Abstract:
A bag for collecting, storing and carrying tennis balls and similar sports equipment. The bag has a first opening to attach to a collection device such as a tube collector. The balls are directed into the bag when the collection process has completed or when the collector overflows. The bag is detachable from the collector. The bag holds over twenty balls for easy carriage and access. The bag may be worn over the shoulder with an attached shoulder strap. A second opening with a closing mechanism allows a user to quickly access or dump the balls within the bag. The second opening may be positioned along the top or bottom of the bag. This opening allows the bag to be used in place of a ball hopper. A third opening may be present on the top or bottom of the bag opposite the second opening.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     This application relates generally to collection systems for tennis balls and, more specifically, to an article for collecting, storing and carrying tennis balls for use in practice sessions, as a replacement for a ball hopper or to complement ball collection devices.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     During practice or training sessions for sports like tennis a large number of balls may be used to maximize the amount of time spent playing and minimize the time spent tracking down the balls being used in the training session. For example, tennis instructors often use a basket or even a shopping cart full of tennis balls to feed to a student during drills so that a specific technique being taught or practiced can be repeated quickly and for a significant duration to assist in the learning process. Without a large supply of balls, the lesson must be continually interrupted to pick up and collect the balls.  
         [0003]     Individuals or small groups who are practicing also use similar devices to facilitate their practice sessions. Tube collectors, as shown in  FIG. 1 , are often used to speed up the collection of tennis balls during practice sessions or lessons. Tube collectors are long hollow plastic tubes with retention straps at each end that can be used to collect tennis balls on a court by pressing one end of the tube onto a tennis ball on the ground. The tennis ball is pressed through the retention straps into the tube. This device allows a user to avoid having to bend over to pick up a ball and to easily store the balls in the tube. A collection tube can typically hold between 12 and 18 tennis balls.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The embodiments of the invention relate to an article for collecting sports equipment such as tennis balls and similar items. The embodiments include a bag formed from fabric or mesh that defines at least one opening. This opening may be attached to a collection device to augment the storage capacity and receive collected items from the collection device. The collection device may be a collection tube. The bag may define a funnel shaped region to group the items in one end of the bag. An interior and/or exterior pocket may be coupled to the bag. The bag may be formed from a mesh, a fabric, or a combination of mesh and fabric. The bag may hold over twenty tennis balls.  
         [0005]     The bag may have an attachment mechanism to couple the bag to the collection tube. The attachment mechanism may be an interlocking structure, elastic band, drawstring or similar mechanism. The bag may include a strap that enables over the shoulder carriage of the bag or similar hands free carriage of the bag. A first end of the strap may be coupled to a first end of the bag and a second end of the strap may be coupled to a second end of the bag. A shoulder pad may be coupled to the strap. The strap may be adjustable. In another embodiment, the bag may have multiple straps to allow the carriage of the bag as a backpack.  
         [0006]     The bag may include a zipper or similar mechanism that opens and closes a second opening of the bag to allow access to the balls stored within the bag. This second opening in combination with the shoulder strap facilitates the use of the bag as a replacement for a ball hopper or similar device. The zipper and second opening may run three fourths of the length of the bag. A third opening in the bag may similarly be controlled by a zipper or similar mechanism. The second opening may be along the top of the bag and the third opening may be along the bottom of the bag. The third opening may be used to easily dump collected balls into a ball hopper or similar device.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this discussion are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of one embodiment of a typical collection tube.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a diagram of a first embodiment of the bag.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2B  is an end view diagram of the first embodiment of the bag.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a second embodiment of the bag.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a third embodiment of the bag.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of one embodiment of a combined collection bag and tube.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of a fourth embodiment of the bag. 
     
    
       [0015]     In accordance with common practice, the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features. may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may be simplified for clarity. Thus, the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given apparatus or method. Also, like reference numerals denote like features throughout the specification and figures.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     The invention is described below, with reference to detailed illustrative embodiments. It will be apparent that the invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms, some of which may be quite different from those of the disclosed embodiments. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative and do not limit the scope of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a first example embodiment of a bag for collecting balls. In one embodiment, the bag  200  is formed from a mesh material  207 . The mesh material  207  may be a nylon, acrylic, natural fiber or similarly constructed mesh. In one embodiment, the mesh material  207  may be a sports mesh capable of withstanding the conditions typical of sports activities including exposure to the elements, relatively high levels of wear and tear and similar conditions. In another embodiment, the material  207  may be a natural or synthetic fabric.  
         [0018]     The mesh material  207  may be woven to define a bag with a roughly rectangular shape. The bag may have an opening  203  at one end. The bag  200  may have a range of sizes that expand to enclose from 10 to 45 or more tennis balls  201  or similar objects. The material  207  may be flexible and easily folds and compresses into a small space when empty to allow for convenient storage and transport of the bag  200 . In another embodiment, the bag  200  may have any shape or size. In one embodiment, the bag  200  may have a roughly square, oblong, ovoid or similar shape.  
         [0019]     In one embodiment, one end of the bag  200  may have a progressively smaller size as it approaches the opening  203 , forming a funnel section  211  or similarly shaped section of the bag  200 . The funnel  211  section may facilitate the insertion of balls or similar objects into the bag  200  by directing them toward the far end of the bag making space for additional balls to be inserted. The funnel section  211  directs inserted balls toward the far end of the bag  200  with a sloped surface that is slopes downward toward the far end of the bag  200 . Gravity naturally pulls balls inserted into the bag  200  through its opening  203  toward the end of the bag  200  opposite the funnel section  211 .  
         [0020]     In one embodiment, the bag  200  is approximately two and a half feet to three and a half feet in length. The height of the bag may be approximately one to two feet in height. The depth of the bag may be six inches to one and a half feet.  FIG. 2B  is a diagram showing an end view of the bag  200 . The opening  203  is positioned roughly on a centerline of the bag  200  from an end view. The opening  203  is near the upper end of the bag  200 . If the bag  200  is held horizontally, the balls inside will not easily fall out because of the positioning of the opening  203  in an upper end of the bag  200 .  
         [0021]     In one embodiment, the size of the opening may be adjusted using a drawstring  205 . The drawstring  205  may loop around the opening  203  to contract the mesh and make the opening  203  smaller. Physical force may be applied to reverse the affects of the drawstring  205  by pulling on the internal edge of the opening  203 . Other similar mechanisms may be used in place of a drawstring. For example, a zipper, loop and hook cover and similar mechanisms may be used.  
         [0022]     In one embodiment, the opening  203  be specifically adapted to be expanded to fit over the end of a tube collector or similar ball collection device. The maximum size of the opening  203  may be large enough to fit over the end of a tube collector or similar collection device. Once fitted over the end of the tube device or a similar part of a ball collection device the drawstring  205  or similar opening adjustment mechanism may be pulled to tighten the opening  203  around the end of the collection device thereby securing the bag  200  to the collection device. The tightened or secured position of the adjustment mechanism may secure the bag  200  to the collection device by interlocking structures, form fit, friction fit, or similar securing mechanism. In another embodiment, the attachment mechanism may further include a hook and loop mechanism, clasping mechanism or similar securing mechanism. In one example, the mesh  213  may include openings or gaps near the opening  203  that allow protruding sections of the collection device to fit through thereby interlocking the bag  200  with the collection device.  
         [0023]     Once secured, the collection device may be tipped or similarly oriented to allow the balls collected to enter the bag  200  through the opening  203 . Once the balls have been inserted into the bag, the opening  203  may be widened again and the collection device decoupled. The opening  203  may then be adjusted to a closed position again to secure the balls in the interior of the bag  200 . The opening  203  may be enlarged when unattached to a collection device to allow a user access to the balls  201  stored inside or to allow the user to dump the balls  201 . For example, the balls may be dumped into a cart, ball machine or similar device.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a second embodiment of the bag. The bag  300  has a more square shape than the bag  200  of the first embodiment. The bag  300  includes an opening  303  for connecting with a collection device and allowing access to the balls stored in the bag  300 . The size of the opening may be controlled by a drawstring  305  or similar mechanism. In addition, other attachment mechanisms or structures may be present to assist the coupling of the bag  300  to a collection device.  
         [0025]     In the second embodiment, a strap  317  may be attached to the bag  300 . The strap  317  may be used to conveniently carry the bag  300  over the shoulder, across the chest, in hand or in a similar position. In another embodiment, multiple straps may be attached to allow the carriage of the bag  300  as a backpack. For example, the bag may have two lengthwise adjustable straps with padding that a wearer can fit over each shoulder to wear the bag as a backpack.  
         [0026]     The strap  317  may be attached through stitching, inter-joined loops, clips or similar mechanisms to the bag  300  at each end of the strap  317 . The attachment points of the strap  317  may be at opposite ends of the bag  300  to provide balance in carrying a partial or full bag  300 . In one embodiment, the strap  317  may include a shoulder pad  313 . The shoulder pad  313  may be an enlarged section of the strap  317  with padding to prevent the strap from focusing the weight of the bag  300  on a narrow strip on the wearer&#39;s shoulder causing discomfort to the wearer. The shoulder pad  313  may be repositioned and slide up or down the strap  317  to be best positioned for the comfort of the wearer. Similarly, the length of the strap  317  may be adjusted. The strap  317  may include an adjustment mechanism  315 . Any type of adjustment mechanism may be used. In one example, the adjustment mechanism  315  may be plastic or a similar material. The adjustment mechanism  315  may use its shape to create a friction fit with the strap  317  that allows the strap  317  to be looped into the adjustment mechanism  315  and held in place to vary the size of the strap  317  based on the size of the loop in the strap  317 .  
         [0027]     In one embodiment, the bag  300  may include an outside or exterior pocket  311 . The outside pocket  311  may be positioned anywhere on the bag  300 . Any number of outside pockets  311  may be placed on the bag  300 . The outside pockets may be closeable through a snap flap, zipper, loop and hook mechanism or similar mechanism. The pockets may be used to carry additional items like water bottles, grip tape, sweatbands and similar related paraphernalia. In another embodiment, pockets may be placed in the interior of the bag  300  or may span the interior and exterior of the bag  300 .  
         [0028]     In one embodiment, the bag  300  may include a second opening  321  controlled by a zipper  319  or similar mechanism. The second opening may be positioned along the bottom of the bag  300 . The second opening may be used to dump or remove the contents of the bag  300  easily. In one embodiment, the opening may run for three fourths or more of the length of the bag  300 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a third example embodiment of the bag. The bag  400  may be formed from a fabric. The fabric may be tightly or loosely woven. A loosely woven fabric may allow the wearer or others to see the balls  401  inside the bag  400 . In one embodiment, a mesh window  423 , a clear plastic window or similar structure may be provided to allow a user to see the presence of balls  401  in the bag  400 . The fabric bag  400  may have any number of interior or exterior pockets  411 , a strap  417 , top zipper  421  (or bottom zipper) and similar structures.  
         [0030]     In one embodiment, the top opening  425  allows a wearer to easily reach into the bag  400  to retrieve a ball  401 . This allows the wearer to use the bag  400  in place of a hopper or cart. Balls  401  may be continuously retrieved for practice sessions or lessons from the bag  400 . The bag  400  is carried over the shoulder leaving the arms free to carry a racket and hold a ball  401 . Each of the embodiments that include a top opening  425  may be utilized in this fashion to replace the need for a ball hopper.  
         [0031]     In one example embodiment, the opening  403  may have an elastic adjustment mechanism  427 . The elastic adjustment mechanism  427  may bias the opening  403  to a closed position. The elastic adjustment mechanism  427  may be pulled to an expanded position to allow a collection device to be fit into the opening  403 . The elastic adjustment mechanism  427  may be an elastic band that is interwoven into the fabric or mesh to pull the fabric or mesh together.  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of one embodiment of a complementary collection device and collection bag. In one embodiment, a bag  500  may include a first opening  503  and a second opening  521 , a strap  517 , a drawstring  505  and similar structures. A collection tube  535  or similar device may be coupled to the collection bag  500 . The collection tube  535  may have a complementary attachment mechanism  537 , such as a set of protruding knobs  537  or hooks, clasps or similar structures. For example, a set of knobs  537  may be used to catch the mesh  213  of the bag  500  to hold the bag  500  in place in relation to the tube  535 . The bag  500  may be removed from the collection tube  535  by disengaging the mesh  511  or similarly disengaging the complementary attachment mechanisms of the bag  500  and collection device  535 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of a fourth embodiment of the bag. The example bag  600  includes both a top opening  625  and a bottom opening  621 . The top opening  625  may be open and closed using a zipper mechanism  633 , snap fit mechanism, loop and hook mechanism or similar mechanism. The bottom opening  621  may similarly be opened and closed with a zipper mechanism  619  or similar mechanism. The top opening  625  may be used by a wearer to easily retrieve balls from the bag. For example, the wearer may carry the bag using the strap  617  with the shoulder pad  613  over one shoulder or across the chest while retrieving balls  601  in the bag  600  and holding a racquet. This is convenient for use in practices or teaching sessions and may be used in place of a ball hopper.  
         [0034]     The bag  600  may be used in conjunction with a collection device. The bag may be removably connected to the collection device using an end opening  603  and attachment mechanism. For example, the attachment mechanism may include a drawstring  605  to tighten the opening  603  around a portion or port of the collection device.  
         [0035]     The bag  600  may include a storage area or multiple storage areas. The bag  600  may include a set of pockets. The bag may include any number of exterior pockets  611  for carrying related paraphernalia, water bottles, personal items and similar article. The bag  600  may include a set of interior pockets  629  for carrying similar articles. For example, the interior pockets may be used to store personal items like keys and wallets in a discrete manner. Pockets or storage compartments may be located on other structures of the bag  600  such as on the strap  617  or shoulder pad  613 . For example, the shoulder pad  613  may include a small pocket to store small items for quick and easy access such as sunglasses, sunscreen, wristbands or similar items.  
         [0036]     In a further embodiment, the bag may include a belt. The belt may allow a wearer to secure the bag near or around the waist. The belt may allow the wearer to secure the bag to minimize interference with the arms and legs of the wearer for use in practice sessions and lessons. The belt may be a fabric, mesh or similar material. The belt may be attached to one side of the bag and have sufficient length to wrap around the waist of a wearer. In one embodiment, the belt may be detachable from the bag. The belt may be stored in the bag when detached. The belt may be adjustable to fit any waist size of a wearer. The bag may have an external set of loops or similar structure to allow the bag to be removeably attached to the belt.  
         [0037]     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will however, be evident that various modification and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Features described in regard to one embodiment may be interchangeably used with the features of other embodiments. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarding in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.