US 5,507,484 A · Basketball backboard

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of a basketball backboard is blow-molded from polyethylene. The backboard includes a front layer, a back layer, a plurality of offsets, and an edge wall which are homogeneously secured to one another during the blow-molding process and which together define an interior volume that is substantially filled with air, polyurethane foam, or another fill material. The front layer has a medium-to-large sized flat face for receiving basketball impacts. The back layer is spaced apart from the front layer by the offsets. A variety of differently shaped and positioned offsets are employed. Two T-shaped offsets are positioned alongside a location at which a hoop may be mounted to the backboard. Quadrilateral-shaped and other offsets are positioned relative to mounting sites for mounting the backboard to a backboard support such as a pole or wall. The mounting sites define a triangle whose sides correspond to lines of high stress within the backboard. The offsets are positioned such that each side of the triangle is perpendicular to at least one offset. Offsets are also positioned parallel to one another, and in perpendicular or transverse groups. To assist in stacking such backboards atop one another, a stacking groove in the front layer of one backboard releasably engages corresponding stacking stubs which extend from the back layer of an adjacent backboard.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A basketball backboard comprising a front layer, a back layer, a plurality of offsets, and a fill material, wherein:

said front layer has a relatively flat face configured for receiving the impact of a basketball;
said back layer is spaced apart from said front layer by said offsets such that said front layer, said back layer, and said offsets substantially define an interior volume;
each of said offsets defines a corresponding depression in the back layer and each of said offsets has a front end which is homogeneously secured to said front layer and also has a back end which is homogeneously secured to said back layer;
said fill material substantially fills said interior volume, and said fill material is principally formed of a significantly different material than the material of said front layer and the material of said back layer.

1 more element

A basketball backboard comprising a front layer, a back layer, a plurality of offsets, a plurality of mounting sites, an edge wall, and a fill material, wherein:

said front layer has a relatively flat face configured for receiving the impact of a basketball, said front layer and said back layer are principally formed of substantially identical materials;
said back layer is spaced apart from said front layer by said offsets such that said front layer, said back layer, said edge wall, and said offsets substantially define an interior volume;
each of said offsets defines a corresponding depression in the back layer and each of said offsets has a front end which is homogeneously secured to said front layer and also has a back end which is homogeneously secured to said back layer;
said mounting sites comprise at least three spaced apart mounting sites adjacent said back layer for mounting said backboard to a backboard support, said mounting sites define a triangle;
said edge wall is a substantially peripheral edge wall homogeneously secured to said front layer adjacent the perimeter of said front layer and homogeneously secured to said back layer adjacent the perimeter of said back layer;
said fill material substantially fills said interior volume, and said fill material is principally formed of a significantly different material than the material of said front layer and the material of said back layer.

3 more elements

A basketball backboard comprising a front layer, a back layer, a plurality of offsets, a plurality of mounting sites, an edge wall, and a fill material, wherein:

said front layer has a relatively flat face configured for receiving the impact of a basketball, said front layer has a stacking groove extending into said front layer, said front layer and said back layer are principally formed of substantially identical materials;
said back layer is spaced apart from said front layer by said offsets such that said front layer, said back layer has at least two stacking stubs extending outwardly from said back layer, said stacking stubs are capable of releasably engaging said stacking groove to thereby assist in retaining a back layer of a first said backboard in position adjacent a front layer of a second said backboard in a stack of said backboards, said back layer, said edge wall, and said offsets substantially define an interior volume;
each of said offsets defines a corresponding depression in the back layer and each of said offsets has a front end which is homogeneously secured to said front layer at least along a straight ridge line, each of said offsets also has a back end which is homogeneously secured to said back layer;
said mounting sites comprise at least three spaced apart mounting sites adjacent said back layer for mounting said backboard to a backboard support, said mounting sites define a triangle;
said edge wall is a substantially peripheral edge wall homogeneously secured to said front layer adjacent the perimeter of said front layer and homogeneously secured to said back layer adjacent the perimeter of said back layer;
said fill material substantially fills said interior volume, and said fill material is principally formed of a significantly different material than the material of said front layer and the material of said back layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Basketball backboard

Life of this patent

Basketball backboard

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35