Patent ID: 8602711
Filing Date: 2013-12-10
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A cart for collecting tennis balls on the ground when manually pushed by a user and for storing the tennis balls once collected, comprising: a) a housing; b) a gathering assembly; c) a conveyor assembly; and d) a receptacle; wherein said housing is for being manually pushed by the user; wherein said gathering assembly is operatively connected to said housing; wherein said gathering assembly is for gathering the tennis balls on the ground; wherein said conveyor assembly is operatively connected within said housing; wherein said receptacle is disposed against said housing; wherein said receptacle is for storing the tennis balls elevated thereto by said conveyor assembly that have been gathered by said gathering assembly; wherein said housing comprises a base frame; wherein said base frame of said housing is horizontally oriented; wherein said base frame of said housing is generally square-shaped; wherein said base frame of said housing is for being in proximity to the ground; wherein said base frame of said housing has: a) a front edge; b) a rear edge; and c) a pair of side edges; wherein said housing comprises a back panel; wherein said back panel of said housing extends obliquely upwardly and forwardly from said base frame of said housing to a terminal edge; wherein said housing comprises a top panel; wherein said top panel of said housing is inverted U-shaped so as to be convexo-concave-shaped; wherein said top panel of said housing extends forwardly from said terminal edge of said back panel of said housing to a terminal edge; wherein said housing comprises a front panel; wherein said front panel of said housing extends obliquely downwardly and forwardly from said terminal edge of said top panel of said housing to said front edge of said base frame of said housing; wherein said front panel of said housing has a through slot; wherein said through slot of said front panel of said housing is generally rectangular-shaped; wherein said through slot of said front panel of said housing is horizontally oriented; wherein said through slot of said front panel of said housing extends downwardly from said terminal edge of said top panel of said housing; wherein said front panel of said housing has an open-topped chute; wherein said open-topped chute of said front panel of said housing extends forwardly from around said through slot of said front panel of said housing towards said receptacle for directing the tennis balls passing through said through slot of said front panel of said housing down into said receptacle; wherein said housing comprises a pair of side panels; wherein said pair of side panels of said housing extend forwardly from said back panel of said housing to said front panel of said housing and upwardly from said pair of side edges of said base frame of said housing, respectively, to said top panel of said housing; wherein a portion of each side panel of said housing is hinged to said front panel of said housing so as to allow access to a portion of said conveyor assembly that is contained within said housing; wherein said portion of each side panel of said housing contains a recess; and wherein said recess of said portion of each side panel of said housing is for facilitating grabbing and opening of said portion of an associated side panel of said housing; wherein said housing comprises a steering handlebar; wherein said steering handlebar of said housing is generally U-shaped; wherein said steering handlebar of said housing is horizontally oriented; wherein said steering handlebar of said housing extends rearwardly from said terminal edge of said back panel of said housing; wherein said steering handlebar of said housing is for steering said cart by the user; wherein said housing comprises a pair of support bars; wherein said pair of support bars of said housing are parallel to each other; and wherein said pair of support bars of said housing are spaced-apart from each other; wherein said pair of support bars of said housing extend obliquely downwardly and forwardly from said steering handlebar of said housing to said back panel of said housing so as to form braces of said steering handlebar of said housing; wherein said gathering assembly comprises a pair of arms; wherein said pair of arms of said gathering assembly are pivotally attached to said pair of side edges of said base frame of said housing, respectively, so as to have: a) in-use positions; and b) stored positions; wherein said pair of arms of said gathering assembly extend forwardly and outwardly on the ground for gathering the tennis balls on the ground when said pair of arms of said gathering assembly are in said in-use positions thereof and said cart is pushed forwardly by the user; wherein said pair of arms of said gathering assembly extend upwardly against said receptacle when said pair of arms of said gathering assembly are in said stored positions thereof; wherein each arm of said gathering assembly has: a) a proximal portion; and b) a distal portion; wherein said proximal portion of each arm of said gathering assembly extends pivotally and obliquely from an associated side edge of said base frame of said housing; wherein said distal portion of each arm of said gathering assembly extends forwardly from said proximal portion of an associated arm of said gathering assembly; wherein said gathering assembly comprises a pair of shafts; wherein said pair of shafts of said gathering assembly pass rotatably through said pair of side edges of said base frame of said housing, respectively, from proximal ends thereof to terminal distal ends thereof, respectively; wherein said gathering assembly comprises a pair of pedals; and wherein said pair of pedals of said gathering assembly are affixed to said proximal ends of said pair of shafts of said gathering assembly, respectively, and are positioned upwardly when said pair of arms of said gathering assembly are in said in-use positions thereof, and when stepped down upon by the user, become positioned sidewardly so as to be in said stored positions thereof.