BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is explicitly or implicitly referenced is prior art.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to the field of ball retrieval devices of existing art and, more specifically, relates to machines used to collect tennis balls.

RELATED ART

During long tennis game sessions, many players experience pain in their extremities, especially in the legs, which makes collecting loose tennis balls after the game troublesome. While practicing at a tennis court, balls are often scattered around all areas of the court. When the practice is over, and it's time to collect the loose balls, many players experience fatigue, and it becomes painful to bend over repeatedly to collect these balls. The game of tennis is not only played by young individuals. Seniors often use it to exercise and remain healthy, as well. The task of continuously bending down to collect loose balls after a rigorous exercise routine may not be advisable for the players. Thus, a need exists for a remote-control device, which may aid in collecting scattered tennis balls.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,313,396 to Charles J. Mailman relates to a tennis ball vacuum collector. The described tennis ball vacuum collector includes a device for quickly picking up numerous tennis balls on a tennis court having a vacuum unit with angled collection members to funnel tennis balls into a location where suction from the vacuum unit draws the balls through tubing and a port into a basket within a chamber of the vacuum unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Because of the preceding disadvantages inherent in the tennis-ball collecting machines art, the present disclosure provides a novel tennis ball retrieval system.

A remote-control tennis-ball collector is disclosed. The tennis-ball collector includes a chassis, a drive train, an energy source, wheels, and a motor. The drive train may couple to the chassis such that the energy source, wheels, and a motor allow the chassis to move around the court. A ball collector includes a ball receiver, a collector, a ball channel, and a hopper. The ball collector may be mounted to the forward outer surface of the chassis for allowing balls to travel into the ball receiver, which activates the vacuum to suck the balls into and through the ball channel to the hopper. Alternatively, the ball collector may be mounted to the forward outer surface of the chassis for allowing balls to travel into the ball receiver, which activates the drive belt to move the balls into and through the ball channel to the hopper. In some versions, the ball collector is arranged to pass tennis balls through the hopper wall.

The collector is a remote-controlled vehicle, like a radio-controlled (RC) car or truck. A user has a transmitter to control the tennis-ball collector by transmitting movement commands to the device. The commands drive the tennis-ball collector toward a ball, making direct contact with the ball, which then activates the ball collector. The tennis-ball collector system may include an LED spotlight and a carrying handle coupled to the chassis. It can contain a receiver configured to receive signals from the transmitter.

The tennis-ball collector may use a battery pack such as a lithium-ion battery or rechargeable battery.

The tennis-ball collector may have at least two wheels. The hopper may be removably coupled to the tennis-ball collector to allow removal of the hopper.

According to another embodiment, a method of use for a tennis-ball collector system is also disclosed. The method of use for a tennis-ball collector system includes placing the tennis-ball collector system on the ground, powering on the tennis-ball collector system, using the remote control for controlling the tennis-ball collector system, collecting the balls, storing the balls in the hopper, removing the hopper to retrieve the collected balls, and storing the tennis-ball collector.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved per any one particular embodiment of the invention.

Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages without necessarily achieving other advantages. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The following drawings and detailed description more fully describe these and other features, aspects, and advantages of the ball collector.

