FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a tennis ball collector, particularly to a modular tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device. In particular, the present invention relates to a tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device that allows a user to pick-up tennis balls off the ground, store the tennis balls, and, when needed, to dispense the tennis balls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is not uncommon for a plurality of tennis balls to be present on a tennis court at one time during a typical practice session of tennis. Once a session is complete or all the balls are used they must be picked-up in order to continue play. This is done not only for the safety of the players, but also to also keep the tennis court free of tennis balls. In the case of tennis practice, time studies have determined that far more time is typically spent in retrieving tennis balls from a court than the time actually spent in hitting the tennis balls during practice. In order to retrieve the tennis balls from the court, the player typically has to pick up each individual tennis ball by hand. This usually means that the player must squat or bend down each time a ball is picked up. This is very stressful and potentially damaging to back and leg muscles. Balls are stored in the bin for balls during tennis training of students. Picking-up of tennis balls takes many trips across the court since the player can only hold a limited amount of tennis balls at one time. This process is very time consuming to the player, particularly seen in course of tennis coaching. Tennis trainers in front of him have a basket with app. 70 tennis balls while on the other side of the net on the other side of the field you have a one or more tennis students. During training, tennis coach pulls the balls from the basket and hits them to the tennis student over the network. It takes approximately 15 minutes to empty the basket and scattered tennis balls needs to be picked-up. In addition to squatting or bending down a great number of times to individually pick up many tennis balls, the player has to walk to a specific location where the balls are being stored, e.g., a tennis ball bin or basket. Present invention can quickly collect 21 or 28 tennis balls and take them away on the other side field and turn upside down device to dispense balls into bin or the basket. In this way, by utilizing present invention within 3 to 5 minutes all scattered balls are gathered and placed in the bin or the like. Without utilizing present invention it takes around 20 minutes each time that scattered balls needed to be collected and placed into bin or basket. With the present invention collecting of tennis balls saves time since a tennis coach charges per hour of tennis. After completing his training, tennis instructor utilizing present invention can, if necessary, retract or stretch like a telescope and used it as storage of tennis balls, taken by the handle or carry with the aid of the shoulder strap. Other tennis ball pick-up systems, however, have been devised to assist the player in retrieving tennis balls that are on a court. Typically the tennis ball retrieval systems are complex systems that assist the tennis player in retrieving tennis balls during play. This permits the user to play with a limited number of tennis balls without the worry of having to manually retrieve the balls. These systems are difficult to install and in most instances are a permanent feature to the tennis court. These systems usually consist of troughs that run the length of the tennis net and side courts. In addition to the troughs are conveyors and other complicated retrieval mechanisms such as ball stackers and holding systems. Only the most exclusive clubs have tennis courts equipped with such ball retrieval systems due to the expensive nature of these systems and their installation. Many manual tennis ball retrieval and storage devices have also been invented. Most of these retrieval devices are tubes with caps and on their ends to pick up, hold and dispense tennis balls. Document US4045068A discloses a ball pick-up, storage, and individual delivery device comprising: an elongated tubular canister capable of receiving and storing a plurality of balls therein; ball guiding and retaining fins at one end of the elongated tubular canister for guiding the balls into the elongated tubular canister and retaining them therein, after the ball guiding and retaining fins has been placed over and around the balls one at a time and pressed downwardly around the balls to squeeze them and force them to enter the elongated tubular canister; a spring located within the elongated tubular canister urging the balls in the direction of the ball guiding and retaining fins with the outermost ball contacting the ball guiding and retaining fins; and a base located at the other end of the elongated tubular canister having a sufficiently large surface area as a base to permit the elongated tubular canister to be inverted and to stand upright thereon. Document US5634680A discloses a tennis ball retrieval system comprises a removable cap which is preferably sized to fit a standard tennis ball container. The cap has an opening and an inwardly projecting flange for effectively reducing the opening to less than the diameter of a standard tennis ball. The apparatus preferably also includes tennis ball containers having a standard diameter but being capable of containing more than three tennis balls, or having grooves to allow the container to be connected to a like container with a connecting member, or both. Document US7922608B1 discloses a tennis ball retrieval, storage, and dispensing device having a hollow tube with a diameter that may be larger than balls that are to be picked up and stored within the tube. Positioned at the top of the hollow tube is a closed end cap that is opened to remove balls stored inside the tube. Attached to the bottom of the hollow tube is an entrance end cap that has an opening that may be of different shapes but a round tennis ball entering the device tube through the entrance end cap opening must be squeezed to a non-round shape to get past the opening and enter the device tube. Technical solutions disclosed in US4045068A, US5634680A and US7922608B1 are based on squeezing and forcing balls into the elongated tubular canister by the means of fins and spring. Technical solutions disclosed in cited prior art documents are complicated due to the large number of constructional parts. Further, by disclosed solutions only limited number of balls can be picked at the tennis court and stored. In addition, connecting of multiple containers is performed by additional connecting members. To overcome the shortcoming of manual prior art tennis ball retrieval, storage and dispensing devices described in the previous paragraph an improved modular tennis ball pick-up and storage device is developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The previously described shortcomings in prior art tennis ball retrieval, storage and dispensing devices is solved by the present invention. A modular tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device is disclosed that can be modified to meet the desires of a user.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ball retrieval system that enables the player to pick up balls without squatting or bending down.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ball retrieval system that is time saving.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ball retrieval system that stores a multitude of balls at one time.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a permanent holding compartment for the storage of balls.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a combined ball retrieval, storage, and dispensing system.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon inspection of the detailed description, drawings, and appended claims. The present invention is a modular ball pick-up, storage, and dispensing system ("ball system") comprising a telescopic system of hollow tubes having an inner diameter slightly larger than a ball that is to be placed within the ball system. Positioned at the lower end of the hollow tube is a headpiece having a hollow center portion and tree evenly arranged tandems of inwardly projected protuberances. In order to pick up balls with the ball system a person places the headpiece directly over the ball to be picked up. The person then presses the ball system onto the ball until the ball passes entirely through the headpiece and into the hollow tube. Balls are stacked therein so more balls may be held in a given length of tube.

The novel device of the present invention has a hollow tube that has an inside dimension that is slightly larger than the diameter of tennis balls that are stored inside the tube. The tube has a cross sectional shape that is round. There is arranged spring loaded closure on top end of the hollow tube. Due to the action of the spring closure at top end is closed until the weight of the tennis ball stored inside tubes prevail. When pick-up device is stacked with tennis balls, it is turned towards ground, and due to the weight of stacked tennis balls closure is opened and tennis balls can be delivered to the bin. On the lower end of the first tube is mounted a pick-up portion or headpiece that retains tennis balls inside the tube. The headpiece may be screw on or it may be tightly fitted to the tube. The opening of the headpiece is circular. For a circular opening it will have a diameter bigger than the maximal diameter of the tennis ball. Inner part at the entry of the headpiece comprises at least three evenly and inwardly projected protuberances having inclined plane. When the opening of the headpiece arranged on the lower end of the tube is pushed downward over a tennis ball, tennis ball passes through the opening into tube and pushes up other tennis balls. When a tennis ball is inside the tube of the device it cannot exit the tube back through the same entrance due to the retaining means in the form of three evenly and inwardly projected protuberances having triangular shape. Protuberances with inclined plane and protuberances having triangular shape are arranged in tandem. Protuberance with inclined plane enables entry of the tennis, ball whilst protuberance having triangular shape prevents falling out of the tennis ball from the tube. Three or more tandem protuberances are arranged evenly and define diameter slightly bigger than the diameter of the tennis ball allowing passing of the tennis ball without being deformed. The round storage tube of the ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device comprises at least two cylindrical tubes. In arrangement with two cylindrical tubes, tubes have slightly different diameters and the smaller diameter tube can just slide inside the larger diameter tube in a telescoping action. Number of telescopically arranged tubes is not limited by the teaching of the invention, but is limited by the practical aspects connected with the handling. This telescoping action permits an empty device to be shortened to its shortest length for storage of the device, and also permits the device to be telescoped to accommodate the actual number of balls actually stored inside. According to the preferred embodiment of invention four tubes are telescopically arranged.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood upon reading the following Detailed Description on conjunction with the drawing in which:

- FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of the tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device arranged with 4 tubes;

- FIG. 2 shows headpiece 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;

- FIG. 3 shows a three dimensional view of the tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device arranged with 4 tubes;

- FIG. 4 shows a three dimensional view in detail of the tubes according to the embodiment of present invention;

- FIG. 4a shows a detail view of lock-up mechanism;

- FIG. 5 shows a three dimensional view of the tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device arranged with 3 tubes;

- FIG. 6 is a three dimensional view of a pick-up device arranged with 2 tubes;

- FIG. 7 is a three dimensional view of a two tubes and design details "A" and "B" of respective tube's ends;

- FIG. 8 is a three dimensional view of pick-up device in assembled state;

- FIG. 9 is a three dimensional view of pick-up device;

- FIG. 10 is a three dimensional view of a design details of respective tube's ends;

- FIG. 11 is a three dimensional view of a tube and headpiece;

- FIG. 12 is a underneath view of the headpiece;

- FIG. 13 is a three dimensional view of the headpiece from underneath;

- FIG. 14 is an overhead view of the headpiece; and

- FIG. 15 is a three dimensional view of the headpiece from overhead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a modular ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device that can be easily modified to meet the needs of a user. The device has circular cross sectional ball storage tubes that can telescope together, such as shown in FIGS. 1 , 3 - 11. The modular device has end spring loaded cover 7 for dispensing tennis balls 22 out of the device into bin or the like, and headpiece 1 arranged on the opposite end of the pick-up device, both having a circular cross section such as shown in FIGS. 1 , 3, 5, 6 and 8 respectively. A modular tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device comprising a number of telescopically arranged hollow tubes 2, 3, and 4 having a lower end, an upper end, and having a cross sectional area larger than tennis balls 22 to be placed within the hollow tubes 2, 3, and 4. A headpiece 1 is arranged on the lower end of the hollow tube 2 wherein the headpiece 1 has an opening 1a through which tennis balls 22 must pass when entering into hollow tube 2. The opening 1a has shape and size that causes tennis ball 22 passing through the opening 1a without being deformed. A tennis ball 22 as it passes through the headpiece 1 opening 1a is held inside the hollow tube 2 by the retaining protuberances (21) arranged inside the headpiece (1 ). Telescopically arranged hollow tubes 2 and 3 are provided with pair of oppositely arranged longitudinal guiding troughs 8 positioned at the outer side of respective tubes. Further, pair of lock-up means 9, 11 , and 14 and pair of grooves 12 for extending or assembling tubes 2, 3, and 4 and respectively fixing said tubes at desired position by rotation of two tubes in sequence are provided. Pair of lock up means 11 and 14 are arranged on outer side of the tubes 2 and 3 and pair of lock-up means 9 are arranged on the inner bottom side of the tubes 3 and 4, wherein tube 2 is first tube to which is coupled headpiece 1 , tube 3 is middle tube, and tube 4 is an end tube to which spring loaded cover 7 is coupled on its upper end. Headpiece 1 is an entrance end that has an opening 1a through which balls enter the device, the entrance headpiece 1 has a novel retaining protuberances mounted inside it that holds balls inside the storage tube so that the ball does not hang or protrude through the opening of the headpiece 1 and novel protuberances enabling entry of the ball without deforming it. Headpiece 1 is shown in and described with reference to FIGS. 2, 12 to 15. In FIG. 1 is shown a three dimensional view of the modular tennis ball pick-up, storage and dispensing device arranged with 4 tubes having round tubes 2, 3 and 4 for storage of tennis balls, headpiece 1 for picking-up tennis balls, handle 5 and shoulder strap 6. Tube denoted with 2 is first tube onto which headpiece 1 is tightly connected. Tube 3 is middle tube always arranged between tube 2 and end tube 4. In case of arrangement with two tubes, tubes 2 and 4 are utilized. In case of arrangement with three tubes, tubes 2, 3 and 4 are utilized, and in arrangement with four tubs, one tube 2, two tubes 3 and one tube 4 is utilized. When all 4 tubes are full filled with tennis balls 22, for carrying pick-up device shoulder strap is used. In case of number of tennis balls 22 fullfiling only the length of one tube, other tubes are telescopically assembled and pick-up device may be carried by the means of handle 5. The inside diameter of tube 2 is 7.14 cm, outside diameter is 7.54 cm, where inside diameter of tube 3 is such that it can just slide or telescope outside tube 2. Likewise, inside diameter of tube 4 is such that it can slide or telescope outside tube 3. To adjust and lock-up the desired length of tubes 2, 3 and 4, tabs 9 arranged on the inner side of the tubes and delimiters 11 , slots 14 and troughs 8 arranged on the outer side of the tubes. These elements are shown in and described with reference to FIGS. 4, 4a, 7, 10 and 11. Tubes 2, 3 and 4 are shown in and described in detail with reference to FIG. 4. Tube 2 is first initial storage tube to which is tightly coupled headpiece 1. Tube 3 is arranged as middle storage tube. In embodiment with 3 tubes only one tube 3 is implemented, in embodiment with 4 tubes two tubes 3 are arranged. Tube 3 is arranged in the middle between tubes 2 and 4. Tube 4 is an end tube provided with handle 5 and tightly coupled spring loaded cover 7 preventing falling out of the tennis balls. Tubes 2 and 3 are provided with two outer longitudinal oppositely arranged troughs 8 formed by two longitudinal and parallel projections 15. Tubes 3 and 4 are provided with pair of tabs 9 oppositely arranged on their bottom inner side. Tubes 2 and 3 on each outer lower and upper side are provided with circular groove 12 formed to receive tabs 9 as shown on figure 7 detail "A" and "B". Circular groove 12 is formed by two parallel arranged orbital upper and lower projections 13, 13a. At the point of intersection between pair of troughs 8 and orbital projection 13 or 13a pair of orifices 16 is arranged enabling pair of tabs 9 to pass projection 13, or respectively projection 13a. One of the parallel projections 15 is extending from lower projection 13a positioned on the lower tube end up to the upper projection 13 positioned on the upper end of tube 2 and 3. Second projection 15 is extending from upper projection 13 positioned on the lower tube end up to the lower projection 13a positioned on the upper end of tube 2 and 3. Such design of two parallel projections 15 forms orifice 16 and boundary 10 providing rotation of two tubes in sequence only between trough 8 and lock-up means 11 and 14. Orifice 16 is arranged to enable entering of tab 9 in groove 12 and move respective tube in clockwise direction when two tubes are to be extended and locked-up. Projections 13, 13a are provided with pair of delimiters 11 and slots 14 mutually oppositely arranged and have function of lock-up mechanism. Two longitudinal troughs 8 and two pairs of delimiters 11 and slots 14 are arranged at right angle. Delimiter 11 has trigonal shape, while slot 14 has form arranged to receive sliding cog 18. Each tab 9 has rectangular shape with one beveled edge 17 suitable for abutting to the trigonal delimiter 11. On the opposite side of the beveled edge 17 tab 9 is provided with sliding cog 18 of shape and size suitable to fit into slot 14 when tab 9 is in a lock-up position. When tab 9 reaches and alignes on delimiter 11 simultainosly its cog 18 enters into slot 14 thus forming lock-up connection. Size of each tab 9 is such that fits between orbital projections 13 and 13a and slides with cog 18 and its upper surface between projections 13, 13a within circular groove 12. Upper projection 13 on upper end of tubes 2, 3 is provided with two orifices 19 each arranged at 45° from lock-up mechanism (delimiter 11 and slot 14) or respectively troughs 8. Orifices 19 serve for assembling the tubes and in case of damaging respective tube for replacing it with the new one. End tube 4 is provided with pair of tabs 9 oppositely arranged on its bottom inner side, handle 5 and spring loaded cover 7. Due to the action of the spring, cover opens only under weight of the tennis balls 22. Tubes 2 and 3 are assembled and fixed in following manner. Tube 3 is positioned over tube 2 in a manner that tabs 9 enter through orifices 19 situated on the upper part of the tube 2 and arranged on the upper projection 13. As tabs 9 are positioned within circular groove 12, tube 3 is turned clockwise causing the sliding of the tabs 9 along the groove 12 and entering of cogs 18 into slot 14 that is a locking-up tubes 2 and 3. Tube 4 can be assembled to tube 2 or 3 in the same manner. In case of pick up device with two tubes, tubes 2 and 4 are assembled as shown in figures 6 and 7. In case of pick-up device with 3 tubes, as shown in figure 5, tube 3 is assembled on tube 2 and tube 4 is assembled on tube 3. Arrangement with 4 tubes is shown in figures 1 and 3 where two tubes 3 are mutually assembled, first tube 3 is assembled on tube 2, and tube 4 is assembled on second tube 3. The length of each of tubes 2, 3 and 4 is such to accommodate 7 tennis balls, but different lengths may be utilized. In case of picking-up and storing less tennis balls than the length of two, three or four tubes, tubes can be telescoped and assembled to the length of one, two or three tubes in order to meet the number of stored tennis balls. Telescoping and assembling of tubes is carried out by the means of troughs 8 tabs 9, circular grooves 12 and locking-up delimiter 11 and slot 14. To assemble two tubes in sequence for example tube 2 and 3 it is necessary to turn tube 3 in opposite from clockwise direction until tabs 9 reach orifices 16 end enters into troughs 8. Upper tube 3 is pushed down until tabs 9 reach lower orbital projection 13a, tube 3 is turned clockwise direction/right until tabs 9 enter into slots 14 and being locked-up. Prolongation of tubes is carried out by turning of respective tube in opposite to the clockwise direction until tabs 9 reach orifices 16, tube is pulled out wherein tabs 9 slide along the troughs 8 up to the orbital projection 13, tube is turned in clockwise direction until tabs 9 reach delimiter 11 and enter into slot 14 wherein is being locked-up. Disengagement of tubes is carried up in following manner. Respective tube is turned in opposite to the clockwise direction/left until pair of tabs 9 are positioned under pair of orifices 19, and tube can be pulled out from respective tube. Generally when number of tubes are assembled, disengagement is conducted only due to the replacement of damaged or broken tube. Tubes 2, 3, and 4 each have such inside diameter that can just slide or telescope. The inside diameter of tube 2 is at least slightly greater than the maximum diameter of a tennis ball 22. Thus, balls 22 may move freely inside all tubes 2, 3 and 4. Headpiece 1 for picking-up tennis balls is tightly coupled to the first storage tube 2, is shown in detail and described with reference to FIGS 2, 12 to 15. Headpiece 1 has circular cross section. Tennis balls 22 enters tube 2 through an opening 1a. In use of pick-up device the entrance 1a of headpiece 1 is pressed down on a tennis ball 22 which passes through opening 1 a and enters into tube 2 where it is retained. At the entry of the headpiece 1 are arranged evenly distributed at least three inwardly projected protuberances 20 with inclined plane. The ball 22 cannot exit tube 2 back through headpiece 1 due to the evenly positioned protuberances 21 next to the protuberances 20 in vertical direction. Protuberances 21 are inwardly projected having triangular shape directing and guiding tennis ball to pass the headpiece 1 and enters into the tube 2. Protuberances with inclined plane having triangular shape and protuberances having triangular shape are arranged in tandem at right angle. Each tandem of protuberances 20, 21 are mutually aligning in vertical direction. Three pairs of protuberances 20, 21 define diameter that is slightly bigger than the diameter of tennis ball 22 allowing it to enter into tube 2 without deforming it and respectively disallowing its exiting out of tube 2. Precisely, the inner part of the headpiece 1 is technically brought to perfection in a hundredth of a millimeter so to encircle the ball wherein ball easily slips without the use of force and deformation of the ball from either side. It is enough to place pick-up device on top of the ball and the ball itself slips inside without any force and is keept inside by the means of retaining protuberances 21. The next ball just pushes the previous one. While what has been described hereinabove are the preferred embodiments of the invention those skilled in the art will understand that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, flexible balls other than tennis balls may be picked up, stored and dispensed with the present invention.