U.S. patent application number 11/231388 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-23 for ball storage container mountable to a vertical planar surface.
Invention is credited to Barbara B. Bell, Larry K. Bell.
Application Number | 20060063621 11/231388 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36074771 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060063621 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bell; Larry K. ; et
al. |
March 23, 2006 |
Ball storage container mountable to a vertical planar surface
Abstract
A game ball storage retainer mountable to a vertical planar
surface is an equatorially-split spherical container having a
generally hemispherical upper lid portion that is hinged to a
generally hemispherical base base portion. The base portion has an
annular ring that fits within the upper portion to prevent water
from flowing into the container. Each portion has a locking tab
that aligns with the locking tab of the other portion. A padlock
may be used to lock the lid and base portions together. The base
portion also has a rectangular extension that fits flush against a
vertical planar surface and by means of which the container may be
bolted thereto. Lag bolts may be installed from inside the
container to prevent their removal when the container is closed and
locked. Preferably, the container is either blow molded or
rotationally molded from a tough polymeric resin or copolymer.
Inventors: |
Bell; Larry K.; (Brigham
City, UT) ; Bell; Barbara B.; (Brigham City,
UT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Angus C. Fox, III
4093 N. Imperial Way
Provo
UT
84604-5386
US
|
Family ID: |
36074771 |
Appl. No.: |
11/231388 |
Filed: |
September 20, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60611835 |
Sep 20, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/569 ;
206/315.1; 206/315.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 47/00 20130101;
A63B 2225/72 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/569 ;
206/315.1; 206/315.9 |
International
Class: |
A63B 43/00 20060101
A63B043/00; B65D 85/20 20060101 B65D085/20; B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A storage retainer comprising: a generally hemispherical base
portion having an extension that fits flush against and is
securable to a vertical planar surface; and a generally
hemispherical lid portion hingeably coupled to said base portion; d
to a generally hemispherical base portion, said lid portion and
said base portion forming a generally sperical, enclosed chamber
for the storage of a game ball when in a closed configuration, and
providing access to a stored game ball when in an open
configuration.
2. The storage retainer of claim 1, wherein said lid portion is
equipped with a downward-facing circumferential groove, and said
base portion is equipped with an upward-facing circumferential ring
that engages the circumferential groove when said storage retainer
is in a closed configuration.
3. The storage retainer of claim 1, which further comprises: a
first locking tab on said base portion and a second locking tab on
said lid portion, said first and second locking tabs being aligned
when said storage retainer is in a closed configuration so that a
padlock may be used to secure the lid portion to the base portion
in a closed configuration.
4. The storage retainer of claim 1, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are manufactured from at least one polymeric
resin.
5. The storage retainer of claim 1, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are both injection molded.
6. The storage retainer of claim 1, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are both blow molded.
7. The strorage retainer of claim 1, wherein said base portion is
coupled to said lid portion with at least one hinge that is riveted
to both portions.
8. A game ball storage retainer comprising: a hollow chamber having
generally spherical inner and outer surfaces, said hollow chamber
being equitorially split into base and lid portions through a plane
which makes an angle of less than 45 degrees from level; at least
one hinge coupling said lid portion to said base portion; and an
extension integal with said base portion that fits flush against
and is securable to a vertical planar surface.
9. The storage retainer of claim 8, wherein said base portion is
equipped with an upward-facing circumferential ring that is
inwardly offset from the outer surface thereof, and said lid
portion is equipped with a circumferential recess that is inwardly
offset from the outer surface thereof, said circumferential ring
engaging circumferential recess when said storage retainer is in a
closed configuration.
10. The storage retainer of claim 8, which further comprises: a
first locking tab on said base portion and a second locking tab on
said lid portion, said first and second locking tabs being aligned
when said storage retainer is in a closed configuration so that a
padlock may be used to secure the lid portion to the base portion
in a closed configuration.
11. The storage retainer of claim 8, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are manufactured from at least one polymeric
resin.
12. The storage retainer of claim 8, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are both injection molded.
13. The storage retainer of claim 8, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are both blow molded.
14. The strorage retainer of claim 8, wherein at least one hinge is
riveted to both the base and lid portions.
15. A game ball storage retainer comprising: a hollow chamber
having generally spherical inner and outer surfaces, said hollow
chamber being equitorially split into base and lid portions through
a plane which makes an angle of less than 45 degrees from level,
said base and lid portions being hingeably coupled together along
an outer edge of each portion; and means for securing said hollow
chamber to an immovable object.
16. The storage retainer of claim 15, wherein said base portion is
equipped with an upward-facing circumferential ring that is
inwardly offset from the outer surface thereof, and said lid
portion is equipped with a circumferential recess that is inwardly
offset from the outer surface thereof, said circumferential ring
engaging circumferential recess when said storage retainer is in a
closed configuration.
17. The storage retainer of claim 15, which further comprises: a
first locking tab on said base portion and a second locking tab on
said lid portion, said first and second locking tabs being aligned
when said storage retainer is in a closed configuration so that a
padlock may be used to secure the lid portion to the base portion
in a closed configuration.
18. The storage retainer of claim 15, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are manufactured from at least one polymeric
resin.
19. The storage retainer of claim 15, wherein said base portion and
said lid portion are both molded using a process selected from the
group consisting of injection molding and blow molding.
20. The storage retainer of claim 15, wherein said means for
securing comprises an extension integral with the hollow chamber
that fits flush against and is securable to a vertical planar
surface.
Description
[0001] This application has a priority date based on provisional
patent application No. 60/611,835, which was filed on Sep. 20,
2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The instant invention relates generally to sports equipment
and more specifically it relates to a anti-theft storage device for
game balls, such as basketballs, soccer balls, kickballs and four
square playground balls mountable to a stationary object.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] There are many public facilities, such as basketball courts,
which have no on-site supervisor and no on-site ball dispensary.
Thus, users of the facilities must carry a game ball to such public
facilities. Sometimes younger players travel to such facilities on
their bicycles, making the transport of a game ball, such a
basketball, a difficult task. Sometimes, these players will choose
to leave their ball behind for use on the next day instead of
having to lug the ball home on their bicycle. This is a risky
proposition due to the potential for theft. What is needed is a way
to leave a basketball or other game ball at an outdoor venue
without the risk of the ball being stolen or lost.
[0006] There is also a similar need to store game balls at a home
location in a container where they cannot be removed without the
involvement of a responsible individual, such as a parent.
[0007] The present invention attempts to solve the abovementioned
problem by providing a lockable game ball holder that can be
secured to a fence, a wall, or other permanent structure.
[0008] The use of receptacles suited for containing sports balls is
known in the prior art. More specifically, receptacles suited for
containing sports balls heretofore devised and utilized for the
purpose of holding sports balls for transport are known to consist
basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural
configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed
by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the
fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
[0009] By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,946 to McClain
discloses a game ball anti-theft device including a sperical web
dimensioned for completely enclosing the game ball therein. The
spherical web is comprised of a plurality of cables.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,711 to Knable, III discloses a ball
holder for supporting a ball that includes a hoop portion and a
bracket portion. A preferred embodiment includes means for
supporting a football, means for mounting to various support
surfaces, means for supporting an air pump, and means for storing
needle valves.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,951 to Hunt discloses a cylindrical
storage device for mounting to a basketball backboard stanchion. A
preferred embodiment of the device has sufficient interior space
for storing two basketballs and includes a lockable hinged front
cover which may be opened to store and retrieve basketballs.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,844 to Sircy discloses a storage device
for storing sports equipment that is adapted for securement to a
substantially vertical surface of an object situated adjacent the
site of a playing court or field. The device includes an open-toped
receptacle for holding the sports equipment, such as game balls and
a lid hingedly attached to the receptacle for opening and closing
the top thereof.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,360 to Stine discloses a ball bag
comprised of webbings and straps capable of being attached to the
handlebars of a bicycle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,576 to Reardon
discloses a portable locker device for sports equipment. U.S. Pat.
No. 5,085,320 to Scott discloses a bag for carrying a game
ball.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,117 to Reichert and U.S. Pat. No.
4,147,353 to Moore both disclose devices which encapsulate a game
ball so that it can be tether to a person or a spike, respectively
for training purposes and for retrieval of the ball. However, these
devices not adequately secure the ball so as to prevent its
theft.
[0015] While these devices fulfill their respective, particular
objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not
describe a game ball anti-theft device for preventing a game ball
from being removed from a public area.
[0016] In this respect, the game ball anti-theft device according
to the present invention substantially departs from the
conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so
provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of for
preventing a game ball from being removed from a public area.
[0017] The existing game ball anti-theft devices have certain
disadvantages. Firstly, those ball retainers which do not fully
enclose the ball needlessly expose the ball to the sun and the
elements, resulting in a much shortened life span for the a ball so
stored. Secondly, most of the anti-theft ball retainers are overly
complex, expensive to manufacture, and expensive to purchase.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing
need for a new and improved game ball anti-theft device which can
be used for preventing a game ball from being removed from a public
area and that is easily manufactured and economical to purchase. In
this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this
need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In the view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types
of receptacles suited for containing sports balls now present in
the prior art, the present invention provides an improved game ball
anti-theft device. As such, the general purpose of the present
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail,
is to provide a new and improved game ball anti-theft device which
has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the
disadvantages.
[0019] To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises
an equatorially-split spherical container having a generally
hemispherical lid portion that is hinged to a generally
hemispherical base portion. The base portion has an annular ring
that fits within the lid portion to prevent water from flowing into
the container. Each portion has a locking tab which aligns with the
locking tab of the other portion. A padlock may be used to lock the
lid portion to the base portion. The base portion also has a
rectangular extension that fits flush against a vertical planar
surface and by means of which the container may be bolted thereto.
The rectangular extension has a plurality of bolt holes therein
that extend into the interior of the container. Lag bolts may be
installed from inside the container to prevent their removal when
the container is closed and locked.
[0020] For a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container
is either blow molded or rotationally molded from a tough polymeric
resin or copolymer such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
copolymers, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a right-side elevational view of the new
partially-opened anti-theft game ball container;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the new game ball
container;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the base portion of the new
game ball container;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a a right-side elevational view of the base
portion of the new game ball container;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the base portion of the
new game ball container;
[0026] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the base portion of the new
game ball container;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the lid portion of the new
game ball container;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the lid portion of the new game
ball container;
[0029] FIG. 9 is a right-side elevational view of the lid portion
of the new game ball container;
[0030] FIG. 10 is a rear elevational view of the lid portion of the
new game ball container; and
[0031] FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the lid portion of the new
game ball container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The invention will now be described with reference to the
included dcrawing figures. It is to be understood that the drawings
are not necessarily drawn to scale, and that they are intended to
be merely illustrative.
[0033] Referring now to FIG. 1, the new anti-theft game ball
storage container 100 is a generally equatorially split, spherical
container that includes a generally hemispherical base portion 101
and a generally hemispherical lid portion 102. The lid portion 102
is connected to the base portion 101 via a hinge 103 that is
riveted to both pieces. The attaching rivets 104 are swedged inside
the container. The base portion 101 has an annular ring 105 that
fits within the lid portion 102 to prevent water from flowing into
the container 100. The base portion 101 also has a rectangular
extension 106 that fits flush against a vertical planar surface and
by means of which the container may be bolted thereto.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 2, details of the rectangular
extension 107 are visible. The rectangular extension 106 has a
plurality of bolt holes 201 therein that extend into the interior
of the container. Lag bolts may be installed from inside the
container and into the vertical planar surface to prevent their
removal of the container 100 therefrom when the container 100 is
closed and locked. It will be noted that the lid portion 102 has a
locking tab 202U that aligns with a locking tab 202L on the base
portion when the lid portion 102 is closed. A padlock (not shown)
may be used to lock the locking tabs 202U and 202L together during
storage of a game ball within the container 100.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 3, the interior of the base portion
101 is generally hemispherical and has a water drain hole 301
located at the lowermost point. It will be noted that the base
portion 101 has a planar base hinge mounting panel 302 that unitary
with the base portion 101 and that projects away from the spherical
wall 303 of the base portion 101. The rectangular extension 106 is
visible in this view, as is the lower locking tab 202L.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 4, the rectangular extension 106 is
seen from the side, while the planar base hinge mounting panel 302
is seen head on. Two rivet holes 401 are seen in the planar base
hinge mounting panel 302.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 5, the base portion 101 of the new
anti-theft game ball storage container 100 is shown separately. The
annular ring 105 is clearly visible in this view and is unitary
with the base portion 101. The rectangular extension 106 is seen
head on, while the planar base hinge mounting panel 302 is seen
from the side. Also visible is the lower locking tab 202L.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 6, this isometric view of the base
portion 101 provides a more realistic view thereof. The lower
hemispherical interior cavity 601 of the anti-theft game ball
storage container 100, the annular ring 105, the planar base hinge
mounting panel 302, the rectangular extension 106, and the lower
locking tab 202L are all clearly visible in this view.
[0039] Referring now to FIG. 7, this bottom view of the lid shows
the upper hemispherical interior cavity 701 of the new anti-theft
game ball storage container 100. Also visible is an annular recess
702 which fits over the annular ring 105 of the base portion 101.
The planar lid hinge mounting panel 703 and the upper locking tab
202U are all clearly visible in this view.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 8, this top view of the lid portion
102 shows the hemispherical shape of the lid portion 102, the top
of the planar lid hinge mounting panel 703 and the upper locking
tab 202U.
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 9, this right-side view of the lid
portion 102 clearly shows the domed hemispherical external shape of
the lid portion 102, and shows the planar lid hinge mounting panel
703 head on.
[0042] Referring now to FIG. 10, this rear view of the lid portion
102 also clearly shows the domed hemispherical external shape of
the lid portion 102, and also shows the side of the planar lid
hinge mounting panel 703 and the side of the upper locking tab
202U.
[0043] Referring now to FIG. 11, this isometric view of the lid
portion shows its domed external shape and also shows the planar
lid hinge mounting panel 703.
[0044] For a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container
is either blow molded or rotationally molded from a tough polymeric
resin or copolymer such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
copolymers, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS). In the event that blow
molding is employed, each hinge half may be incorporated into its
respective hemispherical portion, rather than riveting a steel
hinge to both hemispherical portions. The hinge halves, which are
unitary with either the base portion 101 or the lid portion 102,
may then be pinned together with a preferably stainless steel hinge
pin.
[0045] For a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container
is either blow molded or rotationally molded from a tough polymeric
resin or copolymer such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
copolymers, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS).
[0046] Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been
shown and described, it will be obvious to those having ordinary
skill in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention as
hereinafter claimed.
* * * * *