Patent ID: 8763552
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A tennis scoring apparatus comprising: a. a T-shaped support bar with a horizontal segment having ring attachment structure adapted to support a plurality of circular rings and act as a card placeholder, and a vertical segment attached to a base adapted to affix to one of the end posts holding a tennis net or a support surface, b. at least four circular rings affixed to the ring attachment structure of the T-shaped support bar, c. two bundles of ten flip cards movably affixed to two or more of the circular rings that flip about the rings from one side of the ring attachment structure to the other such that the ring attachment structure acts as a placeholder to maintain the flip cards in flipped position until changed; said bundle of flip cards numbered zero through nine, and selectively flipped to reflect the game and/or tiebreak score of each tennis player or doubles team, d. two bundles of set flip cards movably affixed to two or more of the circular rings to flip about the rings from one side of the ring attachment structure and ring separator to the other such that the ring attachment structure acts as a placeholder to maintain the set flip cards in flipped position until changed, said sets of flip cards numbered one through three, and selectively flipped to reflect the sets won by each tennis player or doubles team, e. a tie break indicator hingedly affixed to the T-shaped support bar with a top end having two extra ten point indicators and structured to be vertically raised in one mode when there is tie break play and the flip cards are reset to zero at the start of a tiebreak and sequentially flipped to track each player's tiebreak score, and lowered in another mode when there is regular play; the two extra ten point indicators comprising a first ten point indicator, which is activated when tiebreak points more than 10 are in play so that the flip cards are reset to zero and sequentially flipped to track each player's tiebreak score from 10 to 19; and a second twenty point indicator, which is activated when tiebreak points more than 20 are in play so that the flip cards are reset to zero and sequentially flipped to track each player's or doubles team's tiebreak score from 20 to 29; and f. at least one first server raiseable lever affixed to the top of the T-shaped support bar to be selectively raised at the start of each set to indicate which player or doubles team started serving first to enable viewing audiences to accurately track the match score by knowing if the competing players or doubles teams are on serve.