Ball-carrying structure

• US 20010029214A1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pilou Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pilou Company Limited
• Inventors: Fondin, Gilles, Guillot, Cyrille
• Granted Patent: US 6,485,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/514
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0027 Keyhangers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0023 played on a table from all sides, e.g. marble games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/40 Balls or other moving playing bodies, e.g. pinballs or discs used instead of balls

Abstract

The ball-carrying structure complying with this invention consists of a supporting member (3) fitted with at least one orifice of suited diameter in order to accommodate one ball (5) by a slightly forcible nesting motion.

This ball-carrying structure comprises advantageously a hooking system (6, 7, 8) onto a carrying structure (2), such as a key-holder ring.

This invention relates to a original structure enabling the reception of one or several balls, in particular game balls, notably with a view to storing or displaying the said.

The ball-carrying structure complying with this invention consists of a supporting member fitted with at feast one orifice of suited diameter in order to accommodate one ball by a slightly forcible nesting motion.

The corresponding orifice(s) is (are) generally circular in shape and their wall is preferably flexible to enable reception and maintenance of the ball by slight deformation of the said wall.

According to a possible embodiment, the ball-carrying structure consists of a ring made of flexible material; this ring may be in the form of a partial cylinder.

According to another embodiment, the ball-carrying structure consists of a plate made of a flexible material of a few millimeters in thickness, fitted with at least one orifice for accommodating a ball; this plate may comprise a plurality of orifices for accommodating balls, of identical or different diameters according to the diameter of the balls to be accommodated.

Preferably, the ball support comprises a system that enables to hook the said support onto a carrying support.

According to a preferred embodiment, this support is made of a moulded flexible material and it comprises an orifice to enable hooking this support onto the carrying structure.

According to a particular embodiment, the ball-carrying structure complying with the invention makes up the appended member of a key-holder ring.

Claims

1. A ball-carrying structure characterised in that it consists of a supporting member (3, 10) fitted with at least one orifice (4, 11) of suited diameter in order to accommodate one ball (5, 12) by a slightly forcible nesting motion.

2. A ball-carrying structure according to

claim 1

characterised in that it comprises at least one circular orifice (4, 11) with a flexible wall to enable reception of a ball by slight deformation.

3. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it consists of a ring (3) made of a flexible material.

4. A ball-carrying structure according to

claim 3

, characterised in that it consists of a cylindrical ring (3) made of a flexible material.

5. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it consists of a plate (10) made of a flexible material;

with a few millimeters in thickness, fitted with at least one orifice (11) for accommodating a ball (12).

6. A ball-carrying structure according to

claim 5

, characterised in that it consists of a plate (10), fitted with a plurality of orifices (11) for accommodating balls (12).

7. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the

claims 1

to

6

, characterised in that it comprises a hooking system (6, 7, 13) on a carrying structure (2).

8. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the

claims 1

to

7

, characterised in that it is made of a moulded flexible material and in that it comprises an orifice (7, 13) that enables hooking it onto a carrying structure (2).

9. A key-holder composed of a ring (2) for accommodating keys, on which an appending member (3, 10) in the form of a ball-carrying structure can be hooked, according to any of the

claims 1

to

8

.