Patent Application
20060196791
The present invention relates to a pool cue case system including a pool cue case for transporting pool cue sticks that is reconfigurable as a stand for pool cue sticks, and more particularly to a pool cue case system having at least one stowable support in an optionally detachable external re-closable enclosure.
Pool cue sticks are used for shooting pool and in related billiard games. A pool cue stick having two-piece construction typically has a coupling between the pool cue shaft and the handle portion that may be connected or disconnected by hand. Two-piece cue sticks may be transported in a pool cue case when disassembled. Pool cue cases for two-piece cues are generally cylindrical tubes, of various cross-sectional shapes, that are slightly longer than the shaft and handle of a disassembled pool cue stick. A pool cue case may have an insert, such as polyurethane foam insert, that substantially fills the interior of the case except for tapered bores in the insert adapted to receive disassembled cue sticks. Commercially available pool cue cases may have a handle, carrying strap, and/or one or more zippered pouches attached to the exterior of the pool cue case with straps. Zippered pouches may be used for carrying such essentials as chalk, spare tips spare ferrules, and similar game-related supplies and paraphernalia, for example.
When a pool player transports his cue sticks in a pool cue case to a tournament, he encounters at least two problems, as recognized by the present inventors. First, once the pool cue sticks are removed from the pool cue case and assembled, there is often no place to safely and securely place the pool cue sticks while not in actual use. A player may have different cues for different purposes. For example, he may have a break cue, a jump cue, and a shooting cue. Accordingly, a shooter may need a safe and secure place for two of his cues, even while shooting with one cue. At tournaments, it is common for wall racks for pool cue sticks to be inadequate for the crowd, and pool cue sticks can end up propped up against a wall or laid on the floor. Some pool cue sticks cost thousands of dollars, and such precarious temporary storage in crowded tournament rooms risks serious damage to the pool cue stick.
Second, there is no provision for storing the pool cue cases at many tournaments. As a result, the cases are often left on chairs, countertops, floors, tables, and other inconvenient places, adding annoyance to an already crowded room. The cases need to be kept in general proximity to the players for access to the contents thereof and for security. Players may move 50 feet or more between games and so may have to retrieve their cases after each game and carry their assembled cue sticks and their cases to the next game. This is cumbersome with current technology. In tournament play, shooters often have to wait a substantial amount of time between games. During this waiting time, the shooter wants to have a way to protect the cue sticks neatly out of the way while avoiding having to keep them in hand or having the cue sticks precariously laying about the tournament room.
Some attempts to partially solve each one of these problems have been made without great commercial success. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,352 (expired) to Hoffman disclosed a container stand, which could be a pool stick case, with deployable support legs attached to the exterior of the case to support the case in a nearly upright position. The legs could be attached directly to the case or to a strap that could then be secured to the case. The legs and bracket were exposed on the outside of the case, creating a risk of damage to the legs and to other luggage. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,218 (expired), Hoffman further disclosed retaining means for holding the legs adjacent to the case when not in use supporting the case. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,332 (expired) to Ouelette disclosed a portable Pool Cue Holder with deployable legs internally stowable in the cylindrical holder. Ouelette's holder appears vertical with a tripod stand that provides a significant increase in the footprint of the device when in use. Ouelette's holder discloses a preference that the holder be small, having a preferred height of 5¼ inches and a cylinder diameter of 1⅝ inches, holding one pool cue while the pool cue is not in use.
The present inventors have identified and isolated the problems: what is lacking are apparatuses (together comprising a pool cue case system) which enable pool cues and pool cue cases to be kept both neatly out of the way (such as near a table in a waiting area) and readily at hand during tournament play. Another problem identified by the present inventors is for a pool cue case for two-piece pool cues to be used as an assembled pool cue stand with reduced risk of damage to the support legs and to adjacent luggage during transport. The present inventors also identified the need for a pool cue case that may act as a pool cue stand for a plurality of assembled pool cues, and that is big enough to be seen in a crowded room and that has a reduced foot print on the floor.
Accordingly, what is needed is a pool cue case system with supports that enable the pool cue case to be supported in a nearly upright position on a floor. A further need is that the supports are stowable for transport, if not within the case, then within a re-closable enclosure, such as a zippered pouch, removably attached to the exterior of the main case tube. A further need is that the supports can be releasably coupled to the case by being coupled to a re-closable enclosure releasably attached to the exterior of the main case tube. Another need is for supports to be coupled to an interior surface of a re-closable enclosure releasably attached to the exterior of the main case tube and for the floor-engaging ends of the supports to be deployable out of the re-closable enclosure. A further need is for the option to have the supports constantly coupled to the re-closable enclosure. A further need is for the supports to be extendable. Yet a further need is for the deployment of the legs to not increase the footprint of the pool cue case on the floor. Yet another need is for the pool cue case system to accommodate a plurality of assembled pool cues, so that an unused cue will normally be in the nearly upright pool cue case. Yet another need is for a re-closable enclosure having deployable supports. Yet another need is for the re-closable enclosure to be operable to be coupled to a pool cue case. To meet the above-mentioned needs and to solve the above-mentioned problems, applicants present what follows.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a case with a re-closable enclosure operable to be releasably coupled to the exterior of the case, a support for the case that is internally stowable within the re-closable enclosure, and a support coupling coupled to the re-closable enclosure. Another embodiment provides a pool cue case having a pool cue case reconfigurer operable to enable the pool cue case to support, in an inclined position, assembled disconnected sections of a pool cue, and a re-closable enclosure, operable to be releasably coupled externally to the pool cue case and operable to enclose at least part of the pool cue case reconfigurer in a stowed position. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a re-closable enclosure further having a support coupling coupled to at least a portion of the re-closable enclosure, a support having a proximal end operable to be coupled to the support coupling and a distal end at least partially deployable outside the re-closable enclosure, and at least one adaptation for enabling releasable coupling of the re-closable enclosure with a case to be supported. Additional embodiments provide various instantiations of design for the re-closable enclosure, supports, support coupling, and adaptations for coupling the re-closable enclosure to the case, including couplings that are part of the re-closable enclosure.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
Re-closable enclosures 110 and 114 are coupled to the pool cue case by releasable couplings 112. The releasable couplings 112, illustrated as straps, are preferably integral to the re-closable enclosures 110 and 114. In some embodiments, the releasable couplings 112 may be separable from the re-closable enclosures 110 and 114. For example, the re-closable enclosures 110 and 114 may have adaptations, such as slots, for receiving releasable couplings 112, such as straps. For the exemplary embodiment using straps for releasable couplings 112, the straps may be fastened by any means known in the art, including hook and loop fasteners, buckles, snaps, and the like. Preferably, the re-closable enclosures 110 and 114 are adjustable to various positions on the pool cue case 102. Preferably, the supports 130 are positionable, when deployed, to provide no increase in the footprint 140 of the pool cue case 102 and any attached enclosures, such as re-closable enclosures 110 and 114.
In a preferred embodiment, additional enclosures 170 for chalk, shooting bridges, and other paraphernalia are also coupled to the exterior of case 102. Likewise, in a preferred embodiment, a carrying handle 161 and a shoulder strap 160 (shown partially connected for clarity of the drawing: the disconnected end attaches near the foot 132), are also coupled to the outside of the pool cue case 102. Those skilled in the art, upon reading the teachings of this specification, will appreciate that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as market forces, user preferences, and portability, other releasable couplings 112, such as snaps, clamps, locks, etc., may suffice.
In another preferred embodiment, re-closable enclosures 110 and 114 are sized for the dual role of stowing the supports 130 and carrying the chalk, shooting bridges, and other paraphernalia. Those skilled in the art, upon reading the teachings of this specification, will appreciate that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as market forces, user preferences, and ergonomics, other shapes, sizes, and numbers of re-closable enclosures 110 and 114, adapted to a particular case shape, handle 161 position, carrying strap 160 position, and the positions and sizes of other enclosures 170 coupled to the exterior of pool cue case 102, etc., may suffice.
Supports 130 may be of any substantially rigid material and are preferably comprised of a lightweight material such as aluminum, boron-epoxy composite, titanium, plastic, and the like. Supports 130 are preferably extendable legs, each comprised of segments 124, 126, and 128, which are preferably extendable by telescoping. The segments 124, 126, and 128 are preferably sized to fit within the re-closable enclosure 110 or 114 for stowage during transport and storage. In a preferred embodiment, the supports 130 are extendable legs that are preferably spring-biased with a release mechanism that can be actuated to extend the supports 130. In another preferred embodiment, a closed re-closable enclosure 110 or 114 constrains a spring bias in the telescoping extendable leg supports 130 such that each of the supports 130 extend automatically when its respective re-closable enclosure 110 or 114 is opened. Other types of supports 130, such as folding legs (including folding tent-pole-type legs with internal elastic cord connecting the segments 124, 126, and 128), discrete connectable segments, scissor-action legs, and articulated legs with locks are preferred in various other preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art, upon reading the teachings of this specification, will appreciate that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as market forces, user preferences, and material properties, other supports, such as pedestals, tripods, and legs of various decorative or adaptive shapes, may suffice.
Each support 130 is preferably flexibly coupled to the re-closable enclosure 110 or 114. The flexible support coupling 118 is configured to enable deployment of supports 130 in a tripod configuration with the pool cue case 102 forming one tripod leg, as shown. The support coupling 118 may include spring bias toward the extended, or deployed, position or toward preferential positioning, such as by a détente in coupling base 116. Other flexible support couplings 116 between the support and the re-closable enclosure 110 are also preferred in various preferred embodiments and may include any type of support coupling 116 as known in the art. For example, the art of extendable card table supports and the art of extendable golf-bag supports provides numerous approaches to flexible support couplings for supports 130 and for deploying the supports 130 to a preferred position. The support coupling 118 is preferably coupled directly to the re-closable enclosure 110 and at least part of the support coupling 118 is preferably permanently coupled to the re-closable enclosure 110. Those skilled in the art, upon reading the teachings of this specification, will appreciate that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as market forces, user preferences, and material properties, other support couplings 118, such as two-axis couplings, universal couplings, and couplings integral with supports 130, etc., may suffice.
In yet another preferred embodiment, each support 130 is preferably flexibly coupled to the re-closable enclosure 110 or 114 and to the exterior of pool cue case 102 and covered by at least a portion of re-closable enclosure 110 or 114. While it is preferred to couple the support coupling 118 to an interior portion of the re-closable enclosure 110 or 114 adjacent the pool cue case 102, it will be appreciated that the support coupling 118 may be coupled to any portion of the re-closable enclosure 110 or 114.
Supports 130 preferably have high-friction feet 134 to reduce slippage. High-friction feet 134 maybe made of any suitable material, such as rubber, neoprene, and the like. High-friction feet 134 are preferably integral with segment 128. In another embodiment, high-friction feet 134 are preferably removable and stowable in re-closable enclosure 110 and/or 114 in an alternate preferred embodiment. Pool cue case 102 preferably has a high-friction foot 132 to reduce slippage. The high-friction foot 132 is preferably integral to pool cue case 102. In an alternate preferred embodiment, high-friction foot 132 is preferably removable and stowable in re-closable enclosure 110 or 114. Those skilled in the art, upon reading the teachings of this specification, will appreciate that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as market forces, user preferences, and material properties, other high-friction feet 134 and high-friction foot 132, such as ribbed feet, swivel-mounted feet, angled feet, etc., may suffice.
In another alternate embodiment, the bottom of the re-closable enclosure 510 preferably uses feet 534 as the closures of adaptively shaped and sized openings in the bottom portion of re-closable enclosure 510. In this alternate embodiment, the supports 530 are preferably rigidly coupled to the interior of the re-closable enclosure 510 and are preferably spring-biased telescoping legs which telescope into and out of the adaptively shaped and sized openings, or holes, such that, in the stowed position, the feet 534 close the holes. The rigid coupling is preferably angled to direct the supports 530 into a desired tripod configuration with the case 502 as one leg.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.
