Patent Publication Number: US-2011059814-A1

Title: Baseball and Softball Retrieval Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date of the prior-filed provisional application No. 61/276,031, filed Sep. 9, 2009. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE APPLICATION 
     The application relates to a device for retrieving balls and other spherical objects from a surface. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A variety of devices exist for retrieving balls from a surface. Typical devices include a tubular housing having a diameter approximating the diameter of the balls to be retrieved. Balls are received at an open end and retained within the tubular housing and/or an enclosure attached at the opposite end. Typically, a one-way retention assembly is affixed at an open end allowing balls to enter the tubular housing but not exit out through that same open end. The design of such retention assemblies are often dictated by the type of ball being retrieved. While retrieving balls from a surface inherently place demands on a retention assembly, balls with significant weight and/or diameter can make satisfying those demands unattainable. Such demands may include a level of accuracy necessary to direct the balls into an open end, a level of applied force necessary to push the balls through the retention assembly, an amount of wear on the balls caused by the retention assembly over time, an amount of wear on the retention assembly caused by the balls over time, an increasing amount of weight attempting to push the balls back through the one-way retention assembly as more balls are retained within the retrieval device, and a level of variance in weight and/or diameter between balls of a same or different type as would be expected with a mix of old and new balls, regular vs. training balls, or balls made by different manufacturers. Unfortunately, no known devices exist that sufficiently address all these demands related to balls with significant weight and/or diameter such as baseballs, softballs, and related training balls. 
     A device is desired that can retrieve and retain balls having significant weight and/or diameter while minimizing the accuracy required to direct the balls into an open end, minimizing the applied force required to push the balls through the retention assembly, minimizing the amount of wear on the balls caused by the retention assembly over time, minimizing the amount of wear on the retention assembly caused by the balls over time, ability to support the increasing weight attempting to push the balls back through the one-way retention assembly, and ability to support variance in weight and/or diameter between balls of a same or different type. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present application is directed to a ball retrieval device comprising: a tubular housing including a first end for receiving one or more balls from a surface and a second end for dispensing said one or more balls from said housing; and a retention assembly attached to the first end, said retention assembly comprising (a) an expanded foot attached to the first end of said housing and graduating in diameter from the housing to the base of said expanded foot; (b) an interchangeable rubber cap fitted and secured over or into the base of said expanded foot having a center-cut hole through which a ball is retrieved from a surface. 
     The present application is also directed to a method of retrieving and retaining one or more balls from a surface, the method comprising the following steps: providing a ball retrieval device comprising (1) a tubular housing comprising a first end for receiving one or more balls and a second end for dispensing one or more balls; and (2) a retention assembly attached to the first end of said housing, said retention assembly comprising (a) an expanded foot attached to the first end of said housing and graduating in diameter from said housing to the base of said expanded foot; (b) an interchangeable rubber cap fitted and secured over or into the base of said expanded foot having a center-cut hole through which a ball is retrieved from a surface; positioning said retention assembly over a single ball and applying force as necessary to push the ball through said center-cut hole; retrieving one or more balls from a surface in like fashion, thus stacking the balls inside said housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the device. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a perspective view of a first end of an embodiment of the device including a retention assembly attached thereto. Depicted also is a ball properly aligned with the center-cut hole through which it is to pass through. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a section view of a first embodiment of an interchangeable rubber cap taken along the B-B line in  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a first end of an embodiment of the device including a retention assembly attached thereto. Depicted also is a ball misaligned with the center-cut hole through which it is to pass through. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the device and retaining multiple balls within its tubular housing. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the retention assembly depicting the ease by which the interchangeable rubber cap may be changed or replaced on the extended foot. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It has been observed that a ball retrieval device, including a tubular housing and a retention assembly comprised of an expanded foot and interchangeable rubber cap, can be configured to receive and retain balls having significant weight and/or diameter. It has also been observed that a ball retrieval device, including a tubular housing and a retention assembly comprised of an expanded foot and interchangeable rubber cap, can be configured to receive and retain one or more balls with a varying weight and/or diameter. This configuration so adequately addresses the general demands of retrieving balls from a surface, and additionally, those demands specific to retrieving balls with significant weight and/or diameter, the ball retrieval device of this invention thus satisfies the requirements of patentability and therefore represents a patentable idea. 
     The term “ball” is defined herein as a spherical object that is either perfectly round or substantially round. A ball referred to herein may or may not refer to those spherical objects common to many sports, athletic events, or games. 
     In one regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to receive one or more balls at a first retrieving end and configured to empty the one or more balls at a second dispensing end. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to receive and retain balls that vary in weight and/or diameter. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to receive and retain a multiplicity of balls potentially made up of varying weights and/or diameters. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to be held by the user with a predominately vertical orientation when receiving one or more balls from a surface. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device that is free-standing when left unattended on a predominately level surface whether containing zero or more balls. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to serve as a transportable storage compartment for one or more balls. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to be operated by use of a single hand of the user&#39;s choice, wherein said hand is placed on top of the device. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to provide an extended and concave surface area making it easier for the user to direct a ball into the receiving end of the device. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to minimize the applied force required by the user when retrieving a ball from a surface. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to optimize the variation of balls, varying in weight and/or diameter, which may be retrieved by the device. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to minimize the wear on the balls being retrieved caused by the retention assembly over time. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to minimize the wear on the retention assembly caused by the balls being retrieved over time. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to optimize the capacity of the retention assembly to hold the increasing weight of balls as they are retrieved and retained inside the device. 
     In another regard, the present application relates to a ball retrieval device configured to prolong the life of the retrieval device by making the retention assembly easily replaceable. 
     The ball retrieval device according to the present application will be further described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. However, the drawings are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  discloses a ball retrieval device comprising at least a tubular housing  3  and a retention assembly  4 ,  5  attached to a first end of the tubular housing  3 . Optionally, the ball retrieval device may further comprise a handle  2  attached to the second end of the tubular housing  3  that is configured to be held by a user for carrying and/or operating the ball retrieval device. 
     The tubular housing  3  is defined as a hollow tube and comprises a first open end  6 , i.e., a retrieving end, and a second open end  1 , i.e., a dispensing end. 
     The length of the tubular housing  3  may vary depending on the desired number of balls  7  of a particular diameter to be retrieved and retained inside the tubular housing  3 . In one embodiment, the tubular housing  3  comprises a length from thirty-two inches up to sixty inches. A length of approximately thirty-two inches is found to be advantageous when the ball type to be retrieved is a baseball, allowing the entire ball retrieval device to retain twelve to thirteen balls and to fit conveniently in a standard bat bag during transport to and from practice. This number of baseballs retained in the tubular housing  3  also seems optimal for operating as the device starts getting heavy as more balls are retained. 
     Although it is contemplated herein that the ball retrieval device be configured to retain baseballs, requiring an inner diameter of the tubular housing  3  be about three inches, or to retain softballs, requiring an inner diameter of the tubular housing  3  be about four inches, it is within the scope of this application to retain other ball types such as is used for baseball or softball training, or such as is used in other sports such as croquet, bocce, tennis, cricket, and the like. 
     The tubular housing  3  may be constructed of any suitable material including but not limited to plastics, rubbers, fiberglass, aluminum or the like. In one embodiment the tubular housing  3  is comprised of vinyl polymers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The wall thickness of such PVC is approximately 0.070 inches for that used for baseballs and approximately 0.075 inches for that used for softballs. 
     In one embodiment the handle  2  contemplated is that of a thin rubber edging to be applied using adhesive to the dispensing end  1  to provide comfort to the user&#39;s hand while operating the device. The thickness of this rubber edging would be 0.1250 inches and width would be 0.3750 inches. 
     The expanded foot  4  functions as an adapter, graduating the inner diameter of the tubular housing  3  from three inches to four inches in an embodiment configured for baseballs and from four inches to five inches in an embodiment configured for 12″ softballs. 
     The expanded foot  4  may be constructed of any suitable material including but not limited to plastics, rubbers, fiberglass, aluminum or the like. In one embodiment the expanded foot  4  is comprised of vinyl polymers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The wall thickness of such PVC is approximately 0.070 inches for that used for baseballs and approximately 0.075 inches for that used for 12″ softballs. 
     The interchangeable rubber cap  5  functions as a retention member, having a center-cut hole with an approximate diameter of 2.75 inches for baseballs and 3.5 inches for 12″ softballs. In one embodiment the thickness of the rubber cap is ¼ inches for that used for both baseballs and softballs. 
     A user of the ball retrieval device illustrated in  FIG. 1  and herein described would grip the device by its handle  2 , position the device vertically over a ball  7  so as to align it with the opening at the retrieving end  6 , then push with applied force onto the ball causing it to pass through the center-cut hole in the interchangeable rubber cap  5  thus retrieving and retaining the ball from a surface. 
       FIG. 2A  best illustrates the unique qualities of the invention under consideration in the current application. The rubber cap  2  has been expanded to a size greater than the diameter of the tubular housing  1  as seen and described in  FIG. 1  how the expanded foot  4  functions as an adapter to increase the diameter at the base of the device. Therefore, referring again to  FIG. 2A , the rubber cap now has sufficient surface area at its base  6  to allow the rubber to flex as the ball  5  passes through the center-cut hole  4 . 
     To further illustrate  FIG. 2B  shows how the rubber is free to flex across the entire surface area  1  of the rubber cap. This flex is crucial to satisfy the demands herein described for retrieving balls having significant weight and/or diameter. By allowing room for the elasticity of the rubber material to have its full effect, the friction caused by the ball passing through the hole is greatly reduced thus minimizing the amount of applied force required by the user when pushing down on the ball. 
     Furthermore, this reduced friction minimizes the wear on both the ball and the rubber cap. 
     Furthermore, because the flex of the rubber cap is optimized this allows use of a much thicker rubber cap. In one embodiment, this rubber has a thickness of ¼ inch. By employing such a thick rubber cap, the weight capacity of the rubber cap greatly increases. In one embodiment, a rubber cap can effectively hold the weight of more than twenty balls given an elongated tubular housing. As depicted in  FIG. 4 , this weight capacity is what allows the rubber cap  3  to easily hold back multiple balls  2  within its tubular housing  1 . 
     Furthermore, because the flex of the rubber cap is optimized and therefore allows use of a much thicker rubber cap, referring again to  FIG. 2A , the diameter of the center-cut hole  4  can be much smaller than the diameter of the ball to be retrieved  5  since the rubber will flex to allow the ball to pass through with relative ease. Therefore, by making the hole small the rubber cap is able to retrieve a larger array of balls having different diameters. For instance, a hole having a diameter of 2.75 inches is capable of retrieving balls with diameters ranging from about 2.75 inches to over 3 inches. 
     Furthermore, the increased surface area  7  minimizes the level of accuracy required by the user when positioning the retrieving end  4  over a ball. Additionally,  FIG. 3  depicts how the concave surface  1  surrounding the center-cut hole  2  helps to guide the ball  3  into said hole  2 . 
       FIG. 5  depicts how the rubber cap  3  is interchangeable and/or replaceable. Because of the natural quality of rubber to exert grip on the objects contacting it, the rubber cap  3  can be fitted and secured over or into the extended foot  2  without the use of adhesive. Regardless of the material and/or mechanism used to retrieve and retain balls from a surface, it is accepted that eventually that material and/or mechanism will wear out. Therefore, by making the rubber cap easily replaceable the life of the entire retrieval device can be prolonged. 
     Furthermore, by making the rubber cap  3  easily interchangeable it is possible to manufacture rubber caps with center-cut holes having varying diameters so that the user can quickly interchange the rubber cap depending on the diameter of the balls to be retrieved at a given time.