DISC GOLF TARGET

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to target apparatuses for sport of disc golf, and more particularly to a disc golf target for improved and consistent disc capture.

BACKGROUND

Disc golf is a sport in which players throw a flying disc at a target. The players attempt to complete a course of targets in the least number of throws. Disc golf courses are typically located in parks or other open areas. The target typically comprises an upstanding structure, such as a pole, which has a disc-receiving basket and an upper assembly connected with the pole. A plurality of chains hangs down from the upper assembly, which chains stop the motion and momentum of the disc so that it falls in the disc-receiving basket.

The upper assembly of the target plays a critical role in catching the disc thrown at it. Thus, at least in the more advanced targets used in competitions, the upper assembly comprises plurality chains at two or more different distances from the pole which allows improved capturing of the discs. These chains move once hit with a disc, thus capturing the disc and allowing it to drop in the basket.

However, when the disc hits one side of the chains of the target, the disc tends to bounce off from the chains of the target instead of being captured by chains. The capture area, and the size of this area, of the target is thus highly dependent of the arrangement and movement of the chains of the target. Further, the known disc golf targets tends to capture the disc thrown at them better from one side of the target than from the other depending on the direction of rotation of the disc hitting the target, meaning that these targets have so-called “strong side” and “weak side”.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an improved disc golf target with enhanced capturing properties once hit with a disc. With the disc golf target of the present invention the movement energy of the disc, including both the kinetic energy and the rotation energy of the disc, is absorbed much more effective by the chains of the target that with the prior art targets.

In the disc golf target of the invention the disc golf target comprises a basket and an upper assembly connected with a substantially vertical pole, wherein the upper assembly comprises a plurality of chains located around the pole and connected from their upper ends to connecting parts extending outwards from the pole, wherein the connection points of the chains are at least at two different distances away from the pole, wherein at least some of the connections of the upper ends of the outer chains to the connecting parts are configured to allow the upper ends of the chains to move along the connecting parts closer to the pole when hit with a disc, and wherein the movement distance of the upper ends of the outer chains along the connecting parts is configured to extend closer to the pole than the outmost distance of the of the upper ends of the inner chains from the pole.

The increased movement distance of the upper ends of the outer chains allows increased energy absorption properties for the outer chains of the target, which significantly diminishes the possibility that the chains bounce or throw the disc hitting the chains outside from the area of the basket below the chains.

In the context of the present invention feature “vertical” is defined in relation to the direction of gravity, whereby the vertical direction is parallel in relation to the direction of gravity. Correspondingly, horizontal direction is perpendicular in relation to the direction of gravity. In relation to this it is also to be noted, that a disc golf target is generally designed so that it operates optimally when the pole of the parget is parallel with the direction of the gravity. The same basis applies for corresponding definitions such as “upper”, “lower”, “downwards”, etc., i.e. these definitions are based on the direction of gravity.

In an embodiment of the invention the movement distance of the upper ends of the outer chains along the connecting parts is configured to extend substantially the whole length of the connecting part. This way the upper ends of the outer chains are allowed to move from their outermost position to substantially at the outer surface of the pole of the target, which further enhances the energy absorption properties of the outer chains.

In an embodiment of the invention the connecting parts of the ends of the outer chains are formed from a bent rod-like piece, which bent rod-like piece defines a straight movement path for the upper ends of the outer chains. Preferably the bent rod-like piece forms a loop, which loop is preferably formed on a vertical plane.

In an embodiment of the invention also at least some of the connections of the upper ends of the inner chains to the connecting parts are configured to allow the upper ends of the chains to move along the connecting parts closer to the pole when hit with a disc. The movement distance of the upper end of the inner chain along the connecting part is preferably at least 5-10% of the distance between the outmost position of the upper end of the inner chain and the outer surface of the pole.

In this embodiment the connecting parts of the upper ends of the inner chains are preferably formed from bent rod-like piece with a curved portion connecting two straight portions, wherein the curved portion defines the outermost position for the upper ends of the inner chains. Thus, the straight portions of the connecting part define two separate movement paths for the upper end of the inner chain, which paths preferably extend in a same tilted horizontal plane.

The straight portions of the connecting parts of the inner chains preferably extend in the same direction, or alternatively in two different directions, to allow the ends of the inner chains to move closer to the pole along two different paths.

In an embodiment of the invention the connecting parts, or the movement paths formed by the connecting parts, for the upper ends of the chains are formed such, that gravity forces the ends of the chains to return to their outermost position after being moved from these positions. This is preferably obtained by movement paths that are downwards slanting when moving away from the pole of the target.

In an embodiment of the invention the connecting parts extend radially away from the pole at even distribution, wherein between each connecting part of the ends of the outer chains is a connecting part for the ends of the inner chains.

More precisely the features defining a disc golf target accordance with the present invention are presented in claim 1. Dependent claims present advantageous features and embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplifying embodiment of the invention and its advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of example and with reference to accompanying drawings, where

FIG. 1 shows schematically a disc golf target in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 shows schematically the disc golf target of FIG. 1 as top view, and

FIG. 3 shows schematically the upper assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 1 as a cross-sectional side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

In the embodiment of a disc golf target 1 in accordance with the present invention shown in figures the disc golf target 1 comprises a pole 2, a basket 3 and an upper assembly 4 with a plurality of chains 5a and 5b. The upper assembly 4 and the basket 3 is connected to each other with the pole 2, which pole also extends downwards from the basket and is used to fix the target 1 on ground. This fixing of the target 1 to ground can be implemented with a sleeve in the ground, which is typically used with permanent targets in disc gold courses for example. Alternatively, a separate foot piece may be connected at the lower end of the pole 2 which is set on ground and keeps the target 1 upright, which is typically used with movable training targets for example.

When a disc (not shown) is thrown at the disc golf target 1, the chains 5a, 5b capture the disc by movement of the chains, which movement absorbs the kinetic energy of the disc, which disc then drops in the basket 3. Getting the disc in the basket 3 typically signifies successful completion of a single hole or fairway in a disc golf game.

In the embodiment shown in the figures the chains 5a, 5b are connected from their upper ends to connecting parts 6a, 6b so that the chains hang at two different distances from the pole 2. The chains 5a connected to the connecting parts 6a form outer chain group further from the pole 2, and the chains 5b connected to the connecting parts 6b form the inner chain group closer to pole 2. This way there is two separate layers of chains, outer chains 5a and inner chains 5b, in this embodiment. It is noted, that there may also be provided additional layers of chains, between the outer chains 5a and inner chains 5b, and/or between the inner chains 5b and the pole 2, for example.

In this embodiment the connecting parts 6a and 6b extend away from the pole 2 radially and with even distribution so, that between each connecting part 6a for outer chain 5a is one connecting part 6b for inner chain 5b. In this embodiment there is 12 connecting parts 6a with outer chains 5a and 12 connecting parts 6b with inner chains 5b, as can be best seen from FIG. 2, but the amount of the connecting parts 6a, 6b with the outer chains 5a and the inner chains 5b may also be different.

The upper ends of the outer chains 5a are typically connected to the connecting parts 6a movably, so that the upper ends of the outer chains will move along the connecting parts towards the pole 2 when the outer chains are hit with a disc.

In the disc golf target 1 shown in figures, the connecting parts 6a for the outer chains 5a are formed from metal rods as loops (in vertical plane), wherein the loop comprises substantially horizontally extending straight first section, substantially vertically from the outer end of the first section downwards extending straight second section, and straight third section connecting the lower end of the second section and the inner end of the first section, thus forming substantially triangular form for the connecting part. The upper ends of the outer chains 6a are hang on the third section of the connecting part 6a, and can move along the third section of the connecting part when hit with a disc. The third section of the connecting parts 6a is also downward slanting, when proceeding from the pole 2 outwards, which creates some resistance for the ends of the outer chains 5a for movement towards the pole 2 due to gravity. Further, gravity also moves the ends of the outer chains 5a back to their outermost position when energy moving them inwards has been absorbed due to the downwards slanting third section of the connection pieces 6a.

In relation to the embodiment of the figures it is also to be noted, that third section of the connecting parts 6a extends all the way to the inner end of the first section of the connecting parts 6a and thus next to the outer surface of the pole 2. This allows the ends of the outer chains 5a to move along the third section of the connecting part substantially the whole length of this section, and especially past the outermost position of the inner chains 5b towards the pole 2. Therefore, the outer chains 5a has the ability to absorb a significant amount of the kinetic energy from the disc hitting them before the chain starts to swing back from its upper connection thus slowing down the disc more gradually rather than coming to an abrupt like stop that propels the disc backwards.

The upper ends of the inner chains 5b are connected to the upper assembly 4 with connecting parts 6b, which connecting parts are also formed from metal rods by bending. The connecting parts 6b are in this embodiment substantially V-shaped pieces, wherein the tip of the V-shape is curved and the straight portions of the connecting parts 6b extend at two different directions. This form allows two different movement paths for the upper end of the inner chains 5b along the straight portions closer to the pole 2 when hit with a disc. Alternatively, the connecting parts 6b may be formed U-shaped, for example.

The connecting parts 6b for the upper ends of the inner chains 5b also form loop when connected to the part 7 of the upper assembly 4 when viewed upwards, wherein the outer tip of the connecting parts 6b is located lower than the opposite ends of the straight portions, so that the ends of the inner chains 5b are moved back at their outmost position once energy moving them is absorbed.

In relation to the mentioned metal rods used for forming the connecting parts 6a and 6b, it is to be noted that the connecting parts can also be formed from rids of other material, such as plastic or composite material, for example.

In the embodiment of the figures the lower ends of the outer chains 5a are connected in the ribs of the basket 3 movably along the ribs, and the lower ends of the inner chains 5b are connected to similar arrangement than in the upper assembly 4, which arrangement is connected to the basket. Alternatively the lower ends of the chains 5a, 5b may be connected to a ring arranged around the pole 2, which ring is movable along the length of the pole, or two separate rings, wherein the lower ends of the outer chains 5a are connected to the first ring movable along the length of the pole and the lower ends of the inner chains 5b are connected to the second ring movable along the length of the pole, for example. There may also be more rings movable along the length of the pole arranged for the lower ends of the chains.

The specific exemplifying embodiment of the invention shown in the figures and discussed above should not be construed as limiting. A person skilled in the art can amend and modify the embodiment described in many evident ways within the scope of the attached claims. Thus, the invention is not limited merely to the embodiment described above.