Basketball hoop system

Abstract

The present specification describes sporting equipment methods and apparatus that may be used for basketball, and may be particularly useful for height adjustment. One aspect of the novel basketball standard relates to a mechanism for adjusting the height of the basketball hoop. The adjustment mechanism may be cable driven, and all or most of the adjustment mechanism may be located internal to a support pole of the basketball standard. In contrast, conventional adjustable basketball standards are not cable driven and often include many exposed moving parts.

1 . A sporting equipment apparatus, comprising: 
 a support pole;    a backboard;    an adjustment assembly connected between the backboard and the support pole;    a hoop attached to the backboard;    an adjustment cable attached to the adjustment assembly and extending through an interior of the support pole.    
   
   
       2 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a winch attached to the support pole and connected to the adjustment cable.  
   
   
       3 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a winch disposed inside the support pole and connected to the adjustment cable.  
   
   
       4 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a winch attached to the support pole and connected to the adjustment cable, the winch comprising: 
 a cable spool having a first gear;    a worm gear meshed with the first gear of the cable spool.    
   
   
       5 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a winch attached to the support pole and connected to the adjustment cable, the winch comprising: 
 a cable spool having a first gear mounted to support pole;    a worm gear meshed with the first gear of the cable spool;    a hand crank attached to the worm gear.    
   
   
       6 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a winch attached to the support pole and connected to the adjustment cable, the winch comprising: 
 a cable spool having a first gear mounted to support pole;    a worm gear meshed with the first gear of the cable spool;    a motor driving the worm gear.    
   
   
       7 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a stationary anchor disposed in a ground location and extending up from the ground, wherein the support pole is disposed over the anchor.  
   
   
       8 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pulley disposed at a top portion of the support pole, wherein the adjustment cable extends from the adjustment assembly, around the pulley, through the interior of the support pole, and to a winch.  
   
   
       9 . A sporting equipment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment assembly comprises a four-bar mechanism capable of curvilinearly translating the backboard and the hoop.  
   
   
       10 . A basketball standard assembly, comprising: 
 a basketball backboard;    a basketball hoop for attachment to the backboard;    a support pole;    a basketball hoop adjustment assembly, the basketball hoop adjustment assembly comprising a cable drive mechanism.    
   
   
       11 . A basketball standard assembly according to  claim 10 , further comprising an anchor for at least partial subterranean insertion, the anchor being receptive of the support pole.  
   
   
       12 . A basketball standard assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the cable drive mechanism comprises a cable extending internally though the support pole.  
   
   
       13 . A basketball standard assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the cable drive mechanism comprises: 
 an internal cable;    a cable spool comprising an edge gear mounted to the support pole;    a worm gear meshed with the edge gear of the cable spool;    a hand crank attached to the worm gear.    
   
   
       14 . A basketball standard assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the cable drive mechanism comprises: 
 an internal cable;    an external cable spool comprising an edge gear mounted to the support pole;    an external worm gear meshed with the edge gear of the cable spool;    a hand crank attached to the worm gear;    a first internal cable pulley attached to a top portion of the support pole;    a second internal cable pulley attached to the support pole adjacent to the external cable spool.    
   
   
       15 . A basketball standard assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the cable drive mechanism comprises: 
 an internal cable;    a motorized cable spool mounted to the support pole.    
   
   
       16 . A method of constructing a basketball standard, comprising: 
 providing a support pole;    inserting an anchor pole into the ground;    receiving the support pole by the anchor pole;    attaching a basketball backboard and hoop to the support pole.    
   
   
       17 . A method of constructing a basketball standard according to  claim 16  wherein the receiving the support pole by the anchor pole comprises disposing the support pole over the anchor pole concentrically.  
   
   
       18 . A method of constructing a basketball standard according to  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 providing a cable drive system for adjusting the basketball backboard and hoop relative to the support pole.    
   
   
       19 . A method of constructing a basketball standard according to  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 providing a cable drive system for adjusting the basketball backboard and hoop relative to the support pole, the providing a cable drive system comprising running a cable inside of the support pole.    
   
   
       20 . A method of making a basketball standard, comprising: 
 providing a support pole;    attaching a winch and a first pulley to the support pole;    extending a cable around the first pulley, through the support pole, and to the winch;    attaching a backboard and hoop to the support pole.    
   
   
       21 . A method of making a basketball standard according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 partially burying an anchor in the ground;    concentrically attaching the support pole to the anchor.    
   
   
       22 . A method of making a basketball standard according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 burying a flared anchor to a depth of at least two feet;    leaving at least two feet of the flared anchor above grade;    disposing the support pole over the anchor.    
   
   
       23 . A method of using a basketball standard, comprising: 
 adjusting a height of a basketball hoop, the adjusting comprising: 
 actuating a cable extending through a basketball hoop support pole.  
   
   
   
       24 . A method of using a basketball standard according to  claim 23  wherein the actuating a cable comprises rotating a hand crank attached to a worm gear, the worm gear driving a cable spool.  
   
   
       25 . A method of using a basketball standard according to  claim 23  wherein the actuating a cable comprises turning on an electrically powered winch which is attached to the cable.