Tennis ball belt

Abstract

An apparatus is described having a wide piece of stretchy fabric or other material worn around a person's waist, hips, arm, or thigh, that is adapted to hold balls snuggly against the person while performing an activity, such as playing tennis. Balls may be placed in the front, side or back of the person. Tension from the belt's elasticity, and friction from the fabric contacting the surface of the ball, for example the nap of the tennis ball, prevents the ball from slipping or rolling down the body. Balls may be accessed easily by reaching under the band of fabric from either the top or bottom of the band and pulling the ball out, or applying pressure to the top of the ball through the band and pushing the ball out. The device may be worn independently or may be integrated as an outer layer to a garment. The number of balls the person may carry is determined by the size person, width and circumference of the band, and comfort during activity.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 896,470, filed Mar. 22, 2007. The entire contents of the above-listed provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made part of this specification.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to a device and method for assisting players of ball games, and more particularly to a device and method for holding one or more balls.BACKGROUND[0003]Holding an adequate supply of tennis balls during play or practice is an unaddressed problem in tennis. In match play, a player requires two balls, holding another ball in reserve during service, in case of a service fault. In practice, drills or casual play, a player, especially a new player, benefits from holding up to six or ten balls on their person, rather than picking balls out of a basket, or retrieving them from the tennis court.[0004]Several types of tennis ball holders a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Other certain embodiments provide a ball holder that is easy to wear, can accept several tennis balls at a time that are easily reached and removable by the wearer, and restrain the tennis balls within the apparatus while the wearer moves about the court. In one embodiment, the ball holder is primarily a ball storage device, allowing one-handed access to the ball. In another embodiment, the ball holder is worn as an article of clothing, and includes a dri-fit fabric with moisture wicking capabilities.

[0009]Certain embodiments provide a belt for holding tennis balls formed from a 5.5 inch wide circular band. In one embodiment the band is a stretch fabric that may include one or more of a nylon, a LYCRA®, a spandex, or a polyester material. The fabric is ergonomically designed to fit snuggly about the player, without binding or twisting, and offering easy access to and retrieval of tennis balls. When the ball holder is worn around the lower waist or hips, it provides a flat profile when empty, until balls are inserted, after which the band bulges about the inserted tennis balls. Balls so held not slip down or pop out of the top or bottom of the band due to the weave of the of the fabric, the fabric content, and snugness of the fit. The width of the band holds the balls firmly against the body without flopping or producing distracting momentum.

[0010]Certain embodiments of inventive ball holders have one or more of the following advantages over the prior art, including:

[0011]Comfort: Cage-type holders are usually made from stiff, hard materials and the balls pop in and out of the cages. The cages poke and scratch during activity. In addition, because the balls are held out from the body they bounce, and may pull on the garment if clipped to a waistband. Pouch-type holders also have bouncing issues, and when not full, the balls may move around during activity. This causes the belt to slide to one side, requiring adjustment. Some also require zippers to open and close the pouch. These can scratch during frequent ball access as well as be stiff and uncomfortable. Certain embodiments described herein reduce or eliminate bouncing, and have primarily fabric contacting the wearer to reduce or eliminate scratching or poking the wearer.

[0012]Modularity: All of the belt-type designs, cage, pouch, or the one proposed herein, offer a modular solution that affords the wearer freedom of choice in their tennis attire without regard for tennis ball storage. For women it eliminates the need to purchase tennis panties and skirts, which many women do not like to wear.

[0013]Access: Accessing the balls quickly with one hand is critical during play. While the cage-type holders offer this, putting the balls in the cage is not always as easy. Accessing the balls in a pouch type holder may require unzipping or unsnapping a closure (two hands), or fishing around for the ball. Certain embodiments described herein offer quick, one-handed access to any of the balls being held, as well as quick storage.

Problems solved by technology

Holding an adequate supply of tennis balls during play or practice is an unaddressed problem in tennis.

Each of these devices is cumbersome to use, is limited in the number of balls that can be held, or fails to hold balls during play.

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