Patent ID: 7775916
Filing Date: 2010-08-17
Classification: A63B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A soccer goal structure, comprising; (a) a forward frame portion including a left upright member, a right upright member, at least one horizontal member spanning between the upper ends of the left and right upright members and corner fittings for joining the upper ends of the right and left upright members to the horizontal member, the left and right upright members and the horizontal member fashioned from generally identical tubing, the right and left upright members each having at least one tool hole spaced away from at least one of the open ends thereof, the at least one horizontal member having at least one tool hole spaced away from each of the two opposite ends thereof, the corner fittings including tubular legs which are fixed together to define a right angle, the tubular legs of the corner fittings presenting tubular ends which generally match the tubes of the left and right upright members and the at least one horizontal member, each tubular leg of each corner fitting having a tool hole spaced away from the open end thereof, the tool holes of the upright members and the horizontal members spaced away from their respective ends such that the spacing between the tool hole of a corner fitting leg and the tool hole of an upright member and between the tool hole of a corner fitting leg and the tool hole of a horizontal member is a generally common tool hole separation distance, the corner fittings further including connecting collars for receiving braces for supporting the forward frame portion, (b) pressure assemblies for joining the corner fittings, the upright members and the at least one horizontal member, each pressure assembly adapted for inserting into the matching open ends of the abutting tubular ends of corner fittings, upright members and the at least one horizontal member, the pressure assembly including a first pressure member and a second pressure member, the first pressure member having internally threaded bores which are spaced apart by a distance generally matching the tool hole separation distance, the threaded bores receiving threaded inserts which thread between a first retracted position and a second extended position for urging the first and second pressure members between a first contracted position to a second expanded position, the pressure assembly inserted into abutting ends of the tubes with the threaded inserts aligned with the tool holes of the tubes, the threaded inserts threaded from the first retracted position to the second extended position causing the pressure members to expand from a first contracted position to a second expanded position such that the pressure members apply sufficient pressure against the inside walls of the abutting tubes to join the tubes and wherein each corner fitting has tube section legs of unequal lengths, whereby, corner fittings may be oriented in one of two positions corresponding to one of two desired horizontal member heights so that tube sections and corner fittings may be arranged to construct a selected one of at least two soccer goal configurations having a selected one of at least two horizontal member heights, and, said horizontal member includes a right section, a left section and a center section which are joined together using said pressure assemblies, the center section interchangeable with a plurality of center sections of varying lengths in order to define a horizontal member having selected one of a plurality of lengths for constructing a selected sized soccer goal having selected one of a plurality of soccer goal widths.