Basketball return system

Abstract

Basketball return apparatus ( 10 ) for use with a basketball goal ( 12 ) and which is easily moved to return a ball to a shooter in any of many different locations with respect to the basketball goal. A lightweight frame ( 16 ) supports a net ( 18 ) surrounding a basketball goal ( 12 ) and is arranged to direct a ball into a ball return chute ( 52 ) which can be moved to be close to a shooter. Sensors are arranged to detect and count shots that pass through the goal and to count all shots that are made, and a display device ( 106 ) may be set to show the shooter's score and percentage of successful shots made. A sensor ( 124 ) is utilized in one embodiment to follow a signaling device ( 126 ) carried by a shooter and a system is provided to drive the ball return apparatus in azimuth angle (α) and amount of extension of the ball return chute ( 52 ) so as to follow a shooter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A basketball return apparatus for use with a basketball goal, comprising:
 (a) a frame arranged to support a flexible net, the frame having a goal end adapted to be removably attached to said basketball goal and a shooter end;   (b) a ball return chute extending from said shooter end of said frame;   (c) a main support member arranged to support the shooter end of the frame and a goal-end portion of the ball return chute;   (d) a shooter end of the ball return chute including a shooter end support assembly, and the ball return chute being adjustably extensible from the shooter end of the frame, to place the shooter end of the ball return chute at a selected distance from the goal end of the frame; and wherein   (e) the frame and the ball return chute each comprise a plurality of elongate members interconnected with one another and easily disconnected from one another to place the basketball return apparatus into a compact, portable configuration having a predetermined maximum dimension.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein some of said elongate members of said frame and said ball return chute are of fiber-reinforced resin construction including mating connectors at respective ends thereof and wherein adjacent ones of said elongate members are interconnected with one another by an elongate elastic member. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  including a swivel attached to a transversely oriented one of said elongate members of the frame, located at the goal end of the frame, and including a clamp attached to the swivel, the clamp being adapted to grasp a basketball goal and to securely, yet removably, attach the goal end of the frame of the basketball return apparatus to the basketball goal. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein some of said elongate members of said frame are of tubular construction and are telescopically nested within one another. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  including a clamp adjustably holding one of said nested elongate members in a selected position with respect to another. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  including a ball retarder at the shooter end of the frame, the ball retarder being arranged to slow a ball as it exits from the net and to allow a single ball at a time to pass from the net into the ball return chute at an acceptable speed. 
     
     
         7 . A basketball return apparatus for use with a basketball goal, comprising:
 (a) a frame arranged to support a flexible net, the frame having a goal end removably attachable to said basketball goal and a shooter end;   (b) a ball return chute extending from said shooter end of said frame;   (c) a main support member arranged to support the shooter end of the frame and a goal-end portion of the ball return chute;   (d) a shooter end of the ball return chute including a shooter end support assembly, and the ball return chute being adjustably extensible with respect to the shooter end of the frame, to place the shooter end of the ball return chute at a selected distance from the goal end of the frame; and including   (e) a swivel located at said goal end of the frame, arranged to fasten the frame to the basketball goal;   (f) a pair of main wheels mounted on the main support member for rotation about respective wheel axes oriented radially with respect to the swivel; and   (g) a caster wheel supporting said shooter end support assembly, whereby said frame and said ball return chute are movable together through an azimuth angle about the basketball goal, centered on the swivel.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein some of said elongate members of said frame and said ball return chute are of fiber-reinforced resin construction including two mating tubular socket connectors at respective ends thereof and with adjacent ones of said elongate members interconnected with one another by an elongate elastic member. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further including a sensor, mounted on said frame at said goal end of said frame in such a position that said sensor can determine when a basketball has passed through said basketball goal successfully to score a goal. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further including a display device mounted on said frame and responsive to said sensor so as to display an indication of a successful shot through the goal. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7  including a ball retarder at the shooter end of the frame, the ball retarder being arranged to slow a ball contained in the net and to allow a single ball to pass from the net into the ball return chute. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7  including a sensor located at the shooter end of the frame and arranged to count each ball that passes from the frame at the shooter end of the frame into the ball return chute. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further including a display device responsive to the sensor located at the shooter end of the frame and arranged to display the number of shots that have been attempted by a shooter. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 7  including a display device arranged to show cumulatively the percentage of shots successfully made by a shooter. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further including an azimuth drive motor associated with one of said main wheels so as to drive said one of said main wheels selectively to move said apparatus through a selected azimuth angular distance about said swivel and said basketball goal. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further including a ball return chute extension motor arranged selectively to extend or retract said ball return chute with respect to the shooter end of the frame to place the shooter end of the ball return chute at a selected distance from the basketball goal. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  including a portable signaling device arranged to be carried by a shooter, and a shooter position sensor associated with said shooter end of the ball return chute and responsive to a signal from the portable signaling device; and a controller arranged to receive a signal from the shooter position sensor and operative to control said azimuth drive motor and said ball return chute extension motor and thereby to cause said shooter end of said ball return chute to follow said portable signaling device. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15  including a portable signaling device to be worn by a shooter, and a shooter position sensor associated with said shooter end of the ball return chute and responsive to a signal from the portable signaling device; and a controller arranged to receive a signal from the shooter position sensor and operative to control said azimuth drive motor and thereby to cause said shooter end of said ball return chute to follow said portable signaling device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further including a display device and wherein the controller includes a score calculation portion responsive to the portable signaling device worn by a shooter, the score calculation portion being arranged to give credit as the correct number of points for a successful shot depending on the shot distance as determined by the shooter position sensor.