Abstract:
A method and apparatus reversibly converting a chair into a basketball goal. Four operating modes are disclosed. A first mode in which the article is configured as a basketball goal, a second mode in which the article is configured as a chair within an upwardly extended backboard, a third mode in which a net is deployed for returning basketballs to a shooter and a fourth mode wherein the article is configured as a chair with the backboard collapsed therebehind.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to articles which are adapted for a plurality of different uses, and more particularly, to an article which is reversibly convertible between a basketball goal and a chair. Given such adaptability, the article is useful in a wide variety of different environments, such as gymnasiums, offices having high ceilings and back yards or patios having hard, level, surfaces. Moreover, the article is easily moveable between locations having a need only for one or the other of the plurality of article capabilities. 
   While the prior art contains numerous teachings relating to devices for retrieving basketballs launched at a basketball hoop, there appears no prior art suggestion to incorporate a chair into a combination with a basketball retriever. See for instance: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               Mathison 
               U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,810 
               Oct. 6, 1987 
             
             
               Wares 
               U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,502 
               Sep. 26, 1989 
             
             
               Jakobs 
               U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,431 
               Apr. 3, 1990 
             
             
               Kington, et al 
               U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,577 
               Jun. 26, 1990 
             
             
               Joseph 
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,875 
               May 21, 1991 
             
             
               Wilkerson 
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,275 
               Dec. 28, 1993 
             
             
               Berg 
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,176 
               May 10, 1994 
             
             
               Hektor 
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,853 
               Aug. 2, 1994 
             
             
               Oswald 
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,485 
               Feb. 24, 1998 
             
             
               Franklin d e Abreu, Rua 
               U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,088 
               Nov. 3, 1998 
             
             
               Lees et al 
               U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,652 
               May 2, 2000 
             
             
               Medley, Jr. 
               U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,649 B1 
               Jul. 13, 2004 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to articles adapted for a plurality of different uses and to a method for using such articles. More particularly, the invention relates to an article which can be reversibly morphed from a chair to a basketball goal and back again to a chair. A preferred embodiment of the invention may be configured reversibly into any of a plurality of different operating modes, such as illustrative Modes I through IV. In a first illustrative Mode I, the article is configured as a chair having an upwardly extended backboard assembly. In an illustrative Mode II configures the article as a stand-up basketball goal. In an illustrated Mode III is adapted for playing “toss-back” type games wherein a large ball return net captures basketballs projected into a region surrounding the backboard assembly and returns them to a predetermined location. In an illustrated Mode IV is a variation of Mode I wherein the backboard assembly is collapsed downwardly to a position generally not visible from the front of the morphed chair. 
   An article according to this invention may comprise a steel frame skeleton covered by plastic foam padding. This skeleton may comprise a mainframe which can be pivoted reversibly between a reclining position and a standing position. A latching arrangement is provided, so that the mainframe may be secured in either the reclining position or the standing position. A mechanical foot switch can be employed for setting and releasing the latches. 
   The skeleton also comprises a seat assembly and a backrest. The seat assembly is linked to the mainframe in such a way as to assume a horizontal position when the mainframe is reclining and a vertical position when the mainframe is standing. 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and method for converting an article between disparate operating modes. 
   It is another object of the invention to convert a chair to a basketball goal and a basketball goal into a chair, 
   A further object of the invention is to promote healthy leisure time activity. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a convertible object comprising: a seat, a seat back pivotally joined to the seat, means for defining a basketball goal by concomitantly placing the seat back and the seat in standing positions and means for defining a chair by concomitantly placing the seat back in a reclining position and the seat in a horizontal position. 
   Other and further objects and advantages of the invention become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a convertible article arranged in a first mode as a chair; 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates a convertible article arranged in a fourth mode as a chair with the basketball assembly collapsed. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the convertible article arranged in a second mode as a basketball goal; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the convertible article arranged in a third mode wherein a ball return net is deployed for collecting and returning basketballs projected toward a basketball hoop; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a joint between a basketball backboard and a basketball return net; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a pocket having approximately one-half of a basketball return net stuffed therein; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the pocket of  FIG. 5  with an entire basketball return net stuffed therein; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a skeleton of a convertible article having a collapsed backboard assembly; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a mechanism for deploying a ball return net; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the operation of the mechanism of  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the operation of skeletal elements of the convertible article when functioning in its third mode; 
       FIG. 11  illustrates apparatus for discharging a basketball for return to a shooter; 
       FIG. 12  illustrates the operation of a foot switch in initiating a mode change for the convertible article; 
       FIG. 13  illustrates the motion of primary support rods during deployment of a ball return net; 
       FIG. 14  is a side elevation view of skeletal elements of the convertible article as configured in its first mode; and 
       FIG. 15  illustrates a frame for an arm rest. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The preferred embodiment of the invention may take the shape of a convertible article  10 , able to appear from time-to-time in any one or a plurality of distinctly different configurations. For ease of illustration, configurations operate in four different illustrative modes, hereinafter referred to as Modes I-IV, Explanations of Modes I-IV follow. 
   Mode I configures article  10  as a chair ( FIG. 1 ). During continuance of Mode I the convertible article  10  has a seat assembly  20 , a backrest  21  and a backboard assembly  13 . Seat assembly  20  comprises right and left risers  206   a ,  206   b , crossbar  208 , legs  42   a ,  42   b  and wheels  44   a ,  44   b . Backboard assembly  13  comprises a backboard  12 , a hoop  14  and a net  15 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , backboard assembly  13  may be positioned upright in a visible location atop article or chair  10 . Alternate positioning of backboard assembly  13  is available under Mode IV, as discussed below. 
   Seat assembly  20  extends laterally between a left arm  22  and a right arm  24 . A headrest  17  may be positioned atop backrest  21 . Backrest  21 , right arm  24 , and left arm  22  are all visible to an observer. Also visible to an ordinary observer are optional logos  75 , which may be decals promoting a charitable organization, a university, a professional sports team or the like. 
   A non-visible skeleton  50  ( FIG. 7 ) provides internal support for convertible article  10  in all of its modes. Skeleton  50  preferably is fashioned from welded steel bar or tubular members. Preferably arms  22 ,  24  are defined by wood frames  25 ,  25  ( FIG. 15 ) secured to base frame  105  ( FIG. 7 ) of skeleton  50 . Padding, preferably foam plastic, is positioned on or molded against wood frames  25 ,  25  and all exposed surfaces of skeleton  50 , as illustrated in  FIG. 15 . Wood frames  25 ,  25  are identical in construction. Therefore, only one wood frame  25  is shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     FIGS. 2 ,  12  and  13  illustrate convertible article  10  as it operates in Mode II. Here, convertible article  10  is being used as a standup basketball goal. It is able to maintain a stance in this position by reason of a cam surface  164  and a cam follower  170 . Cam surface  164  has a pair of index apertures  166 ,  168  which may be engaged by a projection  172  on cam follower  170 . Cam follower  170  is spring biased against a notch  174  of an arm  177 . When an operator depresses foot switch  16  ( FIG. 13 ) it produces vertical movement of linkage generally designated by reference numeral  176 . Vertical movement of linkage  176  causes cam follower  170  to be pushed out of engagement with notch  174  and to slide along the outside surface of cam  164 . The operator swings support rods  56 ,  56  and  58 ,  58  in the direction of arrow B until cam follower  170  is pulled into engagement with one or the other of index apertures  166 ,  168 . 
     FIG. 13  illustrates the lower portion of skeleton  50 . Shown therein is the rotational movement of two pairs of support rods  56 ,  56   a  and  58 ,  58   a  when convertible article  10  is morphed from Mode I (solid lines) to Mode II (phantom lines). Support rods  56   a ,  58   a  do not appear in  FIG. 13 , because they are hidden behind support rods  56 ,  58  respectively. A mode change from Mode I to Mode II may be initiated by stepping on foot switch  16 . Additional details of a morph from Mode I to Mode II are shown in  FIG. 12 . Illustrated therein is a linkage between foot switch  16  and a cam  164 . The aforementioned cam follower  170  rides along the surface of cam  164  between a pair of apertures,  166 ,  168 . Cam  164  has the projection  172  which releasably engages the notch  174  in arm  177 . When foot switch  16  is depressed, a linkage  176  moves upward, lifting projection  172  from engagement with notch  174 . It will be seen that cam  164  has the general shape of a circular arc. 
   Mode III is used for playing shooting games of a type wherein a basketball is automatically returned to a shooter. An illustration of convertible article  10 , operating in Mode III, appears in  FIG. 3 . Mode III is entered from Mode I by pulling out seat assembly  20  to a position extending forward of left and right arms,  22  and  24  respectively. That deploys a ball return net  26 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , ball return net  26  has three enclosed sides  29   a ,  29   b ,  29   c , an open side  29   d  and an open top  28 . The ball return net is stiffened by triangular fabric panels,  31   a ,  31   b  ( FIG. 3 ). Fabric panels  31   a ,  31   b  are secured to backboard  12  by means of eye bolts  52  ( FIG. 4 ) and quarter inch rods  54  in the manner shown in  FIG. 4 . A net deployment assembly  104 , described later herein, may also be provided. 
   As mentioned above, the Mode I configuration places backboard assembly  13  in a position elevated above headrest  17 . In some cases it may not be desirable to have a backboard assembly perched in such a location. Mode IV addresses that situation by collapsing backboard assembly  13  downwardly to the rear of convertible article  10 , thereby hiding backboard  12 , hoop  14  and net  15 .  FIG. 7  illustrates the configuration of skeleton  50  when convertible article  10  functions in Mode IV as a chair. 
     FIG. 10  illustrates the operation of convertible article  10  while in Mode III with ball return net  26  deployed. For ease of illustration, the article  10  is shown without padding or covering. In that condition a shooter may launch a basketball  66  on an arc intended to pass first through opening  28  and thereafter through hoop  14 . A successful attempt to do so is credited to the shooter as a “basket” and scored in accordance with the rules in effect for the game. 
   An arrow  72  in  FIG. 10  illustrates the termination of a successful shot wherein basketball  66  is corralled by hoop  14  and net  15  and is directed downwardly along a path illustrated by arrows  72   a ,  72   b , and  72   c .  FIG. 10  also illustrates a series of basketball phantom line positions  66   a  as basketball  66  passes through convertible article  10 . As the basketball  66  reaches the bottom of convertible article  10  it is engaged by a pulley  70 , as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Following engagement by pulley  70 , basketball  66  exits convertible article  10  and returns to the shooter at a speed dependent upon the angular rotation rate of motor-driven pulley or wheel  70 . There is a speed control  18  ( FIGS. 1A and 3 ) on right arm  24  of convertible article  10  which can be used for adjusting the rotation rate of pulley  70  and thereby regulate the return speed of basketball  66 . Exit guidance is provided by a curved discharge track  68  ( FIG. 11 ). 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a returning basketball falls downwardly through a waistband  147  and into a chute  149  defined by stringers  150 . As the basketball leaves chute  149 , it is squeezed between pulley  70  and curved discharge track  68 . Pulley  70  is driven by an electric motor  154  at a rotational speed governed by the setting of speed control  18 . 
     FIG. 1  illustrates convertible article  10  in Mode I, whereas the configuration of  FIG. 7  corresponds to a skeleton  50  operating in Mode IV. Principal parts of skeleton  50 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , are a backboard assembly  13 , a mainframe  102 , a base frame  105 , a chute assembly  107 , a ball return assembly  111 , and a net deployment assembly  104 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , net deployment assembly  104  has a generally rectangular configuration comprising a pair of spaced apart and parallel upper and lower frame members  108 ,  110 , respectively, and a pair of parallel, spaced apart, first and second side frame members,  112 ,  114 , generally normal to upper and lower frame members  108 ,  110  and secured endwise thereto. A guide rod  146  is secured to upper and lower frame members  108 ,  110  about midway between the first and second side frame members  112 ,  114 , respectively. There is a slide bar  120  slidable along the length of guide rod  146  between upper frame member  108  and lower frame member  110 . A pair of extension rods  116 ,  118  are secured to slide bar  120  at attachment points  122 ,  124  and extend from slide bar  120  to upper frame member  108 . 
   Net deployment assembly  104  also has four pulleys  302 ,  304 ,  306 ,  308 , a deployment rope  310  through guide rod  146 , first side frame member  112  and portions of upper frame member  108  and lower frame member  110  extending there between. The viewing direction for  FIG. 9  is from a back side of the net deployment assembly  104  and is generally indicated by lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7 . This is opposite the viewing direction for  FIG. 8  of  FIG. 7 . Therefore, pulleys  302 ,  304 ,  306 ,  308  are visible in  FIG. 9  and are hidden in  FIG. 8 . The same is true for deployment rope  310 . 
   An actuator  320  has a finger  322  which is coupled to and able to move deployment rope  310  reversibly in + or − directions indicated by a double arrow  328  as an end  334   a  of a control rod moves towards and away respectively, from the upper frame member  108 . Movement of deployment rope  310  in the + direction causes slide bar  120  to move in the direction toward upper frame member  108  while movement of deployment rope  310  in the minus direction moves slide bar  120  in the direction toward lower frame member  110 . It should be understood that as the frame member  108  is pulled in upper direction of arrow X in  FIGS. 8 ,  9  and  11 , end  334   a  moves from the position shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  to the motion shown in  FIGS. 9 and 11 . The movement of end  334   a  pulls rope  310  in the minus (−) direction shown in  FIG. 8 . This movement of rope  310  pulls slide bar  120  toward upper frame member  108 . This in turn causes extension rods  116  and  118  to move in the direction of arrow Y, thereby deploying the net which is coupled to the ends  130  and  132 . 
     FIG. 9  illustrates the deployment sequence for net deployment assembly  104 . The assembly  104  comprises a control plate  330  and a linear spring  333  connected in such a way as to create a spring bias forcing a locking pin  210  of control plate  330  to move into surface contact with the control rod  334 . This causes locking pin  210  to fall into a notch  332  formed along an edge of control rod  334 . Deployment of ball return net  26  commences by rotating control plate  330  into a position whereby locking pin  210  is clear of notch  332 . 
   Once control rod  334  is disengaged from notch  332 , net deployment assembly  104  is free to pivot about pivot points  106   a ,  106   b  in the direction indicated by arrow A. Net deployment assembly  104  is very light in weight even when carrying a net. Note that the assembly  104  lies in generally the same position or place as the backrest  21 . Therefore, a human operator can easily swing net deployment assembly  104  from a reclining position to a vertical position by simply moving the backrest  21  from the position shown in  FIG. 14  to the position shown in  FIG. 3 . As net deployment assembly  104  swings upwardly and outwardly, slide bar  120  moves in the positive direction + 328 . Extension rods  116 ,  118  are secured to ball return net  26  at their ends  130 ,  132  and deploy ball return net  26  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The process is easily reversed by reversely rotating control plate  330  and swinging net deployment assembly  104  reversely about pivot points  106   a ,  106   b . This causes slide bar  120  to move toward upper frame member  108 , reeling in ball return net  26 , as it goes. The operator stores the net by stuffing the incoming net in a pocket in the manner illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
   There is a cavity  402  in the rear side of the plastic foam covering net deployment assembly  104 . A pocket  404  is defined by netting secured to cavity  402 . When ball return net  26  is retracted half of the netting is gathered around fabric panel  31   a  and stuffed into pocket  404 . The remaining netting is gathered about fabric triangle  31   b  and also stuffed into pocket  404 . Thereafter, backrest  21  is closed, trapping ball return net  26  out of sight in cavity  402 . 
   During deployment of ball return net  26  extension rods  116 ,  118  engage ball return net  26  and push it outwardly away from lower frame member  110 . It is a manual operation and proceeds simply by releasing a latch (not illustrated) and pulling upper frame member  108  to an upright position. Backboard assembly  13  is supported by a support rod  202  ( FIG. 7 ) attached to mainframe  102  at a swivel  230 . It may be noted that skeleton  50  appears in  FIG. 7  with backboard assembly  13  collapsed. The collapsing of backboard assembly  13  morphs convertible article  10  into the Mode IV configuration. 
   The pulley arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 9  is but one of many assemblies which are well known for obtaining the mechanical motion required for this task. 
   Support rods  56 ,  58  ( FIG. 13 ) are pivotally joined to base  90  at pivot points  92 ,  94 . Support rods  56 ,  58  may be tilted from a reclining orientation shown in  FIG. 13  to an upright position as shown in  FIG. 14 . Cam  164  locks support rods  56 ,  58  selectively into either the reclining position or the upright position. It should be observed that support rods  56 ,  58  remain parallel throughout the morphing process. After foot switch  16  has been depressed the operator completes the morph from Modes I or IV to Mode II by simply moving backrest  21  ( FIG. 8 ), which in one turn moves support rods  56  or  58 , and swinging it angularly upward in the direction shown by arrows C of  FIG. 13 . 
   As support rods  56 ,  58  are elevated from a reclining position to an upright position shown in upright in  FIG. 13  and in  FIGS. 2 and 14 , seat assembly  20  collapses. Collapsing of seat assembly  20  proceeds automatically with the elevation of support rods  56 ,  58 . The collapse of seat assembly  20  is characterized by downward rotation of right and left risers,  206   a ,  206   b  ( FIG. 7 ) on which the seat is mounted about pivot points  40   a ,  40   b , coupled with generally downward rolling motion of risers  206   a ,  206   b  and cross bar  208  across wheels  44   a ,  44   b.    
   While the method herein described, and the forms of apparatus for carrying this method into effect, constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method or forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.