Abstract A pocket for a tennis ball which is attachable to a garment and which will retain the ball without interfering with the activity of the participant during play. The pocket includes a base element for attachment to the garment and which has affixed thereto and across, an extensible elastic fabric material of sufficient elasticity to receive and hold the ball, permit ready removal thereof and which will lie flat and unobstrusive when empty. The elastic material is capable of bilateral extension and conforms in shape to the outer edge of the base element which is generally provided with a pair of straight parallel edges joined at one end by a semicircular segment to form a ''''U.'''' The outer edge of the base element and elastic material are joined together along this edge as by stitching, adhesive or any other suitable means. This aforedescribed structure is open at one end and there is provided a closure means across the elastic material to insure proper closing thereacross. This latter means can take the form of an elastic piping or a multiple foldover of the elastic material. The pocket, thus formed, is suitably affixed to the garment as by a thermosetting adhesive on the base element surface opposite the pocket, or physically attached by stitch sewing, by buttons or where applicable, by a zipper. Additionally, a dual pocket can be formed by merely forming the backing and the elastic material each in a unitary shape resembling a pair of ''''U'''' s joined at the center arm and stitched thereacross. Reduced to a basic configuration, it is merely necessary to affix the elastic fabric material directly to the garment such as tennis shorts, and thus delete entirely the backing material element.
Inventors
👤 S Hayes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-10-23 13:18
CPC Classifications
A; A41; A41D; A41D27/00; A41D27/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A garment attachable pocket for holding a tennis ball or the like which comprises: a backing member having a peripheral edge and generally of a ''''U'''' shape to encompass at least one tennis ball, adhesive means on the surface of said backing member for readily attaching said backing member to a garment, an elastic, stretchable fabric element of a generally ''''U'''' shaped pattern overlaying said backing member and affixed thereto along all of said peripheral edge except for an upper transverse portion whereby there is provided an opening between said backing member and said fabric element through which said ball may pass and a cavity within which it is retained.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
110 words
A garment attachable pocket for holding a tennis ball or the like which comprises: a backing member having a peripheral edge and generally of a ''''U'''' shape to encompass at least one tennis ball, adhesive means on the surface of said backing member for readily attaching said backing member to a garment, an elastic, stretchable fabric element of a generally ''''U'''' shaped pattern overlaying said backing member and affixed thereto along all of said peripheral edge except for an upper transverse portion whereby there is provided an opening between said backing member and said fabric element through which said ball may pass and a cavity within which it is retained.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The pocket according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive coating.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The pocket according to claim 2 further including a biasing piping carried by the free edge of said elastic fabric element urging said fabric element toward said backing member thereby closing said opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The pocket according to claim 3 wherein said piping comprises a plurality of folds of said elastic fabric element joined together.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The pocket according to claim 4 wherein said elastic fabric element is of a net-like structure capable a simultaneous elastic extension in two directions.