US 7,320,652 B2
Basketball goal systems
Bryan Kilpatrick, Cumming, Ga. (US)
Assigned to Argent Enterprises, Cumming, Ga. (US)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/238,268.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/632395, filed on Dec. 01, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0116225 A1, Jun. 01, 2006
Int. Cl. A63B 63/08 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 473—483  [D21/702] 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A basketball goal system, comprising:
a segmented upright frame, having a first segment and a second segment;
first and second upper backboard support members and a lower backboard support member;
a pivot structure;
a rim connection assembly; and
a backboard frame having a substrate,
wherein the first segment comprises a base having mounting apertures configured to receive a plurality of bolts each of at least ¾ inches diameter that secure the first segment to a surface, the first segment having a screw jack coupled within the first segment, the screw jack having a gear and pin assembly, the screw jack having an adjustment member coupled to the gear and pin assembly to cause movement of the screw jack upon imposition of force to raise and lower the screw jack, the screw jack having a coupling mechanism, the first segment having a slot configured to enable reception and movement of a removable crank arm without binding of the crank arm to a surface of the slot during an entire range of the movement of the screw jack, the crank arm having a socket configured to removably couple to the adjustment member, the socket having a shear pin having a threshold failure lower than a threshold failure of the pin of the gear and pin assembly, the first segment coupled to a gas strut that moves in coordination with the screw jack, the second segment having two side walls and a rear wall connected to the two side walls, the rear wall abutted adjacent the first segment, the second segment coupled to the first and second upper backboard support members and the lower backboard support member, the lower backboard support member pivotably coupled to the second segment at a pivot point, the pivot point extending beyond a vertical plane corresponding to the first segment, the lower backboard support member pivotably coupled to the coupling mechanism using a pin and a plurality of synthetic washers, the synthetic washers disposed between each of the two side walls and the lower backboard support member, the lower backboard support member configured to move in conjunction with the movement of the screw jack, the first and second upper backboard support members configured to move in response to the movement of the lower backboard support member, the second segment having a slot configured to receive a member that enables a fixed height configuration, the pivot structure pivotably coupled to the lower backboard support member and the rim connection assembly, the pivot structure configured to enable a substantially constant overhang throughout the range of movement of the screw jack, the rim connection assembly comprising a support plate coupled to the backboard frame, a rim, and a plurality of tubular members through which portions of the rim are inserted and from which the rim is secured to the support plate, wherein the plurality of tubular members are configured to maintain a gap between the rim and the substrate, the first and second upper backboard support members rotatably coupled to peripheral edges of the backboard frame.