Ball rebounding system
A ball rebounder has inelastic netting that is pulled taught and held in place within a frame using tension rods, inelastic fasteners, and a tensioning mechanism between the frame and the tension rods. The tension rods are connected to the cells of the netting and positioned in the interior space. The tensioning mechanism pulls the tension rods toward the corresponding sides of the frame, drawing the net taught within the frame. With the netting pulled taught, the fasteners hold the tension rods in place next to the sides of the frame. The frame can be rigid or may have flexibility and act like a spring, but there are no intermediate springs between the tension rods and the frame or between the tension rod and the netting. The invention can be used in producing new rebounders and in retrofitting existing rebounder frames.
1. A rebounder for a ball, comprising:
a frame comprising a perimeter support and an interior space within the perimeter support;
a first pair of tension rods arranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the interior space, wherein each of the tension rods is movable within the interior space between a first position in which each tensions rod is spaced apart from the perimeter support within the interior space, and a second position in which each tension rod is spaced apart from the perimeter support within the interior space but closer to the perimeter support than in the first position;
an inelastic net comprising a plurality of cells, wherein the net is disposed within the interior space of the frame, and wherein rows of the cells proximate to a boundary of the net are connected to the tension rods, and wherein the rows of the cells are directly laced onto the tension rods; and
a plurality of inelastic fasteners connecting the tension rods to the frame when the tension rods are in the second position;
wherein the net is in a slackened state when the tension rods are in the first position, and wherein the net is in a taut state when the tension rods are in the second position; and
wherein the perimeter support of the frame is straight when the tension rods are in the first position, and wherein the perimeter support is bowed inwardly toward at least one of the tension rods when the tension rods are in the second position.
2. The rebounder of claim 1 , further comprising a second pair of tension rods, wherein the second pair of tension rods are arranged parallel relative to each other and orthogonal to the first pair of tension rods.
3. The rebounder of claim 1 , wherein the inelastic fasteners are at locations spaced along the tension rods and the perimeter support within the rows of the cells.
4. The rebounder of claim 3 , wherein the inelastic fasteners comprise straps wrapped around the tension rods and the perimeter support, wherein the straps loosely hold the tension rods in the first position and wherein the straps securely hold the tension rods in the second position.
5. The rebounder of claim 1 , further comprising a base, a pair of legs, and a pair of rotation brackets, wherein the rotation brackets connect the pair of legs to opposite sides of the frame, wherein the base is positioned below a bottom of the frame, wherein the pair of legs connect the pair of rotation brackets to the base, and wherein the frame rotates through the rotation brackets to a range of rotation angles relative to the pair of legs.
6. The rebounder of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the rotation brackets is further comprised of a locking element, wherein the locking element secures the frame at a selected angular tilt within the range of rotation angles.
7. The rebounder of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter support of the frame is further comprised of a top support, a bottom support, and a pair of side supports connecting the top support to the bottom support, wherein the top support and the bottom support each bow inwardly toward each other when the when the tension rods are in the second position, wherein the pair of side supports bow inwardly toward each other when the tension rods are in the second position.
8. The rebounder of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter support is inwardly bowed an amount greater than an outer dimension of the tension rod.
9. A rebounder for a ball, comprising:
a frame comprising a perimeter support and an interior space within the perimeter support, wherein the perimeter support is further comprised of a top support, a bottom support, and a pair of side supports connecting the top support to the bottom support;
a base, wherein the base is positioned in a horizontal plane below the bottom support of the frame;
a pair of legs, wherein each of the pair of legs has a proximal end connected to the base and extend substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane to a distal end;
a pair of rotation brackets, wherein the rotation brackets connect the pair of legs to the respective pair of side supports, wherein the frame rotates through the rotation brackets to a range of rotation angles relative to the pair of legs, wherein at least one of the rotation brackets is further comprised of a locking element, wherein the locking element secures the frame at a selected angular tilt within the range of rotation angles;
a first pair of tension rods, wherein each of the tension rods has a first position spaced apart from the perimeter support within the interior space, and a second position spaced apart from the perimeter support within the interior space and more proximate to the perimeter support within the interior space than in the first position;
an inelastic net comprising a plurality of cells, wherein the net extends between the perimeter support within the interior space of the frame, and wherein rows of the cells proximate to a boundary of the net are connected to the tension rod; and
a plurality of inelastic fasteners connecting the tension rods to the frame, wherein the inelastic fasteners connect the tension rods to the frame; and
wherein the top support, the bottom support, and the pair of side supports are straight when the tension rods are in the first position, and wherein the top support and the bottom support are bowed inwardly toward each other and the pair of side supports are bowed inwardly toward each other when the tension rods are in the second position.
10. The rebounder of claim 9 , wherein the inelastic fasteners comprise straps wrapped around the tension rods and the perimeter support, wherein the straps loosely hold the tension rods in the first position, wherein the straps securely hold the tension rods in the second position, wherein the net is in a slackened state when the straps are in the first position, and wherein the net is in a taut state when the straps are in the second position.