Tamper resistant fastener for sports netting
AssigneeKwik Goal Ltd.
InventorAnthony Caruso
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vandal resistant sports goal net clip, or fastener, for attaching nets to the frames of sports goals. The fasteners are difficult to remove by hand and require the use of a separate tool to attach and remove the net from the frame. Sports goal assemblies and methods of securing nets to goal frames are also disclosed.
Claims21
A sports goal assembly, comprising:
- a goal net having a peripheral edge;
- a goal frame defining a goal mouth and having an elongate channel in which said peripheral edge of said goal net is removably securable to said goal frame, said channel having a pair of inturned flanges defining an elongate opening;
- and
- a tamper resistant net fastener having a head section and a body section depending from said head section;
- said body section being insertable into said channel and positionable into a locking position within said channel in which the fastener frictionally engages said inturned flanges of said channel to capture said peripheral edge of said net within said channel;
- and
- said head section having an upper surface formed to be difficult to grasp and turn by hand when said fastener is frictionally engaged with said channel, said head section also having a tool engaging surface engagable by a separate tool for use in rotating said fastener from said locking position to an unlocking position permitting removal of said fastener and said net from said channel;
- whereby removal of said net from said goal frame requires use of a separate tool, thereby deterring unwanted removal of said net and fasteners from said goal frame.
A method of assembling a net to a sports goal frame, comprising the steps of:
- providing a goal net having a peripheral edge and a goal frame defining a goal mouth and having an elongate opening defined by a pair of inturned flanges;
- providing a tamper resistant net fastener having a head section and a body section depending from the head section;
- inserting the peripheral edge of the goal net and the body section of the fastener through the elongate opening such that the peripheral edge of the goal net is captured to the goal frame by the fastener;
- and
- mechanically engaging the head section of the fastener with a separate tool and rotating the fastener into a locking position in which the fastener frictionally engages the inturned flanges to secure the fastener to the goal frame;
- the head section of the fastener having a non-grippable upper surface which is difficult to grasp and turn by hand when the fastener is frictionally engaged to the channel;
- whereby removal of the goal net from the goal frame requires use of the separate tool, thereby deterring unwanted removal of the goal net and fasteners from the goal frame.
A fastener for use in securing a sports net to a frame of a sports goal, the frame having an elongate channel in which a peripheral edge of the net is receivable, the channel including a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally-extending sidewalls and a pair of inturned flanges that define an elongate opening, the fastener comprising:
- a head section and a narrow body section depending from said head section;
- said head section having a non-grippable upper surface and a tool engaging surface mechanically engagable with a separate tool;
- said body section including a spaced-apart pair of legs each having a foot member extending outwardly therefrom, each foot member extending a predetermined spaced distance underneath an underside of said head section;
- and
- said predetermined spaced distance being of a size enabling the fastener to frictionally engage the inturned flanges of the channel between said foot member and said underside of said head section when the fastener is positioned in a locking position with the channel to secure the net to the frame;
- and
- said upper surface of said head section being difficult to grasp and turn by hand when the fastener is frictionally engaged in the channel;
- whereby unlocking and removal of the fastener from the frame requires use of the separate tool, thereby deterring unwanted removal of the net and fastener from the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.