TENNIS BALL HOLDER

• US 3,865,290 A
• Filed: 10/05/1973
• Issued: 02/11/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Sperling
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Sperling
• Inventors: Sperling, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/404,030
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 224/5D,26R,26B 24/3F,3R,248R,248FS,248GC,248HE,248PC,248SL,9C,245R,245B,245FF 264/92
• US Class Current: 224/194
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/001 Ball holders attached to the player's body golfing accessories, e.g. holders A63B57/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/20 Holders, e.g. of tees or of balls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/919 Ball carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44034 Dissociable gripping members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44658 with specific means for mounting to flaccid supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44906 having specific surface irregularity on or along engaging face

Abstract

A tennis ball holder is comprised of a lightweight, vacuumformed, concave plastic shell having a plurality of fingers which grip the ball to retain the ball within the shell. The rear wall of the shell is generally flat and contains a keyhole. In use, the holder is placed with its rear wall against the outside of the player'"'"''"'"'s clothing at a convenient place. Then a flat plate is positioned underneath the clothing opposite the holder. The plate has a key arranged to project into the keyhole along with the fabric and lock there so as to securely anchor the holder and the ball contained therein to the player'"'"''"'"'s clothing, freeing his hands for play.

Claims

1. A ball holder comprising A. a hollow shell 1. having a concave face arranged to resiliently receive and engage a ball, 2. being formed with a plurality of hollow, resilient fingers distributed about and projecting out from the concave face of the shell, and 3. being formed with at least two thin-walled webs stretching between at least three adjacent shell fingers, and having a generally flat rear wall, B. means defining a keyhole in the rear wall, and C. a flat plate arranged to be positioned flush against the rear wall, said plate constituting a key arranged to engage in the keyhole when the plate is placed flush against the rear wall so that the shell and plate can be locked together on opposite sides of a player'"'"''"'"'s clothing to anchor the holder to the clothing.

2. The holder defined in claim 1 wherein the shell is a hollow, vacuum-formed plastic piece.

3. being formed with at least two thin-walled webs stretching between at least three adjacent shell fingers, and having a generally flat rear wall, B. means defining a keyhole in the rear wall, and C. a flat plate arranged to be positioned flush against the rear wall, said plate constituting a key arranged to engage in the keyhole when the plate is placed flush against the rear wall so that the shell and plate can be locked together on opposite sides of a player'"'"''"'"'s clothing to anchor the holder to the clothing.

4. The holder defined in claim 3 wherein the key is comprised of one or more tabs formed by slits in the plate, said tabs being deflectable out of general plane of the plate.

5. The holder defined in claim 3 wherein the plate is flexible and resilient so that, when bowed, its edges can be inserted into the keyhole and, when released, its edges become locked in the keyhole.