Patent Application
20070102383
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to devices and methods used to display, transport and store sports equipment. In particular aspects, the invention relates to devices and methods for storage, display and drying of football, hockey and/or lacrosse uniforms and equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
American football, lacrosse, hockey and similar sports require the use of bulky pads and helmets that the players must wear to protect themselves during play. In the case of football, the typical uniform includes a helmet, shoulder pads, as well as a jersey and pants, and socks. The uniform may also include other components, such as gloves, shin guards, hip and thigh pads, mouthguard and the like.
Children who play these games after school and on weekends tend to remove the remove the helmet and shoulder pads upon returning home and leave them scattered or in a heap on the floor. Often the pads and other equipment are sweaty and may be wet from rain. The pads are not able to completely dry out if left on the floor in this manner. Because the athletic equipment is bulky and oddly-shaped, it is not easily stored in conventional hanging racks or storage areas. Therefore, the various pads and other components of the uniform may become misplaced after use. In homes where there are multiple children playing football, for example, the components may become mixed up with one another, so that one child ends up with, for example, the shoulder pads of another child, leading to confusion the next time the children must get ready to play football. Those uniform components that must be laundered, i.e., the jersey, pants, and socks will often become mixed up during the washing and drying cycle, requiring them to be sorted out properly before they can be used again.
A number of support racks are known in the prior art for storage and display of football equipment. However, these racks do not provide an optimal solution to the problems of storage and organization for the equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,849, issued to Martin, for example, describes a sports equipment rack having a frame formed of tubular pieces. The rack frame can be used to hold and display a helmet and associated football equipment pads. The jersey and pants must be hung on a hanger behind the rack. With many children, however, it is unlikely that they will take the trouble to actually hang the garments on a hanger and hang them from the rack. Also, in order to launder these items, they must be first removed from the hangers, necessitating more work. Additionally, this style rack does not provide any storage area for smaller washable items, such as socks, gloves and the like.
Similar equipment racks are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,711, issued to Collier; U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,887, issued to Soo; U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,783, issued to Allman; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,924, issued to Dumont. Unfortunately, these racks have at least the same drawbacks as the Martin rack. The present invention is directed to overcoming the problems of the prior art.
The present invention provides an improved device and method for the storage, drying and display of sports equipment, such as football equipment uniforms. In addition, the invention provides a means for temporarily storing the washable items associated with the individual uniform. In a preferred embodiment, the equipment rack includes a frame having a ground-contacting base portion and an upper equipment support portion for supporting a helmet, and shoulder pads. In addition, the frame includes a laundry bag support portion that is shaped and sized to receive and retain a laundry bag in a hanging relation proximate the frame. The laundry bag can be used to contain washable items related to an individual's sports uniform, including a jersey, pants, socks, gloves, and undergarments. The laundry bag preferably includes a drawstring for its opening that will allow it to be drawn to a closed configuration or removably secured to the laundry bag support portion of the frame.
The devices and methods of the present invention provide advantages over the prior art. In addition to the frame providing supporting portions for shoulder pads and a helmet, the frame also supports a removable laundry bag that may be readily removed from the frame along with the contents to be washed. The bag can then be laundered with its contents or the contents integrated into the household laundry. The equipment support rack makes it easy for mothers to manage the laundry and provides a convenient storage solution for the helmet and shoulder pads when traveling. The equipment storage rack has a simple and straightforward construction as well.
Although the storage rack of the present invention was conceived and is primarily directed to a solution for equipment storage and organization for households whose children play football, its application is not limited to this application. The storage rack may also be adapted for use in school locker rooms or professional sports venues.
For detailed understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which reference characters designate like or similar elements throughout the several figures of the drawings.
The frame 12 includes a ground-contacting base portion 14 that is formed of a five-way T-fitting 16 and four leg members 18, 20, 22, 24 that extend outwardly from the T-fitting 16. End caps 26 are placed over the distal ends of each of the leg members 18, 20, 22, 24.
The base portion 14 supports a lower central post 28 which, in turn, is connected to a first T-fitting 30. An upper central post 32 extends upwardly from the T-fitting 30 and, at its upper end, is secured to a second T-fitting 34. Horizontal shoulder pad support arms 36 extend laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the second T-fitting 34. A helmet support member 38 extends vertically upwardly from the second T-fitting 34. Additional end caps 26 are secured to the distal ends of each of the support arms 36 and support member 38. The upper central post 32, T-fitting 30, support arms 36 and helmet support member 38 collectively form an upper support portion 39 for the frame 12.
The frame 12 also includes a laundry bag support portion, generally indicated at 40. The laundry bag support portion 40 is a rectangular, generally horizontally-disposed bracket that includes pipe segments 42 and 44, which extend laterally outwardly from the T-fitting 30. The pipe segments 42, 44 are secured via elbows 46, 48 to pipe segments 50, 52, respectively. The pipe segments 50, 52 are also connected by elbows 54, 56 to a pipe segment 58 to complete the rectangular bracket of the support portion 40. The support portion 40 defines an interior rectangular opening 60 and presents an upper side 62 and a lower underside 64 (see
Those of skill in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the exemplary designs and embodiments described herein and that the invention is limited only by the claims that follow and any equivalents thereof.
This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/729,701 filed Oct. 24, 2005.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60729701 | Oct 2005 | US |
