When traveling through most neighborhoods, one can typically find a freestanding basketball hoop/backboard assembly erected in a neighborhood playground or adjacent to a residential driveway.
It is desirable to secure a support pole for such a freestanding backboard assembly as rigidly as possible in the ground to minimize or dampen out vibrations that are generated by a basketball striking the backboard assembly and/or the support pole. Toward this objective, the lower end of a freestanding support pole may be placed into the ground adjacent a playing surface while an upper end of the support pole supports the backboard assembly secured thereto. To further secure a support pole to the playing surface and provide additional safety, cement is often placed inside of the pole.
In some instances, the lower end of the support pole is encased in cement, asphalt, or the like to more securely maintain the support pole in a fixed and erect position. In other instances, the lower end of the support pole may be inserted into a ground sleeve securely fixed in the ground. The ground sleeve allows the pole to be as stable as a permanent in-ground pole, while still being removable as desired, such as for special occasions.
One incident of providing a rigidly fixed free standing support pole by any method is that the support pole is often left in the ground for long periods of time. During long periods of inclement weather, the support pole, typically made from cast iron, steel, or aluminum tubing (hereafter referred to as “metal”), is susceptible to rusting and/or corrosion that deteriorates the appearance and eventually the structural integrity of the metal. In some cases, the exposure to the weather or chemicals, such as pesticides and others, may result in holes or even rings of metal around the base of the support pole that have been eaten away by rusting and/or corrosion.
Additionally, support poles are often damaged by contact with lawn equipment, by vehicle collisions, and/or by stresses induced during play. In any case, if the metal of the support pole is damaged or its structural integrity is compromised by rust and/or corrosion, the pole may fall due to forces exerted on the damaged area during play.
Although a pole filled with cement provides additional weight and stability during play, the cement does not significantly reinforce the strength of the support pole if the base of the support pole has been compromised by rust and/or corrosion as discussed above. As one of ordinary skill in the art would understand, the concrete in the pole acts poorly in tension to reinforce the pole or resist the bending of the concrete within the pole at the location of the failure. In other words, if the metal pole fails at its base, the concrete inside simply snaps.
Although a pole with a much thicker wall thickness, or a solid metal pole may appear to provide the additional needed structural integrity, such a pole proves prohibitive due to costs and additional weight. Not only is the cost of manufacturing a thicker pole more expensive, but also the additional weight significantly increases production, handling, and shipping costs. Further, the effort required to assemble a thicker pole is beyond the abilities of the average consumer.
Furthermore, simply including additional wall thickness of all support poles fails to provide the consumer with the option, significantly increasing the cost of the product with little if any increased value to the consumer. While some environments are especially corrosive, where additional structural support is desired, other environments do not require additional structural support in order to prolong the life of the support pole. For example, the outdoor backyard basketball court may benefit from additional structural support due to its exposure to inclement weather and time. However, the inclusion of heavy, difficult-to-assemble support poles for an indoor basketball court is overkill.
Therefore, there is a need for a reinforced sports pole that is selectable for the environmental conditions and provides additional support during a failure of the sports pole.