Patent Application
20240216763
The present invention relates generally to sports equipment, and more particularly to a telescoping and collapsible container for storing, carrying, and automatically supplying baseballs.
All baseball participants use some type of container as a necessity for storing, transporting and accessing balls. This typically involves filling a bucket or like container with baseballs, carrying the ball-laden bucket around, and repeatedly bending over to retrieve a ball from the bucket to pitch or throw during batting and/or fielding practice. Such repetitious activity, while individually not especially strenuous, can add up and inflict very real pain and soreness on the participant.
Various devices have been developed to address these issues.
Perhaps the most common such devices are the ball caddy and the bucket stand. Ball caddies and bucket stands are simply an assembly of elongated metal legs, typically joined together at their midpoints, that provide a support structure from which a bucket, basket or bag is suspended at the top end for access to the balls filling the same. While helpful, ball caddies and bucket stands still suffer from the drawbacks of the elongated legs being awkward and cumbersome for transport and setup, and the container of balls when being depleted still requires bending and stretching to retrieve bottom balls. Thus, there remains a need for an improved method and device for carrying baseballs as well as for easy retrieval of the same. The present invention addresses this need.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention and presenting its currently understood best mode of operation, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, with such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
The second right circular cylindrical portion 20 likewise includes a circular bottom portion (also called member) 35 disposed therein as well as at least one tab portion (also called member) 40, typically disposed near the bottom portion 35 of the second right circular cylindrical portion 20 and extending outwardly therefrom. More typically the at least one tab member 40 is three equidistantly disposed tab members 40. The tab and shelf members 40, 30 may be lockingly engaged together, such as by a quick twist of the cylindrical portions 15, 20 relative to one another to nearly instantaneously provide bucket stand functionality.
Second right circular cylindrical portion 20 further includes a floating platform member 36 positioned therein, which may move within second right circular cylindrical portion 20 along cylindrical axis 37. In other words, platform member 36 ‘floats’ within the second right circular cylindrical portion 20. The platform member 36 is typically replaceably removable from within the second right circular cylindrical portion 20.
A spring assembly 45 is disposed between bottom member 35 and platform member 36. Spring assembly includes one or more springs 50. Springs 50 are typically, although not necessarily, disposed within a flexible bag 55. Spring assembly 45 is typically replaceably removable from within the second right circular cylindrical portion 20.
In some embodiments, assembly 10 includes a flexible strap or handle member 60 removably connectable to first right circular cylindrical portion 15.
The second right circular cylindrical portion 20 is typically fully removable from the first right circular cylindrical portion 15 to yield a second, independent ball storage vessel. The second right circular cylindrical portion 20 is also typically fully insertable into the first right circular cylindrical portion 15 to yield a fully nestable assembly 10. The second right cylindrical portion 20 further includes at least one, and typically a plurality of equidistantly positioned raised elongated members (also called ridges or tongues) 65 formed on either side of second right cylindrical portion 20, while defining at least one, and more typically a plurality of equidistantly spaced, elongated recesses (also called rails, channels, or grooves) 70 therebetween. The elongated grooves 70 are sized to loosely accommodate movement of respective tab members 40 therethrough (in a fit looser than an interference fit) such that the second right circular cylinder 20 may be easily moved into and out of the first right circular cylinder 15 but once inserted may be constrained from rotation about its major axis 73. The elongated ridges and grooves 65, 70 function as vents to allow passage of air therethrough when the platform 36 is moved within second right circular cylinder 20 as well as when second right circular cylinder 20 is moved within first right circular cylinder 15. Once second right circular cylinder 20 is inserted and/or nested within first right circular cylinder 15, major axes 37, 73 are colinear.
Respective circular lid members 80, 85 are typically provided to snugly engage respective right circular cylinder members 15, 20, such as with interference fits, snap fits, or the like. Lid members 80, 85 may be contoured to provide comfortable seating.
A handle member 90 is typically provided to lockingly engage second right circular cylinder member 20 for ease of transport. In some embodiments, handle member 90 is removably attachable to lid member 85, which is in turn removably attachable to right circular cylinder member 20. In other embodiments, handle 91 is at least one, and more typically two oppositely disposed, apertures or cut-outs 91 formed through sidewall 93 of right circular cylinder 20.
In operation, the assembly 10 is at least partially filled with baseballs or the like. The assembly 10 is in a first, transport mode when the second cylindrical portion 20 is disposed within the first cylindrical portion 15. When a ball supply is required, second cylindrical portion 20 is partially extracted from within first cylindrical portion 15, and partially rotated therein to lockingly engage tab(s) 40 with ledge(s) 30 to engage second bucket stand mode.
Spring assembly 45 has a spring constant such that it provides sufficient urging force against platform member 36 to keep the baseballs near the top of the second cylindrical portion 20. As balls are removed from the container 20 platform member 36 is urged away from bottom member 35, typically against the pull of gravity, raising the remaining balls and keeping the ball supply within easy reach of the top of the assembly 10.
The second cylindrical portion 20 may be completely extracted and removed from the assembly 10 so as to more easily fill the first and/or second cylindrical portions 15, 20 with balls.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that the embodiments have been shown and described in the foregoing specification in satisfaction of the best mode and enablement requirements. It is understood that one of ordinary skill in the art could readily make a nigh-infinite number of insubstantial changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments and that it would be impractical to attempt to describe all such embodiment variations in the present specification. Accordingly, it is understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
