Patent Application
20170215557
This invention relates to a multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack for storing and carrying sport related equipment, and more particularly relates to a multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack having a plurality of compartments, sleeves, and hard cases that enable individual storage, back mounting, impact protection, and efficient access to eclectic types of sports equipment, and specifically baseball related sports equipment.
It is known that sport equipment bags are used for carrying, various bags for baseball, soft baseball or lacrosse bag generally available in the market. Some bags are dedicated to pack up bat, ball, gloves, and others for hat, shoes, uniforms, glasses and other personal protection gears.
Often, baseball players view one of the most unpleasant tasks associated with playing baseball or softball is transporting all necessary equipment to and from the ball field. The baseball related equipment required for playing baseball or softball includes a baseball glove, a batting glove, baseballs, athletic shoes, a water bottle, a score book, and a helmet.
Typically, a baseball or softball team will generally carry gloves and baseballs to games. A plurality of bats, gloves, balls, and garments are needed for warm-up purposes and for encountering the different stratagems during the game.
In many instances, the baseball glove and baseball is loosely carried and stored in one or more duffle bags having a single compartment which allows the baseball equipment to be commingled, become disorganized, and difficult to readily locate. During the game, the baseball glove, ball, sun visors, or cleats may be needed quickly. However, this sports equipment is often difficult to locate and sometimes misplaced.
Baseball equipment bags have become more sophisticated with time. Some bags are an elongated duffel or roll-type bag having a zippered opening and an elongated storage compartment for storing the player's equipment. This type of bag is popular because of its soft-sided feature which makes it easy to store and transport. However, the plain elongated duffel or roll-type bag with one elongated compartment fails to keep the baseball related sports equipment in any semblance of organization in the equipment bag making it difficult for the player to keep items segregated and inconvenient for the player to find things within the bag.
Other proposals have involved sports equipment storage bags. The problem with these bags is that they do not provide organized, quick access to the plurality of bats, gloves, balls, and garments are needed, and they are not able to be carried easily on the back for hands free traveling. Even though the above cited baseball equipment storage bags meet some of the needs of the market, a multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack that utilizes a variety of specifically shaped compartments, sleeves, and hard cases for storing and enabling easy access to a sport glove, a sport stick, a pair of glasses, sport garments, head protection equipment, and other baseball related equipment, while also providing adaptation of the backpack to be mounted on the back for facilitated mobility, is still desired.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for a multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack that utilizes a variety of specifically shaped compartments, sleeves, and hard cases that are shaped for particular pieces of sports equipment, and whereby the backpack is adaptable to be mounted on the back for facilitated mobility. Beneficially, such a multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack would provide segregated and secure storage and portability of baseball related equipment, such as a sport glove, a sport stick, a pair of glasses, sport garments, head protection equipment, and other baseball related equipment.
The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available containers for baseball related sport equipment. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack having a plurality of compartments, sleeves, and hard cases that enable individual storage, back mounting, impact protection, and efficient access to eclectic types of sports equipment, and specifically baseball sports equipment, which overcome many or all of the above-discussed shortcomings in the art.
The multi-compartmental sports equipment backpack, hereafter, “backpack” provides a plurality of compartments, sleeves, and hard cases positioned throughout the backpack for optimal protection and accessibility. The backpack is configured to be quickly mounted on the back for portability. The sports equipment may be accessed while the backpack is donned.
The backpack is shaped and dimensioned to functionally execute the necessary steps of storing and carrying sports equipment, and especially baseball related sports equipment. In one embodiment, the backpack is generally a container having a generally resilient configuration and configured to enable quick access to the contents therein. In one embodiment, the container comprises a front panel, a mount panel, and at least one sidewall. The front panel, the mount panel, and the at least one sidewall form a primary cavity that is configured to store the baseball related sport equipment. The cavity may be generally elongated and have sufficient volume to store numerous sport garments and balls.
The container is arranged into a top portion and a bottom portion. In one embodiment, the top portion is oriented towards a user's head while the container is mounted to the back of the user. Conversely, the bottom portion oriented towards a user's legs while the container is mounted to the back of the user. In one embodiment, the front panel and at least one sidewall includes visible logos, colors, images, and patterns.
In some embodiments, a primary cavity may form between the front panel, the mount panel, and the at least one sidewall. The primary cavity is a cavernous region that is effective for containing larger sports equipment that may not require quick access during a game, such as baseball related garments and baseballs. The primary cavity may be segregated into multiple compartments. A primary opening, generally disposed at the top portion of the container enables access to the primary cavity. A primary fastener regulates access to the primary cavity.
In some embodiments, at least one front pouch joins with the front panel. The at least one front pouch provides a secondary means for storage that is segregated from the primary cavity. The at least one front pouch may include a pouch fastener to regulate access to the contents therein. In some embodiments, the front pouch may be configured to contain a sport garment, a ball, a document, a communication device, and medicine.
In some embodiments, the top portion of the container comprises a top hard case. The top hard case is fabricated from a substantially rigid material. The top hard case may be shaped and dimensioned in the general shape of a pair of glasses. In one embodiment, the glasses are sun visors typically worn on a baseball field. The top hard case may pivotally open and close. Though in some embodiments, a top fastener may provide access to the top hard case.
In some embodiments, the bottom portion of the container comprises a bottom hard case. The bottom hard case is fabricated from a substantially rigid material. The bottom hard case may be shaped and dimensioned in the general shape of a sport glove. In one embodiment, the sport glove may include, without limitation, a baseball fielder's glove, a baseball catcher's glove, a softball glove, a cricket glove, and any glove or mitten associated with a sport. The bottom hard case may pivotally open and close. Though in some embodiments, a bottom fastener may provide access to the bottom hard case.
In some embodiments, the at least one sidewall of the container may include at least one sleeve. The at least one sleeve may be disposed along the length of the at least one sidewall, external to the backpack. The sleeve comprises a longitudinal axis, a top end, and a bottom end. The sleeve is configured to retain a sport stick. In one embodiment, the sport stick may include, without limitation, a baseball bat, a softball bat, a lacrosse stick, a cricket bat.
The top end of the sleeve may be open to enable passage of the sport stick. The bottom end of the sleeve may be closed to restrict passage of the sport stick. The diameter of the longitudinal axis may be increased or decrease to secure or release the sport stick. The sleeve is disposed, such that the sport stick may be accessed while the container is mounted on the back.
In some embodiments, a latch member may be disposed on the top portion of the container. The latch member is configured to securely retain, and easily release a head protection equipment. In one possible embodiment, the latch member is a hook. The head protection equipment may include, without limitation, a batter helmet, a cap, and general head protection gear. The latch member retains the head protection equipment in such a manner, that quick access to the head protection equipment is possible.
In some embodiments, the mount panel of the container comprises at least one mounting member. The at least one mounting member enables a user to mount the container on the back and carry the container and contents therein. In one embodiment, mounting member is attached to the back, such that the top portion of the container is oriented towards a user's head. The at least one mount member may include a pair of adjustable straps that extend from the neck to the lower back of a user. The at least one mount member is size adjustable, such that differently sized users may mount the container on their backs. Additionally, a handle may be disposed at the top portion of the container. The handle provides a surface for gripping and carrying the container.
The backpack, in one embodiment, is configured to securely store and carry a sport glove, a ball, a pair of glasses, a sport garment, and a head protection equipment.
The backpack is further configured, in one embodiment, to provide a small, lightweight carrying means for carrying sports equipment onto a field of play.
In a further embodiment, the backpack may be configured to enable quick access to sport glove, a ball, a pair of glasses, a sport garment, and a head protection equipment.
In a further embodiment, the backpack is easily mounted on the back through a pair of size adjustable straps.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
The container 102 comprises a front panel 104, a mount panel 106, and at least one sidewall 108a, 108b that form a primary cavity. The primary cavity stores sport garments and balls. A front pouch joins with the front panel 104 and provides segregated storage capacity. A top hard case 116 stores a pair of glasses. A bottom hard case 120 stores a sport glove. At least one sleeve 124a, 124b stores and enables quick access to a sport stick. A latch member 130 enables quick release latching of head protection equipment. At least one mounting member 132a, 132b enables the container 102 to be mounted on the back of a user for enhanced portability. A handle 134 provides a grip for carrying and manipulating the container 102. Suitable materials for the container 102 may include, without limitation, leather, canvas, cotton duck, polyester, cotton, a resilient polymer, an acrylic fabric, and a nonwoven material.
Turning now to
In some embodiments, the cavity may be generally elongated and have sufficient volume to store numerous types of sport garments and balls. In one embodiment, the primary cavity is sized and dimensioned to snugly contain a plurality of sport garments and a plurality of baseballs while allowing minimal space for movement. For example, the panels 104, 106 may have a length slightly longer than baseball cleats and a baseball uniform to compensate for expansion and movement of the baseball cleats and a baseball uniform.
In another embodiment, the container 102 is arranged into a top portion 112 and a bottom portion 114. The top portion 112 may be oriented towards a user's head while the container 102 is mounted to the back of the user. Conversely, the bottom portion 114 oriented towards a user's legs while the container 102 is mounted to the back of the user. In one embodiment, the front panel 104 and at least one sidewall 108a, 108b includes visible logos, colors, images, and patterns.
In some embodiments, the primary cavity forms between the front panel 104, the mount panel 106, and the at least one sidewall 108a, 108b. The primary cavity is a cavernous region that is effective for containing larger sports equipment that may not require quick access during a game, such as baseball related garments and baseballs. The primary cavity may be segregated into multiple compartments.
A primary opening, generally disposed at the top portion 112 of the container 102 enables access to the primary cavity. A primary fastener 110 at the primary opening helps regulates access to the primary cavity. Through manipulation of the primary fastener 110, the sport garments, baseball, and other baseball related equipment may be deposited and removed from the container 102 in a quick, efficient manner. The primary fastener 110 may include, without limitation, a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, an adhesive, a button, a latch, a friction-fit mechanism, and a magnet.
In one alternative embodiment, at least one front pouch (not shown) joins with the front panel 104. The at least one front pouch provides a secondary means for storage that is segregated from the primary cavity. The at least one front pouch may include a pouch fastener to regulate access to the contents therein. In some embodiments, the front pouch may be configured to contain a sport garment, a ball, a document, a communication device, and medicine.
As referenced in
In some embodiments, the bottom portion 114 of the container 102 comprises a bottom hard case 120. The bottom hard case 120 is fabricated from a substantially rigid material. The bottom hard case 120 may be shaped and dimensioned in the general shape of a sport glove. In one embodiment, the sport glove may include, without limitation, a baseball fielder's glove, a baseball catcher's glove, a softball glove, a cricket glove, and any glove or mitten associated with a sport. The bottom hard case 120 may pivotally open and close. Though in some embodiments, a bottom fastener 122 may provide access to the bottom hard case 120. The bottom fastener 122 may include, without limitation, a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, an adhesive, a button, a latch, a friction-fit mechanism, and a magnet.
In some embodiments, the at least one sidewall 108a, 108b of the container 102 may include at least one sleeve 124a, 124b. The at least one sleeve 124a, 124b may be disposed along the length of the at least one sidewall 108a, 108b, external to the container 102. The sleeve 124a, 124b comprises a longitudinal axis, a top end 126a, 126b, and a bottom end 128a, 128b. The sleeve 124a, 124b is configured to securely retain a sport stick. The sport stick may include, without limitation, a baseball bat, a softball bat, a lacrosse stick, and a cricket bat.
In some embodiments, the sleeve 124a, 124b may be fabricated from an elastic or other flexible material. This resilient material is efficacious for creating a tubular compartment to hold the sport stick. For example, the inherent elasticity of the material is sufficient to hold an object such as a baseball or softball bat in place while carrying bag.
The top end 126a, 126b of the sleeve 124a, 124b may be open to enable passage of the sport stick. The bottom end 128a, 128b of the sleeve 124a, 124b may be closed to restrict passage of the sport stick. The diameter of the longitudinal axis may be increased or decrease to secure or release the sport stick. The sleeve 124a, 124b is disposed, such that the sport stick may be accessed while the container 102 is mounted on the back.
In some embodiments, a latch member 130 may be disposed at the top portion 112 of the container 102. The latch member 130 is configured to securely retain, and easily release a head protection equipment. The latch member 130 may include, without limitation, a hook, a C-ring, a clasp, and a magnet. The head protection equipment may include, without limitation, a batter helmet, a cap, and general head protection gear. The latch member 130 retains the head protection equipment in such a manner, that quick access and removal of the head protection equipment is possible.
As
In yet another embodiment, a handle 134 may be disposed at the top portion 112 of the container 102. The handle 134 provides a surface for gripping and carrying the container 102. In one embodiment, the handle 134 is generally U-shaped and reinforced with extra material to provide enhanced structural integrity. The handle 134 is configured to enable grasping and transporting the container 102. In one possible embodiment, the handle 134 may include complementary straps on the top portion 112 of the container 102. However in other embodiments, a single strap extending from the sidewalls 108a, 108b can also be implemented, or other known handle means can be incorporated. Furthermore, the handle 134 can be removable by means of metal clips as is well known in the art.
Bats 302 are inserted vertically into sleeves or compartments disposed on the side of the backpack 300. Sunglasses 306 are housed in a rigid case affixed to the exterior surface of the backpack above a rigid compartment securing a baseball mitt.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
