Basketball net with adjustable return control

A basketball net assembly includes multiple elongated flexible channel straps each having a top end that attaches to a basketball rim and bottom end. Several flexible support straps each have a center portion attached transversely across the channel straps. Opposite ends of the support straps attach to the rim. The support straps when attached to the rim form the channel straps into a downwardly sloping concave arch shape. The slope of the channel straps control the angle and speed in which a basketball exists the net.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to basketball nets and more particularly 
to an adjustable basketball net that can be quickly attached and detached 
to a basketball rim. 
Conventional basketball nets have an inverted conical shape and are 
attached to brackets welded onto the basketball rim. Depending upon the 
direction in which a basketball travels through the rim, the basketball 
can exist through the bottom of the net at different angles. For example, 
basketballs falling straight down through the center of the rim fall 
vertically downward when exiting the net. Alternatively, if the basketball 
falls through the rim slightly off-center, the basketball may touch the 
rim before falling through the net. The basketball can then bounce 
forward, backward, to the left, or to the right after falling through the 
net. 
If the basketball constantly exits the basketball net at different angles, 
a basketball player must continuously retrieve the basketball from 
different locations after shooting the basketball. If the basketball 
player is shooting alone, additional time is, therefore, required to 
retrieve the ball reducing the number of shots that can be taken in a 
given amount of time. 
Further, outdoor basketball courts are often located next to hills, 
streams, and other undesirable locations where the basketball may bounce 
after traveling through the basketball net. If the basketball continuously 
rolls down a hill after falling through the net, additional time must be 
spent retrieving the basketball, deterring from the overall enjoyment of 
the basketball game. 
Many systems have been developed for controlling the direction that a 
basketball bounces after being shot through a basketball rim. U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,945,368 to Luebkeman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,289 to Kotlarz both 
describe rigid metal rails held at an angle below a rim by either chains 
or straps. The ball after passing through the basketball rim, falls onto 
the rail returning out a front opening in the net. The metal rails, 
however, are dangerous since a player can strike his hands on the rails 
while driving to the basket. Thus, both the systems in Kotlarz and 
Luebkeman can not be used in a normal basketball game. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,101 to Farkas, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,814 to 
Manning describe rotatable chute members that are attached by mechanical 
attachment assemblies to the basketball rim. Again, a basketball player 
can easily strike the rigid attachment assemblies while shooting around 
the rim. Thus, neither system is appropriate for use in a basketball game. 
Both the systems in Farkas, Jr. and Manning return the ball at the same 
vertical angle and speed. However, it is often desirable to return the 
ball at a different angle or speed depending upon where the shot is taken. 
For example, if the ball is shot close to the rim, it may be more 
desirable for the ball to exit the net in a more horizontal direction. 
Alternatively, if the shot is taken further away from the rim, it may be 
desireable to have the basketball exit the net at a more vertically 
directed angle to maintain sufficient speed to return to the shooter. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,368 to Qualley describes a basketball net that includes 
a continuous strip of Velcro.TM. that wraps around a rim. While Velcro is 
easy to attach, it cannot be attached around an exiting basketball net. 
For example, the loops in a conventional net will be sandwiched between 
the hook and eye portions of the Velcro making the strength of the 
attachment weaker. Thus, an existing net must first be removed before the 
net in Qualley can be installed. 
Accordingly, a need remains for an easy to install basketball net that can 
be adjusted to vary the direction and speed of a returning basketball 
while at the same time remain flexible enough for use during a standard 
basketball game. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to increase the adjustability 
of a basketball net. 
Another object of the invention is to control the return direction and 
return angle of a basketball exiting from a basketball net. 
A further object of the invention is to reduce the cost and increase the 
utility of nets that provide adjustable return path control for 
basketballs. 
A basketball net controls both the horizontal return angle and the vertical 
return angle of a basketball. The net is quickly attachable onto a rim 
over a conventional net for temporary use. The net is also flexible enough 
to be used safely during a regular basketball game. 
The basketball net includes multiple elongated flexible channel straps each 
having a top and bottom end. The top end of each channel strap has a slit 
that attaches through the brackets welded on the basketball rim. Several 
flexible support straps each have a center portion attached transversely 
across the channel straps. Opposite ends of the support straps have slits 
that also attach onto associated rim brackets. The support straps when 
attached to the rim form the channel straps into a downwardly sloping 
concave arch shape. The slope of the channel straps control the angle and 
speed in which a basketball exists the net. 
Slits can be positioned at different locations at the ends of the support 
straps to vary how far the center section of each support strap hangs 
below the rim. Thus, the shape of the arch formed with the channel strap 
can be varied to control the vertical angle that the basketball exists the 
net. The channel straps and support straps are made of a flexible fabric 
type material to maintain the pleasing audio and visual sensation 
experienced from shooting a basketball through a net. 
The flexible straps also allow the net to be safely used during a 
basketball game without the fear of a player's hand striking a rigid net 
support assembly. Semi-rigid plastic bands are inserted between the 
channel straps and the support straps for increasing the ability of the 
straps to control the return path of the basketball. The bands, however, 
are flexible enough to conform to the shape of the attached strap. In one 
embodiment, the bands comprise elongated rectangular pieces of plastic 
detachable from the channel and support straps. 
As mentioned above, each strap has slits that attach onto a basketball rim 
bracket. Different slits are attached to the brackets to vary both the 
arch in which the channel straps drape down below the rim. At the same 
time, the separate slits allow the net to be repositioned in any radial 
angle around the rim. Thus, the net can be attachable to the rim so that 
the basketball returns to any given location on a basketball court. The 
net does not use any metal parts and, therefore, is inexpensive to 
manufacture and can be used in the same capacity as a conventional 
basketball net. 
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention 
will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description 
of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference 
to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a basketball net 12 according to the 
invention. The basketball net 12 directs the return path of a basketball 
(not shown) after passing through a conventional basketball rim 14 (FIG. 
3). The basketball net 12 comprises multiple elongated flexible channel 
straps 16 each having a top end 18 and a bottom end 20. The top end 18 of 
each channel strap 16 includes attachment means 22 for coupling net 12 
directly onto the basketball rim 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, 
the attachment means comprise slits in the top end 18 of each channel 
strap 18. 
A set of flexible support straps 24 each have a first end 26, a second end 
28 and a center portion 30. The center portion 30 of support straps 24 are 
attached laterally across the channel straps 16. Side straps 32 are 
attached to the support straps 24 at the lateral sides of the channel 
straps 16. 
Adjustment means 23 are joined to the first and second ends 26 and 28, 
respectively, of each support strap 24. The slits 23 on support straps 24 
are similar to those existing on the top end 18 of channel straps 16. 
The position of slits 23 determine how far the center section 30 of each 
support strap 24 hangs below the rim 14. For example, when the slits are 
positioned further from the ends of the associated straps, the center 
section 30 of each support strap will hang a given distance underneath the 
rim. However, when the slits 23 are moved closer to the ends of the 
associated straps, the center section of each support strap will hang 
further below the rim. The distance that the center sections of the 
support straps hang below the rim determine the shape of the arch formed 
with the channel straps 16 when hanging below rim 14 (see FIG. 3). The 
attachment of slits 23 onto rim 14 is shown in more detail in FIG. 6. 
Alternative attachment means 23 such as velcro are also readily used for 
attaching the ends of straps 16 and 24 to the rim 14. For example, the 
attachment means for each strap can comprise individual hook and eye 
sections each having an elongated rectangular shape. The hook section is 
attached to the farthest most end of an associated strap. The hook section 
wraps around the rim 14 and mates with a corresponding eye section 
attached below the hook section. 
In another embodiment, the attachment means comprise snaps located on the 
farthest most end of each strap. The snaps have a male member positioned 
at the end of an associated strap. The male member is wrapped around the 
rim 14 and insertable into a corresponding female receptor positioned 
below the male member. 
The channel straps 16 and support straps 24 in one embodiment are made of a 
flexible fabric type material such as canvas and has an elongated 
rectangular shape. 
Semi-rigid plastic bands 34 are attachable onto both the bottom side of 
channel straps 16 (see FIG. 2) and the top side of the center section 30 
of support straps 24. The bands 34 increase the rigidity of the associated 
straps while at the same time conforming to the shape of the attached 
strap as it drapes underneath rim 14. 
The bands 34 are attached to straps 16 and 24 by inserting each band 
through openings that exist between the intersections of channel and 
support straps. For example, horizontal support strap bands 34 are 
inserted underneath each channel strap 16 and over the top side of the 
center portion of each support strap. Thus, the bands are easily removable 
when the net rigidity is not required. 
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the basketball net 12 of FIG. 1. It can be 
seen that bands 34 extend the length of each channel strap 16. The channel 
strap bands are attached by sliding each band through the opening between 
intersecting channel and support straps, over the top of each support 
strap 24 and underneath the associated channel straps 16. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the basketball net 12 is attached to a conventional 
basketball rim 14 and draped over a conventional basketball net 36. The 
channel straps 16 hang between a back section of the basketball rim 14 and 
the middle section 30 of front support strap 24. The channel straps 16 
hang underneath rim 14 in a concave arch shape. 
The slits 23 (FIG. 1) on the ends of support straps 24 vary the length that 
the center section of each associated support strap extends below the rim 
14. Thus, wrapping the different slits 23A, 23B, and 23C onto rim 14 
adjust the angle of the arch formed by the channel straps 16. For example, 
wrapping the inside slits 23A (FIG. 1) of each support strap around the 
rim 14 shorten the distance that the center section 30 of support strap 24 
hangs below rim 14. Thus, the end 20 of each channel strap 16 will be 
positioned into a more horizontal angle than that shown in FIG. 3. 
If slit 23C is used for attaching onto rim 14, the end 20 of each channel 
strap 16 will hang in a more vertically aligned direction. 
The net 12 is installed by first attaching the top ends 18 of the channel 
straps 16 to the rim 14 so that the channel straps 16 hang vertically 
downward. The opposite ends 26 and 28 of each support strap 24 are then 
attached to the rim on opposite lateral sides of the channel straps 16. 
Thus, the bottom ends of the channel straps 16 are raised upward shaping 
the channel straps 16 into the downwardly sloping convex arch shown in 
FIG. 3. The slope of the arch formed with the channel straps 16 dictate a 
given vertical return angle in which a basketball exits through basketball 
net 12. For example, when the ends 20 of channel straps 16 are raised into 
more of a horizontal alignment, the basketball will exist net 12 in a more 
horizontal angle. When the ends 20 of channel straps 16 are positioned in 
a more vertical direction, the ball will exit net 12 in a more vertically 
downward direction. The angle of the channel straps 16 control the speed 
that a basketball exits net 12. For example, when the bottom ends 20 of 
channel straps 16 are horizontal, the basketball will exit the net 12 at a 
slower speed than when the channel straps drape below rim 14 in a more 
vertical angle. 
FIG. 4 is a front view of the basketball net 12 and FIG. 5 is a bottom view 
of the net 12. It can be seen that net 12 forms a chute 40 that controls 
the lateral direction that the basketball as it exists net 12. The net 12 
can be attached at different radial angles about rim 14 thereby 
controlling the direction that the basketball exist from chute 40. 
FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the end of support strap 24. The slit 23 is 
inserted between a bracket 42 and rim 14. The slit 23 is then placed 
around the nose 44 of bracket 42 securing the end of support strap 24 to 
rim 14. The same installation process is performed for the slits 23 at the 
top end 18 of channel straps 16. Thus, the net 12 can be quickly attached 
and detached to standard basketball rims. The net 12 can also be attached 
while a conventional basketball net 36 is also attached to rim 14. 
Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a 
preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention can 
be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such 
principles. I claim all modifications and variation coming within the 
spirit and scope of the following claims.