Ball collection and court drying system for a tennis court or the like

A ball gathering and court drying system for use with a tennis court or the like, comprising:

• a) an air source comprising a compressor operatively connected to a cylindrical plenum disposed beneath a net installed across a width of a tennis court, said cylindrical plenum comprising a at least one nozzle disposed therealong and operatively connected thereto to receive air therefrom, said at least one nozzle having a tapered portion adjacent a discharge end thereof;
• a first group of said at least one nozzle having a discharge orifice aimed toward a first end of said tennis court, and a second group of said at least one nozzle having a discharge orifice aimed toward an opposing end of said tennis court, at least one of said at least one nozzle comprising a valve operatively connected between said orifice and said cylindrical plenum, said cylindrical plenum and said at least one nozzle being movable in a vertical plane between a stored position below an upper surface of said tennis court and a raised operational position wherein at least a portion of said at least one nozzle is above said upper surface of said tennis court;
• b) a ball receiving sub-system disposed at each end of said tennis court and each comprising a trough disposed substantially parallel to said net and sized and configured to receive tennis balls, said trough having a slope causing tennis balls to roll along said trough to a terminus disposed at a lowest elevation of said trough;
• c) a vertical conveyor disposed adjacent said terminus and adapted to receive tennis balls from the trough at said terminus and to elevate said tennis balls to a discharge chute;
• d) a discharge chute operatively connected to said vertical conveyor to receive tennis balls therefrom and to discharge said tennis balls into a container disposed adjacent said vertical conveyor;
• and
• e) a controller operatively connected to said air supply and said valves, said controller configured to selectively supply air to individual ones of said at least one nozzle.

A ball gathering and court drying system for use with a tennis court or the like, comprising:

• a) an air source comprising a compressor having an output selectively connected to both a first cylindrical plenum disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel a first edge of a tennis court, and a second cylindrical plenum disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to an opposing second edge of said tennis court for supplying pressurized air to at least one nozzle, said at least one nozzle having a tapered portion adjacent a discharge orifice thereof;
• b) at least one nozzle of said at least one nozzle being disposed along each of said first and said second cylindrical plenums and operatively connected thereto so as to receive air therefrom, each of said at least one nozzle having a discharge orifice proximate a distal end selectively aimable toward said tennis court;
• c) a valve operatively connected between said orifice and a respective one of said first and said second cylindrical plenum, said valve comprising a valve chosen from the group:
• a mechanically actuated shutter valve, an electrically actuated solenoid valve, a pneumatically actuated valve, and a hydraulically actuated valve;
• d) a controller operatively connected to said air source and said valves, said controller being adapted to perform at least one function selected from the group:
• selectively control air flow from said air source to said first cylindrical plenum and said second cylindrical plenum, and selectively supply air to individual ones of said at least one nozzle;
• e) a first ball receiving sub-system disposed along a first end of said tennis court and a second ball receiving sub-system disposed along a second, opposing end of said tennis court, each of said first and said second ball receiving sub-system comprising:
• i) a trough disposed in an upper major surface of said tennis court and substantially parallel to a respective one of said first and said second end of said tennis court, said trough being sized and configured to receive tennis balls, said trough having at least one selected from the group:
• a slope causing tennis balls to roll along said trough to a terminus disposed at a lowest elevation of said trough, and a mechanical conveyor;
• ii) a vertical conveyor disposed adjacent said terminus and adapted to receive tennis balls from the trough at said terminus and to elevate said tennis balls to a discharge chute;
• and
• iii) a discharge chute operatively connected to said vertical conveyor to receive tennis balls therefrom and to discharge said tennis balls into a container disposed adjacent said vertical conveyor.