Patent ID: 8371965

Claim:
A miniature basketball hoop and backboard, comprising: a backboard having front and rear surfaces, and top and bottom edges; at least one hook at the top of the backboard having a front leg, a top leg and a rear leg, with the front leg joined to a front end of the top leg and the rear leg joined to a rear end of the top leg, with front leg perpendicular to the top leg and with the rear leg perpendicular to the top leg and having a lower end flared outwardly away from the rear surface of the backboard, and with the front leg attached to the back surface of the backboard adjacent to the top edge of the backboard; a front mounting plate attached to the front surface of the backboard, with the front mounting plate having upper and lower ends; a rim joined to an upper mounting plate; a hinge on the front mounting plate, with upper mounting plate attached to the hinge; a lower mounting plate fixed in position on the front mounting plate below the upper mounting plate and between the upper and lower ends of the front mounting plate, with the lower mounting plate substantially parallel to and spaced vertically apart from the upper mounting plate, and with the upper and lower mounting plates substantially perpendicular to the front mounting plate; a spring secured between the upper and lower mounting plates, with the spring urging the upper mounting plate away from the tower mounting plate, and with the spring in a substantially vertical orientation; a rear mounting plate on the rear surface of the backboard, with the rear mounting plate separate from the front mounting plate; a rear mounting plate sound dampener attached to the rear mounting plate; fasteners extending through the front mounting plate, the backboard, and the rear mounting plate, for attaching the front and rear mounting plates to the backboard; and one or more perimeter sound dampeners on the rear surface of the backboard adjacent to a perimeter of the backboard.