Panel partition arrangement for recreation chamber formation in domestic garages

A panel partition arrangement for domestic garages, for forming an alternately usable family sports center in the form of a recreation chamber within the space defined by domestic or family home garages and the like that are usually equipped with the familiar overhead type sectionalized garage door, in which the partition arrangement is mounted inside the garage to form with the door in its lowered position a recreation chamber within the garage for accommodating family oriented recreations such as playing ball type game sports and the like, with the garage door sections being faced on their inner sides to be in flush relation in the closed position thereof, and vertical walls being provided to form the side walls and inner end wall of the recreation chamber, of which the indicated vertical walls are flush surfaced, and the floor is obstruction free, for defining the recreation chamber, with the indicated vertical walls optionally being formed to define closet or other storage space that is normally closed at the flush surfacing thereof and optionally openable for tool and equipment storage purposes, with one or more of the walls being shiftably mounted for movement between its recreation chamber forming position, and an out of the position for normal garage use, and with the recreation chamber alternately receiving the family car or cars through the garage door when car parking in the garage is desired.

This invention relates to a panel partition arrangement for forming in the 
space sheltered in the typical family home garage a family sports center 
in the form of a recreation chamber that is alternately usable as a family 
vehicle parking area, or as a family gynmasium or recreation activity 
area, for playing ball games and the like, and more particularly, to a 
panel partition arrangement for erection in domestic garages to provide a 
recreation chamber that approaches or simulates the box or parallelepiped 
type configuration commonly employed for handball courts and the like, and 
in which at least one and up to four vertical walls define ball game 
playing surfacings, with one or more of the vertical walls being 
structured to serve tool and equipment storage purposes and arranged for 
optional use as defining the recreation chamber for family activity use in 
playing ball sport type games or the like, or as a family car or other 
vehicle parking and sheltering facility. 
Most single family homes in urban and rural areas have a garage (attached 
or unattached) that is to shelter one or more of the family vehicles; 
depending on the size of the garage and type and size of vehicles, 
townhouses, apartment buildings, and condominium type facilities commonly 
have similar garage facilities that are usually unattached, and that 
ordinarily are available on the single or double car parking basis. Garage 
construction of these types in recent years commonly employ the familiar 
overhead sectionalized garage door to open and close the garage doorway 
through which the vehicles enter into and egress from the garage when the 
garage doorway is open. 
Regardless of the specific manner in which the family garage is 
constructed, the space it shelters for car or other vehicle parking and 
equipment storage purposes is never really fully used, and is usually 
largely wasted space when the family vehicles are in use or are parked 
outside the garage. Garages of this type typically are shaped to define 
sheltered spacing approximating a box configuration that includes the 
front of the garage and the overhead door that is to open and close the 
doorway defined by same, side walls that define the depth of the garage as 
well as its width in terms of spacing crosswise of same, a garage end wall 
at the inner end of the garage, the floor, which is commonly a cement 
slab, and a ceiling, if the garage is at all finished off over the garage 
floor (otherwise the garage roof completes the sheltered spacing). The 
common overhead garage door is made up of hinged or pivoted panel sections 
formed from wood or the like that have their ends roll guided in tracks 
located at the ends of the door sections, and to either side of the garage 
doorway, which tracks have the familiar vertical or upright portions that 
smoothly curve into horizontal overhead portions for guiding the overhead 
door between its vertically disposed doorway closing position and its 
largely or wholly horizontally disposed overhead open position. One or 
more individual or person access and egress openings defining doorways, 
including the usual vertically swinging hinged door therefor, are commonly 
provided for access by individuals into and egress from the space 
sheltered by the garage, usually in one of the vertical walls of the 
garage, in addition to the common overhead door arrangement that is to 
open and close the garage for vehicle entrance to and egress from the 
garage. 
It has also developed in recent years that a basic essential for insuring 
family togetherness as the family children grow through childhood and 
maturity is that the family members start at an early age of the children 
to engage in recreation that includes all of the family members, that 
provides a way for all the family members to have fun together (and at 
times with neighbors and friends), that answers the need to supplement the 
recreation and sport activities that the family children engage in at 
school, but at home, free of undesirable influences away from the home, 
and that provides a way for parents to engage in the regular exercise they 
need to continue in good health, without having to join athletic, health, 
or sporting clubs that take them away from the home just for this purpose. 
With the foregoing in mind, the Applicant has observed that the garage of 
the typical family home and its equivalent in rental or condominium 
facilities, which is primarily intended to provide sheltered parking space 
for the family vehicle or vehicles, commonly has room enough in same to 
accommodate the provision of a family recreation center, so that, when the 
family vehicles are not in the garage, the otherwise unutilized space in 
the garage can be used to permit family member involvement (and perhaps 
including friends and neighbors) in recreational activities that are also 
sheltered, and that can be concerned with playing, depending upon the 
space available, one of the numerous types of sport ball games, played by 
hand or with racquets, or adaptations of same, and other exercise oriented 
activities, that are commonly now found at athletic clubs, health clubs 
and spas and the like, but which family oriented activities can take place 
right in the family garage instead of having to leave the home owner's 
property for these purposes. 
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a 
panel partitioning arrangement for application to and within the 
conventional home garage that provides a recreation chamber defined by 
flushed surface vertical walls forming playing surfaces of up to the 
number that will give the common box or parallelepiped configuration, 
which chamber is located just inside of and may include the garage door as 
defining part of same, which arrangement accommodates ready parking or 
positioning of the family vehicles, tools, and other equipment within the 
confines of the garage when the use of the garage sheltered space is 
desired for this purpose, or alternately, when the family vehicles are 
absent from the garage, and the garage door is closed, the panel partition 
arrangement involved forms a family recreation or sports center in the 
form of a chamber that is defined by the garage floor and the supplemental 
vertical walls that are provided in accordance with the invention, which 
may be arranged in box configuration and shaped and mounted to define on 
the respective interior surfaces of the chamber, playing surfaces to 
accommodate the playing of ball games such as hand ball, squash, 
badminton, racquetball, or the like, depending on the space available in a 
particular garage, or accommodate the use of individual pieces of exercise 
equipment, such as those of the bicycle, treadmill, or jump rope type, bar 
bells, or just playing common games such as hopscotch. In this connection, 
the terms "home garage", or "home owner's garage", and their equivalents, 
as used hereinafter, mean also garages of rental or condominium domestic 
property. 
Another principal object of the invention is to provide a panel 
partitioning arrangement for application to and within the conventional 
home garage that is flexible in design to accommodate variations in layout 
and shaping of the home owner's garage, that contemplates the provision of 
vertical or upright wall structures in the garage space in association 
with the garage door, with the latter also being modified in accordance 
with the invention, to provide permanently installed supplemental walls in 
the garage that may optionally accommodate storage of tools and other 
equipment, and/or being formed to devise access openings to the garage 
from, for instance, the home owner's house, or from outside the garage 
exterior of the house, and work spaces within the garage for work bench 
and power equipment location and use independent of the operative relation 
of the recreation chamber in question, which supplemental vertical walls 
may be arranged to alternately provide within the garage when the family 
vehicles are absent, the indicated recreation chamber that preferably 
approaches box or parallelepiped configurations suitable for family 
playing of ball games or the like, or just exercising, in foul as well as 
fair weather. 
Still another principal object of the invention is to provide a panel 
partitioning arrangement for application to and within the conventional 
home garage involving supplemental vertical or upright wall structures 
positioned in the garage space in association with the garage door, which 
door is also modified in accordance with the invention, to define a flush 
inner surfacing when it is in closed relation, which supplemental wall 
structures optionally may be strictly panel partitioning, may be apertured 
and structured to define internal storage compartments and garage space 
access passways that are all provided with closures such that the side of 
the supplemental wall structure that is to define one side of the 
recreation chamber is flush surfaced for good ball playing 
characteristics, and with one or more of the supplemental wall structures 
involved being mounted to swing or shift between recreation chamber 
providing positions and other out of the way positions that accommodate 
normal use of the garage for car parking and equipment storage purposes. 
Yet other objects of the invention are to provide a panel partitioning 
arrangement for application to and within the conventional home garage to 
optionally provide the recreation chamber contemplated by the present 
invention without any loss of the utility of the space defined by the 
garage, and yet permit normal vehicle parking use of the garage when that 
is preferred, to provide a panel partitioning arrangement of the type 
indicated that is reducable to kit form for supplying the home owner or 
other occupant with the means for providing the indicated recreation 
center in his garage, and to provide a panel partitioning arrangement of 
the type indicated that is inexpensive of manufacture and installation, 
that may be readily installed by the home owner or other occupant himself 
using simple hand tools, that when operatively positioned for recreation 
or sports center chamber defining use accommodates the playing by the 
family members (and their friends and neighbors as desired) of a wide 
variety of the common type sporting games, whether of the ball type or 
otherwise, and family member activity in connection therewith, or suitable 
exercise equipment use, or the like, as the space involved accommodates. 
In accordance with the present invention, a panel partition arrangement is 
provided, for erection within the sheltered space defined by the typical 
garage, of supplemental vertical wall structures that with the garage door 
are adapted to define the indicated recreation chamber when recreation use 
of the garage is desired. The supplemental vertical upright wall 
structures are arranged in accordance with the positioning of the garage 
side walls, rear wall, and overhead door and the doorway it closes such 
that the vertical wall structures that form the side walls of the chamber 
will be coextensive with a predetermined length of the garage side walls 
that are disposed on either side of the garage overhead door and doorway 
it closes. The garage door sections are faced on their inner sides to be 
in flush relation in the closed position of the door and the supplemental 
vertical walls that are provided to form the side walls and end wall of 
the recreation chamber have their interior sides flushed surface to serve 
as ball playing surfaces, with the floor being obstruction free for 
defining the indicated recreation chamber. The vertical wall structures 
are optionally closeted or otherwise optionably openable for tool and 
equipment storage purposes, with the closure structures for the wall 
closeting or other aperturing being shaped for presenting the indicated 
flush surfacing for insuring the playing surfacing of the chamber in 
question as contemplated by the present invention. Further, one or more of 
the supplemental vertical walls are swingably or hingably mounted in place 
to swing horizontally or vertically between recreation defining chamber 
positions when family recreation play is desired, and out of the way 
positions when the garage space is to be used for family vehicle and tool 
parking or storage use. 
Other objects, uses, or advantages will be obvious or become apparent from 
a consideration of the following detailed description and the application 
drawings.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
Referring first to FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 generally indicates the 
interior of the typical domestic garage that can be found associated with 
single family homes (attached or unattached), with the space 10 being 
indicated in broken lines that form the front wall 12 in which garage 
doorway 14 is commonly formed for entry into and egress from the garage 
space 10, side walls 16 and 18, and rear wall 20. The garage space 10 is 
also defined by floor 22, which is usually in the form of the common 
concrete slab on which home owner garages are commonly built, and ceiling 
24, which may be of a suitable finished or semifinished type, depending on 
the building construction involved, or may be nonexistent as such, with 
the garage space being covered by one of the numerous forms of roof 
structures (not shown) that are commonly available to provide shelter for 
the space 10 from the elements so that the home owner may park his 
automobile in the garage 10A that defines the garage space 10 by driving 
the vehicle into the garage through its opening 14 in the usual manner. 
The doorway 14 is commonly provided with one of a numerous number of kinds 
of overhead door arrangements so that the door may be closed against the 
elements and opened to remove the vehicle as needed. The size of the 
garage 10A varies widely, but the garages today are commonly proportioned 
to accommodate two full sized automobiles in side by side relation, which 
is perhaps more typical of home owner garages available today, either with 
new housing or as constructed for the home owner, as distinguished from 
older garages which commonly were built to house a single family car. In 
common parlance, garages 10A, namely the space 10 thereof, is proportioned 
in accordance with whether the garage is a single car garage, a two car 
garage, a two and a half car garage, etc. 
It is also a common practice for the home owner to store his yard equipment 
in the garage, or much of it, such as the family lawn mower, rakes, 
shovels, and other yard care tools, as well as sporting implements such as 
bicycles, mopeds and the like. 
It is the Applicant's concept to provide in the garage 10A a family sports 
center in the form of recreation chamber 30 that is block diagram 
illustrated in FIG. 1, within the garage space 10, by the solid line 
optimal parallelepiped configuration, which chamber 30 is to include the 
front of the garage, so that the recreation chamber is open at the garage 
front end and is closed at the garage front end by the garage door when 
the garage door is in its closed position. The recreation chamber 30 is 
optimally, as indicated, of the parallelepiped or box configuration 
illustrated so as to define six essentially flush or flat playing surfaces 
of the type that are found in athletic clubrooms formed for the purpose of 
playing hand ball. 
Thus, recreation chamber 30 optimally defines (see FIG. 2) opposed side 
surfaces 32 and 34, inner end surface 36, outer end surface 38 that is 
defined by the garage door's closed position, as hereinafter disclosed, 
floor surface 40, and ceiling surface 42. 
As indicated, the chamber 30 starts at the threshold of the garage doorway 
22, and the length, width and height of the chamber 30 will be limited by 
the desired space for chamber 30, as limited by the corresponding 
dimensions of the garage space 10 of the individual home owner's garage. 
The basic aspect of the Applicant's invention is that the space 10 defined 
by the garage 10A, regardless of its specific dimensions and shape, is all 
too frequently wasted space of the home owner's home, especially when the 
home owner's vehicle or vehicles are for any reason outside of the garage 
10A. A basic premise of this invention is that a recreation chamber 30 be 
provided within the garage space 10 that permits normal use of the garage 
as such without loss of any utility of the usual garage arrangement, but 
alternatively, when the home owner's vehicles are not in the garage or are 
moved out of the garage for any reason, the garage door may be closed and 
the side wall structures defining the recreation chamber 30 disposed, to 
provide the recreation chamber playing surfaces that are indicated to the 
extent that the home owner is able to complete vertical wall and other 
construction necessary to provide a chamber 30. 
The Applicant has found that for the average two car garage, the vertical 
walls and other paneling features required to provide a chamber 30 are 
preferably arranged so that the chamber 30 approximates 20 feet wide, 20 
feet long, and 10 feet high. However, the space defined by the chamber 30 
as a practical matter may be of any room size dimensions that are 
consistent with the space available, although the basic shape involved 
optimally should be that of a parallelepiped or a quadrilateral box (which 
may be of square or rectangular configuration). For the basic essentials 
there must be at least one playing surface 32, 34, 36 or 38, plus the 
floor structure 40, defined by the chamber, with the playing surfaces so 
provided being flush thereacross and free from obstructions, protrusions, 
or anything that would substantially interfere with playing ball games and 
the like. It is preferable that the chamber 30 be defined by all six of 
the playing surfaces indicated for maximized benefits. 
A further criteria of the invention is that where the garage is equipped 
with a common overhead door, the vertical roll guiding tracks that are 
disposed on either side of the door are preferably either recessed in the 
upright wall structures that define the surfaces 32 and 36, or they are 
covered by panel partitioning that is flush with the interior surfacing of 
the door is in its closed position. Overhead, the horizontal portions of 
the overhead door guiding tracks are recessed in the upright wall 
structures that define the surfaces 32 and 36, or they are recessed into 
or above the ceiling, which is suitably paneled to otherwise define 
playing surface 42. Further, all garage door opening door struts, hinges, 
and other hardware are flush or recessed mounted from the innersurface of 
the garage door, and each segment of the door has its own flush paneling 
so that when the door is in its vertical, doorway closing position, the 
flush paneling presents an inwardly facing surfacing that is substantially 
flush across the heighth and width of the closed door. The springs and 
door opener mechanism that may be part of any particular garage door 
arrangement should be hidden or recessed mounted to be outside of the 
chamber 30. 
The structural arrangement of the vertical walls employed to define the 
chamber 30 is largely optional so long as the upright walls involved, when 
the chamber 30 is to be formed, are disposed to, or can be arranged to, 
define the desired substantially flush or planar playing surfaces that 
have been illustrated in FIG. 1. The vertical walls involved may be of 
fixed or movable construction, and if movable they are arranged to be 
swung out of the way when the garage space 10 is to be used in the usual 
garage manner, as for parking the home owner's vehicles. For these 
purposes the vertical walls may be arranged to be swung either about 
vertical or horizontal pivot axis. Where a vertical pivot axis arrangement 
is employed, it is preferable that the movable wall involved be swingable 
from a position in which one of its side surfaces defines a playing 
surface of the chamber and is flush contoured for this purpose, and the 
other side surface is arranged for application thereto of the various 
types of equipment the home owner has for yard work and the like, for 
storage purposes so that the wall has separate utilities in each position 
of use (one suggested form of this arrangement is disclosed hereinafter). 
The sports center defining vertical wall structures involved may be 
compartmentized to define closets, drawers, and the like to store tools, 
equipment, supplies, etc. with the compartments having closures and the 
drawers having front ends that when closed are configured to be flush with 
the overall surface of the wall structure involved that is to define one 
of the playing surfaces of the compartment 30 when it is to be in use. 
As indicated, the invention contemplates that the chamber 30 is arranged so 
that when the garage 10A is to be in normal use, the chamber 30 is in 
effect disposed in inoperative relation as such, and when the garage door 
is open the home owner's vehicles may be parked in the garage in the usual 
manner along with other equipment and tools as may be necessary or 
desirable. However, when it is desired that the recreation chamber 30 be 
brought into operative relation, this is done to define the playing 
surfaces that have been indicated, which involves closing the garage door 
and the other panel closures that may be defined by the upright walls 
involved, and positioning one or more of the walls so that the playing 
surface it defines is disposed in accordance with the showing of FIG. 1. 
It is contemplated that one of the upright walls involved will have an 
access doorway for admitting family members to the chamber 30, from the 
family home, which doorway will be closed by hinged paneling that closes 
flush with the flush surfacing of the basic upright wall structure 
involved, so that when all the family members who are to be involved in 
the athletic activity within the chamber 30 are present, which, of course, 
may include neighbors and friends as convenient or desirable, the access 
door may be closed and recreational sports or play proceed. 
The interior of the chamber 30 may be suitably marked with indicia as 
needed so that the participants in the sports or play activity can engage 
in one of the familiar ball sport type games such as hand ball, squash, 
badminton, racketball, or the like, or adaptations of these activities, 
depending on the size of the chamber 30 that is available. Alternately, 
the use of individual pieces of exercise equipment, such as exercise 
bicycles, treadmills, or the like may be pursued, or perhaps exercise 
preceding, with simpler implements such as jumping rope or bar bells. 
Further, the floor surface 40 can be suitably marked to play games such as 
hopscotch, shuffle-board, indoor horseshoes, etc. 
The chamber 30 preferably is arranged for optional lighting from the 
ceiling using recessed lights that are flush covered so as to avoid 
detraction from the flush surfacing defined by the desirable ceiling 
surface 42, and suitable heating means may be provided as desired to heat 
the chamber 30 during winter or other inclement weather as desired. 
The disclosure that follows illustrates suggested arrangements of the type 
contemplated by the present invention, which are intended to indicate 
several specific ways in which the invention may be pursued. It is to be 
understood, however, that the specific illustrations provided should be 
considered examples only of specific ways to practice the invention and it 
should be kept in mind that the garage space available may require 
modifications and adaptations in the structure suggested, that will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art, to achieve the recreation chamber 
arrangement contemplated by the present invention. 
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 2 shows in largely block diagram form a plan view of one specific 
panel partition arrangement 50 for defining a sports center of recreation 
chamber 30A in association with overhead garage door 52 of a garage 54 
that is attached to a family home 56. In the showing of FIG. 2, the garage 
and house walls are indicated by the broken lines to define garage 
exterior side wall 60, the garage rear wall 62, the garage front wall 64 
that defines the usual doorway 67 at the front of the garage in which the 
overhead door 52 is operably mounted, the garage interior side wall 66 
that in the attached garage arrangement illustrated is common with the 
corresponding side wall of the house 56, and the garage floor 68 which is 
assumed to be the usual poured concrete slab on which the garage 54 is 
erected, with the slab 68 thus being continuous across the spaced defined 
by the garage walls 60, 62, 64, 66 and the doorway 67. As is conventional, 
the overhead door 52 is composed of the usual sections 70 formed from wood 
or the like that are suitably articulated and at their ends 72 and 74 are 
provided with the respective sets of guide rollers 76 and 78 that 
respectively ride in the respective channel shaped tracks 80 and 82 to 
guide the door between its open and closed positions. The usual garage 
door torsion springs and openers that are a common part of garage doors of 
the overhead type are not illustrated as they may be entirely 
conventional. 
In accordance with the invention, the space 90 of the garage 54 that 
corresponds to the space 10 of FIG. 1 is subdivided to provide the 
recreation chamber 30 by providing, in addition to the door 52, a 
compartmentized vertical wall structure 92 that parallels the garage 
interior side 66, a compartment free or straight vertical wall structure 
94 that parallels and is closely adjacent to the garage exterior wall 60, 
and the movable vertical wall structure 96 that is disposed toward the 
inner end of the garage 54, and beyond the conventional door 98 that is 
suitably mounted in the garage wall 66 to provide access to the house 56, 
from inside the garage. The wall structure 96 of the arrangement 
diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2 is swiveled about vertical axis 100 
between the full line position of FIG. 2 and close adjacency with the 
vertical wall structure 94. 
In accordance with the invention, wall structure 92 is formed to define 
playing surface 32, wall structure 94 is formed to define playing surface 
34, wall structure 96 is formed to define playing surface 36, and the 
garage door 52 is arranged to define playing surface 38 when the 
recreation chamber 30 of FIG. 2 is to be provided. The garage floor 68, 
which is normally flat in configuration, provides the playing surface 40, 
and in the optimal arrangement, the garage space 90 is fitted with a 
suitable ceiling structure 102 that extends between the vertical wall 
structures 32, 34 and 36 and is shaped to define playing surface 42. 
Ceiling 102 preferably is constructed to include one or more ceiling 
lights 104 that are preferably of a suitable conventional recessed type 
with transparent or translucent covers that are in flush relation with the 
ceiling surfacing that defines the play surface 42. 
The recreation chamber 30 is thus defined by overall panel partition 
arrangement 50 which is arranged to provide storage within the wall 
structure 32 where indicated at 112, and a garage work area where 
indicated at 114 at the rear of the garage where the home owner may place 
his work bench 116 and associated mounting panels for storing tools used 
in connection with same, with other space being available where indicated 
at 117 and 118 for storage as needed. 
A feature of the present invention is that the movable wall structure 96 on 
the side of same facing rearwardly of the garage, namely side 120, is 
equipped for fixed storage purposes, and for hanging tools vertically, 
such as rakes, ground working forks, hose, and the like. The fixed storage 
provided for by the wall structure 96 is preferably in a fixed header 
structure 124 at the ceiling level of the garage and accessible from the 
area 114 of the garage, while side 120 of the wall structure 96 is 
preferably part of the movable portion of same so that the hung tools, 
when wall structure 96 is positioned adjacent the wall structure 94, will 
be facing the wall structure 92 and thus readily available to the family 
members within the space that is normally occupied by the family vehicles. 
This positioning of the wall structure 96 exposes the garage area 114 to 
substantially full view from the front end of the garage. 
A feature of the invention with regard to the wall structure 92 is that the 
surfacing of same that defines the playing surface 32 includes closure 
members corresponding in locations to the compartmenting thereof and 
access door 98, with suitable releasable locking or catch means being 
provided therefor for providing access to the storage area 112 and the 
door 98, from within the garage to the right of the playing surface 32. 
When the recreation chamber 30 is to be provided, all such closures are 
moved to their closed positions so that their surfacings with the 
remainder of the surfacings of the wall structure 92 define the 
substantially flush or flat playing surface 32. 
As indicated, when the chamber 30 is to be formed or provided, the wall 
structure 96 is swung about its axis 100 to the full line position of FIG. 
2, thus exposing the playing surfaces 34 and 36. In addition, the door 52 
is moved to its closed relation, thus positioning the playing surface 38 
in its desired upright position. 
With this relation of the various wall structures and overhead door that 
have been described, family athletic or recreational activities may 
proceed within the chamber 30, with the specific activity involved 
depending on the game equipment and space available and the number of 
people to play. Hand ball type games are certainly most appropriate for 
equipment of this type, and various racket games may also be played 
assuming the requisite space and number of individual participants needed 
to safely provide active game play. 
Alternately, treadmill or bicycle type exercise machines may be moved from 
the storage area 112 into the chamber 30, rope jumping can take place, or 
the like exercise activities can proceed. As already indicated, the 
surface 68 in the area of the chamber 30 may also be marked with suitable 
indicia for playing such games as hopscotch, shuffleboard, indoor horse 
shoes, and the like. 
FIGS. 3-7 are diagrammatic illustrations of specific arrangements that may 
comprise the various components forming the recreation chamber 30 that is 
block diagram illustrated in FIG. 2. 
In the showing of FIG. 3, reference numerals corresponding to those of FIG. 
2 indicate like parts more specifically illustrated. 
With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the vertical wall structure 92 is 
illustrated more specifically in a practical version of same, in 
association with the garage interior wall 66 and the access door 98 to the 
house 56, the latter at the threshold of the doorway 150 involved having a 
step 152 of any conventional character, such as a block of concrete, as 
may be needed because of the difference of elevation between the floor of 
the house adjacent access door 98 and the slab 68. 
The vertical wall structure 92 thus comprises suitable framework assemblies 
154 and 156 involving vertical planks 158, 160, 162, 164, and horizontal 
planks 166, 168, 170, 174, which may be formed from wood or the like, 
suitably fixed together into the garage interior wall 66 to define 
shelving and storage space within the storage area 112, with the vertical 
planks resting on horizontal base blank 176 that may rest directly on slab 
68. Positioned along edge 177 of plank 176 is partition structure 180 that 
for wall structure 92 defines the play surface 32. The partition structure 
180 may be of any suitable type to provide the function desired, such as 
vertical studs 182, 184, 186, 188 and 190 fixed together in any suitable 
manner to define framework 192 to which strips of paneling 194 and 194A 
are affixed in coplanar relation, with the framework 192 and its paneling 
194 being suitably slotted as at 196 to receive the corresponding 
configured upper portion of the overhead door roller guideway 80 that is 
to be disposed at that side of the garage doorway 67. Partition structure 
180 is suitably secured between the garage roof or ceiling and slab 68. In 
the area of framework assemblies 154 and 156, suitable devices may be 
applied where indicated at 191, 193, and 197 for holding or hanging 
upright tools with long handles. 
Below the header panel strip 94, the partition 180 has applied to the same 
side of same two pairs 200, 202 of access doors 204 and 206, with each 
pair of doors 200, 204 comprising similar doors 204 and 206 hinged to 
adjacent studding where indicated at 208, to swing between the closed 
positions of FIG. 4, wherein the external surfacings 204A and 206A of the 
doors 204 and 206 is coplanar with the surfacing 195 of panel strip 194, 
to open positions whereby full access is available to the closeting and 
other compartments within the storage area 112 that is defined by the wall 
structure 92. 
The hinging of the doors 204 and 206 may be in any suitable manner, though 
where a door 206 is hinged to the same stud as the door 204, the hinging 
relationship of FIG. 8 is preferred, wherein the door 206 is suitably 
affixed to a short leaf 210 of a hinge 208A, which has a longer leaf 212 
that is suitably secured to the stud 184 as by employing suitable screws 
214 or the like, and at one side surface 216 of the stud 184 involved. The 
door 204, on the other hand, is suitably anchored to a relatively short 
leaf 218 of hinge 208B, which has a relatively long leaf 220 that is 
affixed to the same side 216 of stud 184, as by employing suitable screws 
214 or the like. 
As indicated in FIG. 8, the hinges 108A and 108B are disposed at different 
levels horizontally, which may be reversed. The hinges 108 may comprise 
either a hinge 108A or a hinge 108B. 
Below the header panel 194A closure door 230 is provided which is lined up 
with and substantially coextensive with the house access door 98 and its 
doorway 150, and is hinged in place by suitable hinges 208 secured to a 
stud 186 of partition structure 180 in a manner similar to that 
illustrated in FIG. 8, so that the door 230 swings from the closed 
position of FIG. 4, wherein its external surfacing 232 is in coplanar 
relation with the playing surface 32, to the open position in which it 
permits person access between the chamber 30 and the house 56. 
Between the door 230 and the next adjacent closet door 206, a fixed panel 
234 is mounted on the framework 192 to have its external surfacing 236 
coplanar with and part of the playing surface 32. The hinges 208, 208A and 
208B that are illustrated and referred to are all recess mounted as 
indicated in FIG. 8 so that the entire surfacing of the wall structure 92 
is substantially flush coextensively therewith. Adjacent the door 230 is 
another fixed panel 238 that is suitably fixed to the framework 192 so 
that its external surfacing 240 is coplanar with the surface 32, and 
hinged to the framework 192 is closure door 242 that is suitably formed 
from paneling or the like to define exterior surfacing 244 that is of a 
planar character and when it is in its closed position, as indicated in 
FIGS. 3 and 7, the surfacing 244 is coplanar with playing surface 36 of 
wall structure 96. Closure door 242 is suitably hinged in place employing 
hinges 208 that are secured to the stud 190 in the manner suggested by 
FIG. 8. 
The closure doors 204 and 206, 230 and 242 may be held in closed position 
by employing the conventional fastener device shown in FIG. 9, which 
involves the conventional stub type fitting 250 secured to the swing panel 
involved, by employing suitable screws 252, that defines a protubrant head 
254 that is received between conventional spring arms 256 of the spring 
biased clip device 258 that is suitably anchored to adjacent studding or 
the like, which in addition to the gripping arms 256, clip 258 comprises 
bracket members 260 that are secured in place on the framework at the 
appropriate location, as by employing suitable screws in adjustment slots 
262. Compression spring 264 operates on the spring arms 256 in a 
conventional manner to maintain their clamping hold on the stud 250 that 
is secured to the closure involved. 
Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, the wall structure 96 is of two part 
construction, including fixed header structure 124 formed of suitable 
framing and paneling and affixed where indicated at 260 to the ceiling of 
the garage, and/or between the garage walls 60 and 66 in any suitable 
manner, so as to be in fixed position across the garage space at the 
location where the wall structure 96 is to be located in accordance with 
the invention. 
Below the header structure 124 is swingably mounted panel partition 262 
that is formed from suitable framing and paneling to define planar 
surfacing 264 that is coplanar with the playing surface 36. The panel 
partition 262 at the hinged end 266 of same has recess mounted in its 
surface 264 the leaves 268 of suitable hinges 270 and 272, which may be of 
the type suitable for hingedly mounting barn doors. The hinges 270 and 272 
also include the respective hinge leafs 274 (see FIG. 11) that are 
recessed mounted in wall structure 94 with the arrangement being such that 
the hinges 270 and 272 are both aligned with the common vertical axis 100. 
The hinge leaves 268 are flush with the surfacing 264 of panel partition 
262, while the hinge leaves 274 are flush mounted with regard to the 
playing surface 34 of wall structure 94. The panel partition 262 is 
equipped with one or more suitable roller devices 280 that include rollers 
journalled to rotate about a common axis that is horizontally disposed and 
coplanar with the panel partition 262, which rollers ride on the floor 68, 
so that the panel partition 262 can be swung about the hinge axis 100 from 
the full line position of FIG. 5 to the dashed line position of same, 
which position is illustrated in full lines in FIG. 6, wherein its playing 
surface 36 is in abutting or closely spaced relation to the playing 
surface 34 of the wall structure 94, and its opposed surface 120 faces the 
wall structure 94. Roller devices 280 are mounted so that their rollers 
are inwardly or rearwardly of surfacing 264 (see for instance FIG. 6). 
When the panel partition 262 is in the full line position of FIGS. 5 and 7, 
it is to be in substantially conforming relation with the indentation 290 
that is defined by the header 124, with the indentation 290 being such 
that the vertical surfacing 292 of the header 124, and the surfacing 264 
of the panel partition 262, are in substantial coplanar relation, and are 
substantially coplanar related with the playing surface 36. 
FIG. 10 illustrates a spring biased latch device 293 for latching the panel 
partition 262 in its position of FIGS. 3 and 7 in which the header 
structure 124 is formed with a bore 294 that receives a spring biased 
plunger 296 contained in suitable housing 298 that is suitably fixed to 
the side surfacing 120 of panel partition 260, with plunger 296 including 
compression type biasing spring 300 operating on same to hold the plunger 
in locking relation, and a pull chain or the like 302 being provided to 
release the plunger from the header recess 294 when desired. Latching 
device 293 is omitted from the diagrammatic showings of FIGS. 5 and 6. 
The header 124 is also provided with a latching arrangement of the type 
indicated in FIG. 9 at the location of the door 242 to latch the door 242 
in its position where its surfacing 244 will be coplanar with playing 
surface 36. 
All closure doors illustrated in connection with the showing of the 
recreation chamber 30 are openable from inside chamber 30 by finger action 
on their free vertical edges as to pry apart the latches holding them 
closed that as already indicated, are of the type shown in FIG. 9. 
The wall structure 94 is applied in fixed, face to face relation with the 
garage exterior wall 60, and may be of any suitable type that will define 
the playing surface 34, such as the illustrated studs 310 (not shown in 
diagrammatic FIGS. 5-7 and 11) suitably anchored in spaced apart coplanar 
relation to which paneling 312 is applied that is of substantially planar 
surfacing 314 so as to define and be coplanar with playing surface 34. The 
wall structure 94 is notched as at 316 to receive in recessed relation to 
the upper portion of the door roller guide 82 that is suitably operatively 
mounted therein. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the upper 
edging 320 of the swinging panel partition 262 is indented as at 322 so as 
to be disposed somewhat below and be coextensive with the portion of the 
header indentation 290 the panel partition 262 overlaps when the panel 
partition 262 is in its position of FIG. 6 (as indicated in FIG. 6) when 
the panel partition 262 is disposed in its broken line position of FIG. 5 
(see FIG. 6), it is disposed; so as to expose its hung tools and the like 
for ready access by the home owner from the portion of the garage in which 
the home owner's vehicles are to be parked when in the garage (see FIG. 
6). 
The indentation or recess 290 of the header 124 is correspondingly 
configured so as to provide a complimentary fit of the upper edging 320 of 
the panel partition 262 in the indentation 20 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). 
With regard to the garage ceiling that defines the playing surface 42, this 
may be of any suitable type defined by appropriate paneling 330 suitably 
affixed to the garage structural framing in any convenient manner, so as 
to dispose the surface 42 substantially parallel with the floor surface 40 
in parallelepiped fashion. As already indicated, the overhead lighting 
lamps 104 may be of any suitable recessed type. 
Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 6 and 12 with regard to the 
overhead door that is there illustrated, the front wall 64 is 
appropriately formed to define the usual garage doorway 67 across which 
the garage door 52 is mounted. The door 52 is operably mounted across and 
just inside of same and in the form illustrated comprises a plurality of 
the sections 70 in the form of elongate rectangular panels 332 that may be 
formed from wood or the like and that are articulated together in side by 
side relation so that the garage door may be rolled from its doorway 
closing, vertically disposed relation, to an overhead, substantially 
horizontally disposed, door open position, as is customary for overhead 
rolling garage doors. 
The garage door 52 illustrated, for adjacent panels 332, has a special 
hinging arrangement which comprises between each adjacent pair of panels 
332, an upper strut member 334 to which an upper panel 332 is secured, as 
by employing suitable screws or the like (not shown) and a lower strut 
336, to which the adjacent lower panel 332 of the hinged set of panels is 
secured (again by employing suitable screws or the like). The struts 334 
and 336 for each set of articulated panels 332 extend the width of the 
door, and at spaced positions they are hinged together as at 338. The 
strut members 334 and 336 are of right angled configuration, and the 
hinging together of same may be effected at the hinge points 338 by 
alternately fixing, by welding or brazing, or screw fastening, metal loops 
or knuckles at such locations, which are operatively hinged together by 
suitable hinge pins 339. 
Each panel 332 on the inside surfacing of same has affixed thereto a sheet 
340 of hardboard or the like, with the arrangement being such that the 
hinge axis of the respective hinges 338 is in coplanar relation with the 
hardboard sheets 340 when the door is in its down or closed position, and 
the horizontal edges 341 and 343 of the respective sheets 340 are in 
closely spaced relation to the hinges 338 that are suitably recessed in 
place, as indicated in FIG. 12. The sheets 340 are applied to the 
respective panels 332 so that when the door is disposed in its closed 
relation, their inwardly facing surfaces 335 are in coplanar relation and 
are coplanar with the playing surface 38 they are to define. The struts 
334 and 336 are each of right angled configuration, as indicated, and thus 
each define the flange portions 334 and 336 that are respectively 
vertically horizontally disposed when the door is in its closed relation. 
Each door panel 332 is equipped at either end of same with the respective 
rollers 76 and 78 that are coaxially aligned adjacent like ends of the 
respective panels 22 (for instance the lower edges of such panels when the 
door is in its lowered relation), with the axial centers of the respective 
sets of rollers being also located adjacent the middle portion of the 
respective panels 332 (see FIG. 12). The respective rollers 76 and 78 ride 
in the respective tracks 80 and 82 which are suitably mounted to either 
side of the doorway 67, with the upwardly curved portions and the 
horizontally disposed portions of same being suitably received and 
anchored in the respective slots 196 and 316 of the respective wall 
structures 92 and 94. The respective hardboard sheets 340 at their ends 
extend in close proximity to the respective guides 80 and 82 so as to 
define with the paneling surfacings that form the respective playing 
surfaces 32 and 34 substantially right angled corners for good play 
surface relation between the two at each corner. 
In the garage front wall arrangement that is illustrated the front wall 64 
includes header structure 350 that spans the doorway 67 and defines planar 
surfacing 351 that is coplanar with playing surface 38. The sheet 340A of 
the uppermost door panel 332 is of somewhat extended width i.e., in the 
vertical dimension as shown in FIG. 6 so as to dispose its surfacing 335 
above the upper level of the door in its lowered position, and preferably 
in coplanar relation with the inner surfacing 351 of the header 350 so 
that the playing surface portion 38A defined by the door in its closed 
relation extends upwardly substantially the height of the chamber 30 and 
is coplanar with surfacing 351. The upper edge 362 of the upper sheet 340A 
and the lower edge 364 of the header are complimentarily shaped so that 
when the door 52 is to be moved upwardly the sheets 40A is cammed somewhat 
inwardly and is free to move upwardly of the header 350 and thence toward 
its horizontal position in substantial alignment with the slots 196 and 
316 at their horizontal portions in the open relation of the door (see 
FIG. 12A). Where the door 52 is operated using a conventional door opener, 
the operating mechanism for same is suitably hidden within the garage and 
located convenient for motorized operation. Where the door 52 is to be 
operated manually, it is preferable that the latch and handle arrangement 
therefor be suitably flush mounted within the door from the inside of 
same. 
In the embodiment of FIGS. 3-7, the panels 332 of the door 52 and their 
corresponding hardboard sheets 340 and 340A are proportioned to extend 
between the roller guides 80 and 82 thereof (as indicated in FIG. 3). 
In the alternate garage door 368 arrangement of FIG. 13, the door panels 
332A (forming door sections 70A) are conventionally proportioned 
lengthwise thereof, and the guides 80 and 82 are located in the usual 
manner with regard to the sides of the door opening 67, and a pair of 
false walls 370 and 372 that extend the full length of the garage are 
suitably mounted at each side of the door 52. The false wall 370 may be in 
the form of a sheet of paneling suitably anchored to and extending between 
the guide 80 and the wall structure 92, while the false wall 372 may 
comprise a sheet of paneling suitably mounted between and connected to the 
guide 82 and wall structure 94. The door arrangement 368 as illustrated 
presupposes that guides 80 and 82 and the ceiling paneling 330 are 
arranged so that the ceiling defines a slot (not shown) through which the 
guides 80 and 82 are directed so that their horizontal portions are 
disposed above paneling 330, with the door 368 thus passing up through 
such slot to be hidden by paneling 330 when the door 368 is moved to its 
open position. 
As an alternate to the embodiment of FIG. 13, door panels 332A have the 
guide rollers 76 and 78 applied thereto for suspending the door below the 
ceiling in the door open position, as by such guide rollers being 
respectively applied to individual support arms or brackets that extend 
outwardly of the garage doorway, when the door is in its closed position, 
an amount such that when the door is in its raised position the door will 
be disposed just below the ceiling paneling 330. In this alternate 
arrangement the aforementioned slot for the door itself is not necessary 
in paneling 330, but slots corresponding to the location of the horizontal 
positions of the track guides 80 and 82 are necessary to accommodate the 
hanging position of the guide roller support arms through ceiling paneling 
330 in the open position of the garage door. 
The basic idea in connection with the doors 52 and 368 is that when the 
garage door is in its closed relation, the playing surface 38 then 
completed thereby is defined by the coplanar relationship of the inwardly 
facing surfacings 335 of the respective sheets 340 and 340A, and as the 
door is raised to its overhead position, the articulated components of 
same tend to keep this relationship until they consecutively ride into and 
over the upwardly curved portions of the roller guides involved and thence 
into the horizontally disposed portions of the same to dispose the 
overhead door sections in the usual position of overhead doors moved to 
the open position. 
It will therefore be seen that the invention provides a way for the home 
owner to make alternate use of the living space represented by the 
confines of the garage of his home, in such a manner that there is no loss 
of utility of the garage as such. When a garage is to be used as such, the 
vertical wall structures and associated parts that define the means 
whereby the recreation chamber 30 may be provided are disposed to 
accommodate the parking of automobile vehicles and the like within the 
garage and have access to tools and other equipment for yard work or the 
like. However, when it is desired to arrange the garage space for 
recreation use, the vertical wall structures 92, 94 and 96 and the garage 
door 52 (or 368) may be disposed to define the indicated recreation 
chamber 30 whereby the chamber 30 in effect forms a family sports center 
within the family garage in which many of the various types of ball type 
sporting games may be played, or space may be provided for exercising 
using exercise implements suitable for that purpose that are not concerned 
with ball games. When the garage space is needed for parking for storage 
purposes of the family vehicles, the vertical wall structures involved may 
readily be changed over to that alternate purpose. 
The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and 
illustrate the invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, 
except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled 
in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make 
modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of 
the invention.