Portable walls for games

Abstract

Portable walls, in particular, walls for use in playing or practising ball games, for example Association Football (soccer) comprise: a plurality of impact-resistant panels; a plurality of hinges hingedly connecting together adjacent ones of the panels at adjacent edges thereof; and one or more support members to support the wall in a substantially upright disposition, each support member being secured, respectively, to one of the hinges. In a preferred form, the portable walls have hinges comprising a hinge pin in engagement with edge portions of adjacent panels, the edge portions being of a shape such that they each provide a plurality of hinge knuckles, the hinge knuckles of one of the adjacent panels engaging with the hinge knuckles of the other of the adjacent panels. There are also described methods for producing components of the portable walls.

1 . A portable wall suitable for use in playing or practising ball games comprising: 
 a plurality of impact-resistant panels;    a plurality of hinges hingedly connecting together adjacent ones of said panels at adjacent edges thereof; and    one or more support members to support the wall in a substantially upright disposition, each support member being secured, respectively, to one of said hinges:    
     
     
         2 . A portable wall according to  claim 1 , wherein said adjacent panels and the respective support member are mounted on a single hinge pin.  
     
     
         3 . A portable wall according to  claim 2 , wherein said adjacent panels and respective support member are mounted for rotational movement on the hinge pin.  
     
     
         4 . A portable wall according to  claim 1 , which comprises: 
 a plurality of impact-resistant panels connectable one to another at adjacent edge portions by a hinge to form a substantially upright, lateral assembly, said hinge comprising: 
 first and second mateable hinge leafs secured respectively along said edge portions of first and second of said panels, and a hinge pin to interconnect said first and second hinge leafs; and  
 one or more support members to support the wall in a substantially upright disposition, the support member or support members being secured, respectively, to said hinge or hinges.  
   
     
     
         5 . A portable wall according to  claim 4 , having a plurality of said support members each secured, respectively to one of said hinges.  
     
     
         6 . A portable wall according to  claim 4  or  5 , wherein the support member (or each support member) comprises a ground-contacting leg and is secured to an engagement means to engage the hinge pin.  
     
     
         7 . A portable wall according to  claim 1  wherein each hinge comprises a hinge pin in engagement with edge portions of said adjacent panels, said edge portions being of a shape such that they each provide a plurality of hinge knuckles, the hinge knuckles of one of said panels engaging with the hinge knuckles of the other of said panels.  
     
     
         8 . A portable wall according to  claim 7 , wherein the panels comprise a sheet of substantially rigid material, said edge portions being of a channel cross-section having formed longitudinally therein a plurality of slots defining the hinge knuckles.  
     
     
         9 . A portable wall according to  claim 7 , wherein said panels have been produced from a sheet of substantially rigid material by forming in said sheet a plurality of spaced apart apertures substantially parallel to a side edge of the panel and of pre-determined shape and size corresponding to the desired hinge knuckles, and folding the sheet along a zone which is substantially parallel to the side edge of the panel and which intersects said apertures thereby to define the desired hinge knuckles.  
     
     
         10 . A portable wall according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wall includes a plurality of auxiliary impact-resistant panels connected to one another at adjacent side edge portions to form a second tier of panels.  
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a panel or a support member for the portable wall claimed in  claim 7 , which comprises: 
 securing a layer of resilient foam material to a sheet of impact-resistant plastics material so as to cover a middle portion of said sheet but leaving uncovered one or more end portions of said sheet;    folding said one or more end portions of said sheet over said layer so as to form for each end portion a U-shaped channel in said sheet, said folding of each of said one or more end portions being along a respective fold line;    removing, concurrently with, before or after said folding, one or more portions of the U-shaped channel, thereby to define in the remaining length or lengths of the U-shaped channel one or more hinge pin-receiving knuckles; and    securing to said layer the folded end portion or portions of said sheet, either concurrently with, or after, said folding.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein said removing of one or more portions of the U-shaped channel results in the formation of one or more longitudinally-disposed recesses in the channel suitable for subsequently receiving one or more hinge knuckles of an adjacent panel or support member of the portable wall.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11  or  12 , wherein said removing of one or more portions of the U-shaped channel is effected by said sheet having formed therein, prior to said folding, one or more apertures disposed adjacent said respective fold line.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said one or more apertures are formed by pre-forming said sheet with incisions to define a displaceable incised area which, prior to or concurrently with said folding of said sheet, is displaced from the plane of said sheet to provide a flap, which is subsequently brought over and secured to the folded said one or more end portions of said sheet, thereby embracingly to cover edges of said sheet and said layer at an edge of the respective recess.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to any of  claims 11  to  14 , wherein said folded one or more end portions of said sheet are of a size and shape such that, when folded, their terminal edges substantially abut each other; and securing said terminal edges to the layer of resilient foam material.