Tennis ball retriever

Info

Publication number: 20060094545
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 25, 2005
Publication Date: May 4, 2006
Inventor: Frederick Blades (Boulder, CO)
Application Number: 11/257,135

Abstract

A spring wire loop is affixed to a tennis racquet to enable a player to conveniently scoop a tennis ball off the playing surface and retrieve it. In an add-on embodiment, the loop can be affixed by mounts secured to the strings of an existing racquet; alternatively, the loop can be secured to mounts built into the racquet at manufacture.

Description

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/623,220, filed Nov. 1, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel device and method for a tennis (or other racquet sport) player to retrieve a ball from the court surface with high style and minimal effort.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The challenge of picking up a tennis ball from the playing surface is not a great one. Beginning tennis players quickly learn to pick up a ball by rolling it up against the side of their shoe. Many experienced players can pick it up by striking down on the ball with the racquet and then synchronously increasing the height of the bounce until it is high enough to catch. However, because the former method is awkward and the latter method difficult, it is not uncommon for players to simply stoop over to pick up the ball, which can be a nuisance over the course of a long playing session.

A number of devices for retrieving tennis balls in order to eliminate stooping over are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,850 issued to Gray describes a device that detachably mounts to the frame of a tennis racquet, comprising a pair of wire tines which when pressed over a tennis ball serve to capture the ball and lift it off the playing surface. The player then extracts the ball from the tines with his other hand. While this prevents the player from having to stoop down to pick up the ball, the device may interfere with play because it extends beyond the length of the racquet. It also suffers from an awkward appearance and the need for the player to manually extract the ball from the ball-capture mechanism.

Another known approach to retrieving tennis balls is to attach a device to the end of the handle of the racquet that is capable of attaching to the felt-like surface material typical of tennis balls. U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,854 issued to Woolard et al uses a plurality of miniature teeth or pins mounted in a cap that is attached to the handle of a racquet adapted to grasp the nap surface of the ball and thereby allow the player to lift the ball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,786, issued to Bellettini et all, uses a hooked fabric on the end of the racquet handle to attach to tennis balls that are fitted with a covering of intermeshing material. Yet another method, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,738 issued to DiFranco, uses an expanding petal mechanism that expands when pressed on to a ball thereby forcing pins into the nap covering the ball. All of these mechanisms have the disadvantage of requiring the player to invert the racquet, press the end onto the ball, raise the racquet to extract the ball, and then re-invert the racquet to again play tennis.

Yet another approach to retrieving tennis balls is described in U.S. Design Pat. Des. 355,232 issued to Hodges. Hodges discloses a tennis racquet design that incorporates a recess in the rim of the racquet that serves to hold a tennis ball when pressed down upon it. Again the player manually retrieves the ball from the ball capture mechanism.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved device and simple method for picking up a tennis ball (or the ball used in other racquet sports) from the playing surface. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive device that can be affixed to a tennis racquet to enable easy and convenient picking-up of balls, without interference with the function of the racquet during play.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, referred to herein as the “Scoop”, comprises a spring wire loop affixed to a tennis racquet to enable a player to conveniently scoop a tennis ball off the playing surface and retrieve it.

Three separate embodiments of this invention are disclosed in the present application, each of the three providing substantially the same spring wire loop positioned in substantially the same location on the racquet so as to enable the player to scoop up a ball, these embodiments differing chiefly in the means by which the spring wire is attached to the racquet.

The first embodiment is an “add-on” Scoop that comprises an initially straight spring wire with resilient mounts on each end, the resilient mounts adapted to be readily affixed to the strings of a tennis racquet. During installation the spring wire is flexed into an approximately parabolic shape which is used to scoop up the tennis ball. This add-on embodiment has the advantage that no modifications to the racquet are necessary and the product can therefore be marketed and sold as an “add-on” racquet accessory.

The second and third embodiments of the present invention are “built-in” versions, so-called because they require some modification to be “built-in” to the racquet frame. Each of these two embodiments makes use of receptacles permanently installed on the racquet frame and adapted to receive and support the two ends of an initially straight spring wire adapted with plugs on each end. To install, the spring wire is flexed and the plugs inserted into the receptacles to form an approximately parabolic shape which is used to scoop up the tennis ball. The tension of the deflected spring wire helps to hold it in place during play and the spring wire itself can be conveniently removed or added at any time. While these two embodiments offer some performance and appearance advantages over the add-on Scoop, they each require receptacles to be installed in the racquet frame which may entail drilling and like operations best performed during racquet manufacture.

Although the Scoop is described in this patent application with relation to tennis, the same device and method can be applied to advantage in other racquet sports such as squash or racquetball by adjusting the size of the wire loop to accommodate the different size balls and racquets.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a tennis racquet with the add-on Scoop holding a tennis ball.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the add-on Scoop and ball of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a similar enlarged view of a first embodiment of the built-in Scoop.

FIG. 4 shows a similar enlarged view of a second embodiment of the built-in Scoop

FIG. 5 shows a different perspective view of the add-on Scoop and ball of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows yet another perspective view of the add-on Scoop and ball of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7-10 show a player using the Scoop to retrieve a tennis ball from the playing surface.

FIG. 11 shows the angle of the racquet with respect to the court surface as the ball is being approached in FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 shows a simplified side view of the Scoop spring wire and ball.

FIG. 13 shows a partially-exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the add-on Scoop in its relaxed, uninstalled shape.

FIG. 14 shows the add-on Scoop of FIG. 13 bent to form an approximately parabolic loop.

FIG. 15 shows one resilient mount of the add-on Scoop of FIG. 13 and 14 installed on the side of a typical tennis racquet.

FIG. 16 illustrates the installation of the other resilient mount of the add-on Scoop of FIG. 14 at the top of the tennis racquet.

FIG. 17 shows a detailed view of the spring wire assembly of the first embodiment of the built-in Scoop in its fully-extended relaxed shape.

FIG. 18 shows the wire plug cap and the receptacle mount of the first embodiment of the built-in Scoop.

FIG. 19 shows a simplified frontal view of the first embodiment of the built-in Scoop

FIG. 20 shows a side view of the built-in Scoop of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 shows the built-in Scoop of FIG. 19 with one end of the spring wire unplugged from the receptacle.

FIG. 22 shows a detailed view of the spring wire assembly of the second embodiment of the built-in Scoop in its fully-extended relaxed shape.

FIG. 23 shows the wire plug cap and the resilient receptacle mount of the second embodiment of the built-in Scoop.

FIG. 24 shows a simplified frontal view of the second embodiment of the built-in Scoop

FIG. 25 shows a side view of the built-in Scoop of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 shows the built-in Scoop of FIG. 24 with one end of the spring wire unplugged from the receptacle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1 and the expanded view of FIG. 2, the add-on Scoop comprises a spring wire 3 and two mounts 4 and 5. As detailed further below, in this embodiment mounts 4 and 5 are adapted to be mounted conveniently on the racquet strings 6 without the use of tools, and without modifying the racquet, while supporting the spring wire 3 by its ends. The mounts 4 and 5 are spaced with respect to the length of the wire 3 so that the wire is forced to form a roughly parabolic loop. As illustrated, the wire loop is slightly off-center with respect to the racquet; this allows the wire loop to more nearly parallel the frame of the head of the racket. The Scoop is “detachable” from the racquet in that no permanent connection is made that would prevent its later removal, and no modification is necessary to the racquet. However, in ordinary use the Scoop need not be removed from the racquet. As shown, this parabolic loop of wire 3 serves to retain a tennis ball 2 resting against the surface of the racquet strings 6, even when the racquet is substantially vertical, so that the ball can be picked up simply by sliding the wire under the ball and lifting the racquet. Two additional perspective views of the add-on Scoop in FIGS. 5 and 6 help to better illustrate the shape and position of the spring wire 3 relative to the racquet 1 and the ball 2.

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the built-in Scoop from the same expanded viewpoint as the add-on Scoop of FIG. 2 but with the racquet strings omitted for clarity. This built-in Scoop differs from the add-on Scoop in that the spring wire 3 is supported by two receptacle mounts 7 and 8 that are built into the inside edge of the racquet frame 1. A plug affixed to one end of the initially straight spring wire 3 is inserted into one receptacle 7; the wire is then deformed, that is, bent by bringing the second end closer to the fixed end, so that a plug on the second end can be inserted into a second receptacle 8. As above, the spacing of the receptacles and the length of the wire cooperate so that an approximately parabolic loop is formed, which can then be used to scoop up the tennis ball. One advantage of this embodiment is that because the receptacles mount in holes on the inside rim of the racquet that are in line with the string holes, there is little likelihood that these additional two holes will adversely affect the structural integrity of the racquet frame.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the built-in Scoop, this one having resilient receptacle mounts 9 and 10 mounted on an outer edge of the frame of the racquet. Again, a fitting on one end of the initially straight spring wire 3 is inserted into one receptacle 9; the wire is then deformed to allow insertion of the other end into the other receptacle 10. The spacing of the receptacles and the length of the wire cooperate so that an approximately parabolic loop of wire is formed, which is then used to scoop up the tennis ball. This embodiment works exceptionally well in practice but may involve some additional consideration of the structural integrity of the racquet frame.

Although the add-on Scoop and the two built-in Scoops differ in the means employed to support the spring wire, the resulting shape and position of the wire loop formed is substantially the same and the wire loop is used in substantially the same manner to pick up a tennis ball. Three different physical embodiments are disclosed because each offers particular features and advantages with respect to manufacturing and/or marketing the product.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate one way the Scoop can be used conveniently to retrieve a tennis ball off of the playing surface. The racquet 1 is first placed against the ball 2, the ball preferably being slightly to the right of a right-handed player, and positioned to roughly center the ball 2 on the wire loop 3. As shown in FIG. 8, the player then sweeps the racquet to her left, carrying the ball on the wire loop and raising it upwards in a single smooth motion. As the racquet sweeps vertically, the ball leaves the racquet and flies into the air (FIG. 9), so that the player can readily catch the ball in her left hand as shown in FIG. 10. For left-handed players, the Scoop is mounted on the other side of the centerline of the head of the racquet and the direction of the motions reversed. While the present inventor favors this particular method, variations on the particular motion employed should be considered within the scope of this patent. Some players, for example, would rather not toss the ball into the air but instead simply pick the ball off the racquet as it sweeps upwards.

The principal advantage of using the Scoop to retrieve the ball over previous methods is that the ball can be swept up off the court with a simple, elegant motion thereby allowing the player to conserve strength and concentrate better on the game. The Scoop is designed so that it is very lightweight, typically a few percent or less of the weight of the racquet itself, and very small in cross-section, so as to have no detrimental effect during normal play, even advanced aggressive play. The wire loop itself does not extend past the periphery of the racquet, which would interfere with some sweeping ground shots, and it is virtually inconspicuous. For the same reason, essentially the only time the wire loop might be struck by a ball during play is when the ball would have otherwise hit the rim of the racquet; the resulting trajectory of the ball would be substantially random in either case.

The present inventor has built and extensively tested a variety of prototypes to characterize and optimize the various design parameters. General design considerations for the Scoop are discussed first in the following, followed by a detailed description of each particular embodiment.

First, experience has shown that the optimum position of the spring wire loop on the racquet is on the end of the head of the racket, so that the player can more easily reach down for the ball, but slightly off-center, as discussed above and as illustrated in FIGS. 1- 6. The loop is preferably located off-center on the racquet to best position it with respect to the court surface when first approaching the ball as the player in FIG. 7 is doing. At this moment, as the racquet is extended outward in front of the player, the racquet is at an angle with respect to the court surface 11, as shown in FIG. 11, and the court surface is roughly tangent to the center of the loop, thereby best enabling capture of the ball.

The length of the spring wire loop and therefore the size of the parabolic loop formed should be just large enough to conveniently retain a tennis ball, as best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. It still works, however, as the wire is lengthened and side mount 4 (FIG. 5) is positioned farther up the racquet forming a wider parabola, and some players may prefer it.

The height the spring wire loop extends above the plane of the strings and the angle it makes with this plane are also important design considerations. FIG. 12 shows a simplified side view of the Scoop to illustrate the height and angle of the parabola with respect to the plane of the strings 6. For clarity and to address all three embodiments the end mounts are not shown. In FIG. 12 the length of the wire and the position of the mounts are such that the plane of the parabola 3 forms an exemplary angle of about 68 degrees with respect to the plane of the strings 6, and the “peak” 12 of the parabola (that is, its point of maximum spacing from the strings 6) extends substantially beyond the centerline 13 of the ball 2. The higher the peak, that is, the farther the wire extends past the centerline 13 of the ball, the more securely the ball is retained. Experience has shown, however, that the peak 12 of the parabola need be only just past the centerline 13 of the ball to readily sweep the ball up off the court. Similarly, the angle formed between the plane of the loop of wire and the plane of the strings can vary through a wide range, e.g. 45-90 degrees.

Referring again to FIG. 12, as the ball 2 is swept off the tennis court the top edge of the racquet 1 may scrape across the playing surface. On soft courts, such as grass or clay, this is of no great consequence. On hard courts, the edge of the racquet may become scratched after repeated use and therefore it may be desirable to attach a guard 14 to the edge of the racquet, either temporarily while learning the use of the Scoop or permanently, as desired. This guard may be an adhesive plastic tape or the like to protect the racquet. Experience with the Scoop by the present inventor shows that with some practice, the tennis ball can be scooped up without even touching the edge of the racquet to the playing surface, thereby eliminating any need for a protective guard.

In all embodiments of the Scoop, an approximately parabolic loop is formed when an initially straight length of wire is deformed during installation of the wire on the racquet. Depending on the specific bending forces on the wire as determined by the supports at each end, the particular mathematical definition of the curve shape can vary from approximately parabolic to semi-circular. In the present context, it is to be understood that “approximately parabolic” or simply “parabolic” refers to the entire range of possible curves obtained by bending a substantially stiff spring wire by compression applied between its ends. The tension resulting from bending the spring wire into its approximately parabolic shape serves to maintain this shape during play and recovers this shape if deformed, either during play or otherwise, for example, when transporting or putting the racquet into a bag.

It will be apparent that if a tennis ball accidentally strikes the wire during play, tremendous forces will be exerted on the wire; the wire must be able to withstand such forces without permanent deformation. For this reason, the wire is preferably made out of a metal alloy known by the trade name Nitinol and manufactured by a number of companies, including Memry Corporation of Bethel, Conn. Composed of 55-56% Nickel and 44-45% Titanium, Nitinol gets its name from the metals in it (Nickel and Titanium) and the laboratory that first recognized its potential (the Naval Ordinance Laboratory). The particular alloy employed in the present invention is generally known as “Superelastic Nitinol” in the industry and is similar to steel spring wire, otherwise known as “music wire”, but has the unique ability to recover its preset shape even after drastic distortion. It can be strained eight to ten times more than ordinary spring steel without permanent deformation. While Nitinol exhibits desirable characteristics for the present application, other flexible wires of either metal or polymer composition should also be considered within the scope of this invention.

Further, while each of the preferred embodiments involve disposition of a straight length of wire beteeen receptacles that securely capture the ends of the length of wire and ensure that it retains its desired parabolic configuration, it is also within the scope of the invention to permanently deform the ends of the wire into complex shapes to be secured to cooperatively-shaped retainers affixed to the strings or frame of the racquet.

The Add-On Scoop

FIG. 13 shows the preferred embodiment of the add-on Scoop of FIG. 1 in its relaxed shape prior to installation, and illustrate one end mount 4 assembled and the other end mount 5 disassembled. Each end mount in this preferred embodiment consists of a wire end cap 13 which is molded out of a relatively hard polymer and serves to contain the end of the wire, and a softer resilient mount 16 adapted with slots 17 around the periphery to flexibly attach it to the racquet strings, as illustrated in more detail by FIGS. 15 and 16. The spring wire 3, a straight length of 0.04-0.05 inch diameter Superelastic Nitinol wire, is first either pressed or glued into the wire end caps 13. The end caps 13 are then pressed into recesses in the resilient mounts 16 to complete the end mount assemblies 4 and 5. The uninstalled add-on Scoop, therefore, comprises a straight wire with end mounts on each end that can be rotated with respect to each other. When installed on a racquet the wire bends resiliently into the approximately parabolic shape illustrated in FIG. 14.

The resilient mounts 16 are preferably injection molded of 50 durometer silicone and comprise slots 17 extending around the periphery of mount 16 to flexibly attach the mounts 16 to the racquet strings 6. The end mounts 16 are free to rotate to facilitate installation between the strings. The purpose of the end caps 13 is to cover the potentially sharp ends of the wire and prevent them from being pushed through the relatively soft resilient mount 16. For this reason, the end caps 13 are preferably injection molded out of a relatively hard polymer to prevent the wire from breaking through.

One convenient method to install the add-on Scoop is illustrated by way of FIGS. 15 and 16 which show the end mounts 16 installed on the strings 6 at the side and the top of the racquet 1 respectively. For clarity the spring wire 3 is not shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. Referring first to FIG. 16, one end mount 16 is inserted vertically between the strings as shown at position A, and then twisted into place as shown at position B; the strings then fit into the peripheral grooves 17, retaining the end mount 16 in the desired position. The other end mount is then installed as shown in FIG. 15 by bending the spring wire and similarly inserting and rotating the second mount 16 into place. The second mount 16 is usually a little more difficult to get into place and typically requires a bit of jogging back and forth to correctly place it.

Modern tennis racquets are commercially available in a wide variety of designs that include various head sizes, shapes and string spacing. The strings may be equally spaced or the spacing may vary across the face of the racquet, typically becoming closer together approaching the center. The strings running parallel to the handle of the racquet may be spaced differently than those running transverse thereto. The string itself is available in a range of diameters (typically 1.2-1.4 mm) and the tension with which the racquets are strung can be adapted to achieve the desired playing action. Because of the wide variety of racquet designs available, it may not be possible to design a single pair of resilient mounts that will conveniently fit any racquet. The preferred embodiment mount of FIGS. 13 and 14 could be made available in several different sizes or, alternatively, other resilient mount shapes could be developed to better fit different racquet types or manufacturer brands. The resilient mount of the present invention is similar in design to the popular “dampers” that come with most racquets and which serve to help dampen string vibrations during play. These dampers are available in a wide variety of designs that include roughly rectangular, square and triangular shapes. Although obviously not designed to anchor the ends of the spring wire of the present invention, they are designed to fit snugly and securely between strings and as such represent a range of possible designs for the resilient mounts of the present invention.

The angle between the plane of the parabola formed and the plane of the strings (that is the angle exemplified as 68 degrees in FIG. 12) is determined by the compound angle of the recess in the resilient mount that recieves the end cap 13 and thus the end of the length of wire. It has been found convenient by the present inventor to make both resilient mounts with the same compound angle but mount them on the spring wire with one inverted with respect to the other. This makes one the mirror image of the other as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. In some cases it may be desirable to make different compound angles for the two resilient mounts to better fit certain racquets.

As mentioned above, it is also within the scope of the invention to form the ends of the wire into more complex shapes for being received and retained by cooperative mounts.

The Built-In Scoop

A first embodiment of the built-in Scoop of FIG. 3, in which receptacle mounts are fixed to the inside surface of the head of the frame of the racquet, is shown in FIGS. 17-21. Again, only a portion of the racquet frame 1 is shown, and the strings have been omitted for clarity.

Referring first to FIG. 17, as above, the spring wire 3 is preferably made of 0.04-0.05 inch diameter Superelastic Nitinol and has plug caps 20 either glued or pressed onto each end. The purpose of these plug caps 20 is twofold; first to cover the potentially sharp cut end of the spring wire and second to contain the ends of the spring wire, to allow them to be plugged into receptacles 21 as illustrated in FIG. 18. The cap plugs 20 and the receptacle mounts 21, both preferably injection molded out of a relatively hard polymer, should be designed so that the plug “snaps” into place, being reliably held in place when inserted and yet relatively easy to remove when needed.

FIG. 19 shows this embodiment of the Scoop after installation, the spring wire 3 with attached plug caps 20 inserted into receptacle mounts 21, and the spring wire forming an approximately parabolic loop that retains ball 2 against the strings (not shown). FIG. 20 shows the assembled loop from a different perspective. Receptacle mounts 21 are permanently affixed to the racquet frame 1 by press-fitting, gluing or the like into holes in the frame 1, so as to hold them securely and prevent them from twisting in place. One means to prevent twisting, used by the present inventor in prototypes, is to press a small diameter Nitinol wire pin through mating holes extending through the edge of the racquet frame 1 and the base of receptacle mount 21. In this manner the receptacle mount is held in place and prevented from rotating without the use of adhesives. Other methods to properly affix the receptacle mounts 21 to the frame will be apparent to those skilled in the art. This embodiment is in contrast to the add-on Scoop because it requires the receptacle mounts to be installed or “built-in” to the frame of the racquet itself, which would most conveniently be done during manufacture of the racquet.

To remove the Scoop wire assembly, the player simply grips the wire 3 and pulls first one end out of the receptacle mount as illustrated in FIG. 21, and then pulls the other end out. In this manner the player can choose to play without the Scoop if she so desires. Also, the wire can be readily replaced if it becomes damaged, and different length wires can be used according to the player's preference.

One particular advantage of this first embodiment of the built-in Scoop is that the receptacle mounts are inserted into holes that are on the inside of the racquet frame in line with the string holes. Because of the need for string holes, racquets are typically designed so that the structural integrity of the racquet under the extreme stress of advanced play is not compromised by the presence of drilled string holes; the two additional holes needed to accommodate the Scoop mounts, particularly as they are in the same plane as the string holes, will not unduly affect the structural integrity of the frame.

The second embodiment of the built-in Scoop of FIG. 4 is shown in FIGS. 22-26. Again, only a portion of the racquet frame 1 is shown and the strings have been omitted for clarity.

Referring first to FIG. 22, the spring wire 3 is also preferably made of 0.04-0.05 inch diameter Superelastic Nitinol and has plug caps 23 either glued or pressed onto each end, this assembly being essentially the same as the one shown in FIG. 17. The purpose of these plug caps 23 (which may be identical to plug caps 20 of FIGS. 17-21) is again twofold; first to cover the potentially sharp cut end of the spring wire and second to adapt the ends of the spring wire to allow them to be plugged into receptacles 22 as illustrated in FIG. 23. In this embodiment, the plug cap 23 is preferably injection molded out of a relatively hard polymer and the receptacle 22 is preferably injection molded out of a softer polymer such as polyethylene or silicone so as to form resilient mounts. As before, the plug cap 23 and the receptacle mount 23 should be designed so that the plug presses in easily but definitively, being reliably held in place when inserted and yet relatively easy to remove when desired.

FIG. 24 shows this second embodiment of the built-in Scoop as assembled, the spring wire 3 with attached plug caps 23 inserted into receptacle mounts 22, so that the spring wire forms an approximately parabolic loop that retains ball 2 against the strings (not shown). FIG. 20 shows the assembly from a different perspective. Resilient receptacle mounts 22 are permanently affixed to the racquet frame 1 by press-fit, molding-in-place, gluing or the like.

Again, the precise manner in which the resilient mounts 22 are attached to the frame 1 is best addressed by the tennis racquet designer so as to be integrated into the process of manufacturing the racquet; various effective methods of doing so will be apparent to someone skilled in the art of making tennis racquets. One method employed by the present inventor in prototypes is to mold the resilient mount 22 in place on the racquet frame 1, with resilient material extending downward through one or more small holes in the racquet frame and expanding outward inside the frame so as to securely capture the mount in place when the mold cures. Because this embodiment may involve the addition of several small holes or slots in the top of the racquet rim extra considerations need be addressed to avoid compromising the structural integrity of the racquet during aggressive play.

To remove the Scoop wire assembly from the racquet in this embodiment, again the player simply grips the wire 3 and pulls one end out of the resilient receptacle mount 10 as illustrated in FIG. 26, and then pulls the other end out. And as before, the player can choose to play without the Scoop if she so desires. Also, the wire can be readily replaced if it becomes damaged and different length wires can be used according to the player's preference.

It should be recognized that although three embodiment of the Scoop have been shown, the basic idea disclosed in the present invention is that of attaching a wire loop to a racquet to form a loop that can be used to retrieve a ball from the court surface and that many variations in the specific design can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. Further, as mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in connection with tennis equipment, the invention has similar applicability to other racquet sports in which the player is repeatedly faced with the chore of picking a ball up from the playing surface.

Claims

1. A ball retrieving device for attaching to the strings of a racquet comprising:

a length of wire, and

a pair of mounting devices adapted to be securely affixed to the strings of the racquet, and comprising structure for receiving and retaining the ends of the length of wire,

wherein the length of the length of wire and the spacing of the mounting devices when affixed to the strings of the racquet are chosen cooperatively so that the wire is deformed into an approximately parabolic loop that extends away from the plane of the racquet strings at least one-half the diameter of a tennis ball in an outwardly direction, toward the edge of the racquet.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the mounting devices is a generally flat member formed of a resilient material and having a slot around its periphery into which pairs of adjacent strings of the racquet are received, so that the mounting device is retained between the pairs of adjacent strings.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising end caps affixed to each end of the spring wire, and wherein said mounting devices each have recesses formed therein to receive and securely retain said end caps.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the wire is spring wire.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the spring wire is made of Nitinol.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the loop formed by the wire lies in a plane forming an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees to the plane of the strings.

7. A ball retrieving device for attaching to the rim of a racquet comprising:

a length of wire, and

a pair of mounting devices adapted to be securely affixed to the rim of the head of the racquet, and comprising structure for receiving and retaining the ends of the length of wire,

wherein the length of the wire and the spacing of the mounting devices when affixed to the rim of the racquet are chosen cooperatively so that the wire is deformed into an approximately parabolic loop that extends away from the plane of the racquet strings at least one-half the diameter of a tennis ball in an outwardly direction, toward the edge of the racquet.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the mounting devices each comprise a recess for receiving an end cap affixed to the ends of the length of wire.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the mounting devices are affixed to the inside of the rim.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the mounting devices are affixed to the outer surface of the rim.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the wire is spring wire.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the spring wire is made of Nitinol.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the loop formed by the wire lies in a plane forming an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees to the plane of the strings.