Handling: hand and hoist-line implements – Hand bars and hand barrows – Ball retriever
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-09
2001-10-16
Kramer, Dean J. (Department: 3652)
Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
Hand bars and hand barrows
Ball retriever
C206S315900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302460
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to retrieving and storing sports balls and, more particularly, is concerned with a sports ball retrieval and storage device having a molded one-piece tapered receptacle and pivotal lid and support members on the receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been numerous sports ball retrieval and storage devices introduced in the art over the years. These devices basically include a receptacle with a handle, and with or without a lid. The receptacle is formed by a plurality of interconnected side walls and a grate connected across the bottom of the side walls. The handle is attached to one or more of the side walls of the receptacle. The lid may be mounted to the top of one of the sidewalls and pivotally movable to open and close the receptacle. The bottom grate and side walls of the receptacle as well as the handle and lid are commonly made of a plurality of rigid wire-like bars. In addition, the rigid bars of the bottom grate are laterally spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of a tennis ball so that when the device is placed over the tennis ball and pressed down on top of the ball, the tennis ball is compressed between the bars and forced into the receptacle.
Representative examples of such prior art ball retrieval and storage devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 698,226 to Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,950 to Stap, U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,836 to Seewagen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,996 to Campbell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,138 to Brunner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,697 to Verde, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,504 to Perez et al. The devices of the Seewagen et al., Campbell, Brunner et al., Verde and Perez et al. patents show a receptacle and handle with the receptacle having side walls and a bottom grate formed by a plurality of rigid formed and welded wire-like bars. However, formed and welded wire-like bars are costly to produce and their use results in a relatively heavy device.
To overcome the aforementioned constructional drawbacks of receptacles and handles with wire-like bars of previous prior art ball retrieval and storage devices, receptacles have been made of parts formed of a rigid molded plastic material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,161 to Stap, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,672 to Niksich and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 347,670 to Stap are representative of such devices. While not as heavy as devices formed of wire-like bars, these devices require the formation of numerous parts which have to be assembled by either the manufacturer, which increases production costs, or the consumer, which is less convenient.
Consequently, a need still exists for a ball retrieval and storage device which provides a more effective and comprehensive solution to the aforementioned problems of the prior art devices without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a sports ball retrieval and storage device designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The sports ball retrieval and storage device of the present invention has a receptacle in the form of a molded one-piece body made of plastic material and being lighter and less expensive to manufacture than the multi-part receptacles of prior art devices. The one-piece molded body of the receptacle has side walls in a tapered configuration extending from an open top to a bottom grate of the receptacle such that the receptacles of a plurality of the devices are nestable with one another for efficient bulk packaging, storage and shipment of the devices. The device also has a pair of support members convertable between stand and handle positions and thus capable of performing dual functions which minimizes the number of parts employed by the device.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a sports ball retrieval and storage device which comprises: (a) a receptacle in the form of a molded one-piece body made of a rigid material and having a plurality of side walls and a bottom grate integrally connected together so as to define an open top and an interior chamber of the receptacle; (b) the side walls and bottom grate of the molded one-piece body being formed by respective upper and lower annular perimeter members and laterally spaced apart elongated members extending between and integrally connected at opposite ends with opposite portions of the annular perimeter members; (c) the side walls converging toward one another from the open top to the bottom grate of the receptacle and thereby providing the molded one-piece body of the receptacle with a tapered configuration permitting receptacles of multiple devices to nest with one another; (d) the elongated members of the bottom grate being spaced apart at a distance slightly less than the diameter of a tennis ball so as to define at least one opening therebetween through which a compressed tennis ball can be forced into the interior chamber of the receptacle.
The retrieval and storage device also includes a pair of support members convertible between stand and handle positions. The support members are each separately pivotally and releasably mounted to one of the side walls of an opposite pair of the side walls of the receptacle. More particularly, the support members in the handle position extend substantially above the receptacle to ends of the support members disposed adjacent to one another for a user to hold in manually transporting the device whereas the support members in the stand position extend substantially below the receptacle to the ends thereof disposed remote from one another for resting on a support surface to support the receptacle at an elevated position above the surface. Each support member has an inner portion and an outer portion. The outer portion is angularly displaced from the inner portion such that the outer portions of the support members converge toward one another when the support members are in the handle position whereas the outer portions of the support members diverge from one another when the support members are in the stand position. The inner portion of each support member has opposing end sections.
The receptacle further includes means for pivotally mounting each support member to one of the side walls of the opposite pair of the side walls of the receptacle. The pivotal mounting means is in the form of a pair of projections each being integrally formed as part of the molded one-piece body of the receptacle and thus integrally attached on the one of the side walls of the opposite pair of the side walls of the receptacle. Each projection has opposite ends and defines a bore open at the opposite ends. The bore of each projection is adapted to receive and retain therein the opposing end sections of the inner portion of one of the support members such that the opposing end sections of the inner portion of the one support member can rotate within the bore upon movement of the one support member between the handle and stand positions.
The receptacle further includes upper means for securing each support member in the handle position. The upper securing means is in the form of two pairs of laterally spaced apart upper projections with each pair being integrally formed as part of the molded one-piece body of the receptacle and thus integrally attached on one of the side walls of the opposite pair of the side walls of the receptacle. Each upper projection has opposite ends and defines a recess open lengthwise and at the opposite ends for receiving and releasably retaining therein a section of the inner portion of one of the support members when the one support member is in the handle position.
The receptacle further includes lower means for securing each support member in the stand position. The lower securing means is in the form of two pairs of laterally spaced apart lower projections with each pair being integrally formed as part of the molded one-piece body of the receptacle and thus integrally attached on one of the side walls of the opposite pair of the side walls of the receptacle and spaced from and dispos
Ferrari Importing Co.
Flanagan John R.
Kramer Dean J.
Swartz Michael R.
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