Energy absorbing sports board

Abstract

An energy absorbing sports board assembly positioned at a periphery of a playing surface, includes: a catch plate having front surface facing a playing surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface of the catch plate; a frame having a front facing the playing surface, a back opposite to the front, a bottom portion positioned near the playing surface, a top portion opposite to the bottom portion, and first and second side portions between the top and bottom portions; a first extension hinge extending out from the first side portion of the frame; a second extension hinge extending out from the second side portion of the frame; a first elongated slot in the first extension hinge; a second elongated slot in the second extension hinge; and a dasher board on the front of the frame, wherein the bottom portion of the frame is positioned adjacent to the back surface of the catch plate and the bottom portion of the frame can laterally deflect away from the catch plate during impact on front of the front of the frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy absorbing sports board assembly positioned at a periphery of a playing surface, comprising:
 a catch plate having front surface facing a playing surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface of the catch plate;   a frame having a front facing the playing surface, a back opposite to the front, a bottom portion positioned near the playing surface, a top portion opposite to the bottom portion, and first and second side portions between the top and bottom portions;   a first extension hinge extending out from the first side portion of the frame;   a second extension hinge extending out from the second side portion of the frame;   a first elongated slot in the first extension hinge;   a second elongated slot in the second extension hinge; and   a dasher board on the front of the frame,   wherein the bottom portion of the frame is positioned adjacent to the back surface of the catch plate and the bottom portion of the frame can laterally deflect away from the catch plate during impact on front of the front of the frame.   
     
     
         2 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first rope connected to the frame for providing a vertical tension on the frame.   
     
     
         3 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a spring having a first end attached to the top portion of the frame and a second end connected to the first rope, wherein the spring generates the vertical tension, wherein the spring is position between the top and bottom portions of the frame and between the first and second side portions of the frame.   
     
     
         4 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first rope is attached to a catch plate. 
     
     
         5 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a rope slot through the bottom portion of the frame, wherein the first rope passes through the rope slot of the bottom portion of the frame.   
     
     
         6 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a second rope positioned across the first and second sides of the frame to provide a horizontal compressive force on the frame to resist lateral movement of the frame away from the playing surface during an impact on the front of the frame.   
     
     
         7 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a flexible grommet within one of the first and second elongated slots.   
     
     
         8 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of claim  30 , further comprising:
 a transparent material support mounted within the tubular material at the top portion of the frame.   
     
     
         9 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an elastomeric material positioned between the transparent material support and the tubular material at the top portion of the frame.   
     
     
         10 . An energy absorbing sports board assembly positioned at a periphery of a playing surface, comprising:
 a catch plate having front surface facing a playing surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface of the catch plate;   a frame having a front facing the playing surface, a back opposite to the front, a bottom portion positioned near the playing surface, a top portion opposite to the bottom portion, and first and second side portions between the top and bottom portions;   a rope slot through the bottom portion of the frame;   a first rope connected to the frame, passing through the rope slot of the bottom portion of the frame, wherein the first rope is for providing a vertical tension on the frame; and   a dasher board on the front of the frame,   wherein the bottom portion of the frame is positioned adjacent to the back surface of the catch plate and the bottom portion of the frame can laterally deflect away from the catch plate during impact on front of the front of the frame.   
     
     
         11 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a second rope positioned across the first and second sides of the frame to provide a horizontal compressive force on the frame to resist lateral movement of the frame away from the playing surface during an impact on the front of the frame.   
     
     
         12 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a spring having a first end attached to the top portion of the frame and a second end connected to the first rope, wherein the spring generates the vertical tension on the frame.   
     
     
         13 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the spring is position between the top and bottom portions of the frame, and between the first and second side portions of the frame. 
     
     
         14 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first extension hinge extending out from the first side portion of the frame; and   a second extension hinge extending out from the second side portion of the frame.   
     
     
         15 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first elongated slot in the first extension hinge; and   a second elongated slot in the second extension hinge.   
     
     
         16 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a flexible grommet within one of the first and second elongated.   
     
     
         17 . An energy absorbing sports board assembly positioned at a periphery of a playing surface, comprising:
 a catch plate having front surface facing a playing surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface of the catch plate;   a plurality of panels positioned adjacent to the playing surface, each of the plurality of panel includes;
 a frame having a front facing the playing surface, a back opposite to the front, a bottom portion positioned near the playing surface, a top portion opposite to the bottom portion, and first and second side portions between the top and bottom portions; 
 a first rope connected to the frame for providing a vertical tension on the frame; 
 a first extension hinge having a first elongated slot and extending from the first side portion of the frame; 
 a second extension hinge having a second elongated slot and extending from the second side portion of the frame; and 
 a dasher board on the front of the frame, 
   wherein the first elongated slot of a first extension hinge of one panel of the plurality of panels overlaps the second elongated slot of a second extension hinge of an other panel of the plurality of panels that is adjacent to the one panel, and   wherein the bottom portion of the frame of the one panel is positioned adjacent to the back surface of the catch plate and the bottom portion of the frame of the one panel can laterally deflect away from the catch plate during impact on front of the front of the frame of the one panel.   
     
     
         18 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a pin inserted into both of the first and second overlapping elongated slots such that the one panel and the other panel can move apart and come back together.   
     
     
         19 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a flexible grommet within one of the first and second elongated slots of the first and second overlapping elongated slots, wherein the pin is inserted through the flexible grommet.   
     
     
         20 . The energy absorbing sports board assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a second rope positioned across the first and second sides of the plurality of frames to provide a horizontal compressive force on the plurality of panels to resist lateral movement of the plurality of panels away from the playing surface during an impact on the fronts of the frames.