Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/0097—Ball rebound walls
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/38—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for tennis
  • A63B69/385—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for tennis for practising the serve

Definitions

• This invention relates to apparatus for the playing of a game in which players strike a ball at a substantially vertical surface so that the ball rebounds therefrom to return to the playing area.
• a game which is played in a manner analogous to the game of tennis, is known.
• the court comprises a rectangular area with a vertical, resilient rebound screen or net at the end remote from the base line, and a dead ball area extending across the court adjacent to the net.
• the playing area of the court is divided longitudinally by a centre line to provide service areas.
• the rebound screen ' employed in the known game comprises a peripheral frame in which a net is supported by springs spaced at intervals around the four sides of the net.
• the net extends over the full height of the frame and is provided with means such as a horizontal line or a change of colour of the net material, defining a net service line above which a service must strike the net to be fair.
• a rebound screen comprising an upright structure supporting resilient means from which a striking ball will rebound, service line means delineating on said resilient means a service region which excludes a service fault region of said resilient means immediately below said service region, characterised in that said apparatus further comprises means defining a modified rebound region between said service fault region and the base of said screen.
• the means defining the modified rebound region provides a substantially inelastic rebound, and may consist of a sheet of inelastic, flexible material, or a sheet of rigid material.
• the net is supported from a frame by supporting and tensioning members and means are provided for adjusting the net tension.
• Fig 1 is a front elevation of a rebound tennis screen embodying the present invention
• Fig 2 is a side elevation of the screen of Fig 1;
• Fig 3 is a fragmentary detail showing the manner of support of the net in the frame.
• Fig 4 is a plan of a suitable court layout.
• the net illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings comprises a frame 10, which may be of steel or aluminium tube.
• the frame is provided with a cross- member 11 and is supported by means of legs 12 and struts 13.
• a net 14 is mounted within the frame 10 above the cross- member 11, by means of adjustable straps 15 which are passed around the frame 10 and around a continuous cord 16 suitably of nylon, which is threaded through the net around its periphery.
• the cord 16 is supported close to the corners of the frame by passing through eyes at the end of bolts 15a.
• a sheet 17 of flexible, inelastic material such as a strong plastics material is filled by a sheet 17 of flexible, inelastic material such as a strong plastics material, and this is supported from the frame and the cross-member 11 by means of straps 18 which pass through eyelets provided in the sheet for that purpose.
• the adjustable straps 15 which may be nylon or other suitable plastics material, are provided with a head 19 through which the tail 20 is passed and fri ⁇ tionally gripped.
• the length of the cord 16 is such that it is always in tension when supported in the frame 10, and it will be understood that this tension, and thereby the tension in the net 14, may be increased by shortening the straps 15, or decreased by loosening these straps. Decreasing the net tension reduces the velocity with which a ball will rebound from the net, and adjusts the net to a smaller playing area. Conveniently, the net tension is adjusted so that a ball hit to the net with maximum strength will rebound to the base line.
• the tension in the net is mainained evenly throughout its width and height by virtue of the fact that it may move freely at its periphery relative to the cord 16, while the cord 16 is freely supported by the straps 15 and the eyes of the bolts 15a.
• a net service line 21 is provided. Although this is shown as a line for ease of illustration, it may comprise the boundary between areas of the net 14 of different colour or different colour saturation.
• the manner in which the game, known as Rebound Tennis, is played will now be described.
• the boundaries of the court are defined by a base line 22, net line 23 and side lines 24.
• the preferred size of the court is approximately 3.7 metres wide and 5 metres long, and a ground service line 25 is provided across the court approximately 1.4 metres from the net line 23.
• the game may also be played on a larger court.
• Rhots employed in the game should be smaller and have reduced string tension compared with conventional tennis racquets, and the ball should have reduced pressure.
• a fair service is a return in which the ball is returned off the first bounce or volley to strike the net 14 and return to fall within the boundaries of the court or to be struck by the opponent.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=3769916

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 1983
  • 1983-12-19 NZ NZ206623A patent/NZ206623A/en unknown
  • 1983-12-20 IN IN847/DEL/83A patent/IN160572B/en unknown
  • 1983-12-22 WO PCT/AU1983/000190 patent/WO1984002475A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1983-12-22 GB GB08419975A patent/GB2141941B/en not_active Expired
  • 1983-12-22 FI FI843247A patent/FI843247A0/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1983-12-22 EP EP19840900008 patent/EP0130999A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-12-22 HU HU84350A patent/HU192533B/hu not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1983-12-22 JP JP84500313A patent/JPS60500082A/ja active Pending
  • 1983-12-23 CA CA000444234A patent/CA1225675A/en not_active Expired
• 1984
  • 1984-08-23 DK DK403784A patent/DK403784D0/da not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (2)

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