Portable enclosure system

Abstract

Generally, a portable enclosure assembled from a first plurality of axially coupled linear segments and a second plurality of axially coupled linear segments each plurality of axially coupled linear segments having sufficient flexure to generate one of a pair of arcuate supports which can be erected on a support surface a distance apart to provide support for a flexible material having a terminal edge which engages the support surface to establish an enclosure perimeter. Specifically, a portable sports activity enclosure which supports a net having an aperture through which balls can be thrown for pitching and batting practice.

Description

[0001] Generally, a portable enclosure assembled from a first plurality of axially coupled linear segments and a second plurality of axially coupled linear segments each plurality of axially coupled linear segments having sufficient flexure to generate one of a pair of arcuate supports which can be erected on a support surface a distance apart to provide support for a flexible material having a terminal edge which engages the support surface to establish an enclosure perimeter. Specifically, a portable sports activity enclosure which supports a net having an aperture through which balls can be thrown for pitching and batting practice. I. BACKGROUND [0002] Hit all the balls and run after them. Hit all the balls and run after them. Repeat the process until you have lost all the balls! Stop spending the same amount of time running after the balls as you do hitting them! The answer, a portable enclosure system for sports activities stored in a single case which can be carried to and ass...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] Accordingly, a broad object of the invention can be to provide a portable enclosure system which provides an enclosed space with a closed or substantially closed perimeter. One aspect of this objective of the invention is to provide protection to persons within the enclosure from objects or environmental conditions external to the enclosed space such as rain, sun, wind, insects, sports objects (such as baseballs, softballs, soccer balls, footballs, golf balls, flying disks, or the like). Another aspect of this object of the invention can be to retain objects within the enclosed space from traveling beyond the closed or substantially closed perimeter. In this respect, the enclosure can be used as a sports training enclosure for the practice of hitting baseballs, softballs, tennis balls, golf balls, or the like.

[0011] Anther broad object of the invention can be to provide a portable enclosure system having a resiliently flexible support frame. While conventional wisdom has taught away from this object of the invention, a resiliently flexible support frame provides many unexpected benefits that rigid frame construction cannot. One benefit of a resiliently flexible support frame can be less damage to the frame upon impact with persons or projectiles. Another benefit of a resiliently flexible support frame can be less weight as compared to conventional rigid frames. An additional benefit of a resiliently flexible support frame can be that components can have a first configuration when assembled and a second different configuration when disassembled. The alternate configurations can allow storage of disassembled components in a reduced volume as compared to conventional rigid frames. Another important benefit of a resiliently flexible support frame can be a sufficient flexure in the assembled portable enclosure system to substantially absorb all the impact energy of objects thrown into or hit within the portable enclosure system. For example, baseballs hit within the portable enclosure system can have substantially reduced deflection or rebound from the frame or from the flexible material supported by the frame as compared to conventional temporary structures.

Problems solved by technology

There is a large commercial market for temporary structures because permanent structures cannot be built for every form of transient event, to accommodate activities that have great variation in the number of participants, or activities which occur in remote locations.

Even though numerous types and kinds of temporary structures exist and even though there is a large commercial market for temporary structures, there remain significant unresolved problems with conventional temporary structures.

One significant problem with conventional temporary structures can be that they may not provide a completely enclosed space as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,577,721; 4,733,865; and 5,040,791.

Because these conventional temporary structures do not establish an substantially enclosed perimeter, they may not protect persons inside the enclosure from various objects which may be thrown or hit such as baseballs or flying insects such as mosquitoes.

Alternately, when used for applications such as a batting cage, conventional temporary structures may not protect persons outside the structure from balls hit from within the structure.

Another significant problem with conventional temporary structures can be that the erected structure provides a rigid frame which has little or no flexure upon impact by a person or object.

Another significant problem with convention temporary structures can be that the frame does not collapse, break down, or disassemble into components which can be readily transported.

However, none of these conventional temporary structures provide disassembled components that can be placed in a single case and carried by a person on foot.

Yet, another significant problem with conventional temporary structures can be that the frames are assembled from numerous and varied shaped components as disclosed for example by U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,494 which has a mid-frame of six feet in length, an upper leg which is four and one-half foot, mid-frame elbows, and a beam.

These types of conventional temporary structures may be difficult to package into a small volume for transport, take additional time to set up, and may be expensive to manufacture.

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