagram of the noise baffle grid of FIG. 30, with further detail including dimensions for how far apart the anchor points are from the center point, to enable easier layout during assembly and installation;
[0146] FIGS. 32A-D show various views of one embodiment of the noise baffle grid disclosed herein;
[0147] FIGS. 33A-E show an assembly guide for one embodiment of the noise baffle grid disclosed herein;
[0148] FIG. 34 is a close-up photograph of a direct downward light fixture, installed such that it is within the outside perimeter of the disclosed noise baffle grid and such that the bottom edge of the light fixture is above the bottom edge of the noise baffle grid;
[0149] FIG. 35 is a medium range photograph of multiple downward light fixtures, installed such that they are within the outside perimeter of the noise baffle grid and such that the bottom edges of each of the multiple light fixtures are above the bottom edge of the noise baffle grid;
[0150] FIG. 36 is an upward looking photograph of the light fixtures and noise baffle grid installed over a pickleball court, when viewed from outside the playable surface of the court; and
[0151] FIG. 37 is a photograph of a typical player's view, from the playable surface of the court, looking upward and toward another nearby lighted pickleball court, showing the manner in which the noise baffle grid masks some of the light and glare in a lateral direction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0152] While the systems disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms, several specific embodiments are discussed herein with the understanding that the embodiments described in the present disclosure are to be considered only exemplifications of the principles described herein, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated. Throughout the disclosure, the terms about and approximate mean plus or minus 5% of the number or value that each term precedes. As noted herein, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the outer bounds of the range.
[0153] With reference to FIGS. 9-37, multiple embodiments of a new glare-reducing lighting system for an indoor pickleball court is disclosed. Some aspects of these embodiments may be applicable to any indoor sports facility, but other aspects are specifically tailored to an indoor pickleball facility.
[0154] With reference to FIG. 6, a new indoor concrete pad is laid for the construction of an indoor pickleball facility. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the court surfaces, nets, and fencing are shown. The size, and the open warehouse-like nature of a typical indoor pickleball facility, is illustrated by FIGS. 6-8. Moreover, these figures show that in a typical indoor pickleball facility, with indirect lighting mounted near the ceiling rafters without regard to the position of the lights with respect to the court playing areas. Further, these figures show that the typical indoor pickleball facility has painted walls and ceilings in a light neutralor whitecolor, as suggested by the USAP and ASBA. As explained herein, this configuration can make it hard to adequately light the court playing area, while simultaneously reducing glare for players looking upward and increasing the visibility of a fast-moving pickleball.
[0155] As such, a system for adequately lighting the court playing area, while simultaneously reducing glare for players looking upward and increasing the visibility of a fast-moving pickleball, is needed.
[0156] As explained further herein, Applicants have developed a system for adequately lighting the court playing area of an indoor pickleball court, while simultaneously reducing glare for players looking upward and increasing the visibility of a fast-moving pickleball. In some embodiments, the system includes a cloud grid of baffles, suspended above each pickleball court, with direct downward lighting fixtures hung within the outside perimeter of the cloud grid. In a preferred embodiment, a 20 ft40 ft grid of 8 inch blades, each of which is made from 12 mm thick Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is suspended at or about 18-20 feet above the surface of each pickleball court by wires affixed to the ceiling of the building and between six (6) and (9) direct downward lighting fixtures are hung so as to be inside the perimeter of the grid so that the court playing surface is directly lit while minimizing lateral visibility of the lighting fixtures. In a still preferred embodiment, the bottom edge of the light fixture is positioned equal to or above the bottom edge of the cloud grid. In a still further preferred embodiment, the ceiling and walls of the indoor pickleball facility are painted in dark colors, such as black, to minimize reflected light. In a still further preferred embodiment, indirect lighting of the court playing surface is minimized or eliminated entirely.
[0157] An embodiment of the noise baffle grid system, as well as a method for positioning and installing it, is disclosed and discussed with reference to FIGS. 9-33. This noise baffle grid system is also disclosed in co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/657,721, filed by Applicant on Jun. 7, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
[0158] After (or while) the pickleball court surface is being laid, a grid of chalk lines or other impermanent lines is marked on the pickleball court surface. This can be accomplished using any readily available chalk line marking product. The chalk lines, further shown in FIGS. 9-10, correspond to the dimensions of the pickleball court, the noise baffle grid system to be hung above it, and the locations of anchor points for both the noise baffle grid and lighting for the court.
[0159] With reference to FIG. 11, the surface of the pickleball court is marked with marking tape (or other suitable impermanent markings) to indicate the location from which the pickleball court lighting fixtures will be hung from the ceiling, and thus, where the lighting fixtures will hang with respect to the noise baffle grid.
[0160] With reference to FIG. 15, to ensure correct alignment of the noise baffle grid and light fixtures with respect to the surface of the pickleball court, a laser level/laser pointing device is set at each anchor point or light hanging point marked out by the chalk grid and/or marking tape. The laser level projects a point of laser light upward to the ceiling, so that the measurements and relative location is transferred from the chalk grid to the ceiling of the indoor pickleball facility.
[0161] Next, with reference to FIGS. 13-15, wires are affixed to each laser point marked anchor point on the ceiling. These wires are hung to a length sufficient to suspend the noise baffle grid and light fixtures approximately 18-20 feet above the pickleball court playing surface, regardless of the actual height of the ceiling in the facility. With reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, wires for hanging light fixtures should be separately markedsuch as with marking tape as shownso that the light fixture suspension wires are not confused with the wires for hanging the noise baffle grid. Then, as shown in FIG. 18, light fixtures are hung at the marked points and connected to power.
[0162] Next, with reference to FIGS. 19-26, the noise baffle grids are assembled, lifted, and affixed to the previously installed wires above the pickleball court surface, in alignment with the chalk line grid. In FIG. 19, a section of the noise baffle grid has been assembled and positioned along the overrun of a court, while a mechanical lift has been positioned on the playable surface of the court in anticipation of lifting the assembled section of the noise baffle grid into place. In a preferred embodiment, the noise baffle grid for a single pickleball court is comprised of seven separate sections. This enables the sections to be separately assembled and raised, thus reducing the difficulty of installing the grid.
[0163] In FIG. 20, a close-up of an assembled baffle section is shown. Also visible is the anchor point alignment hole in a cross-member baffle. When raised, the previously installed support wire corresponding to the location of this anchor point alignment hole will be affixed to the cross-member baffle at this anchor point alignment hole.
[0164] With respect to FIG. 21, two assembled sections of noise baffle grid have been assembled and positioned on the court surface, corresponding to the location of each section when it is raised and installed above the court. A third assembled section is in the foreground, along an overrun, so that it is out of the way of the mechanical lift that will be used to raise the two sections in the background.
[0165] With respect to FIGS. 22 and 23, an assembled section of noise baffle grid is loaded onto a mechanical lift, so that it can be raised into place. In FIGS. 24-26, two mechanical lifts are placed side-by-side, so that worker can lift sections of grid on one lift, and then be in the other lift to attach the grid support wires to the lifted section(s) at the appropriate anchor point alignment holes of each section of grid.
[0166] When fully assembled and installed, the noise baffle grid's area and position will generally correspond to the area of, and position of, the pickleball court surface. Put another way, in a preferred embodiment, the noise baffle grid is hung directly over the pickleball court, and its baffles cover the entire court surface (i.e., it fits just inside the court lines). Further, in a preferred embodiment, the noise baffle grid is hung at the minimum allowed height above the pickleball court surface, which, depending on the rule followed, it either 18 feet, or 20 feet, above the court surface. This position and height serves to maximize the effectiveness of the noise baffle grid, because it is as close as allowable to the source of the noise, i.e., the striking of the pickleball by paddles on the court. This is in contrast to prior art teachings, which place the sound baffles higher toward the ceiling, and positioned either randomly, or at regular intervals throughout the facility, rather than directly above each court and at the minimum allowable height.
[0167] Also unique to the disclosed noise baffle grid system is that the cross members that structurally hold the system together and hold it up. Prior art sound baffles and grid systems typically require installation of a metal support structure (Unistrut) upon which sound deadening panels are mounted. In contrast, the presently disclosed system is mounted entirely to the ceiling without any additional metal or structural strengthening members needed.
[0168] With respect to FIGS. 27-31, schematic plan views of two different embodiments are provided. FIGS. 27-30 show a six-light-fixture embodiment, and indicate the dimensions and placement of the lights, anchor points, and baffles. FIGS. 28 and 29 also illustrate how the noise baffle grid system can be constructed from seven different sections (labeled A-F), so that the system may be modular. FIG. 31 shows a nine-light fixture embodiment, and similarly indicates the dimensions and placement of the lights, anchor points, and baffles.
[0169] With respect to FIGS. 32A-D, images from a product data and specification sheet are provided, with further details regarding the presently disclosed embodiments described herein. The noise baffle grid is of a Cloud Grid style, which is made of 100% PET (>75% recycled PET material). The grids have a thickness of 12 millimeters and a density of 1900 g/sgm-2400 g/sgm (approximately 12 pcf). The cloud grid is 20 feet40 feet and composed of interlocking 48 and 88 modules, with an 8 inch blade height (4-inch cross members). The cloud grid systems are suspended using aircraft cable from pre-drilled holes on specific panels-typically 48 inch spacing on center no further than 24 inches from edge of system. Each cloud system includes 10 feet of cable and Gripple. Of note, the presently disclosed embodiment has been tested to provide an Acoustic NRC of up to 0.85.
[0170] With respect to FIGS. 33A-E, an assembly guide is provided, showing details regarding the interlocking cross-members and blade baffles, mounting hole position, and a step-by-step assembly guide (FIGS. 33B-E). All such details are incorporated by reference into the present written description, as if set forth herein in their entirety.
[0171] With respect to FIGS. 34-37, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein, the light fixture and noise baffle grid are hung with respect to one another such that the light fixture(s) are inside the outer perimeter of the noise baffle grid. Further, in a preferred embodiment, all of the light fixtures are downwardly facing direct light fixtures. Each of the downwardly facing direct light fixtures are positioned such that they are inside the outer perimeter of the noise baffle grid. In a still further preferred embodiment, the light fixture(s) have a bottom edge, and the noise baffle grid has a bottom edge, and the lighting fixture(s) are hung such that the light fixture bottom edge is equal to, or above, the bottom edge of the noise baffle grid bottom edge. In some embodiments, the bottom edge of the light fixture is positioned level to the bottom edge of the noise baffle grid. In other embodiments, the bottom edge of the light fixture is positioned above the level of the bottom edge of the noise baffle grid. In various embodiments, vertical distance between the bottom edge of the light fixture and the bottom edge of the noise baffle grid is alternatively about one inch, about two inches, about three inches, about four inches, about five inches, about six inches, between zero and about 0.5 inches, between about 0.5 inches and about one inch, between about 0.5 inches and about 1.5 inches, between about 0.5 inches and about 2 inches, between about 0.5 inches and about 2.5 inches, or between about 0.5 inches and about 3 inches.
[0172] With further respect to FIGS. 34-37, glare is further reduced by eliminating, or at least minimizing, the use of indirect lighting within the indoor pickleball facility. In certain embodiments, indirect lighting is completely eliminated. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 40% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 35% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 30% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 25% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 20% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 15% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 10% of the total light distribution. In other embodiments, indirect lighting is less than 5% of the total light distribution.
[0173] With further respect to FIGS. 34-37, the ceiling and walls of the indoor pickleball facility are painted a dark color, preferably black. In some embodiments, the ceiling and walls are painted black with a matte texture. In other embodiments, the ceiling and walls are painted black with an eggshell or satin texture, to improve wear resistance and enable cleaning. The black ceiling and wall color are contrary to the current state of the art, which calls for painting the ceiling and walls a light color or white, in order to avoid a cave-like feeling. Applicants have realized that going against this conventional wisdom provides the advantage of reducing the glare from lighting fixtures. Moreover, Applicants have discovered that the black walls enable players to see a yellow or neon green pickleball during play more easily than when a white background color is used. Applicants also predict that pickleball players will not care about the cave-like feeling of the facility in view of the improvements in ball visibility and glare-reduction.
[0174] In certain preferred embodiments, the advantages described herein are maximized by the combination of the cloud grid, the cloud grid's position directly above the playable surface of the pickleball court, the direct lighting fixtures, the position of the direct lighting fixtures within the outside perimeter of the cloud grid, the position of the bottom of the direct lighting fixtures either at or above the bottom edge of the cloud grid, the height of the cloud grid and the lighting fixtures with respect to the playing surface, the elimination or minimization of indirect lighting, and the dark or black color of the walls and ceiling of the indoor pickleball facility.
[0175] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments disclosed.
[0176] Insofar as the description above discloses any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions is reserved.
