BALL DISPENSER

Abstract

A dispenser for golf balls, ping pong balls, and the like has a tubular neoprene (polychloroprene) body with an inside diameter marginally less than the diameter of the ball to be held. The length of the body may be approximately three times the diameter of the ball, so that up to three balls may be conveniently stored in the body. The body includes an open insertion end whose inside diameter is equal to that of the body and into which balls are advanced into the body, and a sphincter-like dispensing end with an inside diameter less than the diameter of the balls. Squeezing the body results in urging a ball against the dispensing end to urge the dispensing end open enough to permit the ball to pass.

Description

FIELD

This application relates to ball dispensers.

BACKGROUND

Many games such as golf and ping-pong usually entail the use of more than one ball during play, as balls can become lost or damaged. When that occurs, a player often has to hunt for extra balls.

SUMMARY

A device includes a stretchable unitary tubular body with an inside diameter marginally less than a diameter of a ball to be held. The body includes open insertion end defining an inside diameter equal to that of the body and into which balls are advanced into the body. The body also includes a sphincter-like dispensing end with an inside diameter less than the diameter of the ball. Squeezing the body results in urging a ball against the dispensing end to urge the dispensing end open to permit a ball inside the body to pass out of the body.

In example embodiments, the body is made of neoprene (polychloroprene). In non-limiting examples, the body defines a length equal to three times the diameter of the ball, +ten percent so that up to three balls may be stored in the body. Greater or fewer balls may be accommodated.

In some examples, a first strip of elastic extends on a surface of the dispensing end to reinforce the dispensing end. If desired, a second strip of elastic may extend on a surface of the dispensing end to reinforce the dispensing end. Additional strips may be used. The first strip of elastic may be offset ninety degrees from the second strip, and in example implementations the strips are attached to the dispensing end at respective ends of the strips. The dispensing end may be a continuous dome-shaped unitary piece of material that may be made unitarily with the tubular body.

In another aspect, a method includes pushing at least one ball into a stretchable tubular body through an insertion end of the body to stretch the body to accommodate the ball and squeezing the body to urge the ball against a dispensing end having an opening smaller than that of the ball to widen the opening and eject the ball from the tubular body.

In another aspect, a device includes a stretchable resilient tubular body made of a unitary piece of material. The body defines an insertion opening and an ejection opening opposite the insertion opening and having a diameter smaller than an object insertable into the body through the insertion opening. The ejection opening is smaller than the insertion opening such that the object is retained against the ejection opening until the body is squeezed to urge the object against the ejection opening to enlarge the ejection opening to permit passage of the object out of the ejection opening.

The details of the present application, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser from the open dispensing end in an exploded relationship with an example golf ball that has been dispended from the dispenser, with the connector not shown;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser from the open insertion end, showing an example connector;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dispenser from the open insertion end through which three balls have been advanced into the dispenser to deform the tubular body slightly;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the dispenser from the open dispensing end showing a golf ball emerging by deforming the end to a stretched (wide) configuration;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of an example dispenser from the open dispensing end in the relaxed configuration, with reinforcing elastic strips; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a person squeezing a ball out of the dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a device 10 includes a stretchable unitary tubular body 12. The body 12 is hollow and preferably has a circular cross-section. The body 12 can be made of a material that can be deformed as by stretching and when the deforming force is removed, re-assume its relaxed shape. In examples, the body 12 may be made of neoprene (polychloroprene).

As shown in cross-reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the body 12 defines a longitudinal axis “Axis” and opposed open ends the center points of which are on or substantially on the axis, namely, an insertion opening 14 and a dispensing opening 16 formed in a dispensing end 18. In the example shown, the dispensing end 18 is formed as a continuous dome-shaped unitary piece of material, and may be unitarily made, as by molding, with the tubular body 12.

As shown best in FIG. 2, the insertion end 14 defines an inside diameter ID_L that is marginally less than a diameter D_B of an object 20 such as a ball that is to be held within the body 12. In the example shown, the object 20 is configured as a golf ball, it being understood that present principles apply to other objects to be held, such as ping-pong balls, other recreational game balls with a hard or semi-hard outer shell and that are typically smaller than a softball, e.g., dog retrieving balls, hand balls, hurling balls, baseballs or angle balls, disks, etc. The object 20 can be advanced through the insertion end opening 14 by slightly deforming the insertion end to accommodate the object 20. The insertion end may be outwardly flared in a frusto-conical configuration to be at the extreme end 15% (as an example) wider than the rest of cylindrical body for easier insertion of the balls.

Indeed, and referring briefly to FIG. 3, in one example the length of the body 12 is three times the diameter of the object, +ten percent so that up to three balls may be stored in the body as shown by the three bulges 22 depicted in FIG. 3. Fewer or greater than three balls may be accommodated. For example, up to twelve balls may be accommodated.

In contrast to the insertion opening 14 diameter, the dispensing opening 16 of the dispensing end 18 defines an inside diameter ID_S in a relaxed state that is less than the diameter D_B of the ball and less than the diameter ID_L of the insertion opening 14. Nonetheless, owing to the stretchability of the material of the device 10, as shown in FIG. 4 squeezing the body 12 results in urging a ball 20 against the dispensing end 18 to urge the dispensing end open by enlarging the opening 16 to permit a ball inside the body 12 to pass out of the body. Once the ball passes out of the body 12, owing to material bias the dispensing opening 16 closes to its relaxed diameter. In this sense, the dispensing end functionally is sphincter-like.

FIG. 2 shows that if desired, a connector 24 may be engaged with the body 12. In the example shown, the connector 24 is attached to the body 12 at or near the insertion opening 14 by an attachment ring 26 that extends through the wall of the body 12 as shown. The example connector 24 includes a carabiner-type clip 28 with a pivot arm 30 that can be manipulated to push the pivot arm 30 inward to allow clipping the connector 24 onto another object such as a golf club bag strap, and may be spring-loaded such that when released, the arm 30 assumes the closed configuration shown in FIG. 2.

Other connectors that may be used include but are not limited to a suction cup to attach to fiberglass, Plexiglas or the smooth surface of a golf cart, a different clip that might attach to a waist belt or the waist hem of a pant or even a nylon webbing strap with tabs of hook & loop (Velcro®) so the dispenser bag can be attached to the underside edge of a ping pang table, a small carrying handle loop, etc.

FIG. 5 shows that if desired, the dispensing end 18 may be reinforced. In the example shown, a first strip 32 of elastic extends on the surface of the dispensing end 18 to reinforce the dispensing end. In one example, the first strip defines a semi-circle that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body 12. If desired, a second strip 34 of elastic may also extend on the surface of the dispensing end 18 to reinforce the dispensing end 18, and the first strip 32 of elastic may be offset ninety degrees from the second strip 34 as shown. The strips 32, 34 can be attached to the dispensing end 18 at respective ends 36 of the strips. More than two strips can be used. For example, three strips may be used and offset from each other around the circumference of the body by 120 degrees. Or four strips may be used, offset from each other around the circumference of the body by 90 degrees (no overlap) or 120 degrees (sonic overlap).

FIG. 6 illustrates a hand squeezing the body 12 to eject a ball. This hand action motion of dispensing a ball is unique in that it uses and easy and convenient squeeze using the webbing of the hand between the forefinger and thumb. The neoprene body 12 may be manufactured to have a varying thickness and strength progressively towards the dispensing end, thus bypassing the need for additional elastic material strips being added to create the proper resistance to the contents to keep it secure from falling out without the reasonable amount of pressure applied by the manual action of a hand squeezing the tube behind the ball nearest the dispending end, using the webbing of the hand between the forefinger and thumb.

By having a unique fit of the balls (or other contents) the dispenser also performs as a ‘cushioned’ game ball carrier that adds the benefit of protection to the contents by not letting it be damaged by transport or banging and rubbing into other balls or objects.

While the particular device is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.

Components included in one embodiment can be used in other embodiments in any appropriate combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments.

“A system having at least one of A, B, and C” (likewise “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” and “a system having at least one of A, B, C”) includes systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a stretchable unitary tubular body with an inside diameter marginally less than a diameter of a ball to be held, the body defining a longitudinal axis;

the body comprising an open insertion end defining an inside diameter equal to that of the body and into which balls are advanceable into the body, the insertion end having a center point on the longitudinal axis of the body, the body comprising a sphincter-like open dispensing end having a center point on the longitudinal axis and defining an opening with an inside diameter less than the diameter of the ball, whereby squeezing the body results in urging a ball against the dispensing end to urge the dispensing end open to permit a ball inside the body to pass out of the body.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is made of neoprene (polychloroprene).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the body defines a length equal to three times the diameter of the ball, +ten percent so that up to three balls may be stored in the body.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising:

at least a first strip of elastic extending on a surface of the dispensing end to reinforce the dispensing end.

5. The device of claim 4, comprising:

at least a second strip of elastic extending on a surface of the dispensing end to reinforce the dispensing end.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first strip of elastic is offset ninety degrees from the second strip.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the strips are attached to the dispensing end at respective ends of the strips.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the dispensing end is a continuous dome-shaped unitary piece of material.

9. A method, comprising:

pushing at least one ball into a stretchable tubular body through an insertion end of the body to stretch the body to accommodate the ball; and

squeezing the body to urge the ball against a dispensing end having an opening smaller than that of the ball to widen the opening and eject the ball from the tubular body.

10. A device, comprising:

a stretchable resilient tubular body made of a unitary piece of material;

the body defining a longitudinal axis, an insertion opening and an ejection opening opposite the insertion opening, at least the ejection opening having a diameter smaller than an object insertable into the body through the insertion opening, the ejection opening being smaller than the insertion opening such that the object is retained against the ejection opening until the body is squeezed to urge the object against the ejection opening to enlarge the ejection opening to permit passage of the object out of the ejection opening;

at least a first strip of elastic extending on a surface of the body around the ejection end to reinforce the ejection end, the first strip of elastic defining a semi-circle that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the object comprises at least one ball.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the ejection opening is defined by a dispensing end.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the body is made of polychloroprene.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the body defines a length equal to three times the diameter of the ball, +ten percent so that up to three balls may be stored in the body.

15. (canceled)

16. The device of claim 10, comprising:

at least a second strip of elastic extending on a surface of the dispensing end body to reinforce the ejection dispensing end.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first strip of elastic is offset ninety degrees from the second strip.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the strips are attached to the body respective ends of the strips.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the dispensing end is a continuous dome-shaped unitary piece of material.