Sporting Goods Bag with Easy-Access Ball Retrieval System

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/550,136, filed Feb. 6, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

This disclosure relates to sports equipment storage; more particularly, sporting goods bags designed for storing and accessing balls.

Description of the Related Art

The advent of specialized sports equipment has caused significant evolution in sports accessories, particularly in sports bags. Many sports bags are designed to accommodate specific sports gear and the specific needs of athletes. In particular, sports bags are tailored to provide security, good ergonomics, and easy accessibility to the sports equipment.

Traditional bags for sports like pickleball, tennis, baseball, and softball may feature standard compartment designs. These often include a main compartment for larger items and smaller pockets for accessories. However, a significant limitation of these designs is the inefficient storage and poor accessibility of medium to small sized balls such as those used in pickleball, tennis, padel, baseball, and softball. Players frequently face the inconvenience of having to unpack their bag or reach deep into compartments to retrieve or store balls, which can lead to disruptions during gameplay and practice sessions.

There is a need for a design that allows quick and simple access to balls stored within the bag. This need is particularly acute during active gameplay or training sessions, where time efficiency and ease of access can significantly enhance the player's experience. Current bag designs fail to address this need adequately, creating an opportunity for innovation.

Recognizing the limitations of existing sports bags and the growing popularity of ball sports, for example and without limitation: pickleball, padel, and tennis, there is a clear opportunity for a bag design that incorporates an easy-access mechanism for ball storage and retrieval. Such a design would significantly enhance the convenience and efficiency for players of all levels, catering to the specific demands of these sports.

The proposed invention is a response to this identified need in the sports accessory market. It offers a novel solution that combines practicality and innovation, catering to the needs of players of pickleball, padel, tennis, baseball, softball, and the like who desire quick and easy access to their balls during games and practice.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a sporting goods equipment bag, also called “the bag” herein, with a unique, user-friendly storage and retrieval mechanism. The bag enables players to quickly and easily access balls stored in the bag. The bag has one or more external access panels which cover one or more bag apertures. A bag aperture is a hole through the bag which enables a user to access the interior contents. An internal ball sleeve is attached to the interior surface of the bag. The user may insert balls into the sleeve compartment through the sleeve opening. The sleeve opening is positioned near the bag aperture such that a user may reach through the bag aperture and access the ball sleeve. Thus, a user may easily open the access panel, reach through the bag aperture, and retrieve or store a ball or balls. This design simplifies the process of storing and retrieving balls, improving the user's experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features, combinations, and embodiments will be appreciated by one having the ordinary level of skill in the art of storage bags and accessories upon a thorough review of the following details and descriptions, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a first illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the bag enclosure in accordance with a first illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a first illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a first illustrated embodiment in a closed position;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a second illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a third illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a fourth illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a fifth illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a sixth illustrated embodiment in an open position;

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in accordance with a seventh illustrated embodiment in an open position; and

FIG. 11 shows a side view of the sports equipment bag in a closed position as it would appear in accordance with the second through the seventh illustrated embodiments;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For purposes of explanation and not limitation, details and descriptions of certain preferred embodiments are hereinafter provided such that one having ordinary skill in the art may be enabled to make and use the invention. These details and descriptions are representative only of certain preferred embodiments, however, a myriad of other embodiments which will not be expressly described will be readily understood by one having skill in the art upon a thorough review of the instant disclosure. Accordingly, any reviewer of the instant disclosure should interpret the scope of the invention only by the claims, as such scope is not intended to be limited by the embodiments described and illustrated herein.

For purposes herein, reference numbers are provided in the drawings for illustrating certain features of embodiments. Where distinct figures of the drawings utilize a shared reference number, it can be appreciated that the feature corresponding to the shared reference number is the same or similar, perhaps observed from a different view, or observed with respect to a different embodiment deploying the same or similar feature.

For purposes herein, the term “coupled” means that the coupled components, articles, or systems are separable from each other.

The term “attached” means that the attached components, articles, or systems are not separable from each other.

The term “integrated” means that the integrated components, articles, or systems refer to features which together form a continuous body.

The term “joined” may be taken to mean “coupled,” “attached,” “integrated,” or some combination thereof.

Unless explicitly defined herein, terms are to be construed in accordance with the plain and ordinary meaning as would be appreciated by one having skill in the art.

General Description of Embodiments

The sporting goods bag comprises a bag with bag apertures, one or more ball sleeves, and access panels.

The Bag

The bag is compartment characterized by an exterior surface outside the bag and an interior surface within the bag. The interior surface of the bag forms the bag enclosure. The bag has one or more bag apertures which pass between a bag exterior surface and a bag interior surface. Bag apertures allow the user to reach into the bag enclosure. In some embodiments, the bag may resemble a backpack having a front side, a back side, and lateral sides. The back side may face the user when the backpack embodiment is worn. The front side of the backpack embodiment may face away from the user. The lateral sides of the backpack embodiment may face laterally to the left and right of the user. In some embodiments, bag apertures may be disposed on the left side, the right side, or on both the left side and the right side.

In some embodiments, the bag is configured with a bag coupler. In embodiments having bag couplers, the bag coupler is adapted to couple with an access panel, thereby holding the access panel in a closed position. A bag coupler may be a magnet, zipper, Velcro patch, snap, or some combination thereof. Multiple bag couplers may be configured to couple with a single access panel.

Access Panel

Each of the bag apertures may be covered by an access panel. When in the closed position the access panel largely prevents objects from passing through the bag aperture. The access panel may be characterized by an inner surface which faces generally towards the bag and an outer surface which faces generally away from the bag. In some embodiments, an access panel may be attached to the bag exterior surface along its lower edge. The access panel may fold down along the lower edge to allow user access into the bag aperture. In some embodiments, the access panel may have a handle which the user may pull on to open the access panel. The handle may be disposed on the top edge of the access panel. The handle may be a distinct component which is attached to the access panel.

In some embodiments, the access panel may be configured with panel couplers disposed on or within the access panel. A panel coupler may be a magnet, zipper, Velcro patch, snap, or some combination thereof. The panel couplers may be magnets, zippers, Velcro patches, snaps, or some combination thereof. Panel couplers are configured to couple with bag couplers to hold the access panel in the closed position. When panel couplers are coupled to bag couplers the panel is in the closed position, and the bag aperture largely prevents objects from passing through the bag aperture.

Ball Sleeve

The bag has a plurality of ball sleeves. The ball sleeves are attached to the interior surface of the bag. In some embodiments, the ball sleeve is panel shaped and attached at its edges to create a pocket against the interior surface of the bag. In preferred embodiments, the ball sleeve may be attached to the lateral sides of a backpack embodiment of the bag. A ball sleeve opening is positioned such that it is accessible to a user when a panel is in the open position. The ball sleeve opening may comprise the ball sleeve. The ball sleeve opening may comprise a segment of the ball sleeve and a segment of the interior surface of the bag.

Each bag sleeve comprises a sleeve compartment and a sleeve opening. The sleeve compartment is configured to receiving balls. In some embodiments, each sleeve compartment is configured to hold three balls, each ball having a diameter between 6 to 8 cm. In some embodiments, the sleeve compartment may be configured to hold three balls aligned in a row vertically with the sleeve opening disposed at the top of the sleeve compartment.

In some embodiments, the bag sleeve may further comprise an elastic band around the bag sleeve section of the sleeve opening. The elastic band may lengthen when balls are passed through the sleeve opening. The sleeve opening may then contract to a circumference of less than the circumference of the ball, thereby retaining the ball(s) within the sleeve compartment. A relaxed sleeve opening is the sleeve opening having an elastic band when the elastic band not being stretched. In some embodiments the relaxed sleeve opening is between 12-22 cm.

In some embodiments, the sleeve opening is attached to the bag inner surface at the same location as the lower edge of the access panel. In some embodiments, the sleeve opening is attached to the bag inner surface within 3 cm of the of the bag aperture. One purpose of the sleeve opening is to be positioned within the bag such that the user may access and retrieve balls from the sleeve through the bag aperture.

Bag/Panel Com

In preferred embodiments, the bag may have bag couplers and the panel may have panel couplers. Bag couplers are configured to couple with panel couplers. The bag couplers may be disposed on the exterior surface of the bag, between the exterior surface and interior surface of the bag, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, bag couplers may be magnets, zippers, Velcro patches, snaps, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, panel couplers may be magnets, zippers, Velcro patches, snaps, or some combination thereof.

Some coupler mechanisms have male or female versions, for example: male snaps are compatible with female snaps, and male snaps are not compatible with other male snaps. For the purposes of this application, both male and female versions of snaps are referred to generally as “snaps.” Similarly, with hook-and-loop Velcro there may be “hook” Velcro patches and “loop” Velcro patches. For the purposes of this application, both hook and loop versions of Velcro are referred to generally as “Velcro patches.” The couplers described herein and their necessary configuration (e.g. male coupling to female) to create a viable coupling will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Other coupler systems besides magnets, zippers, Velcro patches, snaps which serve similar coupling functions are not explicitly excluded from use in the sports equipment bag.

Manufacturing

In some embodiments, the bag couplers and/or panel couplers can be obtained commercially. Alternatively, the bag couplers and/or panel couplers can be customized in accordance with the level and knowledge of one having skill in the art

While various details, features, and combinations are described in the illustrated embodiments, one having skill in the art will appreciate a myriad of possible alternative combinations and arrangements of the features disclosed herein. As such, the descriptions are intended to be enabling only, and non-limiting. Instead, the spirit and scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

First Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 1-FIG. 3 show the sports equipment bag (10) in a first illustrated embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a side profile of the bag illustrating the ergonomic access panel (30) in an open position (36), exposing a bag aperture (14) which leads into the bag enclosure. A lateral side (16), a front side (17), and a back side (18) of the bag are identified. The ball sleeve (20) in this embodiment is disposed on the lateral side and it can be seen through the bag aperture. The access panel is attached to the bag exterior surface (12). The access panel is designed for ergonomic access and retrieval of balls (50).

FIG. 2 shows a front view of an open bag (10) exposing the bag interior surface (11). The bag interior surfaces form the bag enclosure (13). Two internal ball sleeve (20) are shown each containing three balls (50) in a vertical orientation. In some embodiments, there may be more than two ball sleeves. In some embodiments, there may be a single ball sleeve. The ball sleeves are configured to store balls inside the sleeve compartment (21). In this embodiment, each ball sleeve has one sleeve opening (22). In this embodiment the ball sleeve has an elastic band (23) around the sleeve opening. The ball sleeve in FIG. 2 is attached to the lateral side (16) of the bag interior surface. The sleeve opening is disposed near the bag apertures (14) such that a user may reach through the bag aperture into the sleeve opening to retrieve a ball. The inner surface of the access panels (30) is also shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a user's hand opening with the access panel (30), thereby causing the access panel to be in an open position (36). FIG. 3 also shows the access panel adapted with a handle (33) for the user to pull on. The user may grip the handle to more easily open or close the access panel. In this embodiment, the lower edge (43) of the access panel is attached to the exterior surface (12) of the bag's lateral side (16).

FIG. 4 shows the bag in a first illustrated embodiment with an access panel (30) in the closed position (37). The bag aperture (14) is largely covered by the access panel effectively preventing objects from passing through the bag aperture.

FIG. 5-FIG. 8 show a variety of embodiments showing different coupling mechanisms between the bag (10) and the access panel (30). Each coupling mechanism includes at least one bag coupler (15) disposed on the bag and one panel coupler (35) disposed on the panel. In some embodiments, the bag coupler is integrated within the bag underneath the bag exterior surface (12). In some embodiments, the panel coupler is integrated within the panel under the panel inner surface (31). The panel may have an outer surface (32) on the opposite side of the inner surface. The bag couplers may be magnets (40), zippers (41), Velcro patches (42), snaps (43), or any combination thereof. The panel couplers may be magnets, zippers, Velcro patches, snaps, or any combination thereof.

Second Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 5 shows the backpack with the access panel featuring internal magnets (40) within the material between the bag interior surface (11) and the bag exterior surface (12). It shows how these magnets function as a closure mechanism, ensuring a secure yet easily accessible panel.

Third Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 6 shows the backpack with Velcro patches (42) used as the closure mechanism for the access panel (30). It emphasizes the adaptability of the backpack design to use various types of closure systems.

Fourth Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 7 shows the backpack with snaps (43) as the closure mechanism. It illustrates an alternative method for securing the access panel (30), catering to different user preferences.

Fifth Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 8 shows the backpack with a zipper (41) for securing the access panel (30) in the closed position (37).

Sixth Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 9 shows the bag with both button snaps (43) and internal magnets (40) as the closure mechanism for the access panel (30). It demonstrates the innovative approach in combining different types of couplers to suit various needs and preferences.

Seventh Illustrated Embodiment

FIG. 10 shows the bag with magnets (40) for the bag couplers (15) and panel couplers (35).

FIG. 11 shows the bag with an access panel (30) in the closed position (37). In this embodiment, the bag coupler(s) (15), which are hidden, are coupled with the corresponding panel coupler(s) (35), which are hidden, when the access panel is in the closed position. This figure shows how the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh illustrated embodiments would appear with the bag aperture in the closed position.

FEATURE LIST

• • Bag (10)
  • Bag Interior Surface (11)
  • Bag Exterior Surface (12)
  • Bag Enclosure (13)
  • Bag Aperture (14)
  • Bag Coupler (15)
  • Lateral Side (16)
  • Front Side (17)
  • Back Side (18)
  • Ball Sleeve (20)
  • Sleeve Compartment (21)
  • Sleeve Opening (22)
  • Elastic Band (23)
  • Access Panel (30)
  • Inner Surface (31)
  • Outer Surface (32)
  • Handle (33)
  • Lower Edge (34)
  • Panel Coupler (35)
  • Open Position (36)
  • Closed Position (37)
  • Top Edge (38)
  • Magnet (40)
  • Zipper (41)
  • Velcro Patch (42)
  • Snap (43)
  • Ball (50)