US3865290A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tennis ball holder
Assignee: Cross Newform Plastics Co Inc
•
Filing: 1973-10-05
•
Granted: 1975-02-11
•
Expires: 1993-10-05
Abstract
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.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles A Sperling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:45
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B47/00; A63B47/001; A63B57/00; A63B57/20; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S224/00; Y10S224/919; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/44; Y10T24/44034; Y10T24/44641; Y10T24/44658; Y10T24/44769; Y10T24/44906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
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.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
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.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
being formed with a plurality of hollow, resilient fingers distributed about and projecting out from the concave face of the shell, and
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
being formed with a plurality of hollow, resilient fingers distributed about and projecting out from the concave face of the shell, and
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The holder defined in claim 1 wherein the shell is a hollow, vacuum-formed plastic piece.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The holder defined in claim 1 wherein the plate is comprised of a key shaped so that it mates with and projects into the keyhole when the plate is oriented at a selected angle relative to the shell, said key becoming locked in the keyhole when the plate is oriented at a different angle relative to the shell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
91 words
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.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
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.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
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.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
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.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-10 | 1978-08-12 | 1979-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-10 | 1982-08-12 | 1983-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-10 | 1986-08-12 | 1987-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |