US20110053714A1

US20110053714A1 - Ball toss and catch device

Info

Publication number: US20110053714A1
Application number: US12/461,875
Authority: US
Inventors: Mary Skowronski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-08-27
Filing date: 2009-08-27
Publication date: 2011-03-03

Abstract

A ball toss and catch Device is disclosed that includes a fingerless glove, two donut-like plastic rings, and a ball. Device is used by the player to toss up a ball and catch it consecutively in an alternative pattern while skillfully avoiding the dropping of the ball. The disclosed Device is further used in a method of play or sport either solo or competively or against another player, or groups of players such as teams or leagues.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of Invention
The Invention disclosed herein relates to the field of games, more specifically hand-held, hand-manipulated Devices, which have as the object of the game, the tossing and catching of a ball consecutively without dropping it.
2. Summary of the Invention
There are numerous devices that allow for the tossing and catching of a ball as a game. The presently disclosed invention differs in that it embraces a wide variety of game player ages, skill level ability, social or cultural identity, and also a wide range of play environment. The disclosed Device is not dependent upon electricity, nor battery power, the Device does not utilize software nor electronics, and also has no sounding feature; yet it is a Device for ball toss and catch games that the player has the ability to vary the Device itself, by changing the size or colors of the rings, to choose favorite colors or to assign color as a means to organize teams or leagues; and the player can further change the manner of play from playing solo, by oneself, or to play against another, or even numerous players competitively, keeping scores. The presently disclosed Invention can be used in a relatively small play space area, and because it does not require an electric source, it allows for a broad range of play environments: small, large, indoor, outdoor, perhaps while riding mass transportation so as to pass time on journeys, and additionally, play amongst very large groups is possible, and in venues of mass population assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: View of Device on hand, palm side up, in ready position, fingers hold the donut-like plastic ring to palm, ball in center. The second donut-like plastic ring is held via burr-like hook and loop material to the opposite side of hand Device. Hand is seen in this FIG. 1 to be parallel to the ground/floor.
FIG. 2: Straight on palm view of hand in Device, showing the hand holding the palm side donut-like plastic ring with the player's fingers. Center of the palm side donut-like plastic ring is empty.
FIG. 3: Straight on view of hand in Device, dorsal/top of hand view, ring is attached to the Device via burr-like hook and loop material, which allows the player to attach and remove the dorsal donut-like plastic ring as desired, to change ring size or colors, for example.
FIG. 4: Hand in ball tossing and catching Device, palm side up, fingers grasp the palm side donut-like plastic ring, the dorsal side donut-like plastic ring is firmly attached via the burr-like hook and loop material, and with the hand held flat, palm side up and the hand being parallel to the ground/floor, the ball is tossed straight up from the center of the palm side donut-like plastic ring.
FIG. 5: Hand in ball tossing and catching Device, parallel to the ground/floor, now palm side down, and the dorsal/top of hand facing up, hand in Device is now in the ready position to catch the ball, in the dorsal/top of hand donut-like plastic ring. Ball shown caught in center of the ring.

Claims

1. A ball tossing and catching Device comprising a glove with five fingers, the fingertips being cut off, worn on the player's hand, to which is attached on the dorsal side, or top of the hand, via burr-like hook and loop attachment material, so that the player can attach and remove as desired, a donut-like plastic ring, the attach and remove feature enabling the player to choose different colors of rings, and to change the size of the ring which could vary the skill of player needed. Further comprising the Device is a second donut-like plastic ring, this second donut-like plastic ring is held in place by the player's fingers, to the palm side of the hand.

2. A ball tossing and catching Device includes a ball.

3. A method of playing ball toss and catch comprising the Device and ball described in claim 1 and claim 2, whereby the player wears Device on hand, with dorsal ring firmly attached as described in claim 1, player also holding second ring with fingers to the palm side of hand, holds hand with Device parallel to the ground/floor, enabling the ball to be balanced in the center of either the palm or dorsal donut-like plastic ring. Player tosses the ball up vertically into the air, then quickly flips over the hand Device to the opposite side and catches the downfalling ball in the center of the opposite donut-like plastic ring. Play is continued, the object being to count the number of consecutive catches without dropping the ball. The method of game further includes the options of playing either alone, against oneself, or competitively against other players, or further larger organized game play with teams and or leagues.