PORTABLE BALL GAME TARGET AND FLOORING TILE

Abstract

A portable ball game target and flooring tile which is capable of being utilized as a ball game target to rebound a ball and/or a flooring tile to stand on or perform movement on for use in environments where hard surfaces are desired, but are unavailable (e.g., beaches and fields). The inventive device includes a rigid top, supports, and legs, all of which are separable. Further, the top is composed of slats connected by tethers that enable roll-up of the top for transport and storage. The supports are sandwiched between the top and legs to provide rigidity to the top's surface. Legs are connected to the support and top with fasteners enabling the user to elevate, level and tilt the device on uneven soft surfaces. Further, each leg has an optional spiked endcap to enhance stability of the device by enabling the legs to burrow into the sand or ground.

Claims

1. A ball game target and flooring tile comprising: a square or otherwise shaped, rigid playing surface wherein the shaped playing surface is rigid and elevated above the ground; a rigid playing surface that is suitable for bouncing a ball; a rigid playing surface that is suitable to stand on and perform movement on; a rigid playing surface top that is comprised of rigid slats that are held together by a flexible tether and is able to be rolled up and laid flat; a plurality of support members wherein the plurality of support members, when assembled with the top playing surface, removes flexibility in the top playing surface caused by the flexible tether, making the playing surface rigid; a plurality of legs wherein each leg has a first end and a second end and wherein the first end is located underneath the rigid playing surface and wherein the second end may rest on the ground; a plurality of legs wherein the plurality of legs, when assembled, form support to elevate the rigid playing surface above the ground; an endcap that can be attached under the second end of the plurality of legs wherein the endcap can be driven into the ground and reduces the shifting of the plurality of legs and the rigid playing surface during use.

2. The ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 wherein the assembled parts are secured with a plurality of fasteners by friction.

3. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 that has a rigid surface that can be used to bounce a ball.

4. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 that has a rigid surface that can be used to stand, walk, dance or perform some other movement on.

5. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 wherein the playing surface is shaped as a square, rectangle, circle or other shape.

6. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 where the legs can attach to the rigid surface to elevate the rigid surface off of the sand/ground.

7. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 where the second end of the plurality of legs can be covered with an endcap wherein the endcap is driven into the ground and reduces the shifting of the plurality of legs and thus the entire device during use.

8. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 wherein lights may be added to the perimeter of the rigid playing surface or other parts of the device for increased visibility in low light conditions.

9. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 that can be easily assembled.

10. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 that can be easily disassembled, the top surface rolled, and all parts packed away for easy carrying, transport and storage.

11. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 that is made of lightweight materials such that it is easy to carry, transport and store.

12. A ball game target and flooring tile of claim 1 that can enable multiple devices to be easily connected together to make larger and shaped hard surfaces for use in soft ground environments.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of the ball game target and flooring tile.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the rigid playing surface top of the ball game target and flooring tile.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates an end view of the ball game target and flooring tile.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded end view of the ball game target and flooring tile surface and support structure.

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded side view of the ball game target and flooring tile surface and support structure.

[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the ball game target and flooring tile surface rolled up next to the disassembled associated supports, legs, endcaps, and fastener parts.

[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates an end view of the ball game target and flooring tile surface rolled up connected by the tether.

[0030] FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of the bag in which the ball game target and flooring tile is stored and carried for transport.

[0031] FIG. 9 illustrates the front perspective of the multi-device connector plate.

[0032] FIG. 10 illustrates a cut-away end view of two ball game target and flooring tiles connected together via the multi-device connector plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] In the following detailed description, the device according to the teachings for this application in the form of a ball game target and flooring tile will be described by the following embodiments. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new portable ball game target and flooring tile that has many of the advantages and novel features that result in a new portable ball game target and flooring tile which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof. It can be used to for general game play for games that bounce a ball or used for practice in order to increase the user's accuracy of aim of bouncing a ball onto the target. It can also be used as a flooring tile so that the user can stand, walk, dance or perform other movement on it when a hard surface is desired, but not available.

[0034] A first embodiment of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) is illustrated in FIG. 1. The inventive device includes a square rigid playing surface (2), a plurality of support members (4), and a plurality of legs (5), all of which are separable. The rigid playing surface (2) of the ball game target and flooring tile can in this embodiment be comprised of multiple slats (2a-2i) connected together by flexible tethers (3) acting as a single surface as shown in FIG. 2 that enable roll-out of the surface for use or roll-up of the top for travel and storage. The support members (4) are sandwiched between the rigid playing surface (2) and legs (5) to provide additional rigidity to the playing surface. Legs (5) are connected to the support members (4) and rigid surface (2) with a fastener (6) enabling the user to elevate, tilt and/or level the device on uneven ground. Further, each leg has an optional spiked endcap (7) to enhance stability of the device by enabling the legs to burrow into the sand or soft ground.

[0035] In one embodiment, the rigid playing surface (2) as shown in FIG. 2 is made up of nine slats (2a-2i) where each slat has the length of 30 inches, width of 3 inches and thickness of 1 inch. Each slat can be solid or hollow in nature in order to make each slat lighter. All slats (2a-2i) are adjacent to one another and separated slightly, but connected via flexible tethers (3) to create a 30 inch by 30 inch square-shaped playing surface.

[0036] In another embodiment, the rigid playing surface could be made of slats (2a-2i) in various sizes (wider, narrower, longer or shorter) to change the shape of the rigid playing surface (2) to form a rectangle, circle or other unspecified shape. Due to changes in sizes of the slats, in another embodiment, the rigid playing surface may contain more or fewer numbers of slats (e.g., smaller surfaces with wide slats may require fewer boards while larger surfaces with narrower slats may require more boards). The thickness of each slat may also increase or decrease as needed in order to maintain sufficient rigidity of each slat under load.

[0037] In an additional embodiment, the rigid playing surface can be made more continuous by adding filler strips in between the slates of the rigid surface to better eliminate the space in between the slats and make the top surface more rigid and better eliminate the gaps in between the slats. In a related additional embodiment, a flexible film, such as a silicone mat, could be placed on top of the rigid playing surface to cover the entire rigid playing surface (2) to completely eliminate all gaps in the rigid playing surface (2).

[0038] The rigid playing surface (2), support members (4), legs (5) and endcaps (7) of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) can in an embodiment be made from plastic, metal, wood or similar material thereby rendering the device to be light, strong and durable. The rigid playing surface (2), support members (4), legs (5) and endcaps (7) of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) can in an embodiment also be painted or otherwise decorated with different colors or patterns.

[0039] The top face (21) of the rigid playing surface (2) of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) as seen in FIG. 3 can in an embodiment be made from or coated with non-slip materials, thereby rendering the top face of the ball game target and flooring tile more resistant to ball and foot slippage caused by very smooth surfaces and/or when in contact with environmental additives that cause the top face to be slippery, such as water, sand and similar additives.

[0040] In another embodiment, the perimeter of the rigid playing surface (2) or other components of the of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) as seen in FIG. 3 is fitted with lights to better enable user visibility of the rigid playing surface in low light conditions.

[0041] The bottom face of the slats (22) that make up the rigid surface of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) as seen in FIG. 5 can in an embodiment be connected with a tether (3) (best seen in FIG. 2) made from a flexible material that allows the space between the slats that make up the rigid playing surface to bend. In one embodiment, the tether can be made of nylon, Kevlar, silicone, leather, rubber or similar flexible material. In another embodiment, the tether can be made similar to a set of hinges where each hinge connects two adjacent boards together and allows the boards to roll up due to the bending at the hinge point.

[0042] Although any number of support members (4) may be used, the number of support members (4) should result in a support structure that holds at least both ends of the rigid playing surface (2) to maintain a rigid surface as seen in FIG. 3, adding additional supports as needed to maintain a stable, rigid playing surface (2) when assembled (e.g., a larger rigid surface may require additional support members (4)).

[0043] The plurality of legs (5) and support members (4) are connected to the rigid playing surface (2) by a plurality of fasteners (6) best seen in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, this fastener (6) is a long, sunken screw or bolt that enters through a hole in the top face (21) of the target top surface (2), passes through a hole in the tether (3), passes through a hole in the support member (4) and enters the leg (5) through a hole in the center of the top of the leg (51) as shown in FIG. 3. In another embodiment, the fastener (6) is a plastic (or similar material) peg to hold the device together and is used in the same manner as previously described.

[0044] The plurality of legs (5) best seen in FIG. 6 may be used to elevate and support the rigid playing surface (2) as seen in FIG. 1. Although the drawings show four legs (5), the number of legs (5) may vary depending on the size of the rigid playing surface (larger surfaces may require more legs and support members to remain stable). Although the drawings show circular, cylindrical legs (5), the shape of the leg may also be elliptical, square or other undefined cylindrical shape enabling the user to offset the rigid playing surface (2) above the ground. The plurality of legs (5) may have a first end (51) and a second end (52). The first end (51) may be secured to the plurality of support members (4) whereas the second end (52) may rest upon the ground.

[0045] The endcaps (7), best seen in FIG. 4, are optional pieces of the device (1) that can be added to the bottom of each leg (52) to improve contact with the ground in soft ground environments such as sand and soft, grassy fields and to help reduce shifting and better ensure stability of the device (1) during play. In one embodiment, the top portion of the endcaps (71) contain a large hollow cavity that fits over the bottom of the legs (52) thus allowing the endcaps (7) to be pushed onto the bottom of the legs (52). In another embodiment, the top portion of the endcaps (71) contain a large hollow cavity with a screw-like design on the interior walls such that the cavity can fit over a similar screw-like design on the bottom of the legs (52) if the endcaps are hand-screwed onto the bottom of the legs (52). In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the endcap (72) has a spiked design consisting of 2-4 fins (73) to better enable pushing the device into the sand or soft ground and better maintain device stability during play. In another embodiment, the bottom surface of the endcap (72) has a single point, like that of a sharpened pencil, that burrows into the ground to help maintain stability of the device (1).

[0046] The embodiment for assembly of the ball game target and flooring tile (1), the user lays the target top surface (2) upside down on the ground such that the tethers (3) are facing up.

[0047] The user then inserts the plurality of fasteners (6) through the playing surface (2) such that the fasteners (6) are sticking up at the user through the bottom of the playing surface (22) and the tether (3). The plurality of support members (4) then slides over the fasteners (6) such that it rests flush with the tethers (3). Each leg (5) is then attached to the fastener (6) to hold together the rigid playing surface (2), the tethers (3), and the plurality of support members (4) into a single device (1), the ball game target and flooring tile (1). If the ball game target and flooring tile (1) shifts during play, the user may attach an endcap (7) to each leg bottom (52) that touches the sand/ground to enable the ball game target and flooring tile (1) to be better driven into the ground.

[0048] For transport and storage of the device, in this embodiment, the device may be disassembled into its individual, separable parts as shown in FIG. 6: the rigid playing surface (2) with connected tethers (3), support members (4), legs (5), fasteners (6), and endcaps (7). The rigid playing surface (2) with connected tethers (3) will roll up into a long cylinder as shown on the left image of FIG. 6 and shown on end in FIG. 7. All optional parts (not shown) such as slat gap fillers, lights and multi-device connectors (9, described later) are also separable. All parts are to be placed inside the travel bag (8), shown in FIG. 8 for transport and storage.

[0049] The embodiment of the travel bag (8) in FIG. 8 has a main cylindrical storage compartment (81) where all components of the disassembled device are kept for transport and storage. The travel bag (8) also features an external pocket (82) that is large enough and stretchy enough to hold at least one ball and potential paddles, gloves or other accessories for ball game play. The travel bag (8) also has a carrying handle (83) that is adjustable in length and has handle ends (84) that attach the handle (83) to the travel bag main compartment (81) with reinforced stitching for durability. The travel bag (8) is made of a soft, durable material such as nylon, polyester or canvas or similar material and can be closed with a drawstring tie (85).

[0050] The device (1) can be used as both a ball game target and a flooring tile and more than one device may be connected together via the multi-device connector plate (9) shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, a larger surface is desired by the user and this is accomplished by placing multiple devices near each other or directly adjacent to each other. In order to help keep the larger surface, now created by a plurality of multiple devices (shown as 1A and 1B in FIG. 10), level and connected across devices, the multi-device connector plate (9) is used to tether a plurality of separate devices together. In order to tether a plurality of multiple devices (1A and 1B) together, on one device (1A), the fastener (6) enters through a hole in the top face (21) of the target top surface (2), passes through a hole in the tether (3), passes through a hole in the support member (4), passes through a hole in the multi-device connector plate (91) and enters the leg (5) through a hole in the center of the top of the leg (51). This process is repeated with a second device (1B), utilizing the same multi-device connector plate (9) that was used for the first device (1A), thus connecting the two devices together. This process can then be repeated as many times as desired to achieve the size and shape of the ball game target and a flooring tile surface created from connected devices.

[0051] In use as a ball game target for a modified version of volleyball, pickleball, tennis, basketball or similar ball game, the rigid playing surface (2) is typically parallel with respect to the ground, but it can be tilted at an incline, if desired. A user stands on the ground outside the perimeter of the rigid playing surface of the ball game target and flooring tile (1) and delivers a ball by hand, racket or other means to bounce the ball off the rigid playing surface (2). The ball may be bounced back to oneself or to one or more other players who then bounce the ball to return it to the original player(s). The height and incline of the rigid playing surface may be adjusted by pushing the legs further into the sand or soft ground as needed to achieve the desired playing surface height and inclination.

[0052] In use as a flooring tile, the rigid playing surface is typically parallel with respect to the ground. One or more flooring tiles may be installed adjacent to or near to each other to create a larger floor or pathway that hovers over the soft ground. A user stands, walks, dances or performs some other movement on top of the device that now provides a hard surface for a person to stand and perform movement on. The height and inclination of the rigid playing surface may be adjusted by pushing the legs further into the sand or soft ground as needed.

[0053] Although embodiments of the invention are shown and described therein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.