CA2247647A1 - Dasher board segment and method - Google Patents
Dasher board segment and method Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2247647A1 CA2247647A1 CA002247647A CA2247647A CA2247647A1 CA 2247647 A1 CA2247647 A1 CA 2247647A1 CA 002247647 A CA002247647 A CA 002247647A CA 2247647 A CA2247647 A CA 2247647A CA 2247647 A1 CA2247647 A1 CA 2247647A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- panel
- channel
- shielding
- panels
- spectator
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C19/00—Design or layout of playing courts, rinks, bowling greens or areas for water-skiing; Covers therefor
- A63C19/06—Apparatus for setting-out or dividing courts
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C19/00—Design or layout of playing courts, rinks, bowling greens or areas for water-skiing; Covers therefor
- A63C19/10—Ice-skating or roller-skating rinks; Slopes or trails for skiing, ski-jumping or tobogganing
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
- A63C19/00—Design or layout of playing courts, rinks, bowling greens or areas for water-skiing; Covers therefor
- A63C19/06—Apparatus for setting-out or dividing courts
- A63C19/08—Mechanical means for marking-out
- A63C2019/085—Fences; Nets; Barriers
Abstract
A modular dasher board system for use in arenas such as ice rinks. The dasher board system comprising a plurality of spectator shielding panels and a plurality of dasher board segments. Each dasher board segment includes a frame and a panel support member mounted to the frame for supporting the spectator shielding panels. The panel support member defines a channel having a base and opposing side walls for loosely receiving and supporting the panels. The channel defines a rattle zone between the spectator shielding panels and at least one of the side walls for permitting a panel to move within the channel to dissipate the force associated with an object colliding with a panel. A plurality of attachment clips are provided to attach adjacent panels together at the upper portions of each panel.
Description
Title: DASHER BOARD SEGMENT AND METHOD
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dasher boards and in particular to components for supporting spectator shielding panels on dasher boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional dasher boards, used with ice rinks, soccer fields and other arenas, include components for supporting spectator shielding panels. The components include a horizontal channel member for supporting the lower horizontal edge of the shielding panel and vertical support members for supporting the vertical side edges of the shielding panel. It was the conventional view in the art that the shielding panels required support along a substantial portion of their vertical edges to prevent the panels from being dislodged by players colliding with the panels or by spectators pushing upon the panels during the course of a game. Examples of such conventional dasher boards are provided in the following U.S. Patents: 3,727,888 (Nickolas); 3,844,539 (Abbott); 3,883,120 (Tippman); 4,883,267 (Burley), 4,905,970 (Holmsten) and French Patent 2669834 (Pierre).
A problem with such conventional dasher boards is that the vertical support members partially obstruct the view of spectators. Also, the replacement of shielding panels that are shattered during play is time consuming due to the need to precisely fit the panels within the vertical support members and the horizontal channel members. This is problematic especially when the replacement must occur during an actual sports event, such as a televised hockey game.
Improved shielding panel support components are disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,706,625 (Vallance et al.). These components no longer require vertical support members to support the side edges of the panels.
Instead, an adjustable cam mechanism is located within a horizontal channel member to clamp each shielding panel along its bottom edge. The cam mechanism provides a sufficiently strong grip of the bottom edge of the panel that side support members are not required. The shielding panels are also supported at their upper ends by transparent plastic clips that extend between the top edges of adjacent panels.
While the improved shield support components taught by the Vallance patent reduce the visual obstruction associated with the vertical supports, the complexity of the cam mechanism increases the costs of producing the dasher boards. Also, it has been found that tight clamping of the shielding panels along the bottom edges produces stresses on the panels that increase the likelihood of the panels shattering when contacted heavily by a player. Also, if a panel becomes shattered, the complexity of the cam mechanism complicates the process of removing the shattered panel and replacing it with a new panel. This can lead to time delays which, as discussed above, are particularly undesirable when they occur during a televised game.
What is needed is an improved dasher board system with a shield support apparatus that overcomes the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the invention provides a dasher board segment for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel, said segment comprising:
a surface mountable frame;
a panel support member mounted to said frame; and a channel defined by said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dasher boards and in particular to components for supporting spectator shielding panels on dasher boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional dasher boards, used with ice rinks, soccer fields and other arenas, include components for supporting spectator shielding panels. The components include a horizontal channel member for supporting the lower horizontal edge of the shielding panel and vertical support members for supporting the vertical side edges of the shielding panel. It was the conventional view in the art that the shielding panels required support along a substantial portion of their vertical edges to prevent the panels from being dislodged by players colliding with the panels or by spectators pushing upon the panels during the course of a game. Examples of such conventional dasher boards are provided in the following U.S. Patents: 3,727,888 (Nickolas); 3,844,539 (Abbott); 3,883,120 (Tippman); 4,883,267 (Burley), 4,905,970 (Holmsten) and French Patent 2669834 (Pierre).
A problem with such conventional dasher boards is that the vertical support members partially obstruct the view of spectators. Also, the replacement of shielding panels that are shattered during play is time consuming due to the need to precisely fit the panels within the vertical support members and the horizontal channel members. This is problematic especially when the replacement must occur during an actual sports event, such as a televised hockey game.
Improved shielding panel support components are disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,706,625 (Vallance et al.). These components no longer require vertical support members to support the side edges of the panels.
Instead, an adjustable cam mechanism is located within a horizontal channel member to clamp each shielding panel along its bottom edge. The cam mechanism provides a sufficiently strong grip of the bottom edge of the panel that side support members are not required. The shielding panels are also supported at their upper ends by transparent plastic clips that extend between the top edges of adjacent panels.
While the improved shield support components taught by the Vallance patent reduce the visual obstruction associated with the vertical supports, the complexity of the cam mechanism increases the costs of producing the dasher boards. Also, it has been found that tight clamping of the shielding panels along the bottom edges produces stresses on the panels that increase the likelihood of the panels shattering when contacted heavily by a player. Also, if a panel becomes shattered, the complexity of the cam mechanism complicates the process of removing the shattered panel and replacing it with a new panel. This can lead to time delays which, as discussed above, are particularly undesirable when they occur during a televised game.
What is needed is an improved dasher board system with a shield support apparatus that overcomes the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the invention provides a dasher board segment for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel, said segment comprising:
a surface mountable frame;
a panel support member mounted to said frame; and a channel defined by said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
In another aspect the invention provides a dasher board segment for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel, said segment comprising:
frame means for mounting to a surface;
panel support member means mounted to said frame means for defining channel means for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position; and rattle zone means defined by said channel means for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one spectator shielding panel within said channel means.
In another aspect the invention provides a method for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel comprising the steps of:
providing a panel support member; and .
defining a channel within said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
In another aspect the invention provides a dasher board system comprising:
a plurality of spectator shielding panels;
a plurality of dasher board segments for supporting said spectator shielding panels, each said segment having:
a frame that is adapted to be mounted to a surface, and a panel support member mounted to said frame, said panel support member defining a channel having a base and opposing side walls for receiving and supporting one or more of said spectator shielding panels in a substantially upright position, said channel defining a rattle zone between said spectator shielding panels and at least one of said side walls for permitting a shielding panel to move within said channel to dissipate a portion of the force associated with an object colliding with said shielding panel; and a plurality of attachment clips for attaching said spectator shielding panels together at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a segment of a dasher board system in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the dasher board system of Fig. 1 taken along lines 2-2;
Figs. 3A and 3B are front perspective views of a dasher board frame in first and second stages of construction;
Fig. 4 is a side view of a panel support member for the dasher board system of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the panel support member as shown in line 5-5 of fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a panel bumper for the dasher board system of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an attachment clip as taken along lines 7-7 of Fig. 1 DETAINED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A portion of a dasher board system in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at 10 in Fig. 1. The dasher board system includes a plurality of straight and radiused dasher board segments 12 and spectator shielding panels 14. The dasher board segments 12 are mounted end to end to a floor 16 in a known manner to define an arena enclosure for playing hockey or other sports. The spectator shielding panels 14 are formed of tempered glass or other durable transparent materials for protecting spectators from flying objects.
Referring to Figs. 2, 3A and 3B, the frame components of each dasher board segment may be seen. The frame components include a horizontal base 20 defined by a pair of C-shaped lower base members 20a and 20b. An intermediate horizontal support tube 22 and a pair of upper horizontal support tubes 24 are also provided. A second horizontal support tube 22 may also be provided as a water bottle shelf. A vertical center post 26 is mounted centrally between a lower plate 28 and one of a plurality of upper plates 30 that are welded respectively to the horizontal base 20 and the upper support tubes 24.
A panel support member 40 is positioned snugly between the upper support tubes 24 and on top of the plurality of upper plates 30. The panel support member 40 defines a channel 42 for loosely receiving and supporting one or more spectator shielding panels 14 as described further below.
End plates 50 are mounted to the ends of the horizontal frame components such that the end faces of the horizontal base 20, intermediate horizontal support tubes 22 and upper horizontal support tubes 24 are flush with the end plates 50. The end plates 50 include holes 52 for receiving fasteners 54 (such as nut and bolt fasteners) to connect adjacent dasher board segments 12 together during installation of an arena enclosure.
Front and back cap rail members 60 and 62 are mounted to the top of the upper support tubes 24. The cap rail members 60 and 62 are spaced to define an opening 64 corresponding to the width of the channel 42 for the panel support member 40. The cap rail members 60 and 62 are mounted to the upper support tubes 24 using fasteners 66 such as screws, nut and bolt fasteners or the like.
frame means for mounting to a surface;
panel support member means mounted to said frame means for defining channel means for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position; and rattle zone means defined by said channel means for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one spectator shielding panel within said channel means.
In another aspect the invention provides a method for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel comprising the steps of:
providing a panel support member; and .
defining a channel within said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
In another aspect the invention provides a dasher board system comprising:
a plurality of spectator shielding panels;
a plurality of dasher board segments for supporting said spectator shielding panels, each said segment having:
a frame that is adapted to be mounted to a surface, and a panel support member mounted to said frame, said panel support member defining a channel having a base and opposing side walls for receiving and supporting one or more of said spectator shielding panels in a substantially upright position, said channel defining a rattle zone between said spectator shielding panels and at least one of said side walls for permitting a shielding panel to move within said channel to dissipate a portion of the force associated with an object colliding with said shielding panel; and a plurality of attachment clips for attaching said spectator shielding panels together at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a segment of a dasher board system in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the dasher board system of Fig. 1 taken along lines 2-2;
Figs. 3A and 3B are front perspective views of a dasher board frame in first and second stages of construction;
Fig. 4 is a side view of a panel support member for the dasher board system of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the panel support member as shown in line 5-5 of fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a panel bumper for the dasher board system of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an attachment clip as taken along lines 7-7 of Fig. 1 DETAINED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A portion of a dasher board system in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at 10 in Fig. 1. The dasher board system includes a plurality of straight and radiused dasher board segments 12 and spectator shielding panels 14. The dasher board segments 12 are mounted end to end to a floor 16 in a known manner to define an arena enclosure for playing hockey or other sports. The spectator shielding panels 14 are formed of tempered glass or other durable transparent materials for protecting spectators from flying objects.
Referring to Figs. 2, 3A and 3B, the frame components of each dasher board segment may be seen. The frame components include a horizontal base 20 defined by a pair of C-shaped lower base members 20a and 20b. An intermediate horizontal support tube 22 and a pair of upper horizontal support tubes 24 are also provided. A second horizontal support tube 22 may also be provided as a water bottle shelf. A vertical center post 26 is mounted centrally between a lower plate 28 and one of a plurality of upper plates 30 that are welded respectively to the horizontal base 20 and the upper support tubes 24.
A panel support member 40 is positioned snugly between the upper support tubes 24 and on top of the plurality of upper plates 30. The panel support member 40 defines a channel 42 for loosely receiving and supporting one or more spectator shielding panels 14 as described further below.
End plates 50 are mounted to the ends of the horizontal frame components such that the end faces of the horizontal base 20, intermediate horizontal support tubes 22 and upper horizontal support tubes 24 are flush with the end plates 50. The end plates 50 include holes 52 for receiving fasteners 54 (such as nut and bolt fasteners) to connect adjacent dasher board segments 12 together during installation of an arena enclosure.
Front and back cap rail members 60 and 62 are mounted to the top of the upper support tubes 24. The cap rail members 60 and 62 are spaced to define an opening 64 corresponding to the width of the channel 42 for the panel support member 40. The cap rail members 60 and 62 are mounted to the upper support tubes 24 using fasteners 66 such as screws, nut and bolt fasteners or the like.
The front surface of the dasher board segment is defined by a facing 70 with a kick plate 72 being mounted to the lower end. Both the facing 70 and kick plate 72 are preferably made of polyethylene. The rear face of the dasher board may remain uncovered or may be covered to improve the aesthetics of the dasher board system.
Each dasher board segment is mounted to an anchor 74 that is disposed within the floor 16. The anchor 74 includes a threaded neck 76 that protrudes from the surface of the floor 16. The neck fits through an opening 78 in an anchor plate 80 disposed within the horizontal base 20. A
nut 82 is fitted to the threaded neck 76 over the anchor plate 80 and tightened to secure the dasher board segment to the floor 16. As shown in Fig. 2, the floor 16 includes expansion joints 84 to allow the floor 16 to expand and contract according to fluctuations in temperature, which occur if the floor 16 is refrigerated to form an ice rink.
The components of the dasher board frame are well known in the art and described fully in U.S. Patent 5,706,625 (Vallance) which is incorporated herein by reference.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the panel support member 40 comprises an elongate block 90 that defines the channel 42 partway below the top surface 92 of the block along its entire length. At intervals along the length of the block, cutouts 94 are defined in the side walls 96 of the block. The cutouts 94 are positioned to intersect the channel 42 immediately below its base 98 to allow shattered glass that may become disposed in the channel 42 to be brushed out before inserting a replacement panel of glass in the channel 42. For example, if the channel 42 has a depth of three inches measured from the top surface 92 of the block, then the cutouts 94 would begin at 3 inches from the top surface 92 and end at approximately 3 1/2 inches from the top of the channel 42. In this way, the glass panels would rest on the base 98 of the channel 42 in those portions of the block where the cutouts 94 do not extend.
Referring to Fig. 5, the channel 42 is dimensioned to loosely receive and support each spectator shielding panel in a substantially _7_ upright position while allowing sufficient space to permit the panel to move when subjected to a force such as a collision from a player. In particular, the channel 42 is wider than the panel such that a rattle zone 100 is defined between one or both of the side walls 96 of the block and the panel. Upon the panel being subjected to a severe force, the panel will move (i.e. rattle) within the rattle zone 100 and the energy of the force will be dissipated. The movement of the panel will be mainly lateral although same minor longitudinal movement in the channel 42 may also occur.
The width and depth of the channel 42 can vary depending upon the thickness and height of the panel being supported. It has been found that a channel that is 3 inches deep and 17/32 inches wide is preferred for supporting a panel that is 6 feet high and 0.5 inches thick. A channel that is 3 inches deep and 21/32 inches wide is preferred for supporting a panel that is 8 feet high and 5/8 inches thick. In other words, a rattle zone of approximately 1 /32 inches (or a channel depth to rattle zone width ratio of approximately 96:1) has been found to be sufficient to permit dissipation of forces during a collision by a player. It will be understood that a deeper channel 42 would be required to loosely receive and support the panel if a wider rattle zone is desired.
As a further deterrent to the panel shattering on impact, the panel support member has rounded top edges 102 to reduce the amount of stress that is placed upon specific regions of the panel. The rounded edges also assist in guiding panels into the channel 42 during installation and replacement of panels. The lower inside corners 104 of the channel 42 are also rounded to reduce stress on the panel and to allow free movement of the panels within the channel 42.
The panel support member 40 is preferably formed from a rigid plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It has been found that the panel support member can be manufactured from rigid PVC to precise tolerances at relatively low costs. Also, the rigid PVC is sufficiently smooth to allow the panels to slide within the channel 42 during an impacting force to dissipate energy. The smooth channel 42 also simplifies the installation or replacement of the spectator shielding panels. The panel support member 40 is preferably formed by extrusion to further lower manufacturing costs. Alternatively, the channel 42 can be machined out of a block of rigid PVC to the desired tolerances.
A plurality of bumpers 120 are mounted to the end faces 122 of the spectator shielding panels to prevent the panels from directly abutting against one another. The bumpers 120 are preferably formed from a soft, durable rubber material. As shown in Fig. 6, the bumpers 120 include a flat base 124 which is mounted by glue or other appropriate fasteners 66 to the end face of the panel. As shown in Fig. 6, the bumpers 120 are shaped with a flat head 126, for abutting the end face of an adjacent panel, and tapered side walls 128 for transferring the force uniformly from the flat head 126 to the base. When a severe force is applied to one of the panels, a portion of the force will be absorbed by the bumpers 120 and transferred to adjacent panels due to the panels sliding slightly along the length of the channel 42 until the end faces 122 and bumpers 120 collide.
Referring to Fig. 1, it can be seen that adjacent panels are connected to each other locally at an upper portion with attachment clips 130. As shown in Fig. 7, the attachment clip is U-shaped in cross-section and preferably formed from a resilient transparent material, such as plexiglass. The attachment clip is sized to span between the end faces 122 of adjacent panels. The attachment clip includes arms 134 that extend inwardly toward each other from the top 136 of each clip to the bottom edges 138 of the arms 134. Due to the resiliency of the clip material, the arms 134 are spring biased toward each other in order that they may grip the top portions of the panels to avoid sliding from their positions.
In use, the clips 130 assist in maintaining the panels in an upright position by using adjacent panels to support each other.
Furthermore, upon a severe force being applied to a panel, the clips 130 aid in transferring the energy of the force to adjacent panels to help dissipate the force.
Where the spectator shielding panels come to an end where they are not adjacent to another panel, the end face 122 shall be supported by a vertical end support 140 formed preferably of a transparent plexiglass extrusion. The end support 140 is supported in an opening 142 of complimentary dimensions defined in the top rail and seated in a pocket 144 fastened to the intermediate horizontal support 22.
A method for supporting spectator shielding panels 14 is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing the surface mountable frame, mounting the panel support member 40 to the frame, defining the channel 42 within the panel support member and installing the spectator shielding panels 14 into the channel 42 of the panel support member 40. The channel 40 is dimensioned, as described earlier, to loosely receive and support the spectator shielding panels, and to define the rattle zone 100 for permitting movement (mainly lateral displacement) of the shielding panels 14 within the channel 40.
It is to be understood that what has been described is a preferred embodiment to the invention. If the invention nonetheless is susceptible to certain changes and alternative embodiments fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as described above, and the scope of the claims set out below.
Each dasher board segment is mounted to an anchor 74 that is disposed within the floor 16. The anchor 74 includes a threaded neck 76 that protrudes from the surface of the floor 16. The neck fits through an opening 78 in an anchor plate 80 disposed within the horizontal base 20. A
nut 82 is fitted to the threaded neck 76 over the anchor plate 80 and tightened to secure the dasher board segment to the floor 16. As shown in Fig. 2, the floor 16 includes expansion joints 84 to allow the floor 16 to expand and contract according to fluctuations in temperature, which occur if the floor 16 is refrigerated to form an ice rink.
The components of the dasher board frame are well known in the art and described fully in U.S. Patent 5,706,625 (Vallance) which is incorporated herein by reference.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the panel support member 40 comprises an elongate block 90 that defines the channel 42 partway below the top surface 92 of the block along its entire length. At intervals along the length of the block, cutouts 94 are defined in the side walls 96 of the block. The cutouts 94 are positioned to intersect the channel 42 immediately below its base 98 to allow shattered glass that may become disposed in the channel 42 to be brushed out before inserting a replacement panel of glass in the channel 42. For example, if the channel 42 has a depth of three inches measured from the top surface 92 of the block, then the cutouts 94 would begin at 3 inches from the top surface 92 and end at approximately 3 1/2 inches from the top of the channel 42. In this way, the glass panels would rest on the base 98 of the channel 42 in those portions of the block where the cutouts 94 do not extend.
Referring to Fig. 5, the channel 42 is dimensioned to loosely receive and support each spectator shielding panel in a substantially _7_ upright position while allowing sufficient space to permit the panel to move when subjected to a force such as a collision from a player. In particular, the channel 42 is wider than the panel such that a rattle zone 100 is defined between one or both of the side walls 96 of the block and the panel. Upon the panel being subjected to a severe force, the panel will move (i.e. rattle) within the rattle zone 100 and the energy of the force will be dissipated. The movement of the panel will be mainly lateral although same minor longitudinal movement in the channel 42 may also occur.
The width and depth of the channel 42 can vary depending upon the thickness and height of the panel being supported. It has been found that a channel that is 3 inches deep and 17/32 inches wide is preferred for supporting a panel that is 6 feet high and 0.5 inches thick. A channel that is 3 inches deep and 21/32 inches wide is preferred for supporting a panel that is 8 feet high and 5/8 inches thick. In other words, a rattle zone of approximately 1 /32 inches (or a channel depth to rattle zone width ratio of approximately 96:1) has been found to be sufficient to permit dissipation of forces during a collision by a player. It will be understood that a deeper channel 42 would be required to loosely receive and support the panel if a wider rattle zone is desired.
As a further deterrent to the panel shattering on impact, the panel support member has rounded top edges 102 to reduce the amount of stress that is placed upon specific regions of the panel. The rounded edges also assist in guiding panels into the channel 42 during installation and replacement of panels. The lower inside corners 104 of the channel 42 are also rounded to reduce stress on the panel and to allow free movement of the panels within the channel 42.
The panel support member 40 is preferably formed from a rigid plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It has been found that the panel support member can be manufactured from rigid PVC to precise tolerances at relatively low costs. Also, the rigid PVC is sufficiently smooth to allow the panels to slide within the channel 42 during an impacting force to dissipate energy. The smooth channel 42 also simplifies the installation or replacement of the spectator shielding panels. The panel support member 40 is preferably formed by extrusion to further lower manufacturing costs. Alternatively, the channel 42 can be machined out of a block of rigid PVC to the desired tolerances.
A plurality of bumpers 120 are mounted to the end faces 122 of the spectator shielding panels to prevent the panels from directly abutting against one another. The bumpers 120 are preferably formed from a soft, durable rubber material. As shown in Fig. 6, the bumpers 120 include a flat base 124 which is mounted by glue or other appropriate fasteners 66 to the end face of the panel. As shown in Fig. 6, the bumpers 120 are shaped with a flat head 126, for abutting the end face of an adjacent panel, and tapered side walls 128 for transferring the force uniformly from the flat head 126 to the base. When a severe force is applied to one of the panels, a portion of the force will be absorbed by the bumpers 120 and transferred to adjacent panels due to the panels sliding slightly along the length of the channel 42 until the end faces 122 and bumpers 120 collide.
Referring to Fig. 1, it can be seen that adjacent panels are connected to each other locally at an upper portion with attachment clips 130. As shown in Fig. 7, the attachment clip is U-shaped in cross-section and preferably formed from a resilient transparent material, such as plexiglass. The attachment clip is sized to span between the end faces 122 of adjacent panels. The attachment clip includes arms 134 that extend inwardly toward each other from the top 136 of each clip to the bottom edges 138 of the arms 134. Due to the resiliency of the clip material, the arms 134 are spring biased toward each other in order that they may grip the top portions of the panels to avoid sliding from their positions.
In use, the clips 130 assist in maintaining the panels in an upright position by using adjacent panels to support each other.
Furthermore, upon a severe force being applied to a panel, the clips 130 aid in transferring the energy of the force to adjacent panels to help dissipate the force.
Where the spectator shielding panels come to an end where they are not adjacent to another panel, the end face 122 shall be supported by a vertical end support 140 formed preferably of a transparent plexiglass extrusion. The end support 140 is supported in an opening 142 of complimentary dimensions defined in the top rail and seated in a pocket 144 fastened to the intermediate horizontal support 22.
A method for supporting spectator shielding panels 14 is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing the surface mountable frame, mounting the panel support member 40 to the frame, defining the channel 42 within the panel support member and installing the spectator shielding panels 14 into the channel 42 of the panel support member 40. The channel 40 is dimensioned, as described earlier, to loosely receive and support the spectator shielding panels, and to define the rattle zone 100 for permitting movement (mainly lateral displacement) of the shielding panels 14 within the channel 40.
It is to be understood that what has been described is a preferred embodiment to the invention. If the invention nonetheless is susceptible to certain changes and alternative embodiments fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as described above, and the scope of the claims set out below.
Claims (18)
1. A dasher board segment for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel, said segment comprising:
a surface mountable frame;
a panel support member mounted to said frame; and a channel defined by said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
a surface mountable frame;
a panel support member mounted to said frame; and a channel defined by said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
2. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said panel support member is integrally formed.
3. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said panel support member is formed from a rigid plastic material.
4. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side walls of said panel support member have top edges that are rounded inwardly toward said channel.
5. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said channel base has internal bottom corners that are rounded to permit free movement of the shielding panels within the channel.
6. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rattle zone is between 1/64 inches and 1/16 inches in width.
7. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rattle zone is 1/32 inches in width.
8. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said channel is 3 inches deep for supporting panels 8 feet in height or less.
9. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the channel depth to rattle zone width ratio is approximately 96:1.
10. A dasher board segment as claimed in claim 1 further comprising one or more side channels defined in the side walls between the base of the channel and the outer face of the side walls for allowing material from shattered panels to be removed from the channel prior to the replacement of the panels.
11. The dasher board segment of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of attachment clips for attaching at least two of said spectator shielding panels together locally at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
12. A dasher board segment for supporting at least one spectator shielding panel, said segment comprising:
frame means for mounting to a surface;
panel support member means mounted to said frame means for defining channel means for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position; and rattle zone means defined by said channel means for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one spectator shielding panel within said channel means.
frame means for mounting to a surface;
panel support member means mounted to said frame means for defining channel means for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position; and rattle zone means defined by said channel means for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one spectator shielding panel within said channel means.
13. The dasher board segment of claim 12 further comprising upper attachment means for attaching at least two of said spectator shielding panels together locally at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
14. A method of supporting at least one spectator shielding panel comprising the steps of:
providing a panel support member; and defining a channel within said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting:
a surface mountable frame;
a panel support member mounted to said frame; and a channel defined by said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
providing a panel support member; and defining a channel within said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting:
a surface mountable frame;
a panel support member mounted to said frame; and a channel defined by said panel support member for loosely receiving and supporting said at least one spectator shielding panel in a substantially upright position, said channel having a base and opposing side walls, and said channel defining a rattle zone between either side of said at least one shielding panel and at least one of said opposing side walls for permitting lateral displacement of said at least one shielding panel within said channel.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of providing a surface mountable frame, mounting said panel support member to said frame and installing and shielding panel into said panel support member.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of attaching at least two of said spectator panels shielding panels together locally at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
17. A dasher board system comprising:
a plurality of spectator shielding panels;
a plurality of dasher board segments for supporting said spectator shielding panels, each said segment having:
a frame that is adapted to be mounted to a surface, and a panel support member mounted to said frame, said panel support member defining a channel having a base and opposing side walls for receiving and supporting one or more of said spectator shielding panels in a substantially upright position, said channel defining a rattle zone between said spectator shielding panels and at least one of said side walls for permitting a shielding panel to move within said channel to dissipate a portion of the force associated with an object colliding with said shielding panel; and a plurality of attachment clips for attaching said spectator shielding panels together at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
a plurality of spectator shielding panels;
a plurality of dasher board segments for supporting said spectator shielding panels, each said segment having:
a frame that is adapted to be mounted to a surface, and a panel support member mounted to said frame, said panel support member defining a channel having a base and opposing side walls for receiving and supporting one or more of said spectator shielding panels in a substantially upright position, said channel defining a rattle zone between said spectator shielding panels and at least one of said side walls for permitting a shielding panel to move within said channel to dissipate a portion of the force associated with an object colliding with said shielding panel; and a plurality of attachment clips for attaching said spectator shielding panels together at an upper portion of each said panel when said panels are positioned adjacent to each other.
18. A dasher board system of claim 17, wherein a plurality of soft, flexible bumpers are mounted to the end faces of spectator shielding panels that are positioned adjacent to one another.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002247647A CA2247647A1 (en) | 1998-09-17 | 1998-09-17 | Dasher board segment and method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002247647A CA2247647A1 (en) | 1998-09-17 | 1998-09-17 | Dasher board segment and method |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2247647A1 true CA2247647A1 (en) | 2000-03-17 |
Family
ID=29409912
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002247647A Abandoned CA2247647A1 (en) | 1998-09-17 | 1998-09-17 | Dasher board segment and method |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2247647A1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2011096900A1 (en) * | 2010-02-03 | 2011-08-11 | Izid, D.O.O. Jesenice | Panel assembly of a sports field board |
| RU2443451C2 (en) * | 2006-06-07 | 2012-02-27 | Премьер Ринкс, Инк. | Soft cover for board knot |
| USD707105S1 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2014-06-17 | Sports Systems Unlimited Corp. | H style divider matrix sleeve |
| IT201900019757A1 (en) * | 2019-10-24 | 2021-04-24 | Intercom Dr Leitner S R L | BALUSTRADE GROUP FOR ICE HOCKEY |
-
1998
- 1998-09-17 CA CA002247647A patent/CA2247647A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RU2443451C2 (en) * | 2006-06-07 | 2012-02-27 | Премьер Ринкс, Инк. | Soft cover for board knot |
| USD707105S1 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2014-06-17 | Sports Systems Unlimited Corp. | H style divider matrix sleeve |
| WO2011096900A1 (en) * | 2010-02-03 | 2011-08-11 | Izid, D.O.O. Jesenice | Panel assembly of a sports field board |
| IT201900019757A1 (en) * | 2019-10-24 | 2021-04-24 | Intercom Dr Leitner S R L | BALUSTRADE GROUP FOR ICE HOCKEY |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US6004217A (en) | Flexible dasher board system | |
| US5706625A (en) | Supportless dasher board | |
| US4905970A (en) | Dasher board system for athletic playing surfaces | |
| CA2552340C (en) | Bumpers for dasher board assemblies | |
| US4556219A (en) | Golf practice cage | |
| US6533495B1 (en) | Impact absorbing barrier | |
| US10029168B2 (en) | Enhanced safety dasher board assembly | |
| US6095503A (en) | Dasher board system | |
| CA2645480C (en) | Dasher boards | |
| CA2035346A1 (en) | Panel mounting system | |
| US20060013651A1 (en) | Impact absorbing barrier | |
| US6783461B2 (en) | Flexible track for dasher board system | |
| CA2917881C (en) | Energy absorbing sports board assembly | |
| US9283469B2 (en) | Impact absorbing dasherboard | |
| CA2247647A1 (en) | Dasher board segment and method | |
| CA2448326C (en) | Safety enclosure shield panel support system | |
| FI122527B (en) | Spruce construction for an ice hockey rink | |
| CA2170943C (en) | Supportless dasher board | |
| CN210598427U (en) | Wallboard fixing device and court | |
| RU43470U1 (en) | SYSTEM OF FASTENING OF SHIELDS OF PROTECTIVE LIGHT-TRANSPARENT PROTECTION ON THE HOCKEY BOARD | |
| EP0845579A1 (en) | Tunnel lining | |
| GB2377646A (en) | Rebound panel for a ballcourt | |
| JP2000233037A (en) | Simplified fence cushion | |
| JPS62174460A (en) | Method for mounting baseboard in skate link | |
| KR19980059755U (en) | Steel median |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |