A sports or games apparatus with elastic elements

The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in sports or games, which can be used to assist users in jumping exercises.

This sports or games apparatus is characterized in that it comprises a flexible grid of rectangular shape, having two base sides and two height sides, formed from a plurality of grid elements, in which the said grid elements comprise a pair of rigid bars forming respectively the said two height sides of the grid, capable of being attached to corresponding support structures; a pair of elastic base cords or tapes, forming respectively the said two base sides of the grid, the ends of these cords or tapes being attached to the rigid bars; and a plurality of elastic grid cords or tapes, the ends of each of the said elastic grid cords or tapes being attached to another two corresponding grid elements, in such a way that, in an installed condition of the said apparatus, in which the said rigid bars are attached to the said support structures in such a way as to bring the said elastic base cords or tapes and the said elastic grid cords or tapes into tension, the said grid elements are positioned so as to form a grid with a rectangular mesh.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

A preferred, but non-limiting, embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sports or games apparatus according to the present invention;

- Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of details of the apparatus of Fig. 1; and

- Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of a sports or games apparatus according to the invention, in an installed condition.

Figure 1 shows a sports or games apparatus according to the invention, indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 10.

As can be seen, this apparatus comprises a grid 11 of rectangular shape, having two base sides 12 and two height sides 13. The grid 11 is formed by a plurality of grid elements. These grid elements comprise a pair of rigid bars 20, each forming one of the two height sides 13 of the grid, the function of which is explained below. These rigid bars can be formed, for example, from metal tubular elements. The grid elements also comprise a pair of elastic base cords or tapes 30, each forming one of the two base sides 12 of the grid, the ends 31 of these cords or tapes being attached to the rigid bars 20. Finally, the grid elements comprise a plurality of elastic grid cords or tapes 40.

The ends 41 of each elastic grid cord or tape 40 are attached to another two corresponding grid elements. In the illustrated example, there is an elastic grid cord or tape 40, identified below as "parallel to the base", with its ends 41 attached to the rigid bars 20, and there are three elastic grid cords or tapes 40, identified below as "parallel to the height", with their ends 41 attached to the elastic base cords or tapes 30. However, it is possible to provide a number of elastic grid cords or tapes 40 parallel to the base, with their ends attached to a rigid bar 20 and to an elastic grid cord or tape 40 parallel to the height, or attached to two elastic grid cords or tapes 40 parallel to the height, and it is also possible to provide a number of elastic grid cords or tapes 40 parallel to the height, with their ends attached to an elastic base cord or tape 30 and to an elastic grid cord or tape 40 parallel to the base, or attached to two elastic grid cords or tapes 40 parallel to the base.

Preferably, the ends 31 and 41 of each elastic base cord or tape 30 and of each elastic grid cord or tape 40 are attached in such a way that they can be moved, in other words made to slide, along the direction of extension of the corresponding grid element to which they are attached. One way of obtaining this characteristic is shown in Fig. 2, which shows an end 41 of an elastic grid tape 40 attached to an elastic base tape 30. At the end 41, the elastic grid tape 40 is bent back to form a noose and attached to itself, by stitching or gluing for example. The elastic base tape 30 is inserted into the noose 42 of the end 41 of the elastic grid tape 40.

Preferably, one or more intermediate points of at least one elastic grid cord or tape 40 are

also attached to another elastic grid cord or tape 40. In the example shown in Fig. 1, intermediate points 43 of the elastic grid cords or tapes 40 parallel to the height are attached to the elastic grid cord or tape 40 parallel to the base. Even more preferably, these intermediate points are attached in such a way that they can be moved, in other words made to slide, along the direction of extension of the corresponding elastic grid cord or tape 40 to which they are attached. One way of obtaining this characteristic is shown in Fig. 3, which shows an intermediate point 43 of an elastic grid tape 40 parallel to the height attached to an elastic grid tape 40 parallel to the base. A loop 44 is applied, by stitching or gluing for example, to the intermediate point 43 of the elastic grid tape 40 parallel to the vertical. The elastic grid tape 40 parallel to the base is inserted into the loop 44 of the intermediate point 43 of the elastic grid tape 40 parallel to the height.

Overall, therefore, the grid 11 of the apparatus 10 according to the invention is a flexible structure. In an installed condition of the apparatus 10, shown in Fig. 4, the rigid bars 20 are attached, by means of clamps M for example, to corresponding support structures S, shown as supporting poles in the drawing. The rigid bars 20 are positioned at a sufficient distance from each other to bring the elastic base cords or tapes 30 and the elastic grid cords or tapes 40 into tension. The grid elements 20, 30 and 40 are thus positioned so as to form a grid with a rectangular mesh. The example illustrated in Fig. 4 shows a grid 11 positioned vertically, having only elastic grid tapes 40 parallel to the height.

In Figure 5, in addition to a vertically positioned grid 11 identical to that of Fig. 4, there can also be seen a grid 11 positioned horizontally, and having a structure identical to that of the grid of Fig. 1. This grid is also installed in such a way that the rigid bars 20 are attached, by means of attachment devices D for example, to the corresponding support structures S. The rigid bars 20 are positioned at a sufficient distance from each other to bring the elastic base cords or tapes 30 and the elastic grid cords or tapes 40 into tension. The grid elements 20, 30 and 40 are thus positioned so as to form a grid with a rectangular mesh.

The apparatus 10 according to the invention is used for performing gymnastic exercises which require the execution of jumps. For example, the horizontally positioned grid 11 of

Figure 5 can be used for jumping in sequence into each cell of a row of cells of the grid 11, in different ways, in order to improve the speed and skill of users, for example. Alternatively the exercise may comprise jumping upwards and attempting to land within the same cell every time. On the other hand, the vertically positioned grid 11, shown on its own in Fig. 4, can be used, for example, for the execution of forward jumps. If necessary, it is also possible to execute a slalom exercise between successive cells of the row of cells of the vertically positioned grid 11. In all cases, the difficulty of the exercises can be adjusted by moving the elastic grid tapes 40 and the elastic base tapes 30 towards or away from each other, making use of the fact that they are attached in a movable way to the rest of the grid 11.

Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and forms of embodiment can be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.