Patent ID: 8246496

Claim:
A sports net apparatus, comprising: a frame including: left and right flexible posts; left and right side members; and a base member; the left flexible post having an upper end and a lower end, with the lower end of the left flexible post attached to a left corner fitting at a left end of the base member; the right flexible post having an upper end and a lower end, with the lower end of the right flexible post attached to a right corner fitting at a right end of the base member; the left side member having a front end and a back end, with the back end of the left flexible side member attached to the left corner fitting; the right side member having a front end and a back end, with the back end of the right side member attached to the right corner fitting; the left and right corner fittings each having receptacles extending on a lateral axis, a longitudinal axis and on a vertical axis, and with the lateral axis intersecting and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and with the vertical axis intersecting and at an obtuse angle to the lateral axis; and a net including: a lower left corner attached adjacent to the front end of the left side member; a lower right corner attached adjacent to the front end of the right side member; an upper left corner attached to an upper end of the left flexible post; a upper right corner attached to an upper end of the right flexible post, with the net held up vertically on the frame only by the left and right flexible posts; and the upper ends of the left and right side flexible posts pulling away from each other to maintain tension in an upper edge of the net extending between the upper left and right corners of the net, and with upper ends of the left and right flexible side posts also pulling upwardly and vertically away from the left and right side posts, to maintain tension in the left and right side edges of the net, respectively.