The present invention relates to a device for retrieving a ball, in particular a device which can be fitted to a tennis racket and used for retrieving a tennis ball.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In a game of tennis, when a ball goes out of play it needs to be picked up. In a professional tournament “ball boys” and “ball girls” are employed to retrieve and supply balls for players. This helps speed up play and allows players to focus on the game.

However in practice and during more casual or amateur play, the players will generally have to retrieve their own balls. This has the potential to interrupt the flow of the game, slow play, and reduce enjoyment. During some practice drills, where balls are not being returned by another player, a ball may need to be picked up on every shot.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which speeds up retrieval of tennis balls by players.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a tennis ball retrieval device, the device comprising: a pair of resilient jaws for gripping a tennis ball; attachment means for releasably attaching the device to the frame of a tennis racket.

The tennis ball retrieval device is releasably attached to the tennis racket in order to use it. The device may be stored, for example on a belt, waistband, or in a pocket, when not in use. When a tennis ball needs to be retrieved, the attachment means can be used to attach the device to the frame of a racket, preferably at the end of the racket opposite the handle. The jaws then face away from the racket, and the racket can be used as an extension so that the jaws of the device reach the ground. This allows a ball to be picked up quickly, and with a minimum of bending down.

The attachment means may be in the form of hooks which extend around the frame of the tennis racket to hold the device onto the tennis racket. Preferably, there are at least two hooks facing each other. The hooks may be resiliently movable away from each other, and tend to spring back at least part way towards each other, so that the hooks grip around the frame of the tennis racket. The hooks grip around opposing edges of the frame, the edges being substantially parallel with the plane of the racket, i.e. parallel to the strings on the racket.

A tang may be provided along a distal edge of at least one of the jaws, preferably both of the jaws. The tang(s) help to hold the tennis ball in place in the jaws when it is gripped by the jaws. The tang(s) are provided on the inside of the respective jaw, i.e. on the side of the jaw which faces the other jaw.

The jaws may be substantially planar. The jaws may include cut-outs to accommodate the curvature of the ball.

Preferably the device is made from two substantially planar elements connected at a hinge. The device can fold for compact storage, with the two planar elements sitting substantially parallel to each other. When the device is folded, it may be conveniently attached for example to a belt or waistband, simply by inserting the belt or waistband between the two planar elements. To deploy the device and install it on a tennis racket, the device is unfolded so that, to one side of the hinge, the planar elements form the pair of jaws. The hinge may include stops to prevent unfolding further than a predetermined amount, and set the angle of the jaws when fully open to for example around 45 degrees. The jaws are resilient so they can be forced slightly further apart than the angle of maximum unfolding, but will tend to spring back towards the fully unfolded but not deformed angle.

The planar elements may extend to the other side of the hinge, forming arms. The hooks or other attachment means for attaching the device to the frame of a tennis racket may be formed at the ends of the arms. In some embodiments, hooks are integrally formed from the same piece of material as the arms (and the jaws).

The device can be made from a thermoplastic material which may be heated and bent to form the hooks into the ends of the arms.

Alternatively the device may be injection moulded, may be made from combinations of materials including a combination of plastics (for example, a hard plastic for the jaws and a softer material, possibly as an overmoulding, to hold the ball).

Another alternative is to make the device from spring steel and coat in a rubber or plastic material.

Preferably, one of the planar jaw pieces has two arms extending to the other side of the hinge, with a gap between the two arms. The other of the planar jaw pieces has a single central arm, and when unfolded the central arm of one planar jaw piece fits in the gap between the two arms of the other planar jaw piece.

Stops, for setting the maximum angle to which the jaws will extend on the hinge, may be formed by extensions of each planar jaw piece to the arm side of the hinge, the extensions being bent at an angle, for example about 45 degrees, out of the plane of the jaw piece, and corresponding in position to the arms extending from the other planar jaw piece. Hence, when the jaw pieces are fully pivoted apart on the hinge, the arms will abut the stops, preventing further pivoting.

The hinge may be in the form of a pin and barrel arrangement which is set between the two planar jaw pieces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a tennis ball retrieval device according to the invention, in a folded configuration;

Figure 2 shows the tennis ball retrieval device of Figure 1 , in an unfolded configuration;

Figure 3 shows the tennis ball retrieval device of Figure 2, attached to a tennis racket and ready for use;

Figure 4 is a close up of the tennis ball retrieval device attached to the tennis racket;

Figure 5 and Figure 6 show the tennis ball retrieval device being used to pick up a tennis ball; and

Figure 7 shows the tennis ball retrieval device, holding a tennis ball after retrieval.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to Figure 1 , a tennis ball retrieval device is indicated generally at 10. The device 10 includes two substantially planar jaw pieces 12, 14. The jaw pieces are cut from a sheet of resilient thermoplastic material, and are joined at a hinge 16. The hinge 16 includes hinge barrel elements which are bonded to the surface of respective jaw pieces, and a pin which passes through the barrel elements, so that the planar jaw pieces 12, 14 can pivot on the hinge, with respect to one another. The nature of the pivoting is best illustrated in Figure 2, which shows the retrieval device 10 in an open configuration.

Each of the planar jaw pieces has a rectangular cut out, surrounded on four sides by parts of the planar jaw piece. The cut out accommodates the curved surface of a tenn is ball when a tennis ball is between the jaws. In this way, a tennis ball is held firmly in the jaws, with the curved surface of the tennis ball protruding through each rectangular cut-out. In addition, a tang 18 is provided on a distal edge (i.e. furthest edge from the hinge 16) of each planar jaw piece 12, 14. This helps to retain the tennis ball between the jaws.

At least one arm extends from each planar jaw piece, to the other side of the hinge 16. In particular, the jaw piece 12 has two arms 20, 22 extending from it. The arms extend from either side with a gap in between. The jaw piece 14 has a single arm 24 extending from it. The arm 24 corresponds in position to the gap between arms 20, 22, so that when the device 10 is in the open position the single arm 24 sits between the two arms 20, 22.

Each of the arms 20, 22, 24 has a hook formation at its end. The hooks face each other, when the device 10 is in the open position. The hooks are designed to hook over the edges of a frame of a tennis racket, and hold the device 10 in position attached to the tennis racket.

Stops 26 are provided extending at an angle out of the plane of each planar jaw piece 12, 14. The stop 26 on one jaw piece corresponds in position to the arm 24 of the other jaw piece, and vice versa, so that when opened, the stops provide a limit as to how much the device 10 can be opened by pivoting on the hinge 16. When the arms 20, 22, 24 abut against respective stops 26, the device 10 cannot be opened by pivoting on the hinge 16 any further. In this embodiment, the maximum angle between the jaw pieces 12, 14 is about 45 degrees.

The device 10 is made from a somewhat resilient thermoplastic material. The resilience in the material firstly helps to grip the tennis ball - when the device 10 is fully unfolded on the hinge, when the open end of the jaws are pressed against a tennis ball the material will resiliently deform to further open the jaws. The opening of the jaws and in particular the tang 18 will pass over the ball, and then tend to spring back to grip the ball and hold it within the jaws. Similarly, the arms 20, 22, 24 may be resiliently deformed by prising them apart further than the maximum pivot on the hinge 16. The hooks can then be placed around the frame of a tennis racket, and will spring back towards each other, holding the device 10 in place, attached to the tennis racket. The device 10 attached to a tennis racket 100 is shown in Figure 3, and Figure 4 shows in more detail how the hooks on the ends of the arms 20, 22, 24 grip onto the frame of the tennis racket.

Figure 5 and Figure 6 show a tennis ball 1 10 being picked up using a tennis racket 100 fitted with the device 10 of the invention. By attaching the device 10 to the racket 100 at the end of the racket furthest from the handle, the racket 100 provides an extension of a player’s arm, allowing the player to pick up a ball 110 with a minimum of bending down. This increases the speed of ball retrieval and speeds up play or practice. The jaws of the ball retrieval device 10 can be pressed against a tennis ball 110 lying on the ground. With a little force, the jaws of the device 10 deform and grip the ball, which can then be picked up. The ball will be retained in the device as shown in Figure 7 until removed.

The device 10 may then be folded up and stored in a pocket, belt or waistband, leaving the racket free for play.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.