Back to results
US 11,786,792 B2Granted
Table tennis apparatus and methods
AssigneePlay Everywhere Sports, LLC
InventorThomas W. Filippini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A collapsible net for a game play is disclosed. The collapsible net includes a plurality of net-modules, each of the plurality of net-modules including a first-type coupler adjoining a left-side edge and a second-type coupler adjoining a right-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules. The first-type coupler is configured to engage with the second-type coupler to couple the net-modules with one another, to thereby define an expanded length of the collapsible net.
Claims21
A collapsible net for a game play, the collapsible net comprising:
- a plurality of net-modules, each of the plurality of net-modules comprising:
- an I-shaped cross-section profile;
- a left-side edge;
- a right-side edge oppositely disposed to the left-side edge, and defining a net-module width between the right-side edge and the left-side edge;
- a top edge perpendicularly disposed to the left-side edge and the right-side edge;
- a bottom edge oppositely disposed to the top edge;
- a first-type coupler adjoining the left-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules;
- and
- a second-type coupler adjoining the right-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules, the second-type coupler configured different from the first-type coupler;
- wherein the first-type coupler is configured to engage with the second-type coupler;
- wherein the plurality of net-modules are configurable between a play configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein:
- the play configuration comprises:
- a first net-module of the plurality of net-modules;
- a second net-module of the plurality of net-modules;
- and
- a zig-zag arrangement;
- wherein the right-side edge of the first net-module is coupled to the left-side edge of the second net-module via the first-type coupler engaging with the second-type coupler in the zig-zag arrangement to define an expanded length of the collapsible net, wherein the expanded length is less than a number of the net modules times a net module width;
- and
- the stowed configuration comprises:
- the right-side edge of the first net-module is adjacent to the left-side edge of the second net-module, and the left-side edge of the first net-module is adjacent to the right-side edge of the second net-module.
17 more elements
A collapsible net for a game play, the collapsible net comprising:
- a plurality of net-modules, each of the plurality of net-modules comprising:
- an I-shaped cross-section profile;
- a left-side edge;
- a right-side edge oppositely disposed to the left-side edge;
- a top edge;
- and
- a bottom edge oppositely disposed to the left-side edge;
- a first-type coupler adjoining the left-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules;
- a second-type coupler adjoining the right-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules, and
- a zig-zag arrangement;
- wherein the second-type coupler is engaged with the first-type coupler;
- wherein net-modules of each pair of net-modules of the plurality of net-modules are rotatably coupled with each other, via the first-type coupler and the second-type coupler;
- a play configuration, wherein in the play configuration, each of the plurality of net-modules is positioned away from an adjacent net-module in the zig-zag arrangement to define an expanded length of the collapsible net, wherein the expanded length is less than a number of the net modules times a net module width;
- and
- a stowed configuration, wherein in the stowed configuration, each of the plurality of net-modules is positioned facing an adjacent net-module, to thereby define a collapsed length of the collapsible net,
- wherein the plurality of net-modules are configurable between the play configuration and the stowed configuration.
13 more elements
A collapsible net for a game play, the collapsible net comprising:
- a plurality of protrusion-based net-modules, each of the plurality of protrusion-based net-modules comprising:
- an I-shaped cross-section profile;
- a left-side edge;
- a right-side edge oppositely disposed to the left-side edge, and defining a net-module width between the right-side edge and the left-side edge;
- a top edge;
- a bottom edge oppositely disposed to the top edge;
- a first-type coupler adjoining at least one of the left-side edge and the right-side edge of each of the plurality of protrusion-based net-modules;
- wherein the first-type coupler comprises:
- a pin protrusion adjoining at least a portion of the left-side edge of each of the plurality of protrusion-based net-modules;
- a plurality of receptacle-based net-modules, each of the plurality of receptacle-based net-modules comprising:
- a left-side edge;
- a right-side edge oppositely disposed to the left-side edge, and defining a net-module width between the right-side edge and the left-side edge;
- a top edge;
- a bottom edge oppositely disposed to the top edge;
- a second-type coupler adjoining at least one of the left-side edge and the right-side edge of each of the plurality of receptacle-based net-modules;
- wherein the second-type coupler comprises:
- a receptacle adjoining at least a portion of each of the left-side edge and the right-side edge of each of the plurality of receptacle-based net-modules;
- and
- wherein the receptacle is configured to rotatably engage the pin protrusion, to thereby couple a receptacle-based net-module with a protrusion-based net-module;
- and
- a zig-zag arrangement;
- wherein the plurality of receptacle-based net-modules and the plurality of protrusion-based net-modules are configurable between a play configuration and a stowed configuration;
- wherein in the play configuration, each of the plurality of receptacle-based net-modules and the plurality of protrusion-based net-modules is positioned away from an adjacent net-module in a zig-zag arrangement to define an expanded length of the collapsible net, wherein the expanded length is less than a number of the net modules times a net module width;
- and
- wherein in the stowed configuration, each of the plurality of receptacle-based net-modules and the plurality of protrusion-based net-modules is positioned facing an adjacent net-module, to thereby define a collapsed length of the collapsible net.
22 more elements
A game apparatus comprising:
- at least a pair of paddles;
- a first ball comprising:
- a first predefined hardness;
- a second ball comprising:
- a second predefined hardness different from the first predefined hardness;
- and
- a collapsible net configured to free-stand on a surface, the collapsible net comprising:
- a plurality of net-modules, each of the plurality of net-modules comprising:
- an I-shaped cross-section profile;
- a left-side edge;
- a right-side edge oppositely disposed to the left-side edge;
- a top edge;
- and
- a bottom edge oppositely disposed to the top edge;
- and
- a first-type coupler adjoining the left-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules;
- and
- a second-type coupler adjoining the right-side edge of each of the plurality of net-modules,
- wherein the second-type coupler is couplable with the first-type coupler;
- wherein each of the plurality of net-modules is configured to couple with another of the plurality of net-modules, via one of the first-type coupler and the second-type coupler;
- and
- a zig-zag arrangement;
- wherein the plurality of net-modules are configurable between a play configuration and a stowed configuration;
- wherein in the play configuration, each of the plurality of net-modules is positioned away from an adjacent net-module in a zig-zag arrangement to define an expanded length of the collapsible net, wherein the expanded length is less than a number of the net modules times a net module width;
- and
- wherein in the stowed configuration, each of the plurality of net-modules is positioned facing an adjacent net-module, to thereby collapsed length of the collapsible net.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.