US3758106A

US3758106A - Enclosed game or sport facility

Info

Publication number: US3758106A
Application number: US00184341A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Liebig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-09-28
Filing date: 1971-09-28
Publication date: 1973-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-11

Abstract

A game or sport facility in the form of an enclosed court which, because of its shape and arrangement, permits the playing by two persons of a vigorous and strenuous competitive racket and ball game or sport (adapted to the facility) within an area considerably smaller than has heretofore been possible. The enclosure for the court includes upstanding walls on all sides thereof wherein one wall, which is designated as the front wall of the facility, is adjoined by four obtusely angled, narrow, upstanding wall sections with two of the sections on each side thereof. These sections preclude rebounds of balls off of the aforementioned front wall which would be too difficult for a competitor to return against the wall in the limited playing area of the game facility.

Description

United States Patent Liebig ENCLOSED GAME OR SPORT FACILITY [76] Inventor: Anthony E. Liebig, 432 Denslow Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90049 [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 184,341

Forsyth 273/30 Sept. 11, 1973 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-R. T. Stouff er [57] ABSTRACT A game or sport facility in the form of an enclosed court which, because of its shape and arrangement, permits the playing by two persons of a vigorous and strenuous competitive racket and ball game or sport (adapted to the facility) within an area considerably smaller than has heretofore been possible. The enclosure for the court includes upstanding walls on all sides thereof wherein one wall, which is designated as the front wall of the facility, is adjoined by four obtusely angled, narrow, upstanding wall sections with two of the sections on each side thereof. These sections preclude rebounds of balls off of the aforementioned front wall which would be too difficult for a competitor to return against the wall in the limited playing area of the game facility.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures 1 ENCLOSED GAME OR SPORT FACILITY BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Existing ball and racket sports require too much space for the average urban residential lot. Further, such outdoor racket and ball sports as tennis and paddle tennis require so much space that roofing the courts is uneconomical with the result that they may only be played in fair weather, while the indoor squash rackets requires not only a large amount of space but a very expensive, heavy permanent structure.

This invention has as its salient object to provide a facility in which a vigorous, strenuous, ex-citing and competitive game or sport can be played by two people in the smallest possible area, which is but a small fraction of the area required for any known outdoor or indoor ball and racket sport. The dimensions, angles, and playing lines of applicants facility, in concert with the particular ball and rackets referred to below, result in such a game or sport. Another object and result is to provide an inexpensive, movable, prefabricatable, allweather game or sport facility. (In practice the facility is roofed and interiorly illuminated, but neither roof nor the illumination are parts of the specification or claim.)

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of the application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of the playing area, or floor, showing the angular relationship of the walls surrounding the playing area with respect to each other in the embodiment and the location of the floor markings.

FIG. 2 is a view of the front wall, B, and the adjoining walls, D and E, and markings thereon.

FIG. 3 is a cut-away side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the spirit and scope of invention are broader than the exact dimensions and angles in the particular embodiment described below and shown in the drawings, such dimensions and angles by themselves and as they relate to one another, the playing lines, and the described sport constitute elements of the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, thereis an octagonal structure consisting of vertical walls and a floor with an entry door, A, which is interiorly flush when closed and remains closed during play. The walls and floor are constructed so as to be rigid; however, the dynamics of the sport are such that a structure adequate for the sport may be constructed of braced three-quarter inch plywood. The walls and floor are colored white or another very light color except as noted below. One of the walls, B, is referred to herein (and in the Rules of the Sport) as the Front Wall; it is parallel to the opposite wall which is referred to as the Back Wall. The two major dimension walls, C, are parallel to each other and at right angles to the Front and Back walls and are known as the Side Walls. The respective dimentionsof each of these walls in the illustrated embodiment is 9 feet for the height of the Front Wall, and 16 feet and 12 feet for the length of the Side Walls and Back Wall respectively. A Target Area on the Front Wall and the two adjoining walls, D, is described and bounded by clearly visible black lines, T. The two walls, E, are under the Rules of the Sport out of play areas (i.e., when the ball strikes one of them during play, it is ipso facto "dead) and in practice they are of a'color different from the other walls and floor and may be sheathed with a light metal to sound when struck. in the illustrated embodiment, wall D forms an angle of 160 with wall B while wall E forms an angle of 145 with both walls C and D.

The game is played with a hollow rubber ball approximately 2% inches in diameter, unpressured and perforated so as not to be too live, or fast, for the closeness of quarters, and rackets with a circular tightly strung area approximately eight inches in diameter and shafts (including grips) of approximately seven inches.

The ball is served from anywhere behind the floor service line (yellow line), F, to the portion of the Target Area above the service line in the Target Area (red line), G, either directly or indirectly ofi one Side Wall or the Back Wall; to be in bounds, or fair, it must rebound from the Target Area so as to first strike the floor between the Court Lines (black lines), I-I. These several lines are placed and related to one another (as well as ball and racket characteristics) so as to encourageskilled service but to preclude a service so fast as to be pre-emptive in the confined area. The dimensional relationship of the lines in the illustrated embodiment includes the following spacings. The lowest horizontal line of the Target Area, outlined by lines T, is 24 inches above the floor. Additionally, line G is 26 inches above this line and 5 8 inches below the top of the Front Wall, B. Turning now to the playing lines found on the floor of the structure, the Court use, H which is nearest the FrontWallis 60 inches therefrom and 53 inches in front of the other Court Line. Located 18 inches in front of the other Court Line is Service Line F, which is also 61 inches in front of the Back Wall. In alternately volleying the ball after the service, players must hit the ball before it twice hits the floor and must hit it so that it willstrike in the Target Area (either directly or after first striking one or more of the other walls) before it hits the floor again. The purpose and result in use of the walls D and E placed and in relation to the other walls and the game lines, rules, and equipment, is to produce exciting and sustained play by: (l) precluding rebounds of the sort that are too difficult or impossible to return within the limited area; (2) materially reducing the probability and frequency of collision between players during play; and (3) adding a further element of skill.

I claim:

1. An enclosed game or sport facility of a size to accommodate therein two persons playing a racket-type game, said facility comprising a generally rectangular playing floor bounded on all sides by a continuous upstanding wall structure, said wall structure comprising a front portion, rear portion and two side portions,

wherein said front portion is parallel to said rear portion and said front and rear portions are at right angles to each of said side portions located therebetween, wherein the two adjacent corners formed between the front portion and each of the side portions each includes two additional upstanding wall portions between one end of said front portion and the adjacent end of the corresponding side portion, said two additional wall portions of each of said corners forming an obtuse angle of substantially less than therebetween, and said additional wall portions of each of said corners further forming an obtuse angle of substantially less than 3 ,75 8 106 3 4 180 with the respective abutting front wall portion and tional wall portions on either side thereof having means side wan PF said Playing floor having thereon providing two horizontal garnelines readily vismeans provldlng three parallel transverse game lmes readily visible to the unaided eye of a user, and said Me to the named aye of a user front portion and the adjacent one of said two addi- 5

Claims

1. An enclosed game or sport facility of a size to accommodate therein two persons playing a racket-type game, said facility comprising a generally rectangular playing floor bounded on all sides by a continuous upstanding wall structure, said wall structure comprising a front portion, rear portion and two side portions, wherein said front portion is parallel to said rear portion and said front and rear portions are at right angles to each of said side portions located therebetween, wherein the two adjacent corners fOrmed between the front portion and each of the side portions each includes two additional upstanding wall portions between one end of said front portion and the adjacent end of the corresponding side portion, said two additional wall portions of each of said corners forming an obtuse angle of substantially less than 180* therebetween, and said additional wall portions of each of said corners further forming an obtuse angle of substantially less than 180* with the respective abutting front wall portion and side wall portion, said playing floor having thereon means providing three parallel transverse game lines readily visible to the unaided eye of a user, and said front portion and the adjacent one of said two additional wall portions on either side thereof having means thereon providing two horizontal game lines readily visible to the unaided eye of a user.