Granted Patent B2

US 7,520,818 · App. 11/377,739 · Granted Apr 21, 2009

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. A ball launching device for launching a ball, the device comprising:

a shaft;

a head attached to the shaft, the head including a face having a socket for releasably retaining the ball such that when the head is swung, the ball is released;

wherein the socket is defined by arcuate side walls provided by the face of the head extending between a toe and a heel of the head, and upper and lower retaining members which are adapted for engaging and retaining the ball;

wherein the lower retaining member is generally rigid; and

wherein the upper retaining member is sufficiently flexible to permit flexure when the ball is positioned in the socket; and

wherein the upper retaining member is positioned from the head sufficiently so that the ball may be engaged by a finger and the lower retaining member is positioned a distance sufficiently from a heel of the head so that the ball may be engaged by another finger sufficiently to grasp and remove the ball from the socket.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the socket is sized to retain and release a tennis ball.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the upper retaining member includes a ball facing surface that conforms to the balls outer surface.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower retaining members are positioned to engage the ball at an upper and a lower point of engagement.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the upper retaining member has a ball engaging surface that conforms to the outer surface of the ball.

6. A ball launching device for launching a ball, the device comprising:

a shaft;

a head attached to the shaft, the head including a face having a socket for releasably retaining the ball such that when the head is swung, the ball is released;

wherein the socket is defined by arcuate side walls provided by the face of the head extending between a toe and a heel of the head, and upper and lower retaining members which are adapted for engaging and retaining the ball;

wherein the lower retaining member is generally rigid;

wherein the upper retaining member is sufficiently flexible to permit flexure when the ball is positioned in the socket; and

wherein the arcuate sidewalls do not contact the ball.

7. A method of exercising a dog comprising:

providing a device having a handle and a head portion wherein the head portion, the head portion comprising:

a socket sufficient in size to releasably hold a ball;

wherein the socket is defined by arcuate sidewalls provided by the face of the head extending between a toe and a heel of the head, and upper and lower retaining members which are adapted for engaging and retaining the ball;

wherein the lower retaining member is generally rigid; and

wherein the upper retaining member is sufficiently flexible to permit flexure when the ball is positioned in the socket; and

swinging the device like a golf club sufficiently hard to release and launch the ball so that the dog may chase and retrieve the ball.

8. The method of claim 7 and further comprising:

placing the retrieved ball back into the socket and swinging the device again to launch the ball again.

Assignments (11)