Containerized portable flying disc target

Abstract

An improved target for flying disc games, such as disc golf, where the target consists of a pole mounted weight holder, basket, and base where the weight holder, basket, and base components, after disassembly, are reconfigured in such a manner to create a handled container holding the principal target components. The resulting portability facilitates ancillary requirements beyond the principle target function, such as shipping, transporting, storing and stacking, making the device more useful to manufacturer and operator.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

An improved target for flying disc games, such as disc golf, where the target consists of a pole mounted weight holder, basket, and base where the weight holder, basket, and base components, after disassembly, are reconfigured in such a manner to create a handled container holding the principal target components. The resulting portability facilitates ancillary requirements beyond the principle target function, such as shipping, transporting, storing and stacking, making the device more useful to manufacturer and operator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flying disc games have steadily grown in popularity since the enormous commercial success of the Wham-O Frisbee beginning in 1964. Subsequently, numerous flying disc games developed around the Frisbee. One of these games, disc golf, was imagined by numerous independent innovators at the time. The unique challenges associated with accurately throwing a flying disc at an object, in many minds, connected with similar challenges shared with the players of ball and club golf.

Presently, the sport is played by people of all ages, is adaptable to multiple fitness levels, provides a great workout to participants, is inexpensive or free to play, and, usually takes place in a beautiful environmental setting. These natural attributes of disc golf have propelled the sport to a level of involvement where thousands of courses have been built around the world and individuals are playing the sport professionally.

In the early days, virtually any object served as the objective for disc golf. Striking trees, fence posts, light poles, or street signs, in some cases, served as finishing the hole; whereas in other cases, landing the disk in a 55-gallon drum or in a hula-hoop lying on the ground served as the point where participants calculated their score.

In 1977, Ed Headrick of Watsonville, Calif., began marketing a device that had a series of hanging weights, specifically chains, mounted on a structure attached to a pole to arrest the velocity of flying discs. Under the chains was a wire basket designed to contain the discs when they were stopped and fell from the chains. This device set the standard for disc golf targets for the future.

Because chains are heavy and supporting heavy chains requires a substantial framework of metal, Headrick's device produced a disc golf target that does not easily lend itself to portability. Because of this, devices attempting to make disc golf target more portable went in three basic directions.

The first direction was to utilize an entrapment media that differs from chains, such as net or cloth. Devices constructed on this concept have the benefit of being lighter than the original Headrick concept but also had the disadvantage of not being as effective in catching discs. Using weights as the entrapment media is necessary to effectively arrest the velocity of a flying disc.

The second direction was a variation of the Headrick device, utilizing weights as the entrapment media, but having a basket made up of fabric that allowed the device to fold up like an umbrella. Even though such devices presently enjoy some commercial success, they have the disadvantage of being light, and because of this they are unstable, making them less than ideal. Additionally, because they are not as substantial, they play differently than “real” disc golf baskets encountered in play on established courses.

The third direction was to simply add wheels to the base of a fully-assembled and upright Headrick device and call this portable. Such devices also enjoy a measure of commercial success but are not really very portable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention improves on the pole-mounted, weight rack and basket disc golf target concept by providing an adaptation by which the device can be easily handled when not in use. The improved handling characteristics make this flying disc golf target practical for settings where a permanent practice facility or a permanent course is not practical.

Universities and schools, for example, require a transportable product in order to utilize limited land resources for a variety of purposes. This device facilitates easily setting up practice facilities or full-sized courses for instruction related to introducing the sport, holding practice sessions or hosting special events.

Further application of this invention include businesses that rent the product as a diversion for outings. Additional uses include products for individuals or groups who desire their own disc golf practice device or desire to build an entire disc golf course that is only used periodically.

The features of this invention allow the device to be easily transported and stored with all the components together and available for future use. In addition, the design allows manufacturers to ship the product without additional packaging, resulting in considerable labor and packaging cost savings.

These are important and valuable features that facilitate these uses and other applications not contemplated at this time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the flying disc target in both set up and containerized modes.

FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the flying disc target showing the principle components.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation demonstrating the procedure for fitting the principle components into the container.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation demonstrating the latter stages of the procedure for fitting the components into the container.

FIG. 5 is a representation of the flying disc target in containerized mode.

FIG. 6 is a representation of multiple flying disc target containers stacked for storage or in transport while in containerized mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND SPECIFICATIONS

Referring again to the drawings, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a weight assembly, comprised of a lower ring (7) and a plurality of chains (5), is attached with a plurality of loop fasteners (6) to a supporting structure (1). This supporting structure (1) is mounted to the top of a pole (4). In this embodiment, the supporting structure (1) is constructed of three-quarter inch plywood and a bracket similar to (10) is inverted and used to attach the supporting structure to the top of the pole. This invention, however, is not limited to such.

In the general center of the pole (4) is a basket (2), said basket (2) having previously been slid down the pole (4), by the pole (4) being inserted through a hole in the bottom of the basket (2). The basket (2) is held by a stop (11) which supports the basket (2) vertically. Handles (8) are made part of the basket (2) to facilitate ease in handling the basket (2) where the basket (2) serves as the container for the target components in later illustrations.

In this embodiment, the basket (2) is constructed from a 15-gallon galvanized metal tub, however, the invention is not limited to such.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a base (3) is employed to hold the flying disc target in an upright position. This base (3) is mounted to the bottom of the pole (4) with a bracket (10). Openings (9) are cut into the base to facilitate convenient removal of the base from the basket (2) where the basket (2) serves as the container for the flying disc target components in later illustrations.

In this embodiment, the base (3) is constructed of three-quarter inch plywood, the invention, however, is not limited to such. In other embodiments, the pole (4) may be permanently affixed to the ground, alleviating the necessity of a separate base component.

In FIG. 2 the components of the flying disc target are shown in an expanded view. This represents how the target components are disassembled for storage.

The components are top assembly (12), basket assembly (13), pole assembly (4 & 11) and base assembly (14).

The top assembly (12) is comprised of a lower ring (7) and a plurality of weights (5), in this case, chains, attached with a plurality of loop fasteners (6) to the supporting structure (1). The top assembly (12) includes a bracket (10) attached underneath the supporting structure (1) for fitting to the pole (4).

The basket assembly (13) is comprised of the basket (2), with handles (8) attached to the side of the basket, and a bracket attached to basket interior.

The pole assembly is comprised of a pole (4) and the stop (11).

The base assembly (14) is comprised of the base (3) and bracket (10).

The components of the flying disc target are disassembled by lifting the top (12) from the top of pole (4). The basket (13) is then removed by lifting the basket (13) over the top of the pole (4). The pole (4) is then removed from the base (14).

The components are temporarily set aside by laying them on the ground or other stable surface as the situation may require. The pole assembly (4) is not containerized.

In FIG. 3, the components are reassembled for storage or transporting by first positioning the basket assembly (13) on the ground or other stable surface (15). The base assembly (14) is inverted (16) and placed (17) in the basket assembly (13). In FIG. 4, The top (12) is placed over the base (14), now inverted, and located within the basket assembly (13).

In this embodiment, the plywood forming the supporting structure (1) is notched to form a channel (18) by which the top (12) is stabilized on the basket assembly (13). With the top (12) placed on the basket (13) a container is formed.

FIG. 5 represents the containerized components where as the basket (13) becomes a container and the top (12) becomes the lid. The lid (12) can be further stabilized by tying the lid (12) to the basket (13) with wire or plastic ties (19).

FIG. 6 demonstrates how the device can be stacked for shipping or storage.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the field that within the general description given, a wide range of embodiments is possible while still encompassing the basic features and improvements of the current invention and thus the invention is not restricted to those specific embodiments described but rather the wider range of equivalents encompassed by the claims below:

Claims

1. A disc-catching device having a pole, an upward facing container fixed to the pole, a weight holder and weights fixed to the top of the pole above the container, and a supporting base fixed to the bottom of the pole, the improvements comprising:

a device disassembled into pole, upward facing container, weight holder, and base components;

where the container has a handles or handles on the exterior sides forming hand holds;

where the base is inserted into the container; and,

where the weight holder is fixed to the top of the container forming an enclosed unit.

2. A disc-catching device having a permanently-mounted pole, an upward facing container fixed to the pole, and a weight holder and weights fixed to the top of the pole above the container, the improvements comprising:

a device disassembled into pole, upward facing container, and weight holder components;

where the container has a handle or handles on the exterior sides forming hand holds;

where the weight holder is fixed to the top of the container forming an enclosed unit.