Basketball goal rim lock

Abstract

A basketball goal having a goal rim locking structure. The goal rim locking structure has an open goal position to allow use of the goal rim and a closed position that prevents use of the goal rim.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 740,662, filed Nov. 30, 2005, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to a basketball goal rim lock and a method of locking a basketball goal rim. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played in backyards, local parks, schools, and at a countless variety of other facilities. As is well known, basketball requires a backboard mounted on a pole, wall or other structure, and goal rim (also referred to as a “hoop” or merely as a “goal”) mounted on the backboard. The goal rim is set 10 feet from the court surface. For purposes herein, use of the term “basketball goal” refers generally to at least the goal rim and backboard and may also include a pole and other structure associated with the basketball goal. [0004] Most basketball courts are not located in gyms...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] An objective of the invention is to provide a rim lock that is easy to install on new or existing basketball goals.

Problems solved by technology

The fences around courts that are located in high demand areas are usually vandalized by cutting the mesh fabric, breaking gate locks or removing gates altogether, pulling the fence bottom up with jacks, all to allow access to the court by persons who are not authorized to use the court or by persons authorized to use the courts but not at a given time.

Any fence and gate structure that is erected in an attempt to prohibit unauthorized court use is expensive.

Such fences are extremely expensive to install and equally difficult to maintain due to the many ways a fence can be vandalized to provide an opening for unauthorized players.

Such access control devices to courts are extremely problematic because locking gate systems are not easy to install or maintain.

Usually, this is not practical because duplicate keys can be distributed by authorized key recipients to unauthorized users or the lock itself is often stolen.

The inherent flex of the vertical fence posts to which a gate attaches makes it virtually impossible to fit the court gate with a keyed lock assembly or magnetic card entry lock system that could be used in other access control applications.

Likewise, the gate itself also flexes like the fence posts, adversely effecting the lock mechanism alignment preventing the lock from either opening or closing as intended.

Any such lock mechanism can be easily jammed in the open position by vandals.

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