Self-righting sports pole

Abstract

A yieldable sports pole supported entirely above ground in a vertical orientation by a flexible bladder filled with a weighting fluid. A central opening through the bladder receives the pole. Underlying the bladder and connected to the pole is a ground engaging disc fabricated of a semi-rigid, resiliently springy material. When the pole is tilted to one side, as when experiencing an impact, the disc member and flexible bladder act in combination to cause the pole to return to an upright orientation.

1 . A self-righting and freestanding sports pole comprising: 
 an elongate pole member having a vertically upright orientation;    a flexible bladder to be filled with a weighting fluid and having a central opening therethrough to received said pole member; and    a semi-rigid, springy substrate underlying said bladder in ground engaging support and being connected to said pole member;    whereby said bladder and substrate influence said pole member to return to its vertically upright orientation after being tilted to the side.    
   
   
       2 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 1 , said pole member comprising a plurality of interlocking sections.  
   
   
       3 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 1 , said pole member comprising a plurality of telescoping sections.  
   
   
       4 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 1 , said pole member having a central, vertical longitudinal axis and said bladder defining a volume uniformly distributed around said central axis of said pole member.  
   
   
       5 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 4 , said pole member being cylindrical and said bladder defining a toroid volume with a central circular opening therethrough having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said pole member.  
   
   
       6 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 5 , said substrate having a ground engaging area and a bladder supporting area, both said areas being uniformly distributed around said central axis of said pole member.  
   
   
       7 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 4 , said pole member being cylindrical, said bladder defining a toroid volume with a central circular opening therethrough having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said pole member, and said substrate formed as a circular disk with an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of said bladder.  
   
   
       8 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 4 , said , said pole member being cylindrical, said bladder defining a toroid volume with a central circular opening therethrough having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said pole member, and said substrate formed as a circular disk with a ground engaging area and a bladder supporting area, both said areas being uniformly distributed around said central axis of said pole member.  
   
   
       9 . The self-righting and freestanding sports pole as in  claim 1 , said second chamber being fabricated of a water impervious material.