System for Confirming Hit Locations on Tennis Court Boundaries

Abstract

The present invention is an article and process for determining the site of impact of a movable object on a treated surface, where a tennis ball is treated with a striking composition, and a boundary line region is treated with a receiving composition such that when the striking composition and the receiving composition are in physical contact, a colorimetric indicator is left on the receiving composition to indicate the point of contact.

1 . A process for determining point of contact of a movable object on a surface comprising:
 (a) a striking composition having at least one polymer applied to a movable object;   (b) a receiving composition applied to a surface;   wherein said receiving composition produces a colorimetric indicia of contact at the point of impact where said movable object contacts the surface treated with said receiving composition.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said surface is a tennis court. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said movable object is a tennis ball. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said striking composition is disposed on a tennis ball. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said striking composition is applied using an organic solvent. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said striking composition is applied using an aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said striking composition is applied using an aqueous-organic cosolvent. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said striking composition is applied to at least 5 percent of said movable object. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said striking composition applied to said movable object is on individual fibers of tennis ball felt. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said receiving composition is applied to the inner and outer regions adjacent to boundary lines of a tennis court. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said receiving composition is acidic and said striking composition is basic. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said receiving composition is basic and said striking composition is acidic. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said colorimetric indicia produced by contacting said striking composition with said receiving composition is removable within 90 seconds. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein said removal substantially eliminates said colorimetric indicia. 
     
     
         15 . An article for determining the area of impact on a treated surface wherein said article comprises a striking composition having at least one polymer disposed on its surface. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 15  wherein said striking composition comprises a dye. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 16  wherein said dye is applied using an organic solvent. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 16  wherein said dye is applied using an aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 16  wherein said dye is applied using an aqueous-organic cosolvent. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 16  wherein said dye is applied to at least  5  percent of said movable object. 
     
     
         21 . The article of  claim 19  wherein said article is a ball. 
     
     
         22 . A method for determining the point of impact of a tennis ball comprising:
 (a) treating a tennis court with a receiving composition;   (b) treating a tennis ball with a striking composition having at least one polymer;   (c) contacting treated tennis balls on said treated court;   (d) creating impact impression of said treated tennis ball on said hard court treated with said receiving composition;   (e) observing the colorimetric change at the point the tennis ball, with a striking composition, contacts the hard court with a receiving composition.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said hard court is treated with said receiving composition in the area immediately outside tennis court side lines and end lines. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the point of said colorimetric change may be removed from view on said hard court in less than 90 seconds. 
     
     
         25 . A hard surface comprising a receiving composition, wherein said receiving composition produces a colormetric change at a point of contact with a movable article comprising a striking composition.