US3960375A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Element for use in making a playing surface
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-04-14
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Granted: 1976-06-01
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Expires: 1995-04-14
Abstract
Abstract An element for use in making a playing surface, particularly an out door tennis court. The element is, for example, a square of 10 cm side, two sides having hooks and two having loops. A series of elements can be laid side-by-side with a hook of one element engaging a loop of another. The hook and loop provide for contiguous location of the elements while allowing for slight movement between the elements. Thus, the elements can expand in hot weather and contract in cold weather without adversely affecting the playing surface. The element has a cellular structure. Each cell has inclined faces converging towards an aperture. The inclined faces of adjacent faces come together towards the top along a line which forms an intangible upper plane. The lines have a rounded crest. Thus, rain which falls on the playing surface will run down the inclined faces and drain through the apertures of the cells leaving the playing surface free of rain water.
Inventors
- 👤 Albert Bibi-Roubi
- 👤 Robert Bibi-Roubi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 09:37
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01C; E01C13/00; E01C13/04; E01C13/045; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/16; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24149
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A playing surface comprising; a plurality of distinct continguous elements the upper faces of which form the general plane of the surface, each of said elements having a plurality of side faces; coupling means comprising male parts and female parts arranged with male parts on some of said side faces and female parts on others of said side faces; each male part comprising a downwardly extending shank and a curved part projecting laterally therefrom; each female part comprising a loop projecting laterally from the respective side face and defining an opening which is perpendicular to the plane of the facing, said loop having a hook downwardly located therein with the shank capable of lateral play and the curved part caught below the loop.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A playing surface comprising; a plurality of distinct continguous elements the upper faces of which form the general plane of the surface, each of said elements having a plurality of side faces; coupling means comprising male parts and female parts arranged with male parts on some of said side faces and female parts on others of said side faces; each male part comprising a downwardly extending shank and a curved part projecting laterally therefrom; each female part comprising a loop projecting laterally from the respective side face and defining an opening which is perpendicular to the plane of the facing, said loop having a hook downwardly located therein with the shank capable of lateral play and the curved part caught below the loop.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
180 words
An element for use in making a playing surface, said element comprising an upper face which forms the general plane of the facing and a plurality of side faces; coupling means on each of said side faces, said coupling means comprising male parts and female parts arranged with a male part on some of said side faces and a female part on the others of said side faces whereby a plurality of adjacent elements can be coupled together by connection of adjacent male and female parts; each male part comprising a downwardly extending hook having a shank and a curved part projecting laterally therefrom; each female part comprising a loop projecting laterally from the respective side face and defining an opening the axis of which is perpendicular to the plane of the facing, wherein the loop has an elastic membrane located adjacent to the side face and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the facing, said curved part of the hook being adapted to elastically deform the membrane during entry and engage below said membrane when adjacent elements are coupled.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
180 words
An element for use in making a playing surface, said element comprising an upper face which forms the general plane of the facing and a plurality of side faces; coupling means on each of said side faces, said coupling means comprising male parts and female parts arranged with a male part on some of said side faces and a female part on the others of said side faces whereby a plurality of adjacent elements can be coupled together by connection of adjacent male and female parts; each male part comprising a downwardly extending hook having a shank and a curved part projecting laterally therefrom; each female part comprising a loop projecting laterally from the respective side face and defining an opening the axis of which is perpendicular to the plane of the facing, wherein the loop has an elastic membrane located adjacent to the side face and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the facing, said curved part of the hook being adapted to elastically deform the membrane during entry and engage below said membrane when adjacent elements are coupled.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An element according to claim 2, wherein the membrane extends from the edge of the side face from which the loop projects.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
An element according to claim 2, wherein only the curved part of the hook projects from the side face on which the hook is located.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
An element according to claim 2, wherein legs extend from the lower face and a part at least of one of the parts of the coupling means extends from the lower face along the same depth as the legs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
An element according to claim 2, wherein the largest dimension of each element does not exceed 20 cm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
An element according to claim 2, having a cellular structure, each cell having inclined walls which converge downwardly to define an aperture, adjacent walls of adjacent cells converging upwardly towards the top along lines which extend along the same intangible upper plane, the lines having a crest which is rounded.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
An element according to claim 7, wherein the largest dimension of the rounded crests is not more than 0.4 mm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
An element according to claim 7, wherein the largest dimension of the rounded crests is between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
An element according to claim 7, wherein the largest dimension between opposing walls of a cell is 10 mm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
An element according to claim 7, wherein the cells are hexagonal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-06-01 | 1979-12-01 | 1980-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-06-01 | 1983-12-01 | 1984-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-06-01 | 1987-12-01 | 1988-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |