Abstrict A container-dispenser adapted to be contained in the end of a racket
handle for holding and dispensing, when desired, a supply of a desiccant
material such as rosin. The open end of the container is normally
closed by a two-piece closure which can be operated by the application
of pressure by the palm of the player's hand to release the material
onto the player's hands. Upon the release of the pressure, the container
is automatically returned to its sealed condition.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A dispenser for accomodation within the handle portion of an
article such as a racket, or the like, said dispenser being adapted
to receive a quantity of drying material and including a cup-shaped
container open at one end, a two-piece closure member for sealing
off said open end of said container, said closure member comprising
a first member having a first plurality of radial slots formed therein,
a second closure member axially aligned with said first closure
member and having a second plurality of radial slots formed therein
and a plurality of ribs arranged intermediate said second plurality
of slots, and means in engagement with at least one of said first
and second closure members to bias said one of said closure members
to a first position with respect to the other of said closure members
such that said first and second plurality of slots are not in registration,
said second closure member being manually twistable against the
opposition of said biasing means to a second position at which said
first and second plurality of slots are in registration with one
another to allow material to escape therethrough, said biasing means
being effective to return said second closure member to its said
first position upon the release of manual force from said second
closure member.
2. The dispenser of claim 1 in which said second closure member
includes a first central pin extending through said first closure
member, and a second pin radially spaced from said central pin,
said biasing means including a spring disposed about said central
pin and having a free end abutting against said second pin.
3. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising means for removably
retaining said container to the open end of the racket handle.
4. The dispenser of claim 3 in which said retaining means includes
a pair of diametral tabs extending from one of said closure members
and received in a pair of grooves formed in the racket handle, said
grooves each terminating in a passageway, and means permitting the
rotation of said one of said closure members to bring said tabs
into registration with said passageways, thereby to allow said closure
members and said container to be axially removed from the racket
handle by passing said tabs through said passageways.
Description The present invention relates to dispensers of drying material
for inclusion in articles such as a tennis racket or the like.
When playing a game which utilizes a racket, such as tennis, squash,
or the like, in which the racket is gripped by the player, the hand
or hands holding the racket tend to perspire, particularly when
the game is played on warm days. The resulting wetting of the racket
hand causes the player to lose a secure grip on the racket, which
often results in a marked loss by the player in racket control and
playing effectiveness. During a halt in play, such as after the
completion of a point or the end of a set, the player may dry off
his hands by the use of a towel, or by rubbing the perspiring hand
on his clothing.
However, such hand-drying procedures can only be resorted to during
a stop of play so that during a rally, a tennis player is generally
unable to remove the racket hand from the racket for a sufficient
time to dry the hand holding the racket. Under these circumstances,
the player must continue to play even though his control of the
racket is no longer secure because of the accumulating perspiration
on the racket hand.
The need for a means provided in a racket handle to enable a player
to dry his racket hand is recognized, for example, in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 1563852 3614100 and 3645000 each of which discloses
a dispenser of drying material contained in a racket handle. However,
none of these dispenser constructions permit the player to effectively
and reliably dry the racket hand without interrupting play, or to
readily replenish the supply of drying material contained in the
dispenser after the supply of material has been depleted.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide for use in a racket,
a dispenser for drying material that permits the player to dry his
racket hand without interrupting play.
It is a further object of the invention to provide for use in a
racket, a container and dispenser of a drying material, which is
sanitary and economical in use.
To these ends, the invention provides a sealed container and dispenser
for insertion into a racket handle for containing and dispensing,
when desired to dry the player's hand, a quantity of a desiccant
material, such as rosin. The container is normally closed off by
a two-piece closure which can be opened by the application of pressure
by the palm of the user's hand to open the closure and release rosin.
Upon the release of such pressure, the closure automatically closes.
To the accomplishment of the above and to such further objects
as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a container,
substantially as defined in the appended claims and as described
in the following detailed specification, considered with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lower end of a racket handle
showing the container-dispenser of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the racket handle showing the container-dispenser
in the closed or nondispensing position;
FIG. 3 is an end view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the container-dispenser
in a material-dispensing position;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 4--4 of FIG.
1 illustrating additional features of the container-dispenser of
the invention;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 5--5 of FIG.
4;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 6--6 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 7--7 of FIG.
3; and
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken across line
8--8 of FIG. 3;
The container-dispenser of the invention is disclosed in the figures
as being inserted in the handle of a tennis racket or the like,
which is generally designated 10. The container includes a cup 12
which is inserted into a recess formed in the lower end of the racket
handle and stores a quantity of a desiccant material 14 such as
rosin or a drying powder, which is capable of effectively absorbing
perspiration when applied to the player's hand. The open end of
the container is normally closed by a two-piece closure member,
which may be operated by the player even during play to dispense
a quantity of the desiccant material from the container when the
player wishes to dry off his hand.
More specifically, the closure member includes an inner member
16 secured to and substantially co-extensive with the lower end
of the racket, which has formed therein a number of radial slots
or openings 18. The inner peripheral portion of the inner closure
member is secured to the tip of the cup 12. The closure also includes
a circular outer member 20 axially aligned with the inner closure
member 16. Outer member 20 includes a central or hub portion 22
from which a series of slots or openings 24 project radially. Hub
portion 22 has a narrow diameter pin 26 extending axially therefrom
and passing through a central opening in the inner closure member
16. A disc or washer 28 is fixed to the end of pin 26 such as by
a rivet 30.
Closure member 20 also includes a pin 32 (FIG. 4) which is radially
spaced from hub portion 22 and also extends through inner closure
member 16. A spring 34 has two turns wrapped about pin 26 and has
one end abutting against pin 32 and a second end abutting against
a pin 36 extending from the inner closure member.
The inner closure member also includes a pair of diametral tabs
38 which fit into and are free to move respectively within a pair
of arcuate grooves 40 formed in the racket handle. Grooves 40 terminate
in a pair of diametral openings 42. The outer closure member may
include, as shown, a plurality of V-shaped ribs 44 or barriers provided
between adjacent slots 24. A spring 46 (FIG. 8) is provided between
the racket handle 10 and the inner closure member 16 to retain
the latter to the end of the racket handle.
In use, the spring 34 acting on the outer closure member normally
biases the latter into the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the
outer slots 24 are not in alignment with the inner slits 18 such
that no material 14 is able to fall through the slots. When the
player wishes to dispense a quantity of the desiccant material onto
his hands to dry off perspiration that has collected during play,
he twists the outer closure member with his free hand against the
opposing force of the spring until the upper closure member is in
the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 in which the inner slots 18
and the outer slots 24 are in registration so that, as shown in
FIG. 7 a quantity of desiccant material can flow out of the container
and onto the player's hand. The ribs 44 prevent perspiration from
the player's hand from passing through the aligned slots into the
interior of the container. When the player releases the twisting
pressure on the outer closure member, the spring acting thereon
urges the outer closure member back to its rest position at which
the openings 18 and 24 are not in alignment, so that the closure
is again sealed and no material can pass out of the container.
Whenever the contents of the container are exhausted, the container
may be removed by pivoting the inner member by grasping it at serrated
portions 48 until tabs 38 are in registration with openings 42
thereby to permit the container and closure assembly to be removed
from the racket handle and a new container filled with a new supply
of desiccant material can be replaced into the racket handle. In
an alternate construction, only the two-piece closure member may
be removable and the remainder of the container retained within
the racket handle may be refilled with desiccant material after
which the closure may be replaced in position over the container.
Thus, whereas the container of the invention has been herein specifically
described with respect to a single embodiment, it will be apparent
that variations may be made therein without necessarily departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention. |