Abstract:
A bocce ball game caddy for removably retaining bocce ball game components. The caddy includes a plurality of racks supported by posts in vertically spaced relation. Each of the racks supporting at least one retainer adapted to removably support the bocce ball game components.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The game of bocce ball is typically played as a backyard lawn game. It can be played in many different ways, but is usually played with teams, with one, two or four players per team. A typical bocce ball game set consists of eight large bocce balls (two pairs of four balls, with each pair having a different color or pattern) and a smaller “pallina” ball, (sometimes called a “jack”), which is typically colored white. The object of bocce ball is to try to roll the bocce balls closer to the pallina than the opposing team. Typically, one player on a team starts the game by throwing the pallina, and then that player rolls the first bocce ball trying to get it as close to the pallina as possible. Each player on the opposing team then rolls his/her bocce ball until all four balls are played. After the opposing team plays all of their balls, each player on the starting team then rolls the remaining bocce balls, trying to get closer to the pallina than the opponent&#39;s closest bocce ball. Alternatively, the players on opposing teams may take turns rolling their respective balls. When all the bocce balls have been played (which completes a frame), one point is awarded to the team for each of its bocce balls which are closer to the pallina than the closest ball of the opponent&#39;s closest bocce ball. The team that scores in a frame starts the next frame by throwing the pallina and playing the first bocce ball. Play continues until a team wins by reaching a score of sixteen points or some other predetermined point total. 
         [0002]    There is a need for a caddy that may be used for carrying and storing a set of bocce ball game components in a convenient manner which will keep all of the game components together. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a bocce ball game caddy holding a complete set of bocce ball game components. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a left sided elevation view of the bocce ball game caddy of  FIG. 1   
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the bocce ball caddy of  FIG. 1  with the bocce ball game components removed. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  is a left sided elevation view of the bocce ball caddy of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of the bocce ball game caddy of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged side elevation view of the bocce ball caddy showing the pallina and bocce balls being removed or inserted into their respective retainers. 
           [0009]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the frame of the bocce ball caddy of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of the base of the frame of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bocce ball game caddy  10 . In  FIG. 1 , the bocce ball game caddy  10  is shown holding the bocce ball game components, which typically includes eight large bocce balls  12  (two pairs of four balls, with each pair having a different color or pattern) and a smaller pallina ball  14 .  FIG. 2  is a left side elevation view of  FIG. 1 .  FIGS. 3 and 4  are the same perspective views of the caddy of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but with the bocce balls  12  and pallina  14  removed for clarity to better view the elements of the caddy  10 .  FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of the bocce ball game caddy of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the caddy  10  comprises a main frame  20  which includes two substantially parallel posts  22 ,  24 , a handle support  30  and a base  40 . Comparing  FIGS. 3 and 7 , and as described in more detail below, it can be seen that the posts  22 ,  24  operably support the pallina rack  50  and a plurality of bocce ball racks  60  which are spaced vertically along the posts  22 ,  24  by intermediate spacers  90 . 
         [0013]    The posts  22 ,  24  are constructed of material that is sufficiently rigid to support the weight of the game components during transport, but yet are preferably lightweight to minimize the overall weight of the caddy  10  to reduce shipping costs and so that it is more easily transportable by players of all ages. For example, the posts  22 ,  24  may be constructed of thin walled hollow metal tubing or other sufficiently rigid, lightweight material of a desired cross-sectional configuration. The posts  22 ,  24  are received within bores  26  disposed on the underside of the handle support  30  and bores  28  disposed on the top side of the base  40 . The posts  22 ,  24  may be retained in the bores  26 ,  28  by tapping screws (not shown). 
         [0014]    The handle support  30  serves as a lateral brace for the upper end of the frame  20  and may be constructed of any suitably rigid and preferably lightweight material such as thermoformed plastic or other desirable material. The handle support  30  includes a handle grip  32  which may be telescopically received within the handle support  30  such that the handle grip  32  may move between an upwardly extended position and a downwardly collapsed position (as shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 3 ). In the upwardly extended position, the handle grip  32  is sufficiently raised to an elevation that avoids or reduces the need for a player to bend over or lean when pulling the caddy  10 . The downwardly collapsed position provides the advantage of permitting the caddy  10  to be shipped in a shorter box than if the handle was fixed in the fully extended position. Thus, while a telescoping handle as embodied herein provides ergonomic advantages while pulling the caddy and the advantage of being able to ship the caddy in a shorter box, it should be appreciated that the handle grip  32  need not be telescoping and may be fixedly attached or formed integral with the handle support  30 . 
         [0015]    The base  40  includes a laterally extending cross-member  42  and a pair of fore and aft extending legs  44  secured to the underside of the cross-member  42  to stabilize and support the caddy in an upright position such that it does not easily tip over. As identified in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the cross-member  42  includes recesses  43  into which the legs  44  are received and secured in place by a threaded connector  45  ( FIG. 8 ). Alternatively, the legs  44  and the lateral brace  42  may be molded or otherwise formed as a unitary member. One end of the legs  44  support rollers or wheels  48  or alternatively one end of the legs  44  may support a wheeled axle extending between the legs so that the caddy may be pulled behind a player as he or she walks so the player does not need to lift and carry the caddy  10  which, when fully loaded with a complete set of bocce ball game components, can be quite heavy for younger players. 
         [0016]    As best viewed in  FIGS. 3-6 , disposed at the upper end of the frame  20  is the pallina rack  50 . The pallina rack  50  includes a crossbeam  52  bridging between tubular sleeves  54 ,  56  received over the posts  22 ,  24 . Attached in the middle of the crossbeam  52  is a pallina retainer  60 . The pallina retainer  60  is configured to securely hold the pallina  14  while the caddy  10  is being transported, but yet allows the pallina  14  to be easily removed when desired. To accomplish such functionality, one embodiment of the pallina retainer  60  comprises a bottom segment  62 , a back segment  64  and a front segment  66 . Each of the segments  62 ,  64 ,  66  define a convex interior volume or surface area which is slightly larger than the pallina  14 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the vertical distance between opposing edges  68 ,  69  of the bottom and top segments  62 ,  66  is less than the diameter of the pallina  14  such that when inserting the pallina  14  into the pallina retainer  60 , the pallina needs to be pushed with sufficient force to cause the top segment  66  to bend upwardly, or to otherwise cause both the top and bottom segments  66 ,  62  to separate sufficiently to receive the pallina. Likewise when the pallina is removed from the pallina retainer  60 , the pallina needs to be grasped and pulled with sufficient force to cause the top segment  66  to bend upwardly, or otherwise cause the the top and bottom segments  66 ,  62  to sufficiently separate to remove the pallina from the retainer  60 . Thus, it should be appreciated that when the pallina  14  is received within the pallina retainer  60 , the bottom, back and top segments  62 ,  64 ,  66  extend sufficiently around the outer surface of the pallina such that the pallina is securely yet removably received within the convex interior volume or spherical surface area of the retainer  60  so that the pallina is longitudinally and laterally restrained within the retainer  60  so the pallina cannot fall out during transport. 
         [0017]    Continuing to refer to  FIGS. 3-6 , disposed below the pallina rack  50  are a plurality of bocce ball racks  70  vertically spaced along the frame  20  by tubular spacers  90  received over the posts  22 ,  24 . Each bocce ball rack  70  includes tubular sleeves  74 ,  76  which receive the posts  22 ,  24  attached between the sleeves  74 ,  76  are a pair of bocce ball retainers  80 . Like the pallina retainer  60 , each bocce ball retainer  80  is configured to securely hold a bocce ball  12  while the caddy  10  is being transported, but yet each retainer  80  allows the bocce ball  12  to be easily removed when desired. Similar to the pallina retainer  60 , the bocce ball  80  retainer may comprise a bottom segment  82 , a back segment  84  and a front segment  86  which together define a convex interior volume or surface area which is slightly larger than the bocce ball  12 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the vertical distance between opposing edges  88 ,  89  of the bottom and top segments  82 ,  86  is less than the diameter of the bocce ball  12  such that when inserting the bocce ball  12  into the bocce ball retainer  80 , the bocce ball needs to be pushed with sufficient force to cause the top segment  86  to bend upwardly, or to otherwise cause both the top and bottom segments  86 ,  82  to separate sufficiently to receive the bocce ball. Likewise when the bocce ball is removed from the bocce ball retainer  80 , the bocce ball needs to be grasped and pulled with sufficient force to cause the top segment  86  to bend upwardly, or otherwise cause the the top and bottom segments  86 ,  82  to sufficiently separate to remove the bocce ball from the retainer  80 . Thus, it should be appreciated that when the bocce ball  12  is received within the bocce ball retainer  80 , the bottom, back and top segments  82 ,  84 ,  86  extend sufficiently around the outer surface of the bocce ball such that the bocce ball is securely yet removably received within the convex interior volume or spherical surface area of the retainer  80  so that the bocce ball is longitudinally and laterally restrained within the retainer  80  so the bocce ball cannot fall out during transport. 
         [0018]    It should be appreciated, that the caddy  10  may have the pallina retainer and bocce ball retainers arranged in any desirable configuration. For example the pallina retainer  60  may be disposed at the bottom of the frame  20  or in the middle of the frame  20  as opposed to being located at the top of the frame as shown in the drawing figures. It should also be appreciated, that rather than having the bocce ball retainers  70  configured with two bocce ball retainers  80  per row, the bocce ball racks may be configured to have two rows with four retainers  80  per row, or the racks  70  may be configured to have two rows with two retainers  80  back to back per row such that some retainers project forwardly and some retainers project rearwardly of the frame  20 . In yet another embodiment, the caddy  10  may be configured to have eight rows with one retainer  80  per row or any other desired configuration. In still another embodiment, the pallina rack  50  may be eliminated and the pallina retainer  60  may be supported by one or more of the bocce ball racks  70 . 
         [0019]    It should also be appreciated that the pallina retainer  60  and bocce ball retainers  80  are preferably made from a material that is sufficiently resilient to allow the respective top and bottom segments  66 ,  62 ;  86 ,  82  to sufficiently separate to insert or remove the respective balls but yet remain sufficiently rigid to support the weight of the respective balls and to restrain the balls during transport. For example, the retainers  60 ,  80  may be made of plastic or other suitable material with resilient properties. Additionally, the retainer segments may be configured with openings or a lattice structure as shown in the drawing figures to reduce the amount of material required for the retainers and to minimize or avoid debris or water from collecting in the interior volume or surface areas of the retainers. Furthermore, configuring the retainer segments with openings or with a lattice structure, the top and bottom segments of the retainers are sufficiently rigid yet resilient enough to securely hold the balls  12 ,  14  while the caddy  10  is being transported, while allowing the balls to be inserted and removed without having to apply undue force. 
         [0020]    Various modifications to the embodiments of the apparatus, and the general principles and features of the embodiments described herein will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Thus, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.