Patent Description:
Sports apparatuses, such as football goals and basketball posts, commonly need to be robust. The apparatus must be capable of withstanding impact regularly without moving from position, and in the case of outdoor apparatus can be exposed to extreme weather conditions. Football goals in particular can have significant weight because of this. A potential consequence of this is that the apparatus can be difficult to move, which is problematic where a space needs to be multi-functional (such as a school sports field) and the sports apparatus is moved regularly. While many sports apparatus such as football goals are marketed as "moveable" or "portable", these are often unwieldy and difficult to move in practice. Further, there may be risk of injury when moving these goals.

<CIT> relates to a sports apparatus, more specifically football goal comprising lights that are powered by solar energy. The football goal comprises a wheel, and a light to provide illumination, such that the football goal can be moved at night the person of facilitating the use play football at night, the energy can have been saved and convert the electric energy use into by the absorbed light to the device. The upper end of support is connected with solar cell panel, and the lower extreme and the football door bulk phase of support are connected, and the illumination lamp holder install in football door main part, and the light is installed on illumination lamp holder. The net sets up in football door main part, and the chassis setting is in football door main part, and pneumatic cylinder, connecting piece, universal wheel support and universal wheel all set up the inside at the chassis. The control box sets up in football door main part, and control chip, solenoid valve, battery and converter all set up in the inside of control box, in the control panel football door main part to be located the lower extreme of football door main part.

<CIT> relates to a cage made up of a series of sections removably connected together. When the sections are connected together, a rigid and strong cage. Alliteratively, the sections to be disconnected and reassembled to form a comparatively compact bundle to facilitate movement of the cage.

<CIT> relates to a jack for supporting and adjusting the elevation of a trailer tongue comprising a ground support post, having either a caster wheel or foot plate at its lower end, extending downwardly through a jack mechanism housing which is bolted to the trailer tongue. The post can be raised or lowered either by manually sliding a post manual release of latching means in the housing and tilting of a crank. The mechanism in the housing comprises a pivotally movable support member on which a crank-driven worm and an intermeshing worm gear are rotatably mounted. The support member is spring biased and releasably latched into an upward position wherein the worm gear engages the rack (and functions as a pinion gear) and manual rotation of the crank is necessary to move the post up or down. Upon manual release of the latch, tilting of the crank moves the support member to a downward position wherein the worm gear is disengaged from the rack, whereupon the post is free to be slid manually to a desired position.

<FIG> illustrate a conventional "moveable" football goal. The goal comprises a frame <NUM>, a net <NUM> and four wheels <NUM> (only two are pictured). As can be seen in <FIG>, each wheel <NUM> is connected to the frame <NUM> by a connecting bar <NUM>. The end of the connecting bar <NUM> is rotatably coupled to the frame <NUM> with a bolt <NUM>, such that the connecting bar <NUM> is rotatable about the bolt <NUM>. A stopper <NUM> prevents rotation of the connecting bar <NUM> past the "raised position" (as in <FIG>), to ensure that the apparatus <NUM> remains raised up on the wheel <NUM>. To move the sports apparatus <NUM>, the apparatus <NUM> must be raised from the ground and the wheel <NUM> rotated into place. This often requires multiple people, and a significant amount of physical effort. There is also a risk of injury associated with this action - one of the users may drop the goal, or even receive an injury caused by impact with the rotating wheel or trapped skin in the rotation mechanism. Even once the wheels <NUM> are in place, manoeuvring the goal can be difficult. Football goals are large and cumbersome, often sized around <NUM> foot (<NUM> metres) long and <NUM> foot (<NUM> metres) high and deep. As such, steering football goals across a pitch and potentially through relatively narrow gaps can be awkward.

A solution to at least the above mentioned problems is desirable.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system configured for use with a moveable sports apparatus as defined in claim <NUM>. Optional and/or preferable features are defined in the dependent claims.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate an embodiment of the present invention (perspective view, top-down view and side view respectively). The wheel system <NUM> comprises three wheels and an axle <NUM> passing through the centre of the wheels <NUM>. This allows the wheels <NUM> to rotate freely with the axle <NUM> as the rotation axis. The wheels <NUM> are supported by a support frame <NUM>. The support frame <NUM> is coupled to each end of the axle <NUM>. The support frame <NUM> is also rotatably coupled to a
shaft <NUM>, with a pressed bearing <NUM> (<FIG>), such that the frame <NUM> (and, by extension, the wheel <NUM>) is rotatable with respect to the shaft <NUM> about the axis of the shaft <NUM>. The shaft <NUM> is substantially perpendicular to the axle <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the shaft <NUM> comprises a rack-and-pinion assembly. The pinion gear <NUM> is coupled to a bar <NUM>, such that rotation of the bar <NUM> about its longitudinal axis rotates the pinion gear <NUM>, and raises and lowers a rack <NUM>. This in turn raises and lowers the wheels <NUM>. The rack <NUM> and pinion assembly <NUM> are enclosed by a casing <NUM>, leaving the bar <NUM> protruding for access by a user. The casing comprises a series of plates 211a, 211b which each comprise a series of apertures for receiving attachment means 211c. Plate 211a is otherwise a solid, single backing plate. In contrast, plate 211b comprises a recess for the pinion gear <NUM> such that the gear <NUM> can be rotated, and may comprise a plurality of smaller plate components. In the illustrated example, the attachment means 211c comprises a plurality of bolts and associated nuts. The modular construction of the casing <NUM> allows the user to replace any defective/worn parts easily, but the casing could also comprise a single component (i.e. with the rack and pinion assembly not accessible by the end user at any point, and with the plates permanently attached or forming one larger component). A ratchet wedge <NUM> holds the shaft <NUM> at the desired height (i.e. to prevent the goal sinking when resting on the wheels <NUM>) by engaging with the pinion gear <NUM> and preventing reverse rotation. The wedge <NUM> can be released with a release handle <NUM>. Pulling the release handle <NUM> releases the wedge <NUM> (i.e. the default position of the wedge <NUM> is locked). In the illustrated embodiment, the perpendicular bar has a hexagonal cross-section. The shaped cross section allows the user to attach a separate handle in order to rotate. In an alternative example, the bar may have a shaped end for gripping by the user by hand.

The shaft <NUM> is received by an aperture in an enclosure <NUM>, such that the shaft <NUM> is coupled to the support frame <NUM> after passing through the enclosure <NUM>. The enclosure <NUM> surrounds the support frame <NUM>, and couples to two mounting bars <NUM>, which are configured to connect the system <NUM> to a sports apparatus.

The enclosure <NUM> comprises a top member <NUM>, two arcuate connecting arches <NUM>, two plates <NUM>, and a base ring <NUM>. The top member <NUM> is configured to receive the shaft <NUM> through a central aperture 261a. The top member <NUM> is coupled to the mounting bars <NUM>, and connected to the base ring <NUM> by the connecting arches <NUM> and plates <NUM>. The top member <NUM> may comprise separate 'forks' 261b, 261c which sit either side of the top of the mounting bars <NUM>, improving the stability of the connection between the components. The connecting arches <NUM> and plates <NUM> comprise protrusions P configured to enter slots S in the top member <NUM> and base ring <NUM> such that the parts interlock. The base ring <NUM> is substantially circular, with two substantially rectangular discontinuities protruding on opposite sides of the ring, to contact the mounting bars <NUM>. The arcuate connecting arches <NUM> may differ, such that a first arch 263a comprises an extension at the top end to support the shaft <NUM>, and a second arch 263b comprised a rounded end for ease of removal of a front plate 211d of the shaft casing <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the mounting bars <NUM> are hollow cuboids, or box sections, but could conceivably be cylindrical. Indeed, any shape would be possible provided the bars fit inside a frame <NUM> (<FIG>) of the sports apparatus <NUM> (<FIG>), with which the system <NUM> is configured for use.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate an alternative embodiment of the present invention (perspective view, top-down view, side view and exploded view respectively). The wheel system <NUM> comprises a wheel and an axle <NUM> passing through the centre of the wheel <NUM>. This allows the wheel <NUM> to rotate freely with the axle as the rotation axis. The wheel <NUM> is supported by a support frame <NUM>. The support frame is coupled to each end of the axle <NUM>. The support frame <NUM> comprises two arms <NUM>, which are configured to couple to the axle <NUM> either side of the wheel <NUM> by receiving the end of the axle <NUM> into an aperture, and a bar <NUM> substantially perpendicular to the arms <NUM>. It is this bar <NUM> that is rotatably coupled to the shaft <NUM> with the pressed bearing <NUM>. In this embodiment, the bar and arms are separate components which interlock. The support frame could alternatively be one integral component.

The support frame <NUM> is also rotatably coupled to a cylindrical shaft <NUM>, with a pressed bearing <NUM> (<FIG>), such that the frame <NUM> (and, by extension, the wheel <NUM>) is rotatable with respect to the shaft <NUM> about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the shaft <NUM>. The shaft <NUM> is substantially perpendicular to the axle <NUM>. A lever <NUM> is connected to the top end of the shaft <NUM>. The shaft <NUM> comprises a piston cylinder <NUM> and a piston <NUM> inside the piston cylinder <NUM>. The lever <NUM> is connected to the shaft <NUM> by receiving a pin through an aperture <NUM>, allowing the lever <NUM> to pivot to be raised and lowered. The lever has a cam-shaped end, and the aperture <NUM> is positioned such that raising the lever <NUM> increases the length within the piston cylinder <NUM>. This extra length causes the lever <NUM> to engage with the piston <NUM>, which applies a downwards vertical force to the support frame <NUM>. This lowers the support frame <NUM> (and, by extension, the wheel <NUM>) which causes the sports apparatus <NUM> (<FIG>) to be raised such that the wheels <NUM> are the only points of contact with the ground, enabling the apparatus to be moved.

The shaft <NUM> is received by an aperture 461a in an enclosure <NUM>, such that the shaft <NUM> is coupled to the support frame <NUM> after passing through the enclosure <NUM>. The enclosure <NUM> surrounds the support frame <NUM>, and couples to two mounting bars <NUM>, which are configured to connect the system <NUM> to a sports apparatus. The enclosure <NUM> comprises a top member <NUM>,two arcuate connecting arches <NUM>, two plates <NUM>, and a base ring <NUM>. The top member <NUM> receives the shaft <NUM> through a central aperture 461a. The top member <NUM> is coupled to the mounting bars <NUM>, and connected to the base ring <NUM> by the connecting arches <NUM> and plates <NUM>. The connecting arches <NUM> and plates <NUM> comprise protrusions P configured to enter slots S in the top member <NUM> and base ring <NUM> such that the parts interlock. The base ring <NUM> is substantially circular, with two substantially rectangular discontinuities protruding on opposite sides of the ring, to contact the mounting bars <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the mounting bars are hollow cuboids, but could conceivably be cylindrical. Indeed, any shape would be possible provided the bars fit inside a frame <NUM> (<FIG>) of the sports apparatus <NUM> (<FIG>) the system <NUM> is configured for use with.

<FIG> illustrates the same embodiment as <FIG> and <FIG>, integrated into a sports apparatus frame <NUM>. The system <NUM> (with exception of the lever <NUM>) is enclosed by a housing <NUM>. While the system <NUM> will function the same without the housing <NUM>, the housing <NUM> provides protection to the system <NUM> from external conditions. The housing <NUM> may be separable from the system <NUM>, to allow the user to inspect and/or maintain the system <NUM> should any issues occur. For example, the housing <NUM> may sit on the shaft <NUM>, and clip onto the bottom of the base ring <NUM>, being held in place due to the tensile force placed upon it. Alternatively, the housing <NUM> may be an integrated part of the wheel assembly <NUM>. This may increase the sturdiness of the assembly <NUM>, which in turn may increase the expected lifespan of the wheel assembly <NUM>. The housing <NUM> can be made from any suitable material, such as a metal (e.g. aluminium or steel) or a sufficiently strong, tough plastic such as polypropylene or PVC.

<FIG> illustrates an example moveable sports apparatus <NUM>, comprising a frame <NUM> and four wheel assemblies <NUM> integrated into the frame <NUM>. The frame can be made of any suitable material, such as a metal (e.g. aluminium or steel) or a sufficiently strong, tough plastic such as polypropylene or PVC.

Although specific embodiments have been described, these are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which should be determined with reference to the accompanying claims. A number of modifications and variations are possible, which are intentionally within the scope of the claims.

Claim 1:
A system (<NUM>) configured for use with a moveable sports apparatus (<NUM>), the system (<NUM>) comprising:
a wheel assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
an axle (<NUM>); and
at least one wheel (<NUM>) mounted on and rotatable with respect to the axle (<NUM>);
a shaft (<NUM>) substantially perpendicular to the axle (<NUM>), wherein the wheel assembly (<NUM>) is configured to rotate about the shaft (<NUM>) and to translate longitudinally about the shaft;
a height locking mechanism comprising:
a ratchet wedge (<NUM>), configured to prevent the shaft (<NUM>) rising when engaged; and
a ratchet release handle (<NUM>) configured to release the ratchet wedge (<NUM>) when actuated; and
one or more connectors (<NUM>) configured to connect the wheel assembly to a moveable sports apparatus (<NUM>).