Patent Application
20240091622
This application claims priority to German utility model application, 20 2022 105 303.0 filed on Sep. 20, 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a storage bag for sports equipment, more specifically to a storage bag for sports equipment having improved functionality. This disclosure also relates to a moveable storage assembly for sports equipment, e.g. comprising a storage bag attached to a trolley.
Conventionally, sports equipment bags are at least partially soft-sided structures that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many sports bags such as tennis racket bags are shaped in a complimentary way to the equipment they are designed to hold. Other sports equipment bags offer general purpose storage spaces suitable for housing many different types of sports equipment. Bags are known to have multiple compartments, which may be opened and closed with a variety of means such as zips, trigger clips, side release buckles or self-fasteners such as hook and loop systems.
This invention seeks to provide a storage bag for sports equipment having improved functionality.
A first aspect provides a storage bag for sports equipment comprising:
The storage bag may comprise at least one main compartment opening configured to be selectively opened and closed, in use, by a user.
The main compartment may be shaped and dimensioned to store sports equipment.
The sub-compartment may be suitable for storing sports equipment.
At least one of the sub-compartment walls may comprise a net or a mesh.
The sub-compartment may be releasably coupled to an external surface of at least one of the main compartment panels. The sub-compartment may be releasably coupled to an internal surface of at least one of the main compartment panels.
The plurality of apertures may be configured to allow water to pass into and out of the sub-compartment substantially unimpeded and may be configured to prevent items of clothing from passing through the walls.
The storage bag may be adapted to be attached to a support structure such as a trolley.
The storage bag may comprise one or more support fasteners, e.g. a plurality of support fasteners, directly coupled thereto. Each of the plurality of support fasteners may be configured to releasably secure the storage bag to the support structure, such as a trolley. Each of the plurality of support fasteners may comprise straps operable to wrap around part of the trolley.
One or more of the support fasteners may include a side strap directly coupled to one of the main compartment panels. One or more of the support fasteners may be configured to wrap around a support arm of the trolley.
One or more of the support fasteners may include a back straps directly coupled to one of the main compartment panels and configured to wrap around one or more support bars of a back frame of the trolley.
One or more of the support fasteners may include a lateral strap configured to wrap around at least one side bar of a back frame of the trolley.
The sub-compartment may be releasably coupled to the main compartment by one or more securing means.
The securing means may comprise one or more hook and loop type closures each configured to wrap around one of the support fasteners.
Alternatively, the securing means may directly releasably couple to any one of the main compartment panels. The main compartment panels may include a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, a side panel, one or more side panels and a lid.
The storage bag may further comprise a plurality of additional compartments for storing sports equipment, each with a maximum internal volume no larger than the main compartment. These additional compartments may include one or more side pockets directly coupled to one or more of the main compartment panels.
The storage bag may be configured such that the sub-compartment is accessible to the user independently from the main compartment such that the sub-compartment opening may be accessible to the user without having to access the main compartment.
The storage bag may comprise a lid configured to be movable, in use, to cover and uncover an opening of the main compartment. The lid may include a compartment, e.g. an internal compartment, for housing an information display such as a whiteboard, e.g. a magnetic whiteboard, or a tablet computer. The information display may be removable from the compartment.
A second aspect provides a storage bag for sports equipment comprising a lid configured to be movable, in use, to cover and uncover an opening to a main compartment, wherein the lid comprises an compartment for housing an information display.
The information display may be a whiteboard, e.g. a magnetic whiteboard, or a tablet computer.
The information display may be removable from the compartment.
The information display may be visible when the lid is in a closed configuration covering the opening. The information display may be visible when the lid is in an open configuration, wherein the opening is uncovered.
The lid may form part of a top panel and/or a side panel of the main compartment.
The lid may further comprise at least one retaining means configured to secure, e.g. releasably secure, the information display within the compartment for housing the information display.
The retaining means may include one or more, e.g. a plurality of, elasticated holding straps. The retaining means may each be positioned to secure a corner of the information display in place.
Any suitable retaining means may be employed. For instance, the retaining means may comprise one or more magnets, a sleeve, one or more pockets and/or one or more holding straps.
The storage bag may comprise an at least partially transparent cover configurable to cover the information display, in order, for example, to protect the information display from inclement weather.
The storage bag may comprise one or more, e.g. a plurality of, support fasteners directly coupled thereto, each of the plurality of support fasteners being configured to releasably secure the storage bag to a support structure, such as a trolley.
The lid may be formed of two layers secured together by one or more cover fasteners: a back layer; and a cover. The cover may have an at least partially transparent section for viewing the information display in the compartment when at least one of the one or more cover fasteners is closed.
The cover and back layer may be permanently coupled on a common edge of their periphery.
The cover and back layer may be selectively coupled by a primary cover fastener along one or more further edges to define a lid opening.
The cover may be made of a flexible material. This may allow the cover to fold forwards towards a front panel of the main compartment when the internal compartment is open (e.g., the lid opening is open).
The lid may further comprise one or more stabilising fasteners configured to releasably secure the back layer to a support structure, such as a trolley.
A third aspect of the disclosure provides a moveable storage assembly comprising:
The trolley may have a substantially L-shaped configuration.
The trolley may comprise one or more wheels.
The storage bag may include one or more support fasteners configured to secure, e.g. releasably secure, the storage bag to the trolley.
The trolley may comprise a back frame formed of two substantially parallel side bars each connected at one end to a top bar such that the back frame is substantially U-shaped.
The trolley may further comprise a base frame directly coupled to ends of each side bar, opposite the top bar of the back frame, via joints.
The trolley may further comprise one or more support arms which extend away from the back frame, on an opposite side of the back frame to the one or more wheels.
The one or more support arms may comprise two support arms each of which being substantially U-shaped having two free ends which directly connect to one of the side bars of the back frame. Each of the two support arms may be connected to a different side bar of the back frame.
The trolley may be operable to fold from a substantially L-shaped open configuration (in use) to a substantially flat configuration for storage.
The one or more wheels may include two wheels sharing a common axis which lies out of a plane of the back frame.
The one or more wheels may be positioned such that the base frame lies flat on a horizontal ground at rest.
The skilled person will appreciate that except where mutually exclusive, any feature described herein may be applied to any aspect and/or combined with any other feature described herein within the scope of the invention as set of in the claims.
There now follows by way of example only a detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring generally to the Figures, there is shown an example of a movable storage assembly 3.
The storage bag 1 has a main compartment 100 suitable for housing sports equipment such as footballs. The main compartment 100 may take a variety of shapes. In this example, it is formed of six panels including a front panel 100a, a back panel 100b, a top panel 100c, a bottom panel 100d and two opposing side panels 100e and 100f positioned such that main compartment 100 is substantially cuboidal in shape. The main compartment 100 has at least one opening 101 which is selectively actuatable by a user. The main compartment 100 may include a lid 110 which defines the opening 101 of the main compartment 100. Where present, the lid 110 forms at least part of one of the panels. In this example, the lid 110 forms part of the top panel 100c and the front panel 100a. This may be best seen through comparison of
The lid 110 includes a lid fastener 102 configured to selectively secure the lid 110 to the surrounding perimeter of panels 100a, 100c, thereby enabling the user to open and close the opening 101. In some embodiments the lid 110 may be completely detachable from the remainder of the main compartment 100. In this example, the opening 101 and lid fastener 102 does not extend around the entirety of the lid 110 and one edge of the lid is permanently directly coupled to the front panel 100a of the main compartment 100. Other edges of the lid 110 selectively couple to the top panel 100c and/or front panel 100a.
The lid fastening means 102 has a plurality of opening states. In this example, where the lid fastening means 102 is a zip, there is a continuous spectrum of opening states from completely open to completely closed. In other embodiments, for example where the lid fastening means 102 is a press fastener, there may be a fixed number of discrete opening states. The storage bag 1 is shown in
In an at least partially open state, the lid fastening means allows the lid 110 to open forwards, towards the front panel 100a. In a partially open or fully open state a user may put sports equipment into the main compartment 100 for storage. For example, the lid 110 (and main compartment) may be configured to receive a standard sized football. For example, the main compartment 100 may be sized to hold 25 footballs.
The storage bag 1 may further comprise a plurality of additional compartments for storing sports equipment, each with smaller maximum internal volume than the main compartment 100. These additional compartments may include one or more side pockets 130 directly coupled to the main compartment 100. This is best seen in
Each of the pocket fasteners 132 may selectively secure a pocket opening 131 of a side pocket 130 to the main compartment 100 or an edge of the side pocket 130 such that the pocket opening 131 is selectively actuatable by the pocket fastener 132. Alternately, as in this example, each pocket fastener 132 may be configured to selectively reduce an internal diameter of the pocket opening 131 to which it is attached. This can be seen in
The trolley 400 may further comprise a base frame 420 directly coupled to ends of each side bar, opposite the top bar 470 of the back frame 410, via joints 412. As shown in
In use, the base frame 420 may extend on either side of the back frame 410. As such, a first end of the base frame 420 may extend away from a first side of the common plane 410′ while a second end of the base frame 410 extends away from the common plane 410′ in an opposite direction. The two wheels 401 may share a common rotation axis 425 and each be connected to the second end of the base frame 410. As can be seen in
The joints 412 may pivotally couple the base frame 420 to the back frame 410. Beneficially, this may allow the trolley 400 to fold from a substantially L-shaped open configuration (in use) to a substantially flat configuration for storage. This is shown in
The trolley 400 may additionally comprise one or more struts 426 disposed between the back frame 410 and the base frame 420 that selectively fix the trolley 400 in the L-shaped open configuration. In this example, the trolley 400 includes two struts 426 where each strut 426 is connected to the base frame 420 and a respective side bar of the back frame 410. These struts 426 may be actuated to enable the trolley 400 to fold. The struts 426 may limit the extent to which the base frame 420 can pivot with respect to the back frame 410. For example, the struts 426 may limit the range of motion of the base frame 420 such that a positive angle between the first end of the base frame 420 and the common plane 410′ is less than or equal to 90 degrees.
The trolley 400 may further comprise one or more support arms 430 which extend away from the back frame 410, on the same side of the common plane 410′ to the first end of the base frame 420. In this example, the trolley 400 comprises two support arms 430 each of which being substantially U-shaped having two free ends which directly connect to one of the side bars of the back frame 410. Each of the two support arms 430 being connected to a different side bar of the back frame 410.
The storage bag 1 may be adapted to attach to the trolley 400. In this way, the trolley 400 may provide a degree of structural support for the storage bag 1. The main compartment 100 may comprise a plurality of support fasteners 140 directly coupled thereto. Each of the plurality of support fasteners 140 may be configured to releasably secure the storage bag 1 to a support structure, such as the trolley 400. In this example, each of the plurality of support fasteners 140 are straps operable to wrap around part of the trolley 400. The plurality of support fasteners 140 may include side straps 141 directly coupled to one of the side panels 100e, 100f and configured to wrap around one of the support arms 430 of the trolley 400. As shown in
As shown in
The sub-compartment 200 is formed of one or more flexible sub-compartment walls 220a, 220b. In the example shown in
The sub-compartment 200 has at least one opening 201 selectively actuatable by the user. In the example shown in
Any or all of the walls 220a, 220b may be perforated with a plurality of apertures. Each of the plurality of apertures may be configured to allow water to pass through the walls 220a, 220b into and out of the sub-compartment 200 substantially unimpeded and configured to prevent items of clothing from passing through the walls 220a, 220b. Either or both of the walls 220a, 200b may comprise a net or a mesh. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the plurality of apertures may take any one of a number of suitable configurations such as a grid-type array of squares or rhombi, or suitable irregular conformations. In the example shown in
The sub-compartment 200 may be configured to fit into a washing machine. As such, the sub-compartment 200 may have a maximum internal volume of: less than 60 litres; less than 55 litres; less than 50 litres; or less than 40 litres. The sub-compartment 200 may have a maximum internal volume of at least 0.5 litres or at least 1 litre.
In use, the sub-compartment 200 may store sports clothing, such as worn bibs collected after a sporting activity (while the sub-compartment 200 is coupled to the main compartment 100). A user may then de-couple the sub-compartment 200 from the main compartment 100 and place the sub-compartment 200 into a conventional washing machine. The plurality of apertures that perforate the wall(s) 220a, 220b of the sub-compartment 200 may facilitate washing of the contents of the sub-compartment 200 by the washing machine while the contents is still within the sub-compartment 200 and the opening 201 is closed. This may negate the need to empty the contents of the sub-compartment 200 into the washing machine, minimising time spent sorting clothes after a wash. This may also save time associated with loading and un-loading a washing machine.
In this example, the securing means 210 and the sub fastener 202 are distinct and directly coupled to the sub-compartment 200 at different locations. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the securing means 210 and the sub fastener 202 may be the same device. Alternately, the sub fastener 202 may form part of the securing means 210.
Turning to
The lid 110 includes a lid fastener 102 configured to selectively secure the lid 110 to the surrounding perimeter of panels 100a, 100c, thereby enabling the user to open and close the opening 101. In some embodiments the lid 110 may be completely detachable from the remainder of the main compartment 100. In this example, the opening 101 and lid fastener 102 do not extend around the entirety of the lid 110 and one edge of the lid is permanently directly coupled to the front panel 100a of the main compartment 100. Other edges of the lid 110 selectively couple to the top panel 100c and/or front panel 100a.
The lid fastening means 102 has a plurality of opening states. In this example, where the lid fastening means 102 is a zip, there is a continuous spectrum of opening states from completely open to completely closed. In other embodiments, for example where the lid fastening means 102 is a press fastener, there may be a fixed number of discrete opening states. The storage bag 1 is shown in
The lid 110 includes an internal compartment 300 for housing a whiteboard 310. The lid 110 may be formed of two layers, a back layer 110b and a cover 110a. A first surface of the back layer 110b may form an interior surface of the main compartment 100. A second surface of the back layer 110b (opposite the first surface) may form an interior surface of the internal compartment 300. Similarly a first cover surface of the cover 110a may form an interior surface of the internal compartment 300 while a second cover surface of the cover 110a (opposite the first cover surface) may form an exterior surface of the storage bag 1.
When the internal compartment 300 is closed, the cover 110a may be substantially parallel to the back layer 110b. These layers 110a, 110b may be permanently coupled on a common edge of their periphery and selectively coupled by a primary cover fastener 302 along one or more further edges to define a lid opening 301. In this example, the common edge is a basal edge of the cover 110a and back layer 110b and the primary cover fastener 302 is a zip. The lid 110 may further comprise a secondary cover fastener 302′ also capable of selectively securing the cover 110a to the back layer 110b. The secondary cover fastener 302′ may be faster and/or easier to actuate than the primary cover fastener 302. In this example, the secondary cover fastener is a hook and loop closure system. Both the primary cover fastener 302 and the secondary cover fastener 302′ may be actuated by a user without accessing the main compartment 100 (i.e., independently from the lid fastener 102). The cover 110a may be made of a flexible material. This may allow the cover 110a to fold forwards towards the front panel 100a when the lid opening 301 is open (i.e., in this example, when both the primary cover fastener 302 and the secondary cover fastener 302′ are open).
The cover 110a may have an at least partially transparent section (not shown) for viewing the whiteboard 310 in the internal compartment 300 when either or both of the cover fasteners 302, 302′ are closed.
The whiteboard 310 may have illustrations depicted thereon. For example, the whiteboard 310 may have lines and shapes illustrative of pitch markings. In some embodiments, the whiteboard 310 is permanently fixed to the back layer 110b e.g., by way of an adhesive. In other embodiments such as in the example shown in
The lid 110 is configured to house the entirety of the whiteboard 310 in the internal compartment 300 when either or both of the primary and secondary cover fastening means 302, 302′ are closed. The whiteboard 310 may take any suitable shape such as a rectangle, square or circle.
As described previously in relation to
When the storage bag 1 is secured to the trolley 400 via the one or more support fasteners 140, a back panel 100b of a main compartment 100 of the storage bag 1 may be parallel and contact a back frame 410 of the trolley 400. In this configuration, a bottom panel 100d of the main compartment 100 may be parallel to and contact a first end of a base frame 420 of the trolley 400.
This disclosure is intended to be read such that any separable features or elements of the disclosed invention, in any of its various aspects, examples and embodiments, should be viewed as intended to be combinable unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Throughout this disclosure, references made to vertical height refer to heights measured up, from an imaginary flat horizontal plane on which the trolley 400 sits while the storage bag 1 is secured to the trolley 400 by way of the one or more support fasteners 140.
It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the Figures and described above are only examples of possible specific configurations and combinations of features. Many variations of these specific examples are possible within the scope of the invention as set out in the claims. For example, the main compartment 100 is shown as substantially cuboidal, however, the main compartment 100 may take any suitable shape such as any regular or irregular polyhedron or any other suitable 3D shape.
Similarly, the sub-compartment 200 is shown as a substantially rectangular pouch, however, the sub-compartment 200 may take any suitable shape such as any regular or irregular polyhedron or any other suitable 3D shape. Substantially flat shapes (wherein a depth is substantially less than either of a width or height) may also be implemented for either or both the sub-compartment 200 or the internal compartment 300.
In the above examples, support fasteners 140 are shown directly coupled to the main compartment 100 in specific positions. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that may possible configurations of support fasteners 140 are possible within the scope of the invention as set out in the claims. For example, the support fasteners 140 may be positioned at vertices of the main compartment 100 or positioned in any location on any combination of the panels of the main compartment 100.
The main compartment 100 and any side pockets 130 may be made of a partially flexible material comprising, for example, canvas or polyester. All of, or sections of, the main compartment 100 may be relatively inflexible. For example, the bottom panel 100d and/or the back panel 100b of the main compartment may be re-enforced to provide additional structural rigidity. Any or all of the main compartment panels 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e, 100f, or the side pockets 130 may comprise sections of mesh-type (breathable) materials.
Each of the fasteners such as the lid fastener 102, pocket fastener 132, sub fastener 202, primary cover fastener 302, secondary cover fastener 302′, stabilising fasteners 320 and the securing means 210 may be any of: zips, trigger clips, side release buckles, snap fasteners, or self-fasteners such as hook and loop systems.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Except where mutually exclusive, any of the features may be employed separately or in combination with any other features and the disclosure extends to all combinations and sub-combinations of one or more features disclosed herein within the scope of the invention as set out in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 2022 105 303.0 | Sep 2022 | DE | national |
