Convertible sport goal

Abstract

The present invention provides a convertible sport goal comprised of a plurality of tubular members. The sport goal has a first arrangement forming a first type of sport goal and a second arrangement forming a second type of sport goal. Tubular extensions extend and retract to allow rearranging the sport goal between the first and second type.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to sports goals and, more particularly, to a sport goal that converts from a first type of goal to a second type of goal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many back yard athletes today play a variety of sports. For example, soccer may be the sport of choice one day, and football the next. Frequently, the athletes will switch between sports in the same day or afternoon (such as at a company picnic). Packing, storing, and transporting the various sport goals for the different sports is time consuming, bulky, and difficult. Therefore, it would be beneficial if a single goal could be converted between two or more sports.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To attain the advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a convertible sport goal is provided. The sport goal is formed of tubular members of which at least one tubular member is extendible. Extending and retracting the tubular extensions allows a sport goal to be converted from one type of sport goal to another.

The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a sports goal illustrative of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the convertible sport goal of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will be further explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a sport goal 100. While other goals are possible, sport goal 100 will be explained as if sport goal 100 was a soccer goal convertible to a football goal. Sport goal 100 is formed of a plurality of tubular members 102 connected by connectors 104. Tubular members 102 define a goalmouth 106. A back of the goal can be covered with netting (not shown). Construction and assembly of sports goals using tubular members and connectors is well known in the art and will not be further explained herein.

Also shown by FIG. 1 is an exploded view of tubular members 102s forming the left and right sides of goalmouth 106 (referred to sometimes as goalmouth side tubular members and sometimes just tubular members) and associated tubular extensions 102e. During use of sport goal 100 for soccer, tubular extensions 102e are in a first position substantially within tubular members 102s. However, sport goal 100 can be converted to a football type goal by extending tubular extensions 102e to a second position substantially external to tubular members 102s. In other words, tubular extensions 102e are slibably coupled to tubular members 102s so that they can move relative to each other. A locking device is employed to lock the tubular extensions 102e in the extended position. As shown, the lock could be a spring loaded pin 106 on tubular extensions 102e and a corresponding hole 108 on tubular members 102s (typically referred to in the industry as a push-button). Alternatively, the locking device could be a clamp, a friction fitting, or the like. Further, to inhibit over extending tubular extensions, a retaining device may be used. For example, one end of tubular extensions 102e may have a lip 110 and one end of tubular members 102s may have a shoulder 112 to inhibit removal of tubular extension 102e from tubular member 102s. Alternatively, shoulder 112 may reside on connectors 104. A lip 110 (not specifically labeled) may also exist on the other end of tubular extensions 102e to inhibit extensions 102e from retracting completely into tubular members 102s.

Although sport goal 100 has been explained with reference to converting a goal between a soccer and a football style goal, other conversions are possible. For example, sport goal 100 has crossbar tubular members 102c. These members could be extendible tubular members having tubular extensions 102e (not specifically shown) allowing the width of sport goal 100 to be increased or decreased, which would allow for conversion between a soccer and lacrosse goal, for example. Of course, various combinations are possible allowing a sport goal to be convertible from a small lacrosse style goal, to a soccer goal, and to a football goal, or the like. Also, while explained as a tubular extension, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the tubular extensions both extend and retract.

FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of convertible sport goal 100. FIG. 2 shows sport goal 100 with tubular extensions 102e extended to make a football goal. Suspended between extensions 102e is a net 202. Optionally (as shown but not labeled), extensions 102e could be connected along the top by a cross bar tubular member 102c. Net 202 could have one or more targets 204, in which five targets 204 are shown. Targets 204 could be used for kicking or throwing accuracy practice. One or more target blocks 206 could be removably connected to one or more targets 204. Target blocks 206 could be netting as shown, but could also be canvass, plastic, or other material as a matter of design choice.

Goalmouth 106 is shown with a canvass 208 suspended over goalmouth 106. Net 202 and canvass 208 could be many different materials. For example they could both be nets, they could both be canvass, one or both could be plastics, one or both could be cloth, or the like. Canvass 208 has goal targets 204 as well, which also may have target blocks 206. Target blocks could be many different materials (the same or different than net 202 and canvass 208). Canvass 208 could have a representative goalie 210 depicted on the surface or another type of design, whimsical or not.

Target blocks 206 can be connected to targets 204 using various conventional connectors. For example, target blocks could be connected using snaps or hook and loop material, such as, for example, VELCRO® strips. Finally, target blocks 206 could be connected using a tie, such as, for example, an elastic cord or twist tie.

Instead of having crossbar tubular members 102 be extendible (or retractable) tubular members, goalmouth blocks 212 could be inserted substantially adjacent side tubular members 102s. Goalmouth blocks 212 reduce the size of goalmouth 106 and convert goal 100 from, for example, a soccer goal to a smaller hockey goal or the like. Goalmouth blocks 212 are formed by vertical tubular member 214 and, optionally, horizontal tubular member 216. Vertical tubular member 214 extends downward from crossbar tubular member 102c. Horizontal tubular member 216 connects to goalmouth side tubular member 102s and extends horizontally to vertical member 214. Horizontal tubular member 216 is not a necessary component but increases the rigidity of block 212. Blocks 212 could be net or canvas material, or stiffer material such as plastic or plywood as desired.

Net 202 and/or canvass 208 can be attached to tubular members 102 using a plurality of elastic or spring like members 220. Using elastic or spring like members 220 causes net 202 and/or canvass 208 to act as a rebounder such that when balls missing targets 204 (or hitting target blocks 206) will rebound from goal 100 back towards the user.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A convertible sport goal, comprising:

a plurality of tubular members forming a frame;

the frame defining at least one goalmouth;

at least one of the tubular members forming the frame is an extendible tubular member;

at least one tubular extension;

the at least one tubular extension slidably connected to the extendible tubular member, such that the at least one tubular extension slidably moves from a first un-extended position to a second extended position; and

at least one locking device to lock the at least one tubular extension in at least the second extended position,

whereby the sport goal is convertible from a first type of sport goal to a second type of sport goal.

2. The goal according to claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises:

at least one spring-loaded pin on the tubular extension; and

at least one hole on the extendible tubular member.

3. The goal according to claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises a pushbutton.

4. The goal according to claim 1, wherein the tubular extension further comprises a lip at one end and the extendible tubular member comprises a shoulder at a corresponding end to inhibit removal of the tubular extension from the extendible tubular member.

5. The goal according to claim 1, wherein the extendible tubular member comprises at least two vertical extendible tubular members and the tubular extensions are vertical tubular extensions forming football field goal posts.

6. The goal according to claim 1, wherein the extendible tubular member is a horizontal tubular member and the tubular extension is a horizontal tubular extension to change a goalmouth width.

7. The goal according to claim 5, wherein the extendible tubular members also include a horizontal tubular member and the tubular extensions also include a horizontal tubular extension to change a goalmouth width.

8. The goal according to claim I further comprising at least one goalmouth block; wherein the at least one goalmouth block comprises at least one tubular member connected to the frame and at least one sheet material, such that a portion of the at least one goalmouth is blocked effectively reducing an area if the at least one goalmouth.

9. The goal according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sheet material extending across the at least one goalmouth; and

at least one target residing in the at least one sheet material.

10. The goal according to claim 9, wherein the at least one sheet material comprises at least one of a net material and a canvass material.

11. The goal according to claim 9 further comprising at least one target block coupled to the at least one sheet material to block at least one of the at least one target.

12. A sport goal convertible from a first type of sport goal to a second type of sport goal, comprising:

a plurality of tubular members;

the plurality of tubular members having a first arrangement whereby the plurality of tubular members form a first type of sport goal and a second arrangement whereby the plurality of tubular members form a second type of sport goal; and

means for converting the plurality of tubular members from the first arrangement to the second arrangement.

13. The goal according to claim 12, wherein the means for converting comprises at least one tubular extension slidably coupled to at least one of the tubular members.

14. The goal according to claim 13, wherein the at least one tubular extension comprises at least two vertical tubular extensions, such that in the first arrangement the first type of sport goal is a soccer goal and in the second arrangement the second type of sport goal is a football goal.

15. The goal according to claim 12, further comprising a means for locking the sport goal in at least one of the first arrangement and the second arrangement.

16. The goal according to claim 15, wherein the means for locking includes at least one spring-loaded pin and at least one corresponding hole.

17. The goal according to claim 16, wherein the means for locking includes at least one pushbutton.

18. A method of converting a sport goal from a first type of sport goal configuration to a second type of sport goal configuration, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a convertible sport goal of a first type of sport goal configuration having a plurality of tubular members with at least one tubular extension;

extending the at least one tubular extension to form the second type of sport goal configuration; and

locking the tubular extension in place.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of extending comprises the extending two tubular extensions to form a football goal.

20. A sport goal, comprising:

a plurality of tubular members forming a frame;

the frame defining at least one goalmouth;

at least one sheet material connected to the frame and extending over the at least one goalmouth; and

a plurality of targets residing in the sheet material.

21. The sport goal according to claim 20, further comprising:

at least one target block coupled to the at least one sheet material about at least one of the plurality of targets to block the at least one of the plurality of targets.

22. The sport goal according to claim 20, wherein the tubular members comprise at least one extendable tubular member whereby the sport goal is convertible from a first type of sport goal to a second type of sport goal.

23. The sport goal according to claim 20, further comprising at least one goalmouth block whereby an area of the goalmouth is reduced to convert the sport goal from a first type of sport goal to a second type of sport goal.

24. The sport goal according to claim 22, wherein the at least one sheet material comprises at least a first sheet material for use with the first type of sport goal and at least a second sheet material for use with the second type of sport goal.

25. The sport goal according to claim 22, wherein the at least one sheet material comprises at least a first sheet material for use with the first type of sport goal and at least a second sheet material for use with the second type of sport goal.

26. The sport goal according to claim 20, further comprising:

a plurality of elastic members coupling the sheet material to the frame, such that when balls rebound off the sheet material back towards a user.