BACKGROUND Keeping score during a personal game of tennis or racquetball is often challenging. Although some have tried to create an apparatus for keeping score, many go unused in sports such as tennis or racquetball because they are often inconvenient and/or cumbersome. Games requiring movement around a court do not lend well to a player keeping a score keeping apparatus in their pocket or near the court that has to be constantly updated. Today, many players still find themselves committing the score to memory only to forget the score several plays later.
In order to overcome these limitations, a versatile, convenient and compact score keeping apparatus is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This specification discloses a score keeping apparatus comprised of several objects comprised of stiff material configured to rest and move about the strings of a racquet. Also disclosed are various modules that can be utilized with a score keeping apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a score keeping apparatus.
FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate several scoring examples utilizing one embodiment of the score keeping apparatus.
FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate front, side and cross-sectional views of an object depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a score keeping apparatus.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C illustrate several scoring examples utilizing another embodiment of the score keeping apparatus.
FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of a score keeping apparatus.
FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate several scoring examples utilizing another embodiment of the score keeping apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION This disclosure can be understood in the context of the following examples. However, what follows is merely an example and is not intended to define the scope of this patent, which is defined by the claims.
FIG. 1 illustrates a score keeping apparatus 100 comprised of a racquet with several objects attached to the strings of the racquet. Score keeping apparatus 100 contains objects 110 attached to the strings 120 of the racquet 130. FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate the score keeping apparatus 100 displaying various scores. FIG. 1 illustrates objects 110 attached to the strings 120 which are moveable about the length of the string to which said object is attached. FIG. 2A illustrates a tennis score of LOVE-15 on the score keeping apparatus 100 by positioning the first and seventh objects up their respective strings and positioning the remaining objects down on their respective strings. FIG. 2B illustrates a tennis score of 30-30 on the score keeping apparatus 100 by positioning the third and sixth objects up their respective strings and positioning the remaining objects down on their respective strings. FIG. 2C illustrates a tennis score of 40-LOVE on the score keeping apparatus 100 by positioning the fourth and eighth objects up their respective strings and positioning the remaining objects down on their respective strings. The numeric markings on the objects 110 in the figures are for illustration purposes only. Score keeping apparatus 100 is comprised of objects 110 made of stiff material, including, but not limited to plastic, rubber, and combinations or composites of each. Objects 110 each contain an opening 115 along its outer edge from the top to the bottom of object 110 which continues inward to the center of object 110, as depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3C illustrates a cross-sectional view of an opening 125 in object 110 containing alternating arches along each side of the planar surface. Another embodiment of score keeping apparatus 100 is to vary the number of objects 110 so that an individual can use the score keeping apparatus 100 to track number of games won and lost, a scoring system commonly used by younger aged tennis players. Another embodiment of score keeping apparatus 100 is to include additional objects 110 to track tie-break in a tennis game, possibly requiring multiple objects about the same string.
The opening configuration shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B are merely illustrative of two embodiments. However, other embodiments may utilize openings of various size and may include various opening configurations within object 110. For example, opening 125 may have one arch or several non-arch obtrusions along each side of the planar surface.
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the score keeping apparatus. Score keeping apparatus 200 contains score 210 with scoring areas 235 and pointers 220 attached to the strings 120 of the racquet 130. FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C illustrate the score keeping apparatus 200 displaying various scores. FIG. 4 illustrates score 210 with scoring areas 235 and pointers 220 attached to the strings 120 which pointers 220 are moveable about the length of the string to which said object is attached. FIG. 5A illustrates a tennis score of LOVE-15 on the score keeping apparatus 200 by positioning one pointer to LOVE of the scoring area 235 of score 210 and positioning the remaining pointer to 15 of the scoring area 235 of score 210. FIG. 5B illustrates a tennis score of 30-30 on the score keeping apparatus 200 by positioning one pointer to 30 of the scoring area 235 of score 210 and positioning the remaining pointer to 30 of the scoring area 235 of score 210. FIG. 5C illustrates a tennis score of 40-LOVE on the score keeping apparatus 200 by positioning one pointer to 40 of the scoring area 235 of score 210 and positioning the remaining pointer to LOVE of the scoring area 235 of score 210. The markings on the scoring area 235 of score 210 in the figures is only example of how scores can be marked on the scoring area 235 of score 210 and is not intended to be the only way scores can be indicated on the scoring area 235 of score 210. Score keeping apparatus 200 is comprised of a score 210 containing scoring areas 235 and pointers 220 each made of stiff material, including, but not limited to plastic, rubber, and combinations or composites of each. Pointers 220 each contain an opening 215 along its outer edge from the top to the bottom of pointer 220 which continues inward to the center of pointer 220, as depicted in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of an opening 215 in pointers 220 containing alternating arches along each side of the planar surface. Pointers 220 may also contain a symbol, such as an arrow, a dash, or other marking to indicate its position relative to score 210.
The configuration of score 210 shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B and 5C are merely illustrative of one embodiment. However, other embodiments may utilize various sizes and may include various configurations. For example, score 210 may be one continuous body with markings to indicate each scoring area 235. Another embodiment of score 210 are separate scoring areas resting next to each other all along the same string 120 of racquet 130. Another embodiment of score 210 is to vary the number of scoring areas 235 so that an individual can use scoring areas 235 to track number of games won and lost, a scoring system commonly used by younger aged tennis players.
FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the score keeping apparatus by modifying the embodiment of FIG. 5 to include all elements of the score keeping apparatus on one body. FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate the score keeping apparatus 300 displaying various scores. FIG. 6 illustrates score 310 with pointers 320 attached to the score 310 moveable about the length of score 310. FIG. 7A illustrates a tennis score of LOVE-15 on the score keeping apparatus 300 by positioning one pointer to LOVE of score 310 and positioning the remaining pointer to 15 of score 310. FIG. 7B illustrates a tennis score of 30-30 on the score keeping apparatus 300 by positioning one pointer to 30 of score 310 and positioning the remaining pointer to 30 of score 310. FIG. 7B illustrates a tennis score of 40-LOVE on the score keeping apparatus 300 by positioning one pointer to 40 of score 310 and positioning the remaining pointer to LOVE of score 310. The markings on score 310 in the figures is only example of how scores can be marked on score 310 and is not intended to be the only way scores can be indicated on score 310.
Material for each embodiment of the score keeping apparatus is comprised mainly of a stiff material, including, but not limited to plastic, rubber, and combinations or composites of each.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
