WO2015164286A2 - Approach to providing safety barrier backstop systems for spectators of baseball games - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of a novel approach to a business process that utilizes and implements any type of clear netting or fencing as a safety barrier backstop for spectators at baseball events are disclosed.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

APPROACH TO PROVIDING SAFETY BARRIER BACKSTOP SYSTEMS FOR SPECTATORS OF BASEBALL GAMES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED UNITED STATES APPLICATIONS

[0001] The current international-stage utility patent application claims the priority filing date of its associated first-filed U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 14257777, filed April 21, 2014, as well as published October 23, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Safety barrier backstops in baseball settings are generally large nets, fences or sheets secured in potentially dangerous areas for fans, with the intent to protect them and others from the inherently dangerous high-speed flying objects originating from a field of play, such as baseballs. Such barriers are typically non-clear or non-translucent braided netting, chain-link fencing, or a sheeting of glass or plastic of many sorts. As fans are seated closer to a field of play, the monetary cost of the seating area generally rises, as well as the potential risk of flying objects increasingly capable of injuring such spectators, guests or employees of the event.

[0003] These highly valued seating and viewing areas also present other costs to thespectator in regards to lowered visibility of the event they are attending due to the common fashion and obstructiveness of typical baseball backstop safety barriers, where a significant percentage of the perceived viewing area consists of a non-clear or non-translucent grid that a person must awkwardly look through. Pertaining to glass or plastic sheeting, it is desirable to hear the sounds emanating from a field of play in great detail, and naturally, said types of sheeting significantly muffle these noises and results in a lessened fan experience. To that end, it is highly desirable for any baseball backstop safety barrier to consist of a clear or translucent netting or fencing material, rather than non-clear or non-translucent; most notably, but not necessarily or limited to, a monofilament of any practicable strength that is clear or translucent in nature. Such an approach to offering optimum spectator viewing convenience had previously never been identified as a problem, practiced or disclosed in any prior art, and would be highly valued and demanded, seeing that spectating closer to a field of play would ideally be

accompanied with as little detrimental viewing or hearing effects as possible, maximizing the fans' experience, simultaneously remaining a safe area while adding significant value to the protected seating area.

1. Field of the Invention.

[0004] The present invention specifically relates to a new approach to the process of providing spectators of a baseball game with a safety barrier backstop. The new approach comprising utilization and implementation of a net or fence that is manufactured to be clear or translucent in nature, exemplary in a baseball stadium, arena or area; as a unique, novel and highly valuable business process.

2. Description of Related Art and Information Disclosure.

[0005] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61814813, filed April 22, 2013 and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 14257777 filed on April 21, 2014 and was subsequently published on October 23, 2014. No other prior art was discovered to be relevant or related to this application, as the current disclosure is otherwise independently the first of its kind.

SUMMARY

[0006] Those familiar and ordinarily skilled in the business of sales and installation of safety barrier backstops at, around or near baseball event settings would easily recognize the similarities of the usual approach to the process of providing typical non-clear or non-translucent safety netting or fencing, yet may not immediately notice the encompassing benefits of this new approach to the process when comparatively analyzed. This novel disclosed approach to the process varies in that the difference is utilization and implementation of a clear or translucent netting or fencing material, effectively diminishing the demand for a non-clear or non- translucent safety barrier backstop at a baseball event by supplying a superior viewing experience for the spectator.

[0007] One that exercises this novel approach to such process could approach the marketing, ordering, payment, delivery, reception, installation (varying venue to venue) and billing of, clear or translucent netting or fencing materials similarly to non-clear or non- translucent netting or fencing materials when it is desired for either to perform as a safety barrier backstop in, around or near any kind of baseball event setting. Clear or translucent netting or fencing materials shall not be limited to physical composition, impact strengths, tensile strengths, gauges, sizes, mesh sizes or manner in which such materials are intertwined or connected in any way to form a practicable net or fence, and further, shall not be limited to specifications pertaining to the bordering materials thereof or the securing materials used to erect said netting or fencing.

[0008] Baseball events in the United States and around the world are ever increasing in popularity and market size, as a multi-billion-dollar industry. Many people enjoy attending a live baseball game in person and are willing to pay large sums of money for a seat close to a field of play. However, being located near a field of play is inherently dangerous and can be potentially unsafe to the viewer, due to objects, some at a high rate-of-speed, exiting a playing field. Even one moment of distraction of attention from an event can result in an unwelcomed injury. Spectator safety was the initial problem at baseball games, which was solved in most cases, by placing a non-clear or non-translucent fence or net behind and around home plate that is secured in a fashion to assure the benefit of the fans' safety in a desired area of coverage, yet said process had never formally been disclosed or addressed in any producible prior art. Therein lay the problem identified and solved by the inventor: the undesirable, obstructively diminished visibility of the event caused by the common non-clear or non-translucent nets or fences that were implemented to solve the primary safety issue. Utilization and implementation of clear or translucent netting or fencing effectively solves both the safety issue, as well as the obstructed visibility issue, by offering a safe and superior viewing experience of the event, thus adding a greater value to the already highly valued seating areas that are in close proximity to and protected by safety barrier backstops.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] No drawings are necessary to understand the current disclosure and are not applicable to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In the following detailed description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. In some instances however, well known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail as a concise courtesy to those skilled in the art in order to avoid being superfluous. The following business process description readily practicable by an enterprise is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention.

[0011] The current disclosure utilizes commercially available products in a novel sense that achieves optimal visibility for spectators located behind safety barriers at sporting events, such as a backstop at a baseball game; thus fulfilling a long felt need in the art of providing safety barriers for spectators and employees of baseball events.

[0012] Said optimum visibility is achieved by utilizing any clear or translucent material, such as a clear monofilament, that is fashioned into a mesh, net or fence, not being limited to specific qualities of the clear or translucent material, such as physical composition, size, mesh size, mesh hang (i.e. diamond or square), impact strength, tensile strength, gauge, etc., and then securing said material into a position that provides a desired area of coverage for spectators located in potentially dangerous areas near the sporting area, such as behind home plate at a baseball stadium as a backstop. Further, the invention shall not be limited to specifications pertaining to the bordering materials or the securing materials typically associated with and used to define, erect and secure said netting or fencing.

[0013] Those who are ordinarily skilled in the art of sales and installation of

commonplace non-clear or non-translucent safety netting or fencing for baseball event venues could easily understand the process of providing a clear or translucent safety netting or fencing for installation in a baseball event venue and likewise recognize its unique approach, thus making tedious disclosure of the steps of: marketing the materials, selling the materials, ordering the materials, installation of the materials (which will vary venue by venue), and billing for the materials and installation services rendered; unnecessary. The materials exemplified, such as a clear or translucent monofilament gill-netting, are commercially available and the methods of their manufacture may or may not be proprietary and need not be discussed in the current disclosure. However, billing for the continually added value of the area protected by the clear or translucent netting or fencing shall be done contractually on a case-by-case basis and need not be limited by the invention.

[0014] Those who are also ordinarily skilled in the art of providing non-clear or non- translucent safety netting or fencing for spectators of baseball events to event venues previously had yet to determine diminished visibility through a non-clear or non-translucent backstop safety net or fence as an undesirably obstructive problem, yet said problem has since been identified, addressed, and a novel solution has since been formally disclosed and offered within this international application, claiming benefit of the previously filed U.S. non-provisional and U.S. provisional applications by the inventor, thereby producing a specifically tangible, useful, substantially credible, concrete and highly valuable real world utility, through utilization and implementation of a clear or translucent safety netting or fencing in place of any non-clear or non-translucent netting or fencing as a backstop in a baseball stadium, arena or area. The current invention is ready for use and would not require undue experimentation. TITLE OF THE INVENTION

APPROACH TO PROVIDING SAFETY BARRIER BACKSTOP SYSTEMS FOR SPECTATORS OF BASEBALL GAMES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The current non-provisional application claims the priority filing date of its associated first-filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 61814813, filed April 22, 2013.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Safety barrier backstops in baseball settings are generally large nets, fences or sheets secured in potentially dangerous areas for fans, with the intent to protect them and others from the inherently dangerous high-speed flying objects originating from a field of play, such as baseballs. Such barriers are typically non-clear or non-translucent braided netting, chain-link fencing, or a sheeting of glass or plastic of many sorts. As fans are seated closer to a field of play, the monetary cost of the seating area generally rises, as well as the potential risk of flying objects increasingly capable of injuring such spectators, guests or employees of the event.

[0003] These highly valued seating and viewing areas also present other costs to the spectator in regards to lowered visibility of the event they are attending due to the common fashion and obstructiveness of typical baseball backstop safety barriers, where a significant percentage of the perceived viewing area consists of a non-clear or non-translucent grid that a person must awkwardly look through. Pertaining to glass or plastic sheeting, it is desirable to hear the sounds emanating from a field of play in great detail, and naturally, said types of sheeting significantly muffle these noises and results in a lessened fan experience. To that end, it is highly desirable for any baseball backstop safety barrier to consist of a clear or translucent netting or fencing material, rather than non-clear or non-translucent; most notably, but not necessarily or limited to, a monofilament of any practicable strength that is clear or translucent in nature. Such an approach to offering optimum spectator viewing convenience had previously never been identified as a problem, practiced or disclosed in any prior art, and would be highly valued and demanded, seeing that spectating closer to a field of play would ideally be

accompanied with as little detrimental viewing or hearing effects as possible, maximizing the fans' experience, simultaneously remaining a safe area while adding significant value to the protected seating area.

1. Field of the Invention.

[0004] The present invention specifically relates to a new approach to the process of providing spectators of a baseball game with a safety barrier backstop. The new approach comprising of utilization and implementation of a net or fence that is manufactured to be clear or translucent in nature, exemplary in a baseball stadium, arena or area; as a unique, novel and highly valuable business process.

2. Description of Related Art and Information Disclosure

[0005] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61814813, filed April 22, 2013. No other prior art was discovered to be relevant or related to this application, as the current disclosure is otherwise independently the first of its kind.

SUMMARY

[0006] Those familiar and ordinarily skilled in the business of sales and installation of safety barrier backstops at, around or near baseball event settings would easily recognize the similarities of the usual approach to the process of providing typical non-clear or non-translucent safety netting or fencing, yet may not immediately notice the encompassing benefits of this new approach to the process when comparatively analyzed. This novel disclosed approach to the process varies in that the difference is utilization and implementation of a clear or translucent netting or fencing material, effectively diminishing the demand for a non-clear or non- translucent safety barrier backstop at a baseball event by supplying a superior viewing experience for the spectator.

[0007] One that exercises this novel approach to such process could approach the marketing, ordering, payment, delivery, reception, installation (varying venue to venue) and billing of, clear or translucent netting or fencing materials similarly to non-clear or non- translucent netting or fencing materials when it is desired for either to perform as a safety barrier backstop in, around or near any kind of baseball event setting. Clear or translucent netting or fencing materials shall not be limited to physical composition, impact strengths, tensile strengths, gauges, sizes, mesh sizes or manner in which such materials are intertwined or connected in any way to form a practicable net or fence, and further, shall not be limited to specifications pertaining to the bordering materials thereof or the securing materials used to erect said netting or fencing.

[0008] Baseball events in the United States and around the world are ever increasing in popularity and market size, as a multi-billion-dollar industry. Many people enjoy attending a live baseball game in person and are willing to pay large sums of money for a seat close to a field of play. However, being located near a field of play is inherently dangerous and can be potentially unsafe to the viewer, due to objects, some at a high rate-of- speed, exiting a playing field. Even one moment of distraction of attention from an event can result in an unwelcomed injury.

Spectator safety was the initial problem at baseball games, which was solved in most cases, by placing a non-clear or non-translucent fence or net behind and around home plate that is secured in a fashion to assure the benefit of the fans' safety in a desired area of coverage, yet said process had never formally been disclosed or addressed in any producible prior art. Therein lay the problem identified and solved by the inventor: the undesirable, obstructively diminished visibility of the event caused by the common non-clear or non-translucent nets or fences that were implemented to solve the primary safety issue. Utilization and implementation of clear or translucent netting or fencing effectively solves both the safety issue, as well as the obstructed visibility issue, by offering a safe and superior viewing experience of the event, thus adding a greater value to the already highly valued seating areas that are in close proximity to and protected by safety barrier backstops. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] No drawings are necessary to understand the current disclosure and are not applicable to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In the following detailed description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. In some instances however, well- known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail as a concise courtesy to those skilled in the art in order to avoid being superfluous. The following business process description readily practicable by an enterprise is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention.

[0011] The current disclosure utilizes commercially available products in a novel sense that achieves optimal visibility for spectators located behind safety barriers at sporting events, such as a backstop at a baseball game; thus fulfilling a long felt need in the art of providing safety barriers for spectators and employees of baseball events.

[0012] Said optimum visibility is achieved by utilizing any clear or translucent material, such as a clear monofilament, that is fashioned into a mesh, net or fence, not being limited to specific qualities of the clear or translucent material, such as physical composition, size, mesh size, mesh hang (i.e. diamond or square), impact strength, tensile strength, gauge, etc., and then securing said material into a position that provides a desired area of coverage for spectators located in potentially dangerous areas near the sporting area, such as behind home plate at a baseball stadium as a backstop. Further, the invention shall not be limited to specifications pertaining to the bordering materials or the securing materials typically associated with and used to define, erect and secure said netting or fencing.

[0013] Those who are ordinarily skilled in the art of sales and installation of

commonplace non-clear or non-translucent safety netting or fencing for baseball event venues could easily understand the process of providing a clear or translucent safety netting or fencing for installation in a baseball event venue and likewise recognize its unique approach, thus making tedious disclosure of the steps of: marketing the materials, selling the materials, ordering the materials, installation of the materials (which will vary venue by venue), and billing for the materials and installation services rendered; unnecessary. The materials exemplified, such as a clear or translucent monofilament gill-netting, are commercially available and the methods of their manufacture may or may not be proprietary and need not be discussed in the current disclosure. However, billing for the continually added value of the area protected by the clear or translucent netting or fencing shall be done contractually on a case-by-case basis and need not be limited by the invention.

[0014] Those who are also ordinarily skilled in the art of providing non-clear or non- translucent safety netting or fencing for spectators of baseball events to event venues previously had yet to determine diminished visibility through a non-clear or non-translucent backstop safety net or fence as an undesirably obstructive problem, yet said problem has since been identified, addressed, and a novel solution has since been formally disclosed and offered within this U.S. non-provisional application by the inventor, thereby producing a specifically tangible, useful, substantially credible, concrete and highly valuable real world utility, through utilization and implementation of a clear or translucent safety netting or fencing in place of any non-clear or non-translucent netting or fencing as a backstop in a baseball stadium, arena or area. The current invention is ready for use and would not require undue experimentation.

Claims

The invention claimed is:

[0015] A novel approach to a business process of providing safety barrier backstops for spectators at baseball games, wherein comprising of utilization and implementation of any type of clear or translucent netting or fencing, namely, but not necessarily or limited to: a clear or translucent monofilament polymer netting or fencing; as the backstop of a baseball stadium or field as a new and improved safety barrier, the new and improved approach to said process being easily understandable to those skilled in the art of providing spectator safety backstop barriers.