Patent Publication Number: US-2020298066-A1

Title: Tennis ball collection device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/818,882 filed Mar. 15, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not applicable 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to equipment used in the game of tennis. More specifically, a device for retrieving tennis balls. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are a number of tennis ball collecting devices available to consumers. However, many of these devices are not permitted for use on clay courts. Consequently, the tennis ball collecting tube was developed and can be used on hard courts, grass courts as well as clay courts. These tubes are able to hold a number of balls and makes picking up tennis balls easy without having to bend over. Unfortunately, these tubes are extremely long and will not fit into carry-on luggage bags most frequently used by travelers. 
     As such, there is a continuing unmet need for a tennis ball collecting device that is compact, can hold about the same number of balls as tennis ball collecting tubes currently available on the market. 
     The forgoing examples of related art and limitation related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device herein disclosed and described is a handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device that may be compressed to approximately one-half of its extended length and easily fit into a carry-on piece of luggage. In one aspect of the present invention the handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device comprises a first tube consisting of two or more interconnectable first tube walls, that when interconnected form the first tube, wherein the first tube has a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end having aperture restriction ridges for retaining collected tennis balls; a second tube consisting of two or more interconnectable second tube walls that when interconnected form the second tube, wherein the second tube has an upper end and a lower end for receiving the top end of the first tube; and a locking mechanism affixed to the lower end of the second tube for connecting the first and second tubes, wherein the locking mechanism allows the first tube to slide within the second tube telescopically and able to lock the first and second tubes in a telescopically extended position during use or in a compressed position when stored. 
     In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention the handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device may further comprising a closable cap ring on the upper end of the second tube from which collected tennis balls may be discharged. The closable cap ring may comprise a cap ring and a cap. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device comprises a first tube consisting of two or more interconnectable first tube walls, that when interconnected form the first tube, wherein the first tube has a bottom end and a top end; a second tube consisting of two or more interconnectable second tube walls that when interconnected form the second tube, wherein the second tube has an upper end and a lower end for receiving the top end of the first tube; a locking mechanism affixed to the lower end of the second tube for connecting the first and second tubes, wherein the locking mechanism allows the first tube to slide within the second tube telescopically and able to lock the first and second tubes in a telescopically extended position during use or in a compressed position when stored; a press-fit aperture ring for receiving tennis balls affixed to the bottom end of the first tube; and a closable cap connected to the upper end of the second tube from which collected tennis balls may be discharged. 
     In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the closable cap is a press-fit cap or is hingeably affixed to the upper end of the second tube. 
     In yet another aspect of the present invention, the handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device comprises a first tube, wherein the first tube has a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end has aperture restriction ridges for retaining collected tennis balls; a second tube, wherein the second tube has an upper end and a lower end for receiving said top end of the first tube; a locking mechanism affixed to the lower end of the second tube for connecting the first and second tubes, wherein the locking mechanism allows the first tube to slide within the second tube telescopically and able to lock the first and second tubes in a telescopically extended position during use or in a compressed position when stored. 
     In still another aspect of the present invention, the handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device comprises a first tube having a bottom end and a top end; a second tube having an upper end and a lower end for receiving the top end of the first tube; a locking mechanism affixed to the lower end of the second tube for connecting the first and second tubes wherein the locking mechanism allows the first tube to slide within the second tube telescopically and able to lock the first and second tubes in an extended position during use or in a compressed position when stored; a press-fit aperture ring for receiving tennis balls affixed to the bottom end of the first tube; and a closable cap ring on the upper end of the second tube from which collected tennis balls may be discharged. The handheld telescoping tennis ball collecting device may further comprise a cap to affix to the closable cap ring. 
     With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     The objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective view of one aspect of the tennis ball collecting device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows the press fit aperture ring for receiving tennis balls. 
         FIG. 3  shows the interconnected side walls of the second tube. 
         FIG. 4  shows the interconnected side walls of the first tube having the locking groove utilized by the twist locking mechanism to lock the device in an open position during use. 
         FIG. 5  shows the closable aperture ring used for dispensing the tennis balls from the device. Cap not shown. 
         FIG. 6  shows the gripping ring of the locking mechanism. 
         FIG. 7  shows the locking ring of the locking mechanism that secures the device in the open position during use and/or closed position when stored. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as are commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, patent applications and publications referred to throughout the disclosure herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event that there is a plurality of definitions for a term herein, those in this section prevail. 
     The term “joined”, “affixed”, “connected”, “attached”, “interconnectable” or “interconnected” as used herein refers to the connecting of one or more elements of the present invention. These terms include adhesive, heat fusing and/or by snap connectors, tongue and groove connectors, grove and rail connectors or locking joint connectors and the like. For example, the first tube may be constructed of four interconnectable tube walls each having a side groove (e.g., a keyhole-shaped groove or guide) on one long side and a side rail (e.g., a beaded rail that fits into the keyhole-shaped groove or guide) on the opposite long side that interconnect the four tube walls together forming a completed first tube. These are just a few methods of fastening one or more elements to one another and will include other methods known to those skilled in the art. 
     Device 
     The device herein disclosed and described is a tennis ball collecting device that may be compressed to approximately one-half of its extended length and easily fit into a carry-on piece of luggage ( FIG. 1 ). In one specific embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the device  10  may comprises two or more interconnectable tube walls for each of the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  that when connected form the first and second tubes, a press-fit aperture ring  16  for receiving tennis balls affixed to bottom end of the first tube  12 , a closable cap ring  18  on the upper end of the second tube  14  from which the tennis balls may be discharged from the tube as desired and a twist locking mechanism  22  about the middle for securing the device in the extended open position during use wherein the locking mechanism  22  is affixed to the lower end of the second tube  14  or the top end of the first tube  12 . 
     A. First and Second Tubes 
     The tubes  12 ,  14 , when connected telescopically, form the body of the tennis ball collecting device  10  of the present invention and are used to retain tennis balls collected during use. Consequently, the diameter of the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  must of a diameter that allows the tennis balls once collected to move freely within the tubes. The diameter of the first tube  12  will be smaller than the second tube  14  because the first tube  12  is telescopically retained within the second tube  14  when the device  10  is in its compressed configuration. One skilled in the art can determine the desired diameter of the two tubes easily based on these requirements and with minimal testing. Consequently, a device of the present invention could be used to pick up any variety of balls (e.g., golf balls, squash balls, racket balls, baseballs or softballs) once the diameter of the ball to be collected is known, providing a first tube  12  with a diameter that is 10% to 25% greater than that diameter to be able to receive the collected balls and providing the second tube  14  with a diameter slightly larger than the first tube  12  such that the first tube  12  slides easily within the second tube  14  so that the device may be shortened telescopically when stored or for transport. 
     The tubes may be prepared from tubular stock or may be constructed from two or more connectable tube walls that when connected from a completed tube of the desired length and diameter ( FIGS. 1, 3 &amp; 4 ). If the tubes  12 ,  14  are prepared from two or more tube walls, the tube walls may be provided with tongue and groove  24  or rail and groove connectors along the length of their longest side edges. This allows the side walls to be securely fastened together either reversibly or permanently. 
     Alternatively, the sides may be provided with snap clips that allow the tube walls to be interconnected. A variety of methods known to those skilled in the art may be used to create a complete tubular structure. These connections may be able to be dissembled or they may be permanent. If permanent, they may be securely affixed with adhesive, heat fusion or other similar method known to those in the art. 
     In addition, smooth, flat areas or panels may be provided along the length on the exterior of these tube walls for advertising. The advertising may be painted directly on the tube wall or it may be provided on an adhesive sheet that is applied to the tube wall. 
     The length of the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  may be the same or different. If they are different the closed or stored size of the device  10  will be that of the longest tube. In one embodiment, the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  are the same length. The length may be determine based on the number of tennis balls that the user would like to be able to collect before emptying the device  10  and the length of the user&#39;s luggage in which the device  10  will be transported. That length of the device  10  in the closed or stored configuration may be as little as 12 inches or as long as 36 inches. More specifically, the first tube and/or second tube may be about 12 inches, about 14 inches, about 16 inches, about 18 inches, about 20 inches, about 22 inches, about 24 inches, about 26 inches, about 28 inches, about 30 inches, about 32 inches, about 34 inches and about 36 inches in length. Longer lengths may be prepared but not be able to be transported easily within luggage. 
     The material to be used to prepare the device should be relatively rigid and resistant to wear with continued use. Some light weight metals and a variety of polymers are preferred materials. Some of the polymers that may be used to prepare the elements of the device include polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polybutylene, polyethylene and/or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The elements of the device may be made of the same material or different materials. For example, the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  and the locking mechanism  22  may be made of a more rigid polymer that the closable cap ring  18  or the aperture ring  16 . 
     The first tube  12  bottom end may be acceptable to receiving a press-fit aperture ring  16  that reduces the diameter of the first tube  12  with flexible flanges  26  that bend relatively easily when pressed over a tennis ball grasping the ball and holding it for discharge into the body of the tube when a second ball is contacted with the press-fit aperture ring  26 . A variety of configurations may be applied to restrict the aperture of the bottom end of the first tube  12  to capture and secure a ball to be collected and these are known in the art, or if not, can be easily tested for desirable characteristics with minimal experimentation.  FIG. 2  shows one configuration of the press-fit aperture ring  16  with three horizontally oriented flaps  26  that reduce the aperture opening and are able to secure a collected ball. Alternatively, the bottom end of the first tube  12  may, for example, have ridges oriented vertically or horizontally that are built into, and integral to, the first tube. 
     The upper end of the second tube  14  may be acceptable to receiving a closable cap ring  18  that may be used to cover the upper end so that the balls collected do not escape and may be dispensed as desired by utilizing a removable and replaceable cap that affixes to the closable cap ring  18 . The cap may be separate from the closable cap ring  18 , it may be tethered to the cap ring  18  so that it is not misplaced or it may be hinged to the closable cap ring  18 . A variety of configurations may be applied to the upper end of the second tube  14  known to those skilled in the art to retain the collected balls within the tube as well as to provide access to those balls when needed.  FIG. 5  shows the closable cap ring  18 , without the cap that affixes to the press-fit or snap-in rim  28  along the upper edge of the ring  18 . Alternatively, the upper end of the second tube  14  may have this rim  28  provided in, and integral to, the upper end of the second tube  14 . 
     The top end of the first tube  12  and the lower end of the second tube  14  are connected via the locking mechanism  22 . For example, one locking mechanism that may be utilized with the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . This mechanism is comprised of two parts; the gripping ring  32  and the locking ring  36 . The gripping ring  32  provides a frictional surface that can be gripped by the user to twist the locking ring  36 , which has one or more pins  34  that move along one or more lengthwise grooves  38  in the second tube  14 , into a locked position when the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  are fully extended ( FIG. 4 ). A variety of locking mechanisms may be utilized to lock the first and second tube  12 ,  14  in an extended position when in use. In an alternative configuration, the exterior of the top end of the first tube  12  may have one or more pins integral to its wall that interface with one or more grooves that extend along the length of the interior of and integral to the second tube  14  beginning at its lower end and terminating in a twist lock position at its upper end. In this configuration, the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  may have frictional exterior surfaces to allow the user to grip the two tubes and twist them with respect to one another locking them in the extended position during use or unlocking them and allowing them to compress telescopically for storage. Multiple locking twist locations may be provided along the lengthwise grooves to allow the user to select a desirable length. In addition, a locking twist location may be provided in the closed position, in a similar way as when the device is extended, for storage. 
     To assist the user in transporting the device during use, the device  10  may be provided with strap loops affixed to, or integral to one or both tubes  12 ,  14 . For example, a first strap loop may be provided near the upper end of the second tube  14  and a second strap loop provided at the lower end of the second tube  14 . Alternatively, the first strap loop may be provided near the upper end of the second tube  14  and the second strap loop provided at the bottom end of the first tube  12 . A variety of configurations for the placement of the strap loops are understood in the art to allow the user to comfortably and effectively transport the device  10  during use and may be incorporated into the present invention. 
     B. Locking Mechanism 
     A variety of locking mechanisms  22  may be utilized to lock the first and second tube  12 ,  14  in an extended position when in use and/or in the closed position for storage. As provided above,  FIGS. 6 and 7  show a two piece locking mechanism comprising a gripping ring  32  and the locking ring  36 . The gripping ring  32  provides a frictional surface that can be gripped by the user to turn the locking ring which has one or more pins  34  that move along one or more lengthwise grooves  38  in the second tube  14  and twisted into a locked position when the first and second tubes  12 ,  14  are fully extended. In  FIG. 6 , the gripping indentations are cut perpendicular to the plane of the ring at regular intervals along the exterior perimeter of the ring  32 . However, other grippable texturing may be utilized such as those provided on the focusing dials of camera lenses or those provided on telescoping extension rods used for paint rollers. Those skilled in the art may use any variety of these textures to provide friction when a user is engaging the locking mechanism  22 . 
     Alternatively, the locking mechanism  22  may be integral to the exterior of the top end of the first tube  12  and interior length of the second tube  14 . For example, the mechanism may be one or more pins on the exterior of the top end of the first tube that are received by one or more locking grooves provided along the length of the interior of the second tube. A locking position is provided for securing the device  10  in its extended position during use and/or in the closed position when stored. 
     C. Aperture Ring 
     The aperture ring  16  is provided to restrict the diameter of the bottom end of the first tube  12 , which receives the tennis balls. This restriction captures and secures the tennis ball in the bottom end of the first tube  12  until the next captured tennis ball displaces the first discharging it into the body of the first tube  12 . This restriction may be provided in a variety of ways known to those skilled in the art. For example,  FIG. 2  shows one example of an aperture ring  16  having three flexible flanges  26  equally spaced about the interior diameter of the ring  16 . When a ball is collected, these flanges  26  bend embracing the ball and holding it until the next ball is acquired. The first ball is released into the body of the first tube  12  when the second takes its place in the flanges  26  of the aperture ring  16 . Other configurations that achieve these objectives may be known, or conceived of and easily implemented, by those skilled in the art. 
     Alternatively, the aperture ring  16  which provides a restricted diameter may be formed in, or integral to, the bottom end of the first tube  12 . This may be provided as ramping ridges (not shown in the Figures). For example, a ramped ridge may be from about 1/16 inch to about ¼ inch in height, about ¼ inch to about ½ inch in length, ramping along that specified length from 0 inches in height to the desired height about the middle of its length and then ramping back down to 0 inches at the end. One or more ramping ridges may be oriented perpendicular or parallel to the length of and along the inside of the bottom end of the first tube  12 . Depending on the orientation and the diameter of the first tube  12 , one skilled in the art may determine the most desirable number, height and length of the ramping ridges to allow the tennis balls to be easily press fit into the tube and securely retained after being collected. 
     D. Cap Ring 
     The cap ring  18  provides a seat  28  to which a cap may be secured to retain the balls within the device  10  until needed. In  FIG. 5 , one configuration of a cap ring  18  is shown. One end of the ring is provided with a diameter that allows the ring  18  to be press-fit onto the upper end of the second tube  14  and the other end provides a seat  28  on which a cap may be fitted. The cap may be separate from the device  10 , it may be tethered to the device  10  or it may be hingeably connected to the cap ring  18 . A variety of methods know in the art may be used to secure the top of the device (i.e., the upper end of the second tube  14 ) to prevent the balls escaping the device until needed. 
     Alternatively, the securing ring  18  may be incorporated into the upper end of the second tube  14 . The cap may then be provided separate from the second tube  14 , tethered to the securing ring  18  or hingeably connected to the upper end of the second tube  14 . 
     Use 
     The user grasps the device at both ends the first tube in one hand and the second tube in the other) and pulls, or twists and pulls extending the device to its full length. Once the full length is achieved, the locking ring is then rotated until it stops locking the tubes in their extended position. Tennis balls on the court may be picked up by pressing the aperture ring end of the first tube over the top of the tennis ball until the ball is secured within the ring. This step is repeated with the ball in the aperture ring being discharged into the tube and replaced by the subsequent ball until the tube is frill. To dispense the balls, remove the cap on the upper end of the second tube and turn the device over to release the balls. Rotate the lock ring in the opposite direction until it stops then compress the first tube into the second tube to collapse the device into its storage configuration. Rotate the lock ring again until the first and second tubes are locked in the closed position. 
     While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.