Abstract:
A collapsible basketball return device including pairs of front and rear vertical telescoping posts. Lower and upper horizontal telescoping side support arms extend between a lower portion of each of the front and rear posts. Lower and upper horizontal telescoping end support arms extend between the lower portions of each of the front posts and each of the rear posts, respectively. A net is suspended from the telescoping posts and forms a tunnel in its lower portion that slopes toward and beyond the front of the device when in its fully erected mode. The net is open at its top and the outer end of the tunnel is attached to a discharge chute aimed at the user. The discharge chute is attached to the front telescoping posts by telescoping and rotatable chute support arms.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/553,422, filed Mar. 12, 2004. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a collapsible basketball return device for use in conjunction with a conventional basketball goal. 
   Like all sports, basketball requires many types of practice exercises. One such exercise is shooting baskets from a particular location on the floor, especially practicing free-throws from the free-throw line. Typically such practice involves the person shooting the baskets and one or more other persons to return balls to the shooter. 
   It would be very desirable to have a device that would automatically return balls to the shooter to free up other personnel for other purposes and to allow the shooter to practice by himself or herself. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for automatically returning basketballs shot at a basketball goal to the shooter. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for automatically returning basketballs that is easily collapsible for storage and easily erected for use. 
   The collapsible basketball return device of the present invention includes pairs of front and rear vertical telescoping posts having tubular lower, central and upper portions. A pair of lower and upper horizontal telescoping side support arms extend between a lower portion of each of the front and rear posts. A pair of lower and upper horizontal telescoping end support arms extend between a lower portion of each of the front posts and between a lower portion of each of the rear posts, respectively. 
   A net is suspended from the telescoping posts and slopes toward the front of the device. The net is open at its top and is attached to a discharge chute at its bottom. The discharge chute is attached to the front telescoping posts by telescoping and rotatable support arms. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a rear right side perspective view of the basketball return device of the present invention, shown in its fully deployed configuration; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial front elevational view of the basketball return device with the discharge chute and its telescoping and rotatable support arms shown in their fully deployed configuration; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial front elevational view of the discharge chute and its collapsible support arms, shown with the discharge chute in a non-operable rotated position; 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the left front vertical telescoping post of the basketball return device of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is an outer side elevational view of the upper right horizontal telescoping side support arm of the basketball return device of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The basketball return device  10  of the present invention has a framework that includes: two vertical telescoping front posts  20  and two vertical telescoping rear posts  20 ′, respectively; two horizontal telescoping upper side support arms  30 , respectively; two horizontal telescoping lower side support arms  30 ′, respectively; upper and lower horizontal telescoping front end support arms  40  and  40 ′, respectively; and upper and lower horizontal telescoping rear end support arms  140  and  140 ′, respectively. 
   The four vertical telescoping posts  20  and  20 ′ are identical in construction. One such post  20  is illustrated in  FIG. 4 , it being understood that posts  20 ′ have the same elements with the same reference numbers used for post  20  but with a prime added thereto. Telescoping post  20  includes a tubular lower portion (bottom leg portion)  21 , a tubular central portion (middle leg portion)  22  and a tubular upper portion (top leg portion)  23 . The total height of each of the telescoping posts  20  and  20 ′ in their fully extended position is preferably such that the upper ends of upper portions  23  and  23 ′ are between the height of the rim and the height of the upper edge of a basketball backboard. 
   The diameter of upper portion  23  is smaller than the diameter of central portion  22 , and upper portion  23  is adapted to be telescopingly received within central portion  22 . Similarly, the diameter of central portion  22  is smaller than the diameter of lower portion  21 , and central portion  22  is adapted to be telescopingly received within lower portion  21 . 
   In the fully extended position of telescoping posts  20  and  20 ′ (substantially as shown in  FIG. 4 ), central portions  22  and  22 ′ are held in place in their extended position by any suitable releasable means, such as a snug fit or use of an opposing hole and detent arrangement (not shown). Similarly, in the fully extended position of telescoping posts  20  and  20 ′ (substantially as shown in  FIG. 4 ), upper portions  23  and  23 ′ are held in place in their extended position by any suitable means, such as a snug fit or use of an opposing hole and detent arrangement (not shown). 
   Pipe couplers  24 ,  24 ′,  25  and  25 ′ are identical in configuration and are non-rotatably attached to upper and lower portions of bottom leg portions  21 ,  21 ′, as shown. The horizontal arms of couplers  24  and  24 ′ are adapted to receive one end of side support arms  30  and the lower horizontal arms of couplers  25 ,  25 ′ are adapted to receive one end of end support arms  30 ′, respectively. 
   Caster wheels  29  and  29 ′ are attached to the lower ends of bottom leg portions  21  and  21 ′, respectively, to make the device more mobile, particularly during movement into storage. 
   All four horizontal telescoping side support arms  30  and  30 ′ are identical in construction, the upper right support arm  30  being shown in  FIG. 5 . Side support arms  30 ′ have the same elements as side support arm  30 , and are identified by the same reference numbers but to which a prime has been added. Support arm  30  includes spaced apart tubular sections  31 ,  32  and  33 . The diameter of section  31  is greater than the diameter of section  32  which is greater than the diameter of section  33 . Detents may be used to hold the sections in their fully extended positions. 
   All four horizontal telescoping front and rear support arms  40 ,  40 ′,  140  and  140 ′ are similar in configuration to side support arms  30  and  30 ′, their fully extended length being shorter. 
   Pipe couplers  124  and  124 ′ located adjacent to pipe couplers  24 ,  24 ′,  25  and  25 ′, and are rotatable about bottom leg portion  21  and  21 ′, respectively. The horizontal arms of couplers  124  and  124 ′ are adapted to receive one end of front and rear support arms  40 ,  40 ′,  140  and  140 ′. 
   Eyebolts  26  and  26 ′ are attached to the outer end of upper portions  23  and  23 ′ of each of the four vertical posts  20  and  20 ′, respectively. A continuous cord  50 , such as a bungee cord, extends between both front and rear posts  20  and  20 ′, through eyebolts  26  and  26 ′, down at least a portion of upper portions  23  and  23 ′ of posts  20  and  20 ′, through unattached (floating) rings  27  and  27 ′, and between rear posts  20 ′ and between front posts  20 . 
   A net  51  includes net side portions  52  and  54  which are attached to, and extend downwardly from, that portion of cord  50  extending between front and rear posts  20  and  20 ′. 
   A generally triangular-shaped rear end net portion  56  is attached to, and extends downwardly from, that portion of cord  50  extending between rear posts  20 ′. The sides of rear end net portion  56  are attached to or integral with side net portions  52  and  54 , as best seen in  FIG. 1 . The upper edge  156  of rear end net  56  portion is adapted to be located just below the arm attaching the basketball hoop to the backboard when rear posts  20 ′ are fully extended. 
   A front end net portion  58  has an upper edge  158  which is attached to and extends downwardly from that portion of cord  50  extending between front posts  20 , with the sides thereof being attached to or integral with side net portions  52  and  54  in a manner identical to rear end net portion  56 . However, the upper edge  158  of front end net portion  58  is lower than the upper edge  156  of rear end net portion  56  in order to not interfere with the trajectory of basketballs shot at the basket. 
   Side net portions  52  and  54 , rear end net portion  56 , and front end net portion  58  form a tunnel-like configuration at the lower front end of return device  10 . 
   The tunnel-like configuration formed by side net portions  52 , 54  and rear and front net portions  56  and  58  is attached at its outer end to a hollow basketball discharge chute  60 . Discharge chute  60  has an inside diameter larger than the diameter of a basketball. 
   Details of discharge chute  60  and left and right chute support arms  70  and  70 ′ are shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , but the netting has been omitted for sake of clarity. 
   Discharge chute  60  has an entrance end  62  and an exit or discharge end  64 . A rim  66  encircles the entrance end  62 , and a cord  68  encircles chute  60  adjacent rim  66 . The netting adjacent discharge chute  60  is attached to cord  68 . 
   Discharge chute  60  is supported by two identical left and right telescoping chute support arms  70  and  70 ′. Left and right chute support arms  70  and  70 ′ include a tubular inner portion  71  and  71 ′, respectively, a tubular middle portion  72  and  72 ′, respectively, a tubular outer portion  73  and  73 ′, respectively, an elbow  74  and  74 ′ attached to the outer ends of outer arm portions  73  and  73 ′, respectively, and a tubular hand member  75 . Tubular hand member  75  passes through loosely fitting straps  76  and  76 ′ attached to the outer surface of discharge chute  60 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . The ends of tubular hand member  75 ′ are attached to rotatable elbows  74  and  74 ′, as shown. 
   Chute support arms  70  and  71  can be telescoped to an extended position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , or collapsed into a shortened, storage position with discharge chute positioned behind adjacent front posts  20 . This telescoping action is accomplished by tubular middle portions  72  and  72 ′ having an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than, the inner diameter of tubular inner portions  71  and  71 ′ and tubular outer portions  73  and  73 ′. Suitable detents  78  and  78 ′ can be used to keep support arms in their extended position, the net attached to chute  60  preventing separation of tubular middle portions  72  and  72 ′ from tubular inner portions  71  and  71 ′ and tubular outer portions  73  and  73 ′. 
   Left and right chute support arms  70  and  71  are attached to left and right front posts  20  by means of left and right elbows  80  and  80 ′. Left and right elbows  80  and  80 ′ are adapted to swivel around tubular base members  21 . 
   In the preceding description the netting of basketball return device  10  is configured to return basketballs shot essentially while facing the basket, such as throw practice, where the rear net portion  56  is located adjacent the backboard. The return device  10  can be configured to allow practicing shots at side angles. Such other configurations can be effected by having portions of netting on the right and left sides that can be folded up and down so that either the right or left sides can be placed closer to the backboard. In such a configuration the rear net would have a fold-up and fold-down portion also. 
   In use, the rear end of basketball return device  10 , in the fully erected position shown in  FIG. 1 , is placed under a basketball basket with basketball discharge chute  60  facing the position to be occupied by the shooter. Basketballs shot at the basket which either pass through the basket or slightly miss the basket fall into net  51 , rolling downwardly and out through basketball discharge chute  60  towards the shooter. 
   To collapse basketball return device  10  for storage, telescoping left and right chute support arms  70  and  71  are partially collapsed and discharge chute  60  rotated so that its discharge end  64  faces inwardly and its entrance end  62  faces outwardly, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Chute support arms  70  and  71  are then rotated in the direction shown by the arrows in FIG.  3  as they are being moved into their fully collapsed position, the netting being omitted forsake of clarity. 
   Next the user collapses telescoping posts  20  and  20 ′ downwardly, collapses horizontal telescoping side support arms  30  and  30 ′ inwardly, and pushes the front and rear end posts  20  and  20 ′ towards each other to fully collapse the basketball return device  10 . 
   It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments of this invention without departing from the underlying principles thereof. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.