Abstract:
A game goal apparatus that is intended to be played within a swimming pool which uses a substantially planar backboard at opposite ends of the swimming pool. Each backboard is designed to be used in conjunction with a water polo ball. Each backboard includes a through opening which connects with a net mounted on the backboard to guide the ball when the ball passes through the through opening to be deposited on the water directly adjacent the rear surface of the backboard. The backboard is to be mounted on a frame which has a forward section which is located within the water of the swimming pool and a rearward section supportingly mounted on the swimming pool decking. The backboard is tilted to assume an inclined position so that upon the ball striking the surface of the backboard it rebounds in an upward direction away from the surface of the water of the swimming pool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1) Field of the Invention 
     This invention is directed to a goal in the form of a backboard which is to be mounted in conjunction with a swimming pool with the goal to be utilized in conjunction with a ball which is played between a pair of teams with proper placement of the ball in conjunction with the backboard generating a score for the team. 
     2) Description of the Prior Art 
     It has been popular, for many years, to play ball games in conjunction with swimming pools. One form of a game is called water polo. Water polo is played between opposing teams with there being located within the confines of the swimming pool a pair of oppositely located goal in the form of a net. It is the intention of each player to throw the water polo ball into the opposing teams goal. Most swimming pools provide little means for enjoyment of the pool other than merely swimming within the pool. Therefore, to use a ball game in conjunction with the swimming pool expands the usage of the swimming pool. 
     In the past, it has been known to construct goals to be mounted in conjunction with the edge of a swimming pool. A typical goal may include a basketball hoop and net with it being the intention of a player to throw a ball through the hoop and net with an opposing player attempting to prevent that player from so throwing of the ball. The basketball hoop and net are located some elevated distance above the surface of the water of the swimming pool. The scoring procedure requires that a player throw the ball in an arc with it being intended that it is to pass through the hoop and the net. It is the intention of this invention to construct a goal that is located directly adjacent the surface of the water so a water polo type of ball game can be played which is different from the basketball type of game. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One of the objectives of the present invention is to incorporate a goal apparatus to be used in conjunction with a game that is played similar to water polo. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to construct a goal apparatus which facilitates portability therefore making it easy to place the goal apparatus within a swimming pool in order to play the game and also facilitate extraction of the goal apparatus from the pool for placement in a storage location when not playing of the game. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to construct a goal apparatus which can be manufactured relatively inexpensively thereby minimizing the overall cost that is required in order to play the game of this invention. 
     When playing of the game generally there will only be used one goal apparatus of the present invention. However, if the field of play permitted, two separate goals may be used on opposite ends of the swimming pool. Each goal apparatus is identical and each comprises a frame with the forward section of the frame removably mounted onto a backboard. The bottom edge of the backboard is designed to be located just at or below the surface of the water within the swimming pool. The backboard is to include a through hole. Mounted in conjunction with the through hole is a net. A ball is to be thrown through the through hole and into the net which functions to guide the ball to a location just rearward of the backboard facilitating grasping of the ball to continue play of the game after a goal is scored. The backboard also may include target areas which can be utilized when practicing of the game in order to rebound the ball back to the player that has thrown the ball to the backboard. The backboard is to be mounted at an upwardly inclined position so that upon a ball striking the backboard, the ball will be rebounded up into the air above the surface of the pool so as to avoid rebounding in the area directly adjacent the backboard. The rearward section of the frame of the goal apparatus includes two different sets of wheels. One set of wheels is to facilitate movement of the goal apparatus in a longitudinal direction with the second set of wheels to facilitate movement of the goal apparatus in a transverse direction. The movement of the goal apparatus is to be to and from a storage location. The rearward section also includes a ballast tank to add weight to the goal apparatus so as to keep it in a fixed location during the playing of the game. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of the water game goal apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the frame of the water game goal apparatus of the present invention with the backboard having been removed; 
     FIG. 3 is a back view of the backboard utilized in conjunction with the water game goal apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the water game goal apparatus of the present invention taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of the water game goal apparatus of the present invention taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the water game goal apparatus of the present invention showing how the goal apparatus can be moved in the longitudinal direction; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the water game goal apparatus of the present invention showing how the goal apparatus can be moved in the transverse direction. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown the water game goal apparatus  10  of this invention. The goal apparatus  10  is composed of a backboard  12  and a frame  14 . The frame  14  is constructed of a plurality of rigid tubular plastic members in the form of a front section  16  which is integrally connected to a rearward section  18 . The front section  16  is composed of a main horizontal member  20  which generally will be several feet in length. Integrally attached at each end of the main horizontal member  20  is a vertical member  22  with it being understood that there are two in number of the vertical members  22  located parallel to each other. Vertical members  22  are also of the same length and are such a length that when the goal apparatus  10  is installed in position for usage that the members  22  will be located just beneath the surface  24  of the water  26  that is confined within a swimming pool. 
     The swimming pool includes a sidewall  28  and a decking  30 . Integrally connected to each vertical member  22  is a brace  32  with it being understood that there are two in number of the braces  32  with there being one brace  32  attached to each vertical member  22 . Each brace  32  extends in a transverse direction from its respective vertical member  22  and is located directly adjacent the outer free end of each vertical member  22 . The braces  32  are selected to be of a length so that when the goal apparatus  10  is installed in position that the braces  32  will come into contact with the sidewall  18  of the swimming pool. 
     The rearward section  18  is defined by a pair of spaced apart, parallel horizontal members  34  which are connected together at their free outer end by a longitudinal horizontal brace member  36 . Each horizontal brace member  34  is braced with its respective vertical member  22  by an inclined brace member  38 . The function of the inclined brace members  38  are to keep the rearward section  18  fixed in position and located substantially at a right angle to the front section  16 . 
     Mounted at the outer end of each horizontal member  34  is a wheel  40 . It is to be understood that there are two in number of the wheels  40  with each wheel  40  being pivotally mounted on its respective horizontal member  34 . The wheels  40  are to function in unison so that when the frame  14  is in the position shown in FIG. 6 of the drawing, it can be moved longitudinally by rolling on the wheels  40 . 
     It is to be noted that each wheel  40  is pivotally mounted on a slanted section  50  with their being a separate slanted section  50  attached to each horizontal member  34 . The purpose of each slanted section  50  is so that when the horizontal members  34  are placed in contact and resting on the decking  30 , as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, that the wheels  40  are just in contact with the decking  30 . If it were not for the slanted sections  50 , the horizontal members  34  would not be in flush contact with the decking  30 . 
     Mounted on the longitudinal horizontal brace member  36  are a pair of wheels  42 . It is to be noted that the wheels  42  are of substantially larger diameter than the wheels  40 . The wheels  40  are to be in contact with the decking  30  when the horizontal members are located substantially at a forty-five degree angle relative to the decking  30 . In this position, the wheels  42  are not in contact with the decking  30 . This permits the longitudinal manual movement in the direction of arrow  44  of the frame  14 . However, when the frame  14  is pivoted an additional forty-five degrees, the horizontal members  44  are then located substantially vertical and wheels  42  will then be in contact with the decking  30  with the wheels  40  now being spaced from the decking  30 . This will permit the transverse movement of the frame  14  in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of arrow  44 . The frame  14  is to be movable by using of wheels  40  and  42  to locate the frame  14  in a storage location and then movement from the storage location to its usage position in conjunction with the swimming pool. It is to be understood that the wheels  42  are low frictionally pivotally mounted on the longitudinal horizontal brace member  36 . 
     Fixedly mounted on the longitudinal horizontal brace member  36  is a ballast tank  46 . The ballast tank  46  has an inlet pipe  48 . Water is to be poured through the inlet pipe  48  to substantially fill the ballast tank  46  which will provide added weight so as to keep the water goal apparatus  10  in a fixed location when in use. 
     The backboard  12  is defined principally by a main planer section  52  which is generally rectangular in configuration comprising three to four feet in height and eight to ten feet in length. This main section has a front surface  54  and a rear surface  56 . Centrally located and formed through the backboard  12  from the front surface  54  to the rear surface  56  is a through opening  58 . The size of the through opening  58  will generally be about twice the size of the ball that is to be used in conjunction with the game with the goal apparatus  10  of this invention. With the ball being generally about ten inches in diameter, this means that the through opening  58  will normally be about twenty inches in diameter. However, it is to be considered within the scope of this invention that the through opening  58  could be larger or smaller in size. 
     There may also be included on the front surface  54  a target area, such as targets  60  and  62 . The function of the targets  60  and  62  is to permit a player to aim for the targets  60  and  62  which will have the ball rebound from the backboard  12  in a direction upward above the surface  24  of the water  26 . It is to be noted that the targets  60  and  62  are shown as being a series of concentric circles. However, any configuration of targets  60  and  62  could be utilized without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Mounted on the rear surface  56  about the through opening  58  is a net  64 . The function of the net  64  is as a guiding device so that when the ball is propelled through through hole  58  that it comes into contact with the net  64  which will guide the ball in a straight down direction toward the surface  24  of the water  26  and position the ball directly adjacent the rear surface  56 . To the players of the game, upon a ball being propelled through the through opening  58 , the players know that the ball will be located directly beneath the through opening  58  so the player only needs to reach under the backboard  12  and grab the ball and extract such from its position for continued play of the game. The net  64  is of a length that is short of coming into contact with the surface  24  of the water  26 . 
     The backboard  12  is integrally connected to a top edge  56 . Mounted in conjunction with the top edge  56  are a series of straps  68  with three in number of the straps  68  being shown. It is the function of the straps  68  to securely mount the top edge  66  onto the main horizontal member  20  with member  20  abutting against surface  82  of backboard  12 . The straps  68  will include fastening means, which is commonly sold under the trade name Velcro which comprises a pair of pads, with one pad including a mass of tiny eyelets and the other pad including a mass of tiny hooks. 
     Also integrally connected to the backboard  12  are side panels  70  and  72 . The side panels  70  and  72  are of the same size and are of the same configuration. It is to be noted that each side panel  70  is narrow where it connects with the top edge  66  and is substantially wider where it connects at the bottom of the backboard  12 . Side panel  70  has a pair of straps  74 , similar to straps  68 , which are used to fixedly secure the side panel  70  onto one of the vertical members  22  with vertical member  22  abutting against stop members  84  and  86  mounted on side panel  70 . In a similar manner, side panel  72  has a pair of straps  76  which are similar to straps  68  which are used to fixedly secure the side panel  72  onto the remaining vertical member  22  with vertical member  22  abutting against stop members  84  and  86  of side panel  72 . It is to noted that when the goal apparatus  10  of this invention is in use, the main section  52  of the backboard  12  assumes a forwardly inclined position of about twelve degrees. This inclination is such that when a ball is directed in contact with the front surface  54  that the rebounding of the ball will be in a direction upward and away from the surface  24  of the water  26 . This will permit a single player to be able to practice by throwing at the backboard  12  and having the ball to bounce back to be located directly adjacent the player not requiring the services of any additional player. Targets  60  and  62  are to be used for this purpose. The through opening  58  is to be used when playing of the actual game rather than practicing. 
     Fixedly mounted on the rear surface  56  are a plurality of longitudinal ribs  78 . It is the function of the longitudinal ribs  78  to prevent deflection of the main section  52  so that it will be maintained substantially planer at all times. Also fixedly mounted on the rear surface  56  is a short rib  80  for the same purpose.