EP0528725B1 - Mobile boxing ring - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile boxing ring obtained by conversion of a suitable trailer (1). The trailer comprises a chassis (2) and a body. The body has a floor (7), vertical uprights (8), a roof (9) and lateral walls (10) articulated on the edges of the roof (9). Foldable lateral panels (13a, 13b) are articulated on the longitudinal edges of the floor (7). In the transport position, the lateral panels (13a, 13b) are vertical inside the body (6) and the lateral walls (10) are folded and locked. In the representation position, the lateral walls are deployed outwards, the lateral panels (13a, 13b) are folded outwards and stabilised by adjustable feet (1). The corner posts (14) of the ring are fastened onto the lateral panels (13a and 13b). Ropes (15) connect the corner posts (14). The roof (9) can be raised. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a mobile boxing ring which is obtained, in a reduced time and without any tools, by conversion of an appropriate trailer.

There are already known removable boxing rings that can be transported from one place to another in the disassembled state.

The French patent application published under No. 2,238,508 describes such a removable ring. This ring has a framework produced by lattice beams connected to each other by cross bars. The lattice beams are articulated in the middle by fixed hinges to reduce the bulk during transport. The four outer beams fit at their ends on the corner posts delimiting the combat area. The intermediate beams are interconnected and are connected to the outer beams by braces ensuring the stability of the assembly. After completing the structure, the floor is laid and the ropes are installed between the corner posts.

The assembly of this ring requires significant time, because it is necessary to correctly position the various component parts and to assemble them together. Disassembly is also time consuming. In addition, it is necessary to have a trailer to transport the assembly. Finally, a marquee or other roof provided with appropriate lighting must be provided during the performance of a boxing show.

We also know vehicles or trailers specially designed for outdoor shows or fairground games and which have a side wall that can be tilted outwards and upwards, so that spectators can see the podium formed by the floor of trailer.

But we do not know of a trailer whose four side walls can be raised to allow viewing of the show from any side of the trailer, and whose floor can be widened enough to constitute a mobile boxing ring.

The object of the present invention is to provide a trailer comprising a chassis surmounted by a body and mounted on at least one rolling means which can be transformed, in a reduced time and without any tools, into a boxing ring.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the fact that the proposed trailer convertible into a boxing ring has the following characteristics.

The trailer body has a floor fixed to the chassis, four vertical uprights fixed to the chassis and arranged at the corners of said floor, a roof supported by said vertical uprights, four side walls articulated respectively on the lateral edges of said roof and capable of taking each two positions: a first position, called the transport position, in which the said side walls are arranged vertically and are capable of being locked to the floor or to the chassis by locking means, and a second position, called the representation position, in which said side walls extend outward in the extension of the roof and are retained substantially horizontally by holding means.

There are also provided two foldable side panels articulated on the longitudinal edges of said floor and extending between the corresponding vertical uprights, said foldable side panels being able to take two positions: a transport position in which said panels are arranged substantially. vertically inside said box, and a representation position in which said panels are folded outwards and are in the extension of said floor to form the combat area.

The corner posts of the combat area are permanently fixed to the outside corners of said side panels.

The ring strings are also permanently fixed between the corner posts.

Means are also provided for stabilizing the trailer as well as the folding side panels in the representation position.

The means for stabilizing the side panels advantageously include adjustable feet capable of accommodating in the corner posts of the combat area. The adjustment of these feet is done by screw jacks. Tension cables to tension the ring strings, advantageously connect the side panels to the frame rails.

Locking means make it possible to fix the side panels to the vertical uprights in the transport position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the roof and the side walls of the box in the representation position are vertically movable and can be raised together by lifting means. These lifting means comprise hydraulic cylinders arranged in the vertical uprights of the body and actuated by a hydraulic group. The hydraulic unit is housed in a trunk formed under the floor of the body. Additional storage boxes are also provided under the floor.

The roof and the side walls are locked in the high position by safety means which prevent the entire roof from falling during the performance.

A mat, such as a judo mat, is permanently fixed to the floor and the folding side panels. This mat is removable.

In addition, a removable skirt can be provided around the combat area, and additional awnings in canvas or other material can be attached to the four corners of the roof.

• la figure 1 représente une vue de dessus de la remorque de l'invention en position de transport,
• la figure 2 est une vue latérale de la remorque de la figure 1, en position de transport,
• la figure 3 est une vue arrière de la remorque de la figure 1, en position de transport,
• la figure 4 est une vue latérale de la remorque de la figure 2 avec les parois latérales de la caisse en position relevée et les panneaux latéraux encore en position de transport,
• la figure 5 est une vue arrière de la remorque de la figure 4,
• la figure 6 montre la vue arrière de la remorque de la figure 5, après levage du toit, les parois latérales étant en position de transport,
• la figure 7 montre la remorque de l'invention vue de l'arrière, avec le toit en position haute, les panneaux latéraux étant rabattus, et les aryens de stabilisation de la remorque en position déployée étant positionnés sous la remorque,
• la figure 8 montre une vue latérale de la remorque de l'invention dans la position de représentation,
• la figure 9 est une vue de dessus de l'aire de combat selon la ligne A-A de la figure 8, le toit et les parois latérales n'étant pas représentés sur cette figure par souci de clarté, et
• la figure 10 montre en détail un moyen de sécurité maintenant la toiture en position relevée.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge on reading the following description given by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a top view of the trailer of the invention in the transport position,
• FIG. 2 is a side view of the trailer of FIG. 1, in the transport position,
• FIG. 3 is a rear view of the trailer of FIG. 1, in the transport position,
• FIG. 4 is a side view of the trailer of FIG. 2 with the side walls of the body in the raised position and the side panels still in the transport position,
• FIG. 5 is a rear view of the trailer of FIG. 4,
• FIG. 6 shows the rear view of the trailer of FIG. 5, after lifting the roof, the side walls being in the transport position,
• FIG. 7 shows the trailer of the invention seen from the rear, with the roof in the high position, the side panels being folded down, and the aryans for stabilizing the trailer in the deployed position being positioned under the trailer,
• FIG. 8 shows a side view of the trailer of the invention in the representation position,
• FIG. 9 is a top view of the combat area along the line AA in FIG. 8, the roof and the side walls not being shown in this figure for the sake of clarity, and
• Figure 10 shows in detail a safety means keeping the roof in the raised position.

The drawing shows a trailer 1 capable of being transformed in a reduced time and without any tools in the boxing ring.

Figures 1 to 3 show the trailer 1 in the transport position.

This trailer 1 essentially comprises a chassis 2 of the box type mounted on two axles 3a, 3b provided with wheels 4 and extended forwards by an arrow 5 allowing it to be hooked to a tractor vehicle not shown in the drawing. A box 6 is fixed to the chassis 2.

This box 6 comprises a floor 7 fixed to the chassis, four vertical uprights 8 disposed at the corners of the floor 7 and securely fixed to the chassis 2, a roof 9 supported by the four vertical uprights 8 and four side walls 10 articulated respectively on the edges of the roof. 9 by shooting hinges.

Each side wall 10 can take two positions: a first position, called the representation position. In the transport position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each side wall 10 blocks the opening delimited by the roof 9 and the floor 7 and two adjacent vertical uprights 8. Locking means 11 are provided for locking each side wall 10 , in the vertical transport position, on the chassis 2 or the corresponding edge of the floor 7.

In the representation position, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the side walls 10 of the body are raised upwards and outwards and extend practically horizontally in the extension of the roof 9. They are maintained in this position by holding means 12, formed for example by compasses interposed between the roof 9 and the side walls 10.

Additional awnings in canvas or any other material such as polyester, of triangular shape, can be stretched between the edges of the two adjacent side walls 10, to increase the surface area of the cover formed by the roof 9 and the side walls 10 in position. deployed.

The combat area of the boxing ring is formed by the surface of the floor 7 and the surface of two additional panels which can extend on the longitudinal sides of the trailer in line with the floor 7.

To this end, two folding side panels 13a and 13b are provided which are articulated on the longitudinal edges of the floor 7 and which extend between two corresponding vertical uprights. These two side panels 13a, 13b can also take two positions. In the transport position, shown in Figures 4 to 6, these side panels 13a and 13b are arranged substantially vertically inside the box. Locking means, not shown on the backrest, are provided for fixing the panels 13a and 13b to the adjacent vertical uprights 8 during transport. In this vertical position, these panels 13a and 13b are practically backed against the side walls 10 when the latter are in the transport position. In the representation position, shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the side panels 13a and 13b are folded outwards and lie in the plane of the floor 7 to form the combat area.

The corner posts 14 of the combat area are permanently fixed to the outside corners of the folding side panels 13a and 13b. The strings 15 of the boxing ring are also permanently fixed to the corner posts 14 and they are stretched in the representation position by tension cables 16 interposed between the side panels 13a, 13b and the side members of the chassis 2.

As seen more precisely in Figures 7 and 8, means 17 are provided for stabilizing the trailer 1 in the position of representation. These means 17 include in particular adjustable feet 18 by pins which, in the transport position, are housed in the corner posts 14 and which have an adjustment means by screw jack. They may also include any other stabilization device already used in trailers or caravans, such as Jockey wheels or adjustable feet 18a.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the assembly formed by the roof 9 and the side walls 10 in the representation position can be raised as a whole by lifting means. These lifting means comprise double-acting hydraulic jacks housed in the vertical uprights 8 and comprising jack rods 19 whose head is fixed at an angle to the roof 9 as seen in FIGS. 6 to 8.

Figures 4 and 5 show the roof in the low position and Figures 6 to 8 show the roof in the high position.

As a safety measure, the entire roof is kept in the high position by safety means. These means may be pins cooperating with bores made in the cylinder rods, and coming to rest on the upper end face of the vertical uprights 8.

Preferably, these safety means, as shown in FIG. 10, are formed by cylindrical sleeves 20 and split on the heights to allow passage of the jack rod 19. The lower face of the sleeve 20 rests on the upper face of the vertical upright 8. The roof 9 comes to bear on the upper face of this sheath 20 which comprises, in its internal part, a foam for protecting the jack rod 19.

The hydraulic cylinders arranged in the vertical uprights 8 are actuated by a hydraulic group housed in a trunk formed in the chassis 2 and disposed under the floor 7. Additional storage boxes 20, visible in FIG. 2, are also provided under the floor 7.

The floor 7 and the side panels 13a and 13b are permanently covered by a removable carpet type judo mat. An adhesive strip, Velcro strip type, is placed around the combat area and allows the rapid fixing of a removable skirt surrounding the base of the proposed boxing ring, said base being formed by the chassis 2 and the stabilization means of trailer.

The trailer also has a battery and a battery charger, and ramps of light bulbs are permanently installed above the combat area.

Ring access stairs can be arranged in any corner of the combat area.

In the transport position, the proposed equipment looks like a usual trailer and, in the representation position, it takes the form of a traditional boxing ring topped with a roof.

The dimensions of the trailer in the closed position are substantially as follows: body length 5.20 m boom length 1.30 m body width 2.45 m body height 2.50 m floor height 1.00 m from the ground roof raising 1.00 m trailer weight 1600 kg.

The implementation of the proposed boxing ring is very simple. The trailer 1 is installed in the transport position in the chosen location. The side walls 10 are unlocked and raised. The entire roof is raised and the cylinder rods 19 are locked in the high position. The side panels 13a, 13b are folded outwards. The feet 18 which are taken out of the corner posts 14 are adjusted. The tension cables 16 are positioned and stretched. All that's left is to install the skirt and the stairs and turn on the lights. Everything is ready for the show.

Claims (8)

1. Trailer convertible into a boxing ring, of the type comprising a chassis (2) surmounted by a body (6) and fitted on rolling means (3a, 3b, 4), characterized in that the body (6) is equipped with a fixed floor (7), four vertical frame members (8), a roof (9) supported by said frame members and four lateral walls (10) hingedly mounted on the edges of said roof (9), said lateral walls (10) being able to be locked onto the chassis (2) for transport and to be held in outwardly raised position, and in that it further comprises two downwardly foldable side panels (13, 13b) hingedly mounted on the longitudinal edges of said floor (7) and extending between the corresponding vertical flame members (8), said side panels (13a, 13b) being adapted to be held in vertical position inside said body (6) for transport and to be folded down outwardly in extension of said floor (7) in order to form the fighting area of a boxing ring.
2. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized in that fixed posts (14) are further provided, at the external angles of said downwardly foldable side panels (13a, 13b), which posts form the angle posts of the boxing ring, when said panels are folded down outwardly.
3. Trailer according to claim 2, characterized in that the ropes (15) of the boxing ring are permanently fixed on said angle posts (14).
4. Trailer according to claim 3, characterized in that the ropes (15) are stretched by tensioning cables (16) joining the downwardly foldable side panels (13a, 13b) to the chassis (2).
5. Trailer according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises means for stabilizing the downwardly foldable side panels (13a, 13b) in the horizontal position.
6. Trailer according to claim 5, characterized in that said stabilizing means comprise adjustable legs (18) capable of being housed in the angle posts (14).
7. Trailer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the assembly formed by the roof (9) and the side walls (10) in folded down position can be lifted by lifting means.
8. Trailer according to claim 7, characterized in that said lifting means comprise hydraulic jacks which are housed in the vertical frame members (8) and actuated by a hydraulic unit.

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