WO1998011962A1

WO1998011962A1 - Playing field for ball game

Info

Publication number: WO1998011962A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/004998
Authority: WO
Inventors: René MERONI
Original assignee: Meroni Rene
Priority date: 1996-09-17
Filing date: 1997-09-12
Publication date: 1998-03-26
Also published as: FR2753389B1; FR2753389A1

Abstract

the invention concerns a playing field for a ball game, such as beach volley, to be installed on grounds other than the standard sandy beaches. This installation is characterised in that it comprises a structure (2) for delimiting the external outline of the playing area (A), this structure (2) being formed by a dismountable or inflatable frame (4) extending around said playing area (A) distant from the statutory limits of the ground and forming an enclosed space (EC), this installation further comprises at least one ground sheet (10) for receiving a powdery or granular material (M) to be spread and contained in the enclosed space (EC) formed by the frame (4) to cover the playing area (A).

Description

SPORTS INSTALLATION FOR THE BALL GAME

The present invention relates to a sports facility for the game of balls, and in particular for volleyball which is practiced on the beaches and which is generally called "beach volley". "Beach volleyball" is played with a net, on a rectangular playing field, marked directly on the sand.

As in indoor volleyball, the net is held taut at height by two poles which are respectively mounted in bases placed directly on the sand or which are embedded in the sand, in a conventional manner.

This game has a growing success and now competitions are organized in different countries. It even became an Olympic discipline at the Atlanta games in 1996.

The organizers of matches and tournaments as well as the players themselves wish to have the possibility of playing anywhere and whatever the weather, without being limited neither to the only site of the beach, nor to the summer period.

We therefore seek to set up indoor beach volleyball play facilities and more generally on any floor, whether these are synthetic type floors or asphalt floors or the like.

However, to reproduce the initial conditions of traditional "beach volley", it is imperative to use sand or a granular or pulverulent material, deemed equivalent.

One solution would be to provide pits in the ground at a depth capable of accommodating a layer of material thick enough to be able to form a playable play area, reproducing the typical conditions of play on the beach.

However, for reasons of savings, modern sports halls, called multi-purpose or multi-sports, must, by definition, be designed to allow the practice of several sports or other activities on the same surface.

Under these conditions, the installation of such a pit is excluded, as well as more generally the installation of any fixed installation.

Furthermore, given that it is sought to be able to set up non-permanent "beach volleyball" equipment in existing rooms, the provision of such a pit in these rooms would require major modifications to the structure of the floor. , which is likewise excluded in this context.

In addition, it should be noted that the sand or other material that is used must in no case soil the room in order to allow the practice of other sports or activities safely. This material must be able to be transported and taken out of this room, without leaving traces or residue.

Thus, the present invention aims to provide a sports facility for the game of balls in particular for the practice of "beach ball", which can be set up quickly, simply and economically on a floor including a room and which can be dismantled in the same way without leaving a residue of the material which served to constitute the play area.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a sports installation for playing balls, such as "beach" volleyball, intended to be used on a ground outside the traditional sand beaches, characterized in that it comprises a structure capable of delimiting the external contour of the play area, this structure being formed by a removable frame extending around said play area at a distance from the statutory limits of the field and forming an enclosure, this installation comprising in addition to at least one tarpaulin intended to receive a powdery or granular material to be added and contained in the enclosure formed by the frame, to cover the play area. However, other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings which are given solely by way of example, and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation according to the invention with which stands are associated as well as a platform for entering the installation, - Figures 2A and 3A are sectional views of part of the installation made along the line AA of FIG. 1, and showing according to two embodiments, the detail of a frame, a tarpaulin and a cushion of this installation, - FIGS. 2B and 3B are sectional views of part of the installation made along line BB of FIG. 1, and showing according to two other embodiments of the invention the detail of the mounting of a post for retaining a net, - FIG. 4 is a top view of the installation of figure 1, associated with a rest area and two showers s, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing in detail the mounting of two profiles forming a telescopic frame of adjustable length, and Figures 6 to 8 are sectional views very schematically showing three other embodiments of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a sports facility according to the invention will be described below, in accordance with a first embodiment.

This installation which is identified by the general reference 1 comprises a structure 2 which, when it is put in place, delimits the external contour of a play area A.

On this play area A are mounted two posts P which hold a net F at a high and taut level, these posts and this net being of conventional construction. The installation 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 is mounted in a room, not referenced, comprising a floor S.

This installation 1 is, in the first example shown in FIG. 1, associated with steps G as well as an entrance and exit stage El. As can be seen in FIG. 4, this installation can also include one or more several AR rest areas and / or one or more showers D. According to yet another example shown in FIG. 6, it can also include a staircase E2. The platform El and the staircase E2 can be provided to include a carpet or other means retaining the sand to be transported by the players when they exit. These elements which are of conventional construction for those skilled in the art will not be described here in more detail.

The structure 2 of the present installation is formed of a removable frame 4 constituted, in the example of FIGS. 1 to 5, of a set of profiles 6 which can be made either of wood or of a simple plastic material or composite, such as in carbon "Kevlar ®", or else in a metallic material, such as aluminum.

These profiles 6 can be made from only one of these materials, or with a combination of two or more, with adjusted connections and glued or screwed.

The sections 6 have, in section, an inverted V shape and they each comprise two inclined sides respectively interior 6a and exterior 6b which are intended to form the sides of the frame 4. The two sides 6a and 6b are respectively associated with two flanges 6c and 6d intended to ensure the seat and the stability of the profile on the ground S.

The two sections 6a and 6b which extend from the two flanges 6c and 6d upwards are dimensioned and adjusted so that each profile 6 has a height h from the ground of approximately 0.7 M (meters).

The profiles 6 can be positioned one beside the other in abutment and / or in a nested fashion, partially overlapping, as shown in Figure 5.

In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 4, the profiles 6 provided at the four corners of the frame 4, have a cut at 45 ° which allows them to come together and form a polygonal frame of rectangular shape.

Of course, these sections can be produced and associated in another configuration than that shown, in order to give the frame 4 another shape, for example hexagonal or octagonal.

In the case where these sections 6 overlap, the length of the different sides of the frame 4 can be adapted by a telescopic adjustment effect, as shown in FIG. 5. In this way, the size of the area can be modified. game A.

Thus, as can be understood from what is described above and as can be clearly seen in FIG. 4, the frame 4 extends around the playing space, at a distance from the regulatory limits of the ground referenced T. This frame 4 extends in longitudinal direction and in transverse direction, but also in height and it thus constitutes an enclosure EC in which may be contained a material M, such as sand or a similar natural or synthetic material, of granular or pulverulent type , covering the playing area A.

A layer of approximately 0.4 M (meter) of this material M is therefore added to the enclosure EC to simulate the initial playing conditions of "beach volleyball".

As can be seen in FIGS. 2A and 3A, the rim 6c of the profiles 6 forms a base provided to be able to be covered at least in part by the material M of the play area A, in order to maintain the profiles in position stable.

The installation 1 according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 also comprises damping cushions 8 intended to be arranged along the frame 4. These cushions 8 are solid cushions made of synthetic foam or inflatable cushions made in conventional plastics. As can be seen in FIG. 2A, the cushions 8 rest on the edge, on the rim 6c of the profiles 6 and they are extended laterally against the inner panel 6a of said profiles. More particularly, the cushions 8 are interposed between the inner panel 6a and the material M of the playing area A and, in this way, they are held firmly in position.

As can be seen in FIG. 3A, the cushions 8 can, in a second embodiment, come to cover the upper part of the profiles 6 so as to fall back partially on the outer panel 6b and thus overflow outside the frame 4 in order to provide maximum protection to players. The installation according to the invention further comprises a coating layer 10 which will be designated here by the term tarpaulin. This sheet 10 consists of a film of thick synthetic material made for example of PVC

(Polyvinyl chloride) and which can be screened on a thread, for example polyester.

The sheet 10 is preferably made in one piece, but it can also be formed from several superimposed strips.

The cover 10 is, over most of the surface of the installation, interposed between the material M and the ground S.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, this sheet 10 covers the entire installation part of the rim 6c forming the base of each profile and it covers each cushion 8 to overflow outside the frame 4, on the outer panel 6b of said profiles.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the entire surface of the sheet 10 is placed directly on the ground, and the base 6c of the profiles 6 covers the edge of this sheet.

According to a particular embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the posts P are attached to the sheet 10 and are held in a vertical position by means of bases 12 each comprising a hollow tube 14 in which one of the poles P is engaged. The base 12 is placed directly on the sheet 10. This base 12 and this tube 14 are covered by the material M. However, the tube 14 projects from the material M so that the post which it supports can be taken out and put back in place without any clearing operation of the material M.

The other embodiment shown in Figure 2B shows an example of setting up the installation on a site already having cavities 16 dug in the ground S and intended respectively to receive poles provided for the practice of volleyball indoors.

The cover 10 comprises for this purpose openings 10c intended to respectively accommodate the poles P. The cover 10 further comprises bellows 10b at the end of which the openings 10c are provided. The bellows 10b are arranged to be able to project in part from the material M so that the openings 10c are located above this material. As can be seen in FIG. 2B, the free end of the bellows 10b shown envelops the post P and is held on this post by means of a flange or a split elastic ring 10a or the like.

According to another embodiment, the removable frame 4 which forms the structure 2 can be constituted, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, by one or more inflatable tubes 20a-20g surrounding the play area A. This frame 4 can be made up, according to a first variant, of a single flange 20a (FIG. 6) which has in section a rectangular shape, which extends vertically over a height h of about 1 M (meter) and which is made of a single room. According to two other alternative embodiments, this frame 4 can also be made up of several superimposed strands 20b to 20d (FIGS. 7) and / or 20c to 20g (FIG. 8) having respectively, in section, circular or square shapes. These tubes 20b to 20g which are placed one on the other have respectively a diameter d and a side height ç. from 0.3 to 0.6 M (meter). These sausages superimposed can be held together for example by non-permanent adhesive means of the conventional type or by straps (not shown).

These inflatable tubes are made of conventional materials, plastic or an optionally reinforced elastomer. The base of the frame 4 thus formed can, like the profiles 6 of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4, come to rest on a sheet 10 which can be secured to the lower part of the flange 20a, 20d, or 20g which is extended on the ground. In this case, the sheet 10 can be glued to this flange 20a, 20d or 20g and constitutes a bottom secured to the frame 4.

It is therefore understood that thanks to these characteristics, this installation can be assembled and disassembled by simple operations using an adaptable structure which can be easily manipulated. In addition, this installation forms a sealed enclosure into which the material forming the play area can be poured and contained, without risk of polluting the environment, for example a multipurpose hall or conventional multi-sports facility where this installation is installed.

Claims

1. Sports installation for the game of balls, such as "beach" volleyball, intended to be used on a ground outside the traditional sandy beaches, characterized in that it comprises a structure (2) capable of delimiting the outer contour of the play area (A), this structure (2) being formed by a removable or inflatable frame (4) extending around said play area (A) at a distance from the statutory limits of the field and forming an enclosure (EC), this installation further comprising at least one tarpaulin (10) intended to receive a powdery or granular material (M) to be added and contained in the enclosure (EC) formed by the frame (4) for cover the play area (A).

2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said frame (4) is formed by a set of profiles (6) which can be positioned one next to the other at abutment and / or in an overlapping manner by overlapping so partial.

3. Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that said profiles (6) are made of wood, or a simple plastic or composite material, such as carbon "Kevlar ®", or a metallic material, such as aluminum.

4. Installation according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the profiles (6) each comprise a base (6c) ensuring the stability of the frame on the ground, and extending towards the ground, this base being provided to be able be covered at least in part by the material (M) of the play area (A), in order to ensure that said sections (6) are held in a stable position.

5. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises damping cushions (8) intended to be arranged along said frame (4), in order to protect the users of the installation from possible shocks against this frame (4), especially during play.

6. Installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the cushions (8) at least partially cover said frame (4) on either side and are held in place by being positioned between the frame (4) and the material of the playing area (A).

7. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (10) has openings (10c) intended to accommodate posts

(P) hanging a net.

8. Installation according to claim 7, characterized in that said cover (10) comprises bellows (10b) in which are formed said openings (10c), these bellows (10b) being provided so that they can protrude in part of material (M) forming the playing air (A), so that said openings

(10c) emerge from this material (M).

9. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame (4) is formed of one or more inflatable tubes (20a-20g).

10. Installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inflatable tubes (20b-20d;

20th-20g) are superimposed on each other.