US20070281805A1

US20070281805A1 - Foldable goal

Info

Publication number: US20070281805A1
Application number: US11/446,208
Authority: US
Inventors: Simon Hsiao
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-06-05
Filing date: 2006-06-05
Publication date: 2007-12-06

Abstract

A foldable goal has two goalposts, a crossbar, two support struts and a base assembly formed by multiple tubes and multiple hinge assemblies. The tubes and the hinge assemblies can be folded. When the tubes and the hinge assemblies are folded, the foldable goal is folded and has a small volume such that moving or using is convenient.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a goal, and more particularly to a foldable goal that is convenient to use and move.
2. Description of Related Art
Goals are used in many games like football, soccer, ice hockey, etc. Two goals are mounted at opposite ends of a playing field, and each goal comprises two goalposts, a crossbar, support struts and an optional net and has a front. The goalposts are made of rigid material, are mounted upright and have a top ends. The crossbar is made of rigid material and are connected to the top ends of the goalposts to form a squared off or tapered inverted-U shape. The support struts are also made of rigid material, are attached to the goalposts and extend down away from the front to hold the goalposts and crossbar upright. The net is attached to the crossbar, goalposts and support struts to catch and hold a ball in the goal.
When goals need to be removed from a playing field and dismantled after a game or practice, the goalposts, crossbar and support struts have to be disconnected from each other or very larger areas must be used to store the goals. Since goals often have many, large pieces, the goals can be very inconvenient to assemble, dismantle and move.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a foldable goal to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable goal that can be folded, unfolded and is convenient to use and move.
The foldable goal in accordance with the present invention has two sides and a rear and comprises two goalposts, a crossbar, a base assembly and two support struts, which composed of multiple tubes and multiple hinge assemblies.
Each tube has two ends.
The hinge assemblies are mounted at one end of a tube or mounted between two adjacent tubes and comprise two brackets, a hinge, a sleeve and a latch. The brackets are able to connect with the ends of the tubes. The hinge is mounted pivotally between the brackets. The sleeve is mounted slidably on the tube connected with the brackets and selectively covers the hinge and brackets to keep the hinge from pivoting. The latch is mounted inside the tubes connected with the brackets and holds the sleeve in position.
The goalposts are mounted respectively at sides of the foldable goal and are telescopic, and each goalpost has an upper and lower end.
The crossbar is mounted pivotally between the upper ends of the goalposts and has at least two tubes and three hinge assemblies.
The base assembly is attached pivotally to the lower ends of the goalposts, protrudes toward the rear of the foldable goal and comprises at least two side supports. Each side support comprises a tube and a hinge assembly.
The support struts are mounted pivotally and respectively between the upper ends of the goalposts and the base assembly, and each support strut comprises two tubes and a hinge assembly.
The foldable goal in accordance can be folded by rotating the hinges of the hinge assemblies mounted in the crossbar, the base assembly and the support struts. When the hinge assemblies and the tubes are folded, the foldable goal has a small volume, which makes it convenient to move or use.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the foldable goal in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge assembly in the foldable goal in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view in partial section of the hinge assembly in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an operational perspective view of the foldable goal in FIG. 1 with the sleeves releasing the hinges;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge assembly connected perpendicularly in the foldable goal in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the foldable goal in FIG. I folded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, the foldable goal in accordance with the present invention comprises two sides, a rear, two goalposts (20), a crossbar (40), a base assembly (50), two support struts (30), which composed of multiple tubes (12) and multiple hinge assemblies (10), and an optional net (not shown).
With further reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, each tube (12) has two ends, an outer surface and at least one optional latch hole (120). With further reference to FIG. 5, the two ends of the tube may be a proximal end and a distal end and may have an optional hinge. A latch hole (120) is formed through the outer surface near one or both ends.
Each hinge assembly (10) comprises two brackets (15), a hinge (14), a sleeve (11) and a resilient latch (13).
The brackets (15) are connected to adjacent tubes (12) and may protrude longitudinally or perpendicularly from the tube (12).
The hinge (14) is connected pivotally to the brackets (15).
The sleeve ( 11) is mounted slidably on one end of the tube (12) to which a bracket (15) is connected longitudinally, selectively covers and locks the hinge (15) and has two ends, a pivoting hole (110) and a locking hole (111). The pivoting hole (110) is formed radially through the sleeve (11) near the end closest to the hinge (15). The locking hole (111) is formed radially through the sleeve (11) near the other end and is aligned longitudinally with the pivoting hole (110).
The resilient latch (13) is mounted in the tube (12) and comprises a bent resilient strip (131) and a protruding latch (130). The bent resilient strip (131) is U-shaped and has two ends and an outer surface. The protruding latch (130) is formed on the outer surface near one end, is mounted slidably in a latch hole (120) in the tube (12) and selectively protrudes through the pivoting hole (110) or the locking hole (111) in the sleeve (11) to hold the sleeve (11) securely in position. When the protruding latch (130) extends through the pivoting hole (110), the sleeve (I 1) is held away from the hinge (14) so the hinge (14) can pivot and the tubes (12) can be folded. When the protruding latch (130) extends through the locking hole (111), the sleeve (11) covers the hinge (14) and keeps the hinge (14) from pivoting.
With further reference to FIG. 4, the goalposts (20) are mounted respectively at the sides of the foldable goal and are telescopic, and each goalpost (20) has an upper end and a lower end, the upper end is connected with an optional hinge (not numbered).
The crossbar (40) has two tubes (12) and three hinge assemblies (10). One of the hinge assemblies (10) is mounted between the two tubes (12), and two of the hinge assemblies (10) are mounted with the tubes (12) and connected to the upper ends of the goalposts (20).
The base assembly (50) protrudes toward the rear of the foldable goal and comprises at least two side supports (51) and an optional back bar (52).
Each side support (51) comprises a tube (12) and a hinge assembly (10). The tube (12) has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is mounted with the hinge assembly (10). The hinge assembly (10) is perpendicularly connected to the lower end of a goalpost (20) and hold the side support (51) perpendicular to the lower end of the goalpost (20) when the hinge assembly (10) are locked. The distal end is connected with an optional hinge (not numbered).
The back bar (52) is mounted pivotally between the distal ends of the tubes (12) of the side supports (51) and has three hinge assemblies (10) and two tubes (12). One of the hinge assemblies (10) is mounted between the two tubes (12), and two of the hinge assemblies (10) are mounted with the tubes (12) and connected to the distal ends of the tubes (12) of the side supports (51).
The support struts (30) have two ends pivotally mounted between the upper ends of the goalposts (20) and the distal ends of the tubes (12) of the side supports (51) respectively, and each support strut (30) comprises two tubes (12) and a hinge assembly (10). The two tubes are connecting pivotally one end to the optional hinges of the side supports (51 ) and the goalposts (20) respectively. The hinge assemblies (10) are connected respectively between the two tubes (121). With further reference to FIG. 4, retracting the sleeves (11) from the hinges (14) allows the support struts (30) to be folded.
The optional net can be attached to the rear of the foldable goal. With further reference with FIG. 6, the sleeve (11) is held away from the hinge (14) when the protruding latch (130) extends through the pivoting hole (110) so the hinge (14) can pivot and the tubes (12) can be folded. With the tubes (12) folded, the foldable goal has a small volume and is convenient, to move or use.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A foldable goal comprising

two sides;

a rear;

two goalposts being mounted respectively at the two sides of the foldable goal, and each goalpost comprising

an upper end; and

a lower end;

a crossbar connected between the upper ends of the goalposts and having

two tubes, each tube having an end; and

three hinge assemblies, one of the hinge assemblies being mounted between the two tubes and two of the hinge assemblies being mounted on the ends of the tubes and connected to the upper ends of the goalposts respectively;

a base assembly providing toward the rear of the foldable goal and comprising

at least two side supports, each side support comprising

a hinge assembly being foldable and being perpendicularly connected to the lower end of one of the goalposts; and

a tube connecting with the hinge assembly of the side support and having a distal end;

two support struts having two ends being pivotally mounted respectively between the upper ends of the goalposts and the distal ends of the tubes of the side supports, each support strut comprising

two tubes pivotally connecting to the upper end of a corresponding one of the goalposts and the distal end of the tube of a corresponding one of the side supports respectively;

a hinge assembly being foldable mounted between the tubes of the support strut.

2. The foldable goal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base assembly further comprises a back bar mounted between the side supports and comprising

two tubes, each tube having an end; and

three hinge assemblies, one of the hinge assemblies mounted between the two tubes of the back bar, and two of the hinge assemblies being mounted on the ends of the tubes of the back bar and connected to the distal ends of the tubes of the side supports respectively.

3. The foldable goal as claimed in claim 2, wherein each hinge assembly comprising

two brackets, which bracket connected to an end of an adjacent tube;

a hinge connected pivotally to the brackets

a sleeve mounted slidably on a corresponding tube at an end connected with one of the brackets, selectively covering and locking the hinge and having

two ends;

a pivoting hole being formed radially through the sleeve near the end closest to the hinge; and

a locking hole being formed radially through the sleeve near the other end and being aligned longitudinally with the pivoting hole; and

a resilient latch being mounted in a corresponding tube connected with one of the brackets and comprising

a bent resilient strip being U-shaped and having two ends and an outer surface; and

a protruding latch being formed on the outer surface near one end of the bent resilient strip, being protrude from the corresponding tube and selectively protruding through the pivoting hole in the sleeve to make the hinge assembly be foldable and the locking hole in the sleeve to hold the sleeve securely in position.

4. The foldable goal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper ends of the goalposts further connected with a hinge assembly pivotally connected with the ends of the support struts; and

the distal end of the tube of each side support is further connected with a hinge assembly pivotally connected with a corresponding one of the support struts.