US 7,410,431 B2 · Composite locking upright

(A) a composite tube (100) having a composite tube interior surface (110), a composite tube exterior surface (120), a sleeve support end (130), a receiving end (140), and a stop bar (150), wherein the composite tube interior surface (110) is defined by a composite tube interior periphery (112) and the composite tube exterior surface (120) is defined by a composite tube exterior periphery (122), the stop bar (150) is positioned on the composite tube interior surface (110), and a composite tube height (170) is measured from the sleeve support end (130) to the receiving end (140);

(B) an upper protective collar (200) having an upper collar attachment surface (210), a bearing surface (220), an upper collar exterior surface (230), at least one locking recess (242), and a guard surface (250), wherein the upper collar attachment surface (210) is defined by an upper collar attachment periphery (212) and the bearing surface (220) is defined by a bearing surface periphery (222) such that the upper collar attachment periphery (212) and the composite tube exterior periphery (122) cooperate, whereby the upper protective collar (200) is attached at the receiving end (140), and the locking recess (242) is formed from the upper collar exterior surface (230) to the bearing surface (220);

(C) a lower protective collar (300) having a lower collar attachment surface (310) and a sleeve contact surface (330), wherein the lower collar attachment surface (310) is defined by a lower collar attachment periphery (312) such that the lower collar attachment surface periphery (312) and the composite tube exterior periphery (122) cooperate, whereby the lower protective collar (300) is attached at the sleeve support end (130);

(D) a metallic tube (400) having a metallic tube interior surface (410), a metallic tube exterior surface (420), an insertion end (430), a rope contact end (440), a composite tube interior surface protective ring (450), and a pulley wheel (470), wherein

(i) the metallic tube (400) has a maximum extension (480) measured from the rope contact end (440) to the insertion end (430),

(ii) the metallic tube exterior surface (420) is defined by a metallic tube exterior periphery (422) that cooperates with the bearing surface periphery (222), such that the metallic tube (400) slides longitudinally within the composite tube (100) with the insertion end (430) of the metallic tube (400) residing within the composite tube (100),

(iii) the metallic tube exterior surface (420) is formed with a plurality of pin recesses (462) formed from the metallic tube exterior surface (420) to the metallic tube interior surface (410),

(iv) the stop bar (150) is positioned a drop distance (160) from the guard surface (250) such that the drop distance (160) is less than the maximum extension (480) thereby substantially preventing the rope contact end (440) from contacting the guard surface (250),

(v) the composite tube interior surface protective ring (450) is positioned on, and extends outwardly from, the metallic tube exterior surface (420), wherein the composite tube interior surface protective ring (450) slidably contacts the composite tube interior surface (110) as the metallic tube (400) translates longitudinally within the composite tube (100), and

(vi) the pulley wheel (470) is rotatably attached to the rope contact end (440);

(E) a bottom insert (500) having a bottom insert interior surface (510), a bottom insert exterior surface (520), a bottom insert insertion end (530), and a composite tube reinforcement end (540), wherein the bottom insert exterior surface (520) is defined by an insert exterior periphery (522) that cooperates with both the composite tube interior periphery (112), the bottom insert insertion end (530) extends longitudinally from the sleeve support end (130) a bottom insert insertion length (550) as measured from the sleeve support end (130) to the bottom insert insertion end (530), whereby the bottom insert (500) is attached to the composite tube (100) such that the composite tube reinforcement end (540) resides within the composite tube (100) and the bottom insert insertion end (530) cooperates with the built-in sleeve (12);

(F) a pin (702) that is releasably and slidably received by both the locking recess (242) and the pin receivers (462);

and

(G) a hook collar (800) having a hook collar height (810) wherein the hook collar (800) is attached to the composite tube (100) and the hook collar height (810) is between approximately 5 and approximately 50 percent of the composite tube height (170), such that the rope (22) is threaded onto the pulley wheel (470) thereby releasably attaching the net (20) to the composite locking upright (50) and the net playing height (24) is set by sliding the metallic tube (400) longitudinally within the composite tube (100) and operating the pin (702) in cooperation with both the locking recess (242) and the pin recess (462) to lock the metallic tube (400) relative to the composite tube (100) thereby substantially preventing the metallic tube (400) from moving longitudinally.

Composite locking upright

Life of this patent

Composite locking upright

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20