ILLUMINATED BASKETBALL BACKBOARD AND RIM ASSEMBLY
An illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly is disclosed which comprises a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel, a first illumination device positioned within the first channel, a second illumination device positioned within the second channel, a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices, and a rim attached to the back member.
This disclosure relates to a basketball backboard and rim and more particularly to an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that may be used in low or no light conditions. This disclosure further relates to an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that has an image capturing device for recording a basketball player shooting a basketball at the assembly for reviewing the shooting technique of the player.
Basketball backboards and rims are available in numerous designs, constructions, shapes, and materials. Typically, a pair of basketball backboards and rims are positioned at opposite ends of a basketball court. Each of the backboards and rims are connected to a pole or other height adjustable device to position the backboards and rims above the ground. In an outdoor basketball court, lights are required if a practice or a game of basketball is to be played at night or during low light conditions. Even if lights are available, sometimes the lights are not bright enough, positioned correctly, or operating correctly. It is also known that some outdoor lights are operated by a timer device. As can be appreciated, playing a game of basketball when the lights time out may be annoying and dangerous. There are various basketball backboards and rims that have been proposed and developed that are illuminated. However, such basketball backboards and rims are not durable enough and suffer from use and abuse. Further, the known illuminated basketball backboards and rims do not provide enough light so that the backboard and rim are sufficiently illuminated to practice or play basketball. In particular, only a portion of the surface area of a backboard is illuminated. For example, only the area near the hoop or rim is illuminated. If the backboard is consistently used at night or in low light conditions, a player may develop improper shooting habits or techniques due to only a portion of the backboard being illuminated.
Therefore, there is a need for an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that is durable and provides a sufficient level of illumination so that the basketball backboard and rim may be used during low or no light conditions. It would be advantageous to have an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that overcomes the shortcomings and disadvantages of known illuminated backboards and rims. It would also be advantageous to have an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that can record a player shooting a basketball at the illuminated basketball backboard and rim for training purposes.
SUMMARYIn one form of the present disclosure, an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly is disclosed which comprises a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel, a first illumination device positioned within the first channel, a second illumination device positioned within the second channel, a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices, and a rim attached to the back member.
In another form of the present disclosure, an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly comprises a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel, a first illumination device positioned within the first channel, a second illumination device positioned within the second channel, a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices, and a rim attached to the back member with the rim having a hollow interior, a first cutout portion formed in the rim, a third illumination device inserted into the hollow interior with a portion of the third illumination device being visible through the cutout portion.
In yet another form of the present disclosure, an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly is disclosed which comprises a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel, a first illumination device positioned within the first channel, a second illumination device positioned within the second channel, a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices, a rim attached to the back member with the rim having a hollow interior, a first cutout portion formed in the rim, a third illumination device inserted into the hollow interior with a portion of the third illumination device being visible through the cutout portion, and an image capturing device positioned on the back member for capturing an image of an individual shooting a basketball at the illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly.
In light of the foregoing comments, it will be recognized that the present disclosure provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that may be used to practice or play basketball in areas of low light or no light.
The present disclosure provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that may be used with existing basketball courts and poles.
The present disclosure provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly which is portable and may be moved from one basketball court to another basketball court.
The present disclosure provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that is capable of recording a player shooting at the assembly for reviewing the recording for training purposes.
The present disclosure provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that does not require a basketball court to be retrofitted for installation of the illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly.
The present disclosure further provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that is regulation size and can be used during a basketball game.
The present disclosure is directed to an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that is easy to operate and can be employed with highly desirable results.
The present disclosure further provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly having an image capturing device for recording and storing images or video of a basketball player shooting at the assembly for reviewing the recording and storing the recording for use in the future to document advancement of the player.
The present disclosure is also directed to an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that provides a large illuminated surface area of the backboard for a player to view when shooting a basketball at the assembly.
The present disclosure also provides an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly that may be constructed with known components such as LEDs (light emitting diodes), batteries, molded components, control circuitry, and an image capturing device.
These and other advantages of the present illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly will become apparent after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like items, number 10 identifies an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly constructed according to the present disclosure. With reference now to
The back member 12 has a front surface 34 upon which a fluorescent paint 36 may be applied. The paint 36 provides a glowing effect for the front surface 34 and provides more illumination of the back member 12. The paint 36 may be applied to the entire surface of the front surface 34 or to portions thereof. The back member 12 may be constructed of any suitable material such as wood, glass, fiberglass, metal, plastic, or a combination thereof. It is also possible that the back member 12 may be a blow molded frame made from polyethylene, polycarbonate, or any other suitable plastic material. The front member 22 may be constructed of any suitable material such as plastic, acrylic, polycarbonate, glass, or a combination of plastic and wood and/or metal or glass and wood and/or metal. Further, the front member 22 may be transparent to allow the illumination devices 18 and 20 to illuminate the front surface 34 of the back member 12 and the front member 22. The front member 22 may be attached to the back member 12 by an suitable attachment methods or means such as screws, bolts, clips, or adhesive. It is also contemplated that the front surface 34 may have matter printed or painted thereon, such as a logo, a trademark, symbols, sayings, or a combination thereof. The matter may also be of the same or a different color paint so that the matter stands out when illuminated.
With reference now to
The compartment 40 may contain a power supply and other circuitry, all of which are not shown in this particular view, to control operation of the illumination devices 18, 20, and 28. The solar cell assembly 42 is used to charge batteries associated with the power supply during the day for use of the assembly 10 at night. Although not shown in detail, the solar cell assembly 42 is connected to the circuitry within the compartment 40. Further, although the solar cell assembly 42 is shown, it is also possible that the assembly 10 may be connected to a dedicated power supply, such as power provided from a utility. Although not shown, it is possible that the control circuitry within the compartment 40 may include provisions for the assembly 10 to be operated from a remote control device. In particular, a remote control device can be used to turn on the assembly 10 when a basketball game or practice is to take place and the remote control device may be used to turn off the assembly 10 at the conclusion of the game or practice.
With reference now to
Referring now to
An image capturing device 124 may be positioned within a third channel 126 formed in the back member 102. The image capturing device 124 is used to video or record images or videos of a basketball player shooting at the assembly 100 for training purposes. Although the image capturing device 124 is shown being encased in the channel 126, it is also possible that the image capturing device 124 may just be mounted on a top edge 128 of the assembly 100. In this manner, the image capturing device 124 may also be movable for a coach to remotely control movement of the image capturing device 124 so that a video may be taken of a basketball player shooting from a corner. An example of the image capturing device 124 may be a camera such as a Logitech HD webcam c615.
The back member 102 has a front surface 130 upon which a fluorescent paint 132 may be applied. The paint 132 provides a glowing effect for the front surface 130 and provides more illumination for the back member 102. The paint 132 may be applied to the entire surface of the front surface 130 or to portions thereof. The back member 102 may be constructed of any suitable material such as wood, glass, fiberglass, metal, plastic, or a combination thereof. It is also possible that the back member 102 may be a blow molded frame made from polyethylene, polycarbonate, or any other suitable plastic material. The front member 112 may be constructed of any suitable material such as plastic, glass, or a combination of plastic and wood and/or metal or glass and wood and/or metal. Further, the front member 112 may be transparent to allow the illumination devices 108 and 110 to illuminate the front surface 130 of the back member 102 and the front member 112. The front member 112 may be attached to the back member 102 by an suitable attachment methods or means such as screws, bolts, clips, or adhesive.
With reference now to
The assembly 100 is also shown being attached to a pole 144 that may be used to positioned the assembly 100 above ground level. As can be appreciated, the pole 144 may be a height adjustable assembly that can raise or lower the assembly 100 for use with basketball players of different ages.
The assembly 100 may also connected to a computer system 150 that is connected to the image capturing device 124 directly or through control circuitry housed within the compartment 142. The connection between the computer system 150 and the device 124 may be wired or wireless. In this particular embodiment the computer system 150 is connected to the device 124 via a wireless connection. The computer system 150 may include a screen 152 upon which a video captured by the device 124 may be viewed. By way of example, the computer system 150 may be a computer having a microprocessor, memory, a hard drive having stored thereon an operating system and other software programs, input devices such as a mouse or a touch screen, a DVD record/write drive, and a floppy disk drive. The computer system 150 may also include other ancillary devices such as a printer, a scanner, a modem, a router, or other network devices that allow the computer system 150 to be connected to a network or the Internet. It is also possible that the computer system 150 may be a laptop computer, a smart phone, an iPod touch, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an iPad, tablet, an Android based tablet, a device that has WiFi connectivity, or other mobile communications device capable of sending and receiving data over a wireless network. Further, the computer system 150 may use various connections to send data or information to a secured facility and the connections may take on various forms such as a telephone line, cable, ISDN lines, fiber optic lines, wireless connections, microwave, radio, satellites, or military or law enforcement secured lines. The computer system 150 is used as a training device and videos of a basketball player shooting a basketball at the assembly 100 may be viewed by the player and a coach to determine any shooting weaknesses.
From all that has been said, it will be clear that there has thus been shown and described herein an illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly which fulfills the various advantages sought therefore. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the subject illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly are possible and contemplated. All changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure are deemed to be covered by the disclosure, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
Claims
1. An illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly comprising:
- a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel;
- a first illumination device positioned within the first channel;
- a second illumination device positioned within the second channel;
- a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices; and
- a rim attached to the back member.
2. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 wherein the back member further comprises a front surface and an illuminable paint on the front surface.
3. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 further comprising a power source connected to the illumination devices for providing power to the illumination devices.
4. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 wherein the first channel comprises an upper edge, a back edge, a lower edge, and an opening and the first channel is rectangular in shape.
5. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 wherein the second channel comprises an upper edge, a back edge, a lower edge, and an opening and the second channel is rectangular in shape.
6. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 wherein the front member is transparent and attached to the back member.
7. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 wherein the first channel is semi-circular in shape.
8. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 1 wherein the second channel is semi-circular in shape.
9. An illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly comprising:
- a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel;
- a first illumination device positioned within the first channel;
- a second illumination device positioned within the second channel;
- a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices; and
- a rim attached to the back member with the rim having a hollow interior, a first cutout portion formed in the rim, a third illumination device inserted into the hollow interior with a portion of the third illumination device being visible through the cutout portion.
10. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 9 wherein the rim further comprises a plurality of cutout portions formed in the rim with the third illumination device being visible through each of the cutout portions.
11. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 9 wherein the back member further comprises a front surface, an illuminable paint of a first color on the front surface, and a logo of a second color of illuminable paint on the first surface, with the logo standing out from the illuminable paint of the first color when the illuminable paint of the first color and the illuminable paint of the second color are illuminated by the first illuminated device.
12. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 9 further comprising a power source connected to the illumination devices for providing power to the illumination devices.
13. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 9 wherein the first channel has an upper edge, a back edge, a lower edge, and an opening with the first illumination device being positioned within the opening in the channel.
14. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 13 wherein the back edge is semi-circular in shape for receiving the first illumination device.
15. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 9 wherein the second channel has an upper edge, a back edge, a lower edge, and an opening with the second illumination device being positioned within the opening in the channel.
16. An illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly comprising:
- a back member having a first channel formed therein and a second channel formed therein with the second channel being within the first channel;
- a first illumination device positioned within the first channel;
- a second illumination device positioned within the second channel;
- a front member covering the back member, the channels, and the illumination devices;
- a rim attached to the back member with the rim having a hollow interior, a first cutout portion formed in the rim, a third illumination device inserted into the hollow interior with a portion of the third illumination device being visible through the cutout portion; and
- an image capturing device positioned on the back member for capturing an image of an individual shooting a basketball at the illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly.
17. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 16 wherein the image capturing device comprises a camera.
18. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 16 further comprising a computer connected to the image capturing device for receiving the image.
19. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 16 further comprising a computer connected to the image capturing device, the computer for receiving an image captured by the image capturing device and for storing the image.
20. The illuminated basketball backboard and rim assembly of claim 16 wherein the back member further comprises a front side having a periphery edge and an illuminated paint positioned between the periphery edge and the first channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 21, 2016
Publication Date: Sep 21, 2017
Inventors: Charida Mems-McNair (Hazelwood, MO), Andre McNair (Hazelwood, MO)
Application Number: 15/075,397