Basketball backboard assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10576345-B2
Application number	US-201816037635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure describe a frameless basketball backboard assembly and a method for producing a frameless basketball backboard assembly. A mounting structure is attached to one side of the backboard assembly, and a support assembly mounted to the backboard assembly connects the backboard assembly to a base. A rim may be added to a side of the backboard assembly by attaching to the support assembly.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of producing a frameless basketball backboard assembly, the method comprising:
providing a pre-formed flat polygonal blank of an acrylic or polycarbonate material;
defining a portion of the blank to be a backboard panel, wherein the backboard panel has a front surface and defining at least one flat flange integral with and planar to the backboard panel and adjacent to an outside edge of the blank wherein a bend line is defined between the backboard panel and the flange;
bending the flat flange relative to the backboard panel along the bend line by pivoting the flat flange along an axis defined by the bend line so that the at least one flange extends rearward from the backboard panel;
attaching the backboard panel to a support assembly, wherein the support assembly is attached to a base assembly; and
mounting a basketball rim to the support assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
bending the blank along multiple bend lines to form multiple flanges, wherein each flange extends rearward from the backboard panel.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising: attaching a corner cap to at least one corner of the backboard panel so that the front of the corner cap is flush with the front surface of the backboard panel, and wherein the corner cap includes at least two channels, wherein each of the two channels is configured to receive an end portion of one of a pair of adjacent flanges.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-formed blank includes at least one notched corner.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polygonal blank is rectangular and includes four corners, wherein the blank defines a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges, wherein the blank defines a notch in each corner, and the method comprising defining a bend line parallel to each of the edges, wherein each bend line intersects two notches.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising: bending the blank along each bend line to form a rectangular backboard panel with a rearward extending flange along each edge.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising: attaching four corner caps to the four corners of the blank so the front of each corner cap is flush with the front surface of the backboard panel, and wherein each corner cap includes at least two channels, wherein each of the two channels is configured to receive an end portion of one of a pair of adjacent flanges.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising: attaching a backboard mounting structure to the four corner caps, wherein the backboard mounting structure includes a body portion arranged adjacent a center-bottom portion of the rear of the backboard panel and four support arms which extend outward and parallel to the backboard panel from the body mounting portion and connect to the four corner caps.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the blank is transparent.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising: bending the flat flange relative to the backboard panel along the bend line at a temperature below the melting point of the acrylic or polycarbonate blank material.

11. A method of producing a frameless basketball backboard assembly, the method comprising:
defining a portion of a flat rectangular blank of an acrylic or polycarbonate material with notched corners to be a rectangular backboard panel, wherein the backboard panel has a front surface, and defining four flat flange portions planar to the backboard panel and adjacent to outside edges of the blank wherein a bend line is defined between the backboard panel and each flange portion;
bending the flat flange portion rearward relative to the backboard panel along the bend lines by pivoting each flange portion along an axis defined by a bend line;
attaching four corner caps to the four corners of the backboard panel so that the front of each corner cap is flush with the front surface of the backboard panel, and wherein each corner cap includes at least two channels, wherein each channel is configured to receive an end portion of one of a pair of adjacent flange portions;
attaching a backboard mounting structure to the four corner caps, wherein the backboard mounting structure includes a body portion arranged adjacent a center-bottom portion of the rear of the backboard panel and four support arms which extend outward and parallel to the backboard panel from the body of the mounting portion to connect to the four corner caps; and
mounting a basketball rim to a support assembly attachment bracket with the backboard panel and the backboard mounting structure body portion sandwiched between the rim assembly and the support assembly.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the corner cap is L-shaped and wherein the pair of channels are perpendicular to each other.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each corner cap has a leg that extends toward the middle of the backboard panel and which fits inside a hollow end of a support arm.

14. The method of claim 11 , comprising: bending the flat flange portion relative to the backboard panel along the bend line at a temperature below the melting point of the acrylic or polycarbonate blank material.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rim assembly is connected to the support assembly attachment bracket via attachment members that pass through openings defined in the backboard panel and backboard mounting structure so that force applied to the rim assembly is transferred to the support assembly without being transferred to the backboard panel and backboard mounting structure.

16. A method of producing a frameless basketball assembly, the method comprising:
providing a blank of an acrylic or polycarbonate material wherein a portion of the blank defines a backboard panel with a front face, an outer perimeter, and at least one corner;
bending a pair of flanges rearward from the outer perimeter of the backboard panel, wherein the pair of flanges have adjacent end portions; and
attaching a corner cap to the at least one corner cap to the at least one corner wherein a front of the corner cap is flush with the front fact of the backboard panel, and wherein the corner cap defines a pair of channels which each receive an adjacent end portion of the pair of flanges.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the corner cap is L-shaped and wherein the pair of channels are perpendicular to each other.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein each channel has a depth defined by the front to rear thickness of the corner cap and the depth is perpendicular to the front face of the backboard panel.

19. The method of claim 16 , comprising: attaching a support arm to the corner cap wherein the support arm extends parallel to the backboard panel from a mounting structure portion arranged adjacent a center-bottom portion of the rear of the backboard panel.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the corner cap has a leg that extends toward the middle of the backboard panel and which fits inside a hollow end of the support arm.

Assignees

• Indian Ind Inc

Inventors

• Elpers Philip
• Cornell Robert W

Classifications

• Y10T29/49895

  Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"] · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B29C53/04

  of plates or sheets {(B29C63/04 takes precedence; bending or folding paper B31F1/0003; folding films B65H45/00)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49948

  Multipart cooperating fastener [e.g., bolt and nut] · CPC title

• Y10T29/49963

  Threaded fastener · CPC title