Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B67/00—Sporting games or accessories therefor, not provided for in groups A63B1/00 - A63B65/00
  • A63B67/06—Ring or disc tossing games, e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
  • A63B71/02—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00 for large-room or outdoor sporting games
  • A63B71/022—Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
  • A63B71/02—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00 for large-room or outdoor sporting games
  • A63B71/023—Supports, e.g. poles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B67/00—Sporting games or accessories therefor, not provided for in groups A63B1/00 - A63B65/00
  • A63B67/06—Ring or disc tossing games, e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles
  • A63B2067/063—Ring or disc tossing games, e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles tossing, e.g. rings or horseshoes around or on, e.g. posts, hooks
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B65/00—Implements for throwing  ; Mechanical projectors, e.g. using spring force
  • A63B65/10—Discus discs; Quoits
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
  • A63F9/02—Shooting or hurling games
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
  • A63H33/00—Other toys
  • A63H33/18—Throwing or slinging toys, e.g. flying disc toys

Definitions

• the present invention relates to target apparatuses for sport of disc golf, and more particularly to a disc golf target for improved and consistent disc capture.
• Disc golf is a sport in which players throw a flying disc at a target. The players attempt to complete a course of targets in the least number of throws. Disc golf courses are typically located in parks or other open areas.
• the target typically comprises an upstanding structure, such as a pole, which has a disc-receiving basket and an upper assembly connected with the pole. A plurality of chains hangs down from the upper assembly, which chains stop the motion and momentum of the disc so that it falls in the disc-receiving basket.
• the upper assembly of the target plays a critical role in catching the disc thrown at it.
• the upper assembly comprises plurality chains at two or more different distances from the pole which allows improved capturing of the discs. These chains move once hit with a disc, thus capturing the disc and allowing it to drop in the basket.
• the disc when the disc hits one side of the chains of the target, the disc tends to bounce off from the chains of the target instead of being captured by chains.
• the capture area, and the size of this area, of the target is thus highly dependent of the arrangement and movement of the chains of the target.
• the known disc golf targets tends to capture the disc thrown at them better from one side of the target than from the other depending on the direction of rotation of the disc hitting the target, meaning that these targets have so-called "strong side” and "weak side”.
• the present invention provides an improved disc golf target with enhanced capturing properties once hit with a disc.
• the movement energy of the disc including both the kinetic energy and the rotation energy of the disc, is absorbed much more effective by the chains of the target that with the prior art targets.
• the disc golf target comprises a basket and an upper assembly connected with a substantially vertical pole
• the upper assembly comprises a plurality of chains located around the pole and connected from their upper ends to connecting parts extending outwards from the pole, wherein the connection points of the chains are at least at two different distances away from the pole, wherein at least some of the connections of the upper ends of the outer chains to the connecting parts are configured to allow the upper ends of the chains to move along the connecting parts closer to the pole when hit with a disc, and wherein the movement distance of the upper ends of the outer chains along the connecting parts is configured to extend closer to the pole than the outmost distance of the of the upper ends of the inner chains from the pole.
• the increased movement distance of the upper ends of the outer chains allows increased energy absorption properties for the outer chains of the target, which significantly diminishes the possibility that the chains bounce or throw the disc hitting the chains outside from the area of the basket below the chains.
• the movement distance of the upper ends of the outer chains along the connecting parts is configured to extend substantially the whole length of the connecting part. This way the upper ends of the outer chains are allowed to move from their outermost position to substantially at the outer surface of the pole of the target, which further enhances the energy absorption properties of the outer chains.
• the connecting parts of the ends of the outer chains are formed from a bent rod-like piece, which bent rod-like piece defines a straight movement path for the upper ends of the outer chains.
• the bent rod-like piece forms a loop, which loop is preferably formed on a vertical plane.
• connections of the upper ends of the inner chains to the connecting parts are configured to allow the upper ends of the chains to move along the connecting parts closer to the pole when hit with a disc.
• the movement distance of the upper end of the inner chain along the connecting part is preferably at least 5-10% of the distance between the outmost position of the upper end of the inner chain and the outer surface of the pole.
• the connecting parts of the upper ends of the inner chains are preferably formed from bent rod-like piece with a curved portion connecting two straight portions, wherein the curved portion defines the outermost position for the upper ends of the inner chains.
• the straight portions of the connecting part define two separate movement paths for the upper end of the inner chain, which paths preferably extend in a same tilted horizontal plane.
• the straight portions of the connecting parts of the inner chains preferably extend in the same direction, or alternatively in two different directions, to allow the ends of the inner chains to move closer to the pole along two different paths.
• the connecting parts, or the movement paths formed by the connecting parts, for the upper ends of the chains are formed such, that gravity forces the ends of the chains to return to their outermost position after being moved from these positions. This is preferably obtained by movement paths that are downwards slanting when moving away from the pole of the target.
• the connecting parts extend radially away from the pole at even distribution, wherein between each connecting part of the ends of the outer chains is a connecting part for the ends of the inner chains.
• the disc golf target 1 comprises a pole 2, a basket 3 and an upper assembly 4 with a plurality of chains 5a and 5b.
• the upper assembly 4 and the basket 3 is connected to each other with the pole 2, which pole also extends downwards from the basket and is used to fix the target 1 on ground.
• This fixing of the target 1 to ground can be implemented with a sleeve in the ground, which is typically used with permanent targets in disc gold courses for example.
• a separate foot piece may be connected at the lower end of the pole 2 which is set on ground and keeps the target 1 upright, which is typically used with movable training targets for example.
• the chains 5a, 5b capture the disc by movement of the chains, which movement absorbs the kinetic energy of the disc, which disc then drops in the basket 3.
• Getting the disc in the basket 3 typically signifies successful completion of a single hole or fairway in a disc golf game.
• the chains 5a, 5b are connected from their upper ends to connecting parts 6a, 6b so that the chains hang at two different distances from the pole 2.
• the chains 5a connected to the connecting parts 6a form outer chain group further from the pole 2
• the chains 5b connected to the connecting parts 6b form the inner chain group closer to pole 2.
• connecting parts 6a and 6b extend away from the pole 2 radially and with even distribution so, that between each connecting part 6a for outer chain 5a is one connecting part 6b for inner chain 5b.
• the upper ends of the outer chains 5a are typically connected to the connecting parts 6a movably, so that the upper ends of the outer chains will move along the connecting parts towards the pole 2 when the outer chains are hit with a disc.
• the connecting parts 6a for the outer chains 5a are formed from metal rods as loops (in vertical plane), wherein the loop comprises substantially horizontally extending straight first section, substantially vertically from the outer end of the first section downwards extending straight second section, and straight third section connecting the lower end of the second section and the inner end of the first section, thus forming substantially triangular form for the connecting part.
• the upper ends of the outer chains 6a are hang on the third section of the connecting part 6a, and can move along the third section of the connecting part when hit with a disc.
• the third section of the connecting parts 6a is also downward slanting, when proceeding from the pole 2 outwards, which creates some resistance for the ends of the outer chains 5a for movement towards the pole 2 due to gravity. Further, gravity also moves the ends of the outer chains 5a back to their outermost position when energy moving them inwards has been absorbed due to the downwards slanting third section of the connection pieces 6a.
• third section of the connecting parts 6a extends all the way to the inner end of the first section of the connecting parts 6a and thus next to the outer surface of the pole 2. This allows the ends of the outer chains 5a to move along the third section of the connecting part substantially the whole length of this section, and especially past the outermost position of the inner chains 5b towards the pole 2. Therefore, the outer chains 5a has the ability to absorb a significant amount of the kinetic energy from the disc hitting them before the chain starts to swing back from its upper connection thus slowing down the disc more gradually rather than coming to an abrupt like stop that propels the disc backwards.
• the upper ends of the inner chains 5b are connected to the upper assembly 4 with connecting parts 6b, which connecting parts are also formed from metal rods by bending.
• the connecting parts 6b are in this embodiment substantially V-shaped pieces, wherein the tip of the V-shape is curved and the straight portions of the connecting parts 6b extend at two different directions. This form allows two different movement paths for the upper end of the inner chains 5b along the straight portions closer to the pole 2 when hit with a disc.
• the connecting parts 6b may be formed U-shaped, for example.
• the connecting parts 6b for the upper ends of the inner chains 5b also form loop when connected to the part 7 of the upper assembly 4 when viewed upwards, wherein the outer tip of the connecting parts 6b is located lower than the opposite ends of the straight portions, so that the ends of the inner chains 5b are moved back at their outmost position once energy moving them is absorbed.
• the connecting parts 6a and 6b can also be formed from rids of other material, such as plastic or composite material, for example.
• the lower ends of the outer chains 5a are connected in the ribs of the basket 3 movably along the ribs, and the lower ends of the inner chains 5b are connected to similar arrangement than in the upper assembly 4, which arrangement is connected to the basket.
• the lower ends of the chains 5a, 5b may be connected to a ring arranged around the pole 2, which ring is movable along the length of the pole, or two separate rings, wherein the lower ends of the outer chains 5a are connected to the first ring movable along the length of the pole and the lower ends of the inner chains 5b are connected to the second ring movable along the length of the pole, for example.

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• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)

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Citations (2)

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• 2024
  • 2024-04-19 FI FI20245498A patent/FI131457B1/en active
• 2025
  • 2025-04-14 EP EP25170246.0A patent/EP4635584A1/fr active Pending

Patent Citations (2)

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