Goalpost Upright Verticality Adjustment via Rotatable Sleeve

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Solution Overview

Problem

Goalpost uprights tend to lose verticality over time due to the enlargement of holes caused by stainless steel roll pins passing through aluminum tubing, leading to instability and misalignment.

Innovation Solution

A rotatable and selectively lockable assembly is integrated into the goalpost system, featuring a stub and sleeve mechanism within the crossbar that allows for rotational adjustment and locking, preventing axial movement and ensuring permanent verticality adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If stainless steel roll pins are used to establish and maintain verticality of aluminum uprights, then the initial verticality is established, but the holes become enlarged over time due to material hardness differences, causing the uprights to go out of plumb

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverticality maintenanceVSAvoiduseful life of aluminum tubing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from hard stainless steel roll pins to softer aluminum or aluminum-alloy set screws, which are softer than the aluminum tubing. This parameter change prevents hole enlargement while maintaining the ability to establish and maintain verticality throughout the useful life of the goalpost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses adjustable set screws that can be loosened and re-tightened multiple times throughout the life of the goalpost, replacing the single-use roll pins with reusable adjustment mechanisms that maintain verticality over the entire service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a rotatable and selectively lockable assembly is provided for adjusting upright verticality, then permanent adjustment capability is achieved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverticality adjustment capabilityVSAvoidassembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a rotatable assembly with set screws that can be selectively loosened for adjustment and then locked in position. This dynamic mechanism allows permanent verticality adjustment while using simple, straightforward components that do not significantly increase overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the adjustment function into separate set screws that can be independently adjusted and locked, allowing for precise control of upright verticality without requiring a complex integrated adjustment mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS7914401B2Goalpost upright verticality adjustment system and method

Publication Date: 2011.03.29 SPORTSFIELD INTELLECTUAL LLC

AI summary

Rotatable sleeves are disposed adjacent the ends of the crossbar of a goalpost. A stub is integrally formed with each of the sleeves and each stub protrudes through an opening in the crossbar. The opening in the crossbar is dimensioned to permit back to front movement of the stub and corresponding rotation of the sleeve until verticality of the stub and its associated upright is achieved. At that point, the sleeve is locked against further rotation by means of a tapping block previously installed in the sleeve and engaged with a serrated bolt through an appropriately dimensioned opening in the crossbar and corresponding holes in the sleeve. Once the bolts are tightened into the tapping block, the sleeve is drawn tightly against the interior surface of the crossbar, thereby locking the sleeve and the stub and the upright against further rotation.