Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Practice or training device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-04
2001-04-03
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Practice or training device
C473S553000, C116S225000, C700S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210296
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for keeping a score and, more particularly, is concerned with a portable tennis scorekeeper device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A score is kept in most sports and games. A large display and a referee are often employed to keep score in an organized tennis match. Large displays and referees, however, are generally not available for informal tennis matches. Players of an informal tennis match often must keep track of the score themselves. Though seemingly a simple task, keeping score can be a distraction for the players. Disagreements regarding the score may arise between the players when the memory of one or more of the players is relied upon to keep the score. A variety of devices have been developed over the years for making the process of scorekeeping less of a burden on the players of an informal tennis match and other sports and games.
Representative examples of prior art scorekeeping devices for various sports and games are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,143 to Van Auken et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,098 to Rubano, U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,895 to Nightingale, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,668 to Bowen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,215 to Petersson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,504 to Zarley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,449 to Droz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,452 to Haddock et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,381 to Hendricks and U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,122 to Pittner. While these prior art scorekeeping devices appear to be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide tennis players with an ideal solution for keeping score during informal matches.
Consequently, a need still exists for a scorekeeping device which provides players of informal tennis matches with a more effective means for keeping score without introducing any new problems in place of the problem of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a portable tennis scorekeeper device designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The portable tennis scorekeeper device of the present invention allows players of an informal tennis match to keep score on a scoreboard which is applied on an article of apparel worn by a player or placed within a pocket of an article of apparel worn by a player. In one embodiment, the portable tennis scorekeeper device enables players to keep track of the points won by each player in singles play or by each team in doubles play. In another embodiment, the portable tennis scorekeeper in addition enables players to keep track of the games and sets won by each player in singles play or by each team in doubles play. The portable tennis scorekeeper device is securable to a belt, a waistband or any other suitable article of clothing worn by a player.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a portable tennis scorekeeper device which comprises: (a) a portable body supportable on a tennis player and having a side; and (b) a scoreboard applied to the side of the portable body and including (i) a first portion having a plurality of numbers and letters associated with points scored in a game of a tennis match, (ii) a pair of tracks disposed on opposite sides of and in substantially parallel relation to the first portion, (iii) second and third portions each disposed on a side of one of the tracks opposite from the first portion and disposed in substantially parallel relation to the one track and having a plurality of numbers associated with points scored in a tiebreaker of the tennis match, and (iv) a pair of markers each capable of mounting to and being moved along one of a respective one of the tracks and being alignable with the numbers and letters of the first portion and the numbers of a corresponding one of the second and third portions such that the markers indicate the points scored in a game and in a tiebreaker of the tennis match by players in a singles tennis match or by teams in a doubles tennis match.
More particularly, each of the first, second and third portions and the tracks of the scoreboard are disposed in a substantially diagonal orientation across the side of the portable body. Each track of the scoreboard is comprised of a first fastening means. Each marker of the scoreboard has a bottom surface comprised of a second fastening means complementary to and removably mateable with the first fastening means of a respective one of the tracks of the scoreboard such that each of the markers may be detachably fastened to the respective one of the tracks in alignment with and be movable along and between the numbers and letters of the first portion and the corresponding one of the second and third portions of the scoreboard. The portable body can be a band disposable around a wrist of a tennis player and comprised of a substantially stretchable and resilient material.
The present invention is also directed to a portable tennis scorekeeper device which comprises: (a) a portable body supportable on a tennis player and having a side; and (b) a scoreboard applied to the side of the portable body and having a middle region and a pair of opposite side regions disposed on opposite sides of the middle region; (c) the middle region of the scoreboard including means for indicating the points scored in a game and in a tiebreaker of the tennis match by players in a singles tennis match or by teams in a doubles tennis match; (d) each of the side regions of the scoreboard including (i) a grid having a side axis, an end axis extending in a generally orthogonal relationship to the side axis, a plurality of boxes arranged in rows and columns and aligned with one another adjacent to the side and end axes, a plurality of numbers associated with games won in one or more sets of the tennis match disposed numerically along one of the side and end axes and a plurality of numbers associated with sets of the tennis match disposed numerically along the other of the side and end axes, and (ii) a plurality of markers each capable of mounting to and being moved along the grid and in generally orthogonal directions and positionable on one of the boxes of the grid for alignment with the numbers along the one of the side and end axes of the grid for indicating the games won in a set of the tennis match by players in a singles tennis match or by teams in a doubles tennis match and for alignment with the numbers along the other of said side and end axes of the grid for indicating the set of the tennis match.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3730131 (1973-05-01), Izzo
patent: 3777699 (1973-12-01), Pfleger
patent: 3936963 (1976-02-01), Chan
patent: 4132187 (1979-01-01), Moebius
patent: 4158342 (1979-06-01), Scruggs
patent: 4189143 (1980-02-01), Van Auken et al.
patent: 4212261 (1980-07-01), Gaetano
patent: 4331098 (1982-05-01), Rubano
patent: 4357895 (1982-11-01), Nightingale
patent: 4498668 (1985-02-01), Bowen
patent: 4557215 (1985-12-01), Petersson
patent: 4712504 (1987-12-01), Zarley et al.
patent: 4738449 (1988-04-01), Droz
patent: 5048452 (1991-09-01), Haddock et al.
patent: 5062381 (1991-11-01), Hendricks
patent: 5489122 (1996-02-01), Pittner
Flanagan John K.
Flanagan John R.
Flanagan & Flanagan
O'Neill Michael
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