Patent ID: 6926328

Claim:
A collapsible basket assembly for the collection and transport of tennis balls, said collapsible basket assembly comprising: a basket formed of a lower tray assembly member, said lower tray assembly member having an integrally formed bottom wall, and a partial front wall, partial rear wall, and two opposing partial side walls formed by a plurality of cross linked metal rods in a grid like formation, said lower tray assembly member defined by an upper peripheral edge formed by the upper edge of said partial front wall, said partial rear wall, and said two opposing partial side walls; an extended front wall and an extended rear wall each having a top edge and a bottom edge, said bottom edges connected pivotally and rotatably to said peripheral edge of said lower tray assembly member formed by said partial front wall and said partial rear wall of said lower tray assembly member, said top edge of said extended front wall and said extended rear wall having protrusions extending in opposite directions from opposing ends thereof; two opposing extended side walls each having a top edge and a bottom edge, said bottom edges releasably, slideably secured in an upstanding bracket member positioned on said peripheral edge of said partial side walls of said lower tray assembly member, said top edges of said extended side walls being formed with loops on opposing ends thereof for the slideable insertion of said protrusions extending from said top edge of said extended front wall and said extended rear wall therethrough; removable securing means connected removably to said protrusions to prevent dis-engagement between said protrusions and said loops; a pair of opposing U-shaped members having a closed end and two arm portions with distal ends connected pivotally to said extended front wall and extended rear wall of said basket, said U-shaped members rotatable in an upward orientation so as to serve as a handle and transport means for said basket for the collection of tennis balls and rotatably oriented downwardly to serve as legs for the support of said basket permitting said basket to be oriented in a stand up position for the disbursement of said tennis balls collected in said basket; a pair of sphere members positioned on the peripheral edge of said partial front wall and said partial rear wall of said lower tray assembly member, said spheres cooperable with each of said U-shaped members so as to mechanically and frictionally engage said arm portions of said U-shaped members between said spheres when said U-shaped members are oriented in a downward position to support said basket.