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Portable basketball systemRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Playing Field Or Court Game; Game Element Or Accessory Therefor Other Than Projector Or Projectile, Per Se, Goal Or Target Structure For Projectile; Element Thereof, Apertured Or Pocketed Goal Or Target (e.g., For Hockey, Soccer, Polo, Lacrosse, Etc.), Goal Or Target Is Elevated And Horizontally Disposed (e.g., For Basketball, Etc.), Backboard Or Support Structure ThereforPortable basketball system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070042843, Portable basketball system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/643,888, filed Jan. 14, 2005 and entitled PORTABLE BASKETBALL SYSTEM, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. [0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/643,887, filed Jan. 14, 2005 and entitled PORTABLE BASKETBALL SYSTEM, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of the Invention [0004] The present invention relates to a basketball system and, in particular, to a portable basketball system that is capable of being selectively moved from one location to another location. [0005] 2. Description of Related Art [0006] Basketball is a very popular game and many people desire to play basketball at their home. Many basketball systems designed for home use require the basketball system to be permanently fixed in a particular location. For example, many home basketball systems are permanently positioned on the edge of the driveway. Disadvantageously, mounting a basketball goal adjacent to the driveway of the home may create a risk of damage to cars using the driveway or cars that are parked nearby. Thus, one or more cars may have to be moved before the basketball goal may be used. In addition, the cars and other objects may limit the use of the basketball system, and the cars and other objects may create a risk of injury to the players. [0007] Permanent basketball systems designed for use at home may also be difficult to install. For example, concrete or asphalt may be located where it is desired to install the permanent basketball system. Accordingly, the concrete or asphalt may have to be removed and/or replaced to allow the basketball system to be installed. Undesirably, removing and/or replacing the concrete or asphalt may be difficult, time-consuming and expensive. In addition, this would most likely prevent use of the driveway during the period of construction and repair. [0008] Permanent basketball systems that are installed at home are usually located outdoors and are exposed to the harsh elements of the weather throughout the entire year. Disadvantageously, when conventional permanent basketball systems are constantly exposed to the elements such as rain, snow, sleet, high temperatures and high humidity, various components of the basketball system may prematurely oxidize, corrode or rust. Premature oxidation, corrosion and rust can be particularly troublesome in basketball goal assemblies that have any moving parts, such as height adjustment mechanisms or breakaway rim assemblies. Moreover, constant exposure to the elements may cause failure of such mechanisms in some known basketball systems. [0009] It is also known to use permanent basketball systems indoors. Indoor basketball systems, however, often require a large amount of space and the basketball goal must be located at least a few feet away from other structures to allow basketball to be played. For example, conventional indoor basketball systems must generally be spaced away from the walls so that the walls do not interfere while playing basketball. These permanent basketball systems may limit or prevent the space from being used for other purpose. For example, schools typically have a gymnasium and basketball goals may be located near the ends or sides of the gymnasium. The basketball goals may undesirably preclude or interfere with use of the gymnasium for other purposes. In addition, on formal occasions, objection may be made to the appearance of the permanently mounted basketball goals. [0010] Portable basketball systems that are movable from one location to another location are also known. Conventional portable basketball systems typically require a large amount of weight so that the basketball goal remains in a generally rigid, upright position for use when playing basketball or shooting baskets. In particular, many conventional portable basketball systems require a large and heavy base to prevent the basketball system from undesirably moving. The large and heavy base, however, often makes the basketball system very difficult to move and may require the assistance of several people to set up or relocate the basketball goal. Additionally, these known basketball system may be very expensive and that may prohibit people from using these systems at home. [0011] Conventional portable basketball systems may use removable weights, such as sand bags or metal weights, which help maintain the basketball system in a fixed position. Disadvantageously, these removable weights can be extremely heavy, difficult to lift and hard to position in the desired location. Accordingly, although these basketball systems using removable weights may be easier to move in relation to permanently mounted goal assemblies, the weights or weighted members are often not easy to move, lift or position. [0012] In an attempt to make portable basketball goal assemblies that are better suited for home use, large support bases with a large hollow cavity for receiving ballast material, such as sand or water, have been developed. These conventional portable basketball systems may be moved into the desired location and then the support base may be filled with ballast such as sand or water. The ballast adds weight to the portable basketball system and helps prevent the basketball system from undesirably moving during use. Disadvantageously, the sand or water may have to be removed to allow the portable basketball system to be moved, which may be very difficult and inconvenient. For example, the portable basketball system may have to be tilted or placed on its side to allow the sand or water to be removed. In addition, having to fill and empty the support base with sand or water each time the goal is to be set up or moved may require an undesirable amount of time and effort, which may limit the use and effectiveness of the basketball system. [0013] It is known to use portable basketball systems in a wide variety of areas such as in driveways and cul-de-sacs. Disadvantageously, many driveways and cul-de-sacs are not level and may contain uneven or sloped surfaces. Accordingly, the goal of many conventional portable basketball systems may also be uneven or sloped. That is, when these portable basketball systems are used on uneven or sloped surfaces, the basketball goals may not properly positioned in an upright position and the rim may not be located in a horizontal position. In addition, these known portable basketball systems may be more susceptible to undesirable movement when positioned on uneven or sloped surfaces. BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0014] A need therefore exists for a portable basketball system that eliminates or diminishes the disadvantages and problems described above. [0015] One aspect is a basketball system that may be selectively moved from one location to another location. Desirably, the basketball system is a portable basketball system that is readily capable of being moved. Advantageously, the basketball system may be quickly and easily moved from one location to another, and the basketball system may be removable by a single person, if desired. [0016] Another aspect is a basketball system that may include a support structure and a basketball goal. The basketball goal may include a backboard and a rim, and the support structure may support the basketball goal above a support or playing surface. The support structure may include one or more interconnected support members. For example, the support structure may include two front support members and a rear support member, and the support members may advantageously help construct a strong, stable and/or rigid support structure. [0017] Yet another aspect is a basketball system that may include a base. The base may be sized and configured to receive ballast (such as sand, water and the like), which may help prevent the basketball system from undesirably moving. For example, the base may include a hollow interior portion that is sized and configured to receive ballast. [0018] Still another aspect is a basketball system that may include one or more wheels, which may facilitate movement of the basketball system. For example, the wheels may be disposed proximate the front portion of the basketball system and the system may be pivoted onto the wheels to facilitate movement. [0019] A further aspect is a basketball system that may include engaging members, such as feet, which may be sized and configured to help retain the basketball system in a generally fixed or stationary position. The feet, for example, may be sized and configured to engage a support or playing surface to help retain the basketball system in a generally fixed or stationary position. The feet may also assist in leveling and/or adjusting the position of the basketball system. This may allow, for instance, allow the basketball system to be used on uneven or sloping surfaces. [0020] A still further aspect is a basketball system that may include engaging members or feet which may be sized and configured to adjust the orientation of the basketball goal. For example, the feet may be movable between a first position in which the basketball goal is at a first orientation and a second position in which the basketball goal is at a second orientation. Advantageously, this may allow the basketball goal to be disposed in an upright position and/or the rim to be placed in a horizontal position even when the basketball system is placed on a non-planar and/or non-level support surface. [0021] Another aspect is a basketball system that may include engaging members or feet which may be sized and configured to adjust the height of the basketball goal. For example, the feet may be movable between a first position in which the basketball goal is at a first height and a second position in which the basketball goal is at a second height. Continue reading about Portable basketball system... Full patent description for Portable basketball system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Portable basketball system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Portable basketball system or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Basketball goal return net and mounting system Next Patent Application: Bat with an identification device Industry Class: Games using tangible projectile ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Portable basketball system patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.29312 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , 174 |
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