ATHLETIC BAG

Abstract

An apparatus and method for supplying air to an interior of an athletic bag and/or to a piece of athletic equipment in the athletic bag (e.g., onto or into the piece of athletic equipment) is disclosed. The athletic bag includes a flow vent attached to a first wall of the bag and a hose attached (e.g., removably attachable) to the flow vent. The hose is configured to transfer air into an interior of the athletic bag and/or into or onto an interior of a piece of athletic equipment

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/322,230, entitled “ATHLETIC BAG” and filed on Apr. 13, 2016, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The disclosed embodiments are generally directed to athletic bags, and more particularly to bags that allow air to circulate into the bag.

BACKGROUND

Bags are used to store and transport athletic equipment. Known bags have various pockets to house different pieces of athletic equipment (e.g., a pocket for shoes and a pocket for clothes), and some bags have mesh outer walls to allow airflow into and out of the bag. Such bags, however, do not provide a satisfactory solution for circulating air in the bag and/or in and around the athletic equipment.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, an athletic bag includes a flow vent attached to a first wall of the bag and a hose coupled to the flow vent. The hose is arranged to transfer air to at least one of an interior of the bag, an exterior of a piece of athletic equipment and an interior of the piece of athletic equipment.

According to another embodiment, a method of directing air in and around a piece of athletic equipment is disclosed. The method includes placing a piece of athletic equipment into an interior of a bag and supplying air to at least one of into the bag, into the piece of athletic equipment or onto the piece of athletic equipment via a flow vent attached to a first wall of the bag. In some embodiments, the method includes placing a piece of athletic equipment relative to a hose connected to a flow vent and transferring air into and/or onto the piece of athletic equipment.

According to another embodiment, a flow vent for transferring air to at least one of an interior of the bag, an exterior of a piece of athletic equipment and an interior of the piece of athletic equipment is disclosed. The flow vent includes a conduit having first and second ends, the first end arranged to extend into an interior of a bag and first and second flanges attached to the second end of the conduit, the first and second flanges arranged to hold the conduit relative to a wall of the bag via a locking member.

It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and features of the present teachings can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a portion of an athletic bag with a flow vent according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the flow vent and bag portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of an opened athletic bag sitting on a floor near a forced air grate according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear view of a bottom of the athletic bag of FIG. 3, adjacent the forced air grate;

FIG. 5 is a view of an opened athletic bag according to another embodiment;

FIG. 6A is an view of a portion of an interior of an athletic bag according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the athletic bag of FIG. 6A, with hoses attached to flow vents;

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the athletic bag of FIG. 6B, with athletic equipment attached to the hoses on a first side of the bag;

FIG. 7 is a top view of an athletic bag having a manifold and attached hoses according to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an athletic bag having a manifold and attached hoses according to another embodiment

FIGS. 9A and 9B are front and side views of an athletic bag with an electric air supply device attached to one of the flow vents;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a manifold and attached hoses according to yet another embodiment; and

FIGS. 11A-11E illustrate a method of installing a flow vent in a wall of an athletic bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Athletic bags are used to store and transport athletic equipment to and from an athletic event (e.g., a game such as a hockey game). For purposes herein, athletic equipment includes any piece of equipment used to participate in (e.g., compete in) an athletic event. For example, the athletic equipment may include boots, shoes, sneakers, cleats, skates, shin guards, elbow pads, balls, hats and/or helmets, etc. Other equipment will be readily understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art. As is known, after an athletic event, the athletic equipment may be wet and/or dirty. Existing bags have pockets to separate the equipment, such as a pocket for baseball cleats and a pocket for clothing, and some bags have mesh outer walls to permit airflow into one or more pockets. Such bags, however, do not allow the equipment to sufficiently air out and/or dry and, as a result, the equipment may become malodorous. For example, the insides of the baseball cleat may remain damp and develop a pungent odor. Typically, the athlete must rush home to remove his athletic equipment from the bag for airing out and/or drying (e.g., to lay out the equipment on the floor of a laundry room). This is inconvenient. It is also time consuming, takes up a lot of space, and could lead to lost or forgotten equipment, such as if the athlete forgets to pack his cleats before his next game. It is also impracticable for road games, such as when the athlete is travelling and/or staying in a hotel, as the athlete must either leave his equipment in the bag in his car or must lay out his equipment all over his hotel room.

Applicant has recognized that by providing a bag that has targeted airflow to the interior of the bag and/or to each of the individual pieces of athletic equipment (e.g., into and/or onto the athletic equipment), various advantages may be realized. As such, embodiments disclosed herein include a bag having one or more flow vents configured to allow airflow into the bag. In some embodiments, hoses may be attached to one or more of the flow vents to transmit air directly into or onto one or more pieces of athletic equipment. As will be appreciated, air may pass into the bag via the flow vent even if a hose is not first connected thereto. In some embodiment, athletic equipment may be placed relative to the hoses so that air may be transmitted directly into or onto the one or more pieces of equipment. For purposes herein, being placed relative to the hoses may mean that the equipment is placed directly onto the hose or is placed near or adjacent to the hose.

In some embodiments, each flow vent is connected to a single hose. In other embodiments, the flow vent is connected to one or more hoses, such as via a manifold. In some embodiments, a forced air supply from a grate may be used to provide air to the bag. In another embodiment, an air supply device may be connected to the one or more flow vents to blow air into the bag. In some embodiments, the air supply device is an electric dryer that may provide warm or hot air into the bag. In other embodiments, warm or hot air may be supplied to the bag via heat that is produced from the engine mount of a car (e.g., after the engine has been turned off). In other embodiments, a blower may be employed to blow room temperature air into or onto the equipment. In other embodiments, ambient air may be used to dry the equipment. As will be appreciated, in such embodiments, the flow vents may allow a continuous flow of dry air to circulate into or onto a piece of athletic equipment.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1, shows a side view of a portion of an athletic bag 100 having a flow vent 102, with a piece of athletic equipment attached thereto. In some embodiments, the flow vent is attached (e.g., removably attached) to the bag, although the flow vent also may be formed integral with the bag. As is shown, the flow vent 102 includes a conduit 104 that is attachable to a hose 106. The hose 106 transfers air (see the arrow labeled A) into the bag and, in some embodiments, into or onto the piece of athletic equipment, such as a shoe 108. As will be appreciated, although a hose is shown attached to the vent in this view, the piece of athletic equipment may be placed relative to the vent.

As shown in this view, in some embodiments, the hose 106 may be removably attachable to conduit 104. For example, the hose 106 may be snapped or threaded onto the conduit. The hose 106 also may be removably attached to the conduit 104 via another suitable attachment mechanism, such as via a clip or snap. The hose also may be permanently attached to the conduit, such as via, glue or screws, or may be integrally formed with the conduit and to the vent.

As will be appreciated, the hose 106 may be rigid or it may be flexible and bend. In some embodiments, the hose may be a telescoping pole. In other embodiments, the hose may exhibit an accordion-like behavior whereby the hose can be extended and compressed. For example, in one embodiment, the hose may compress to about 4 inches in length and also be extended to about 22 inches in length, although other suitable lengths may be used. In such an embodiment, the hose may be extended to any portion of the interior of the bag. As will be appreciated, each hose attached to a conduit in need not have the same length or be the same type of hose. For example, a first hose may be a rigid hose that is about 4 inches in length, while a second hose may be a flexible hose that may expand to about 22 inches in length.

As will be further appreciated, the shape and size of at least a portion of the conduit, such as the distal end 119 of the conduit (see FIG. 2), correspond to a shape and size of at least a portion of the hose, such as the proximal end of the hose. For example, if a proximal end of the hose is cylindrical in shape, the conduit also may be cylindrical in shape such that the proximal end of the hose may be attached to the conduit. The conduit and hose also may have other suitable shapes in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, the flow vent 102 is attached to the wall of the bag, such as via one or more flanges and a locking member, such as a lock nut. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, an exploded side view of the portion of the bag of FIG. 1, the flow vent 102 may be attached to a wall 110 of the bag 100 via a first flange 112 (attached to the conduit 104), and a combination washer and nut 114. In this example, a portion of the wall of the bag is sandwiched between the first and second flanges and held in place via the lock nut.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a portion of the exterior surface of the conduit 104 includes a threaded portion 116, adjacent the wall 110 of the bag 100. As also shown in this view, the threaded portion 116 is also located near the first flange 112. The threaded portion 116 engages with the threaded portion 117 on an interior surface of the washer/nut 114 to secure the vent 102 to wall 110 of the bag. As will be appreciated, the washer/nut 114 is slipped onto the distal end 119 of the conduit 104 (see the arrow labeled B) and rotated to secure the vent 102 to the wall 110 of the bag. As shown in FIG. 1, a distal end 119 of the conduit passes through the washer/nut 114 and, once attached, a portion of the conduit 104 extends therefrom toward the interior of the bag. In some embodiments, the conduit 104 does not extend beyond the washer/nut 114, once the washer/nut 114 is attached to the conduit 104.

Although the vent is shown as being attached to the bag via flanges and a lock nut, it will be appreciated that the vent(s) may be attached in other suitable methods. For example, the vents may be formed integrally with the bag. They also may be threaded or stapled onto the bag. As will be appreciated, the vents may be permanently attached to the or may be removably attached to the bag.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a bag 100 having two flow vents 102a, 102b located in a bottom wall 110c of the bag 100. As will be appreciated, the vents may be located in any wall of the bag. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the vents may be located in a rear wall. Vents also may be located on more than one wall (e.g., on both the bottom and rear walls of the bag).

Turning back to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, when the bag 100 is placed on a floor 118, the bag may be positioned so that the vents 102a, 102b are adjacent to or on top of a grate 120 that supplies forced air (see arrows labeled FA) into a room. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged bottom view of the bag of FIG. 3, with the air vents 102a, 102b positioned adjacent to the grate 120. In such an embodiment, the forced air may travel through the vents, into the bag and, in some embodiments, into or onto the athletic equipment.

FIG. 5 shows a bag 100 having six flow vents 102a-102f located in a rear wall 110a of the bag 100. As will be appreciated, although the vents are all located in a lower power of the rear wall 110a of the bag 100, the vents maybe located in any suitable location on the wall (e.g., on the top of the bag and/or on both the top and bottom of the bag). Also, although the vents are shown aligned in columns and rows in this figure, the vents may have any suitable arrangement for supplying air into the interior 124 of the bag 100. For example, the vents may be positioned in a circle in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the vents may be positioned in one or more corners of the rear wall of the bag.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6A, the bag 100 may have eight flow vents 102a-102h, again located in the rear wall 110a of the bag 100. FIG. 6B illustrates the bag of FIG. 6A with four hoses 106a, 106c, 106e, 106g attached to the corresponding flow vents 102a, 102c, 102e, 102g (e.g., via the conduits). As illustrated in this view, a hose need not be connected to each of the flow vents, although, in some embodiments, a hose may be connected to each vent. In this example, the hoses are rigid. In other examples, the hoses may be flexible. The hoses also may be extendable.

FIG. 6C shows the bag of FIG. 6B, with the hoses inserted into various pieces of athletic equipment (e.g., a hockey skate 108 and knee pad 122). As will be appreciated, although the athletic equipment is shown attached to vents on only a first side of the interior of the bag (e.g., a left side of the bag), it should be appreciated that the athletic equipment can be placed on any of the hoses in the bag (e.g., on both the right and left sides of the bag). In some embodiments, the athletic equipment may be placed in the bag without first being inserted onto one of the hoses. In such an embodiment, the hoses may be used to direct air into the bag and, in some embodiments around the equipment, but not directly into the athletic equipment.

As shown and described with respect to FIGS. 1-6, in some embodiments, a single hose is connected to each vent (e.g., via the conduit). In such embodiments, each vent provides a supply of air to a single outlet, such as each hose, and into the interior of the bag and/or into or onto a piece of athletic equipment. In other embodiments, each vent may be connected to two or more hoses to provide a supply of air to multiple outlets (e.g., via multiple hoses connected to the vent). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the vent may be connected to a manifold that transfers air from the vent to one or more hoses connected to the manifold (e.g., into to the interior of the bag and/or into or onto a piece of athletic equipment).

As shown in FIG. 7, a top view of the bag 100, in some embodiments, a manifold 126 may be connected to one or more vents 102a, 102b. In some embodiments, each vent 102a, 102b acts as an inlet vent for supplying air (e.g., warm air) to the one or more hoses 106a-c. In other embodiments, one of the vents 102a, 102b may serve as an inlet vent supplying air to the one or more hoses 106a-c while the other vent 102b, 102a may serve as an exhaust vent through which air may exit the manifold. As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, three hoses 106a-106c may be connected to the manifold for transferring air to the interior of the bag and/or to one or more pieces of athletic equipment (e.g., into or onto the athletic equipment). As will be appreciated, although three hoses are shown connected to the manifold, one or more hoses may be connected to the manifold in other embodiments.

Although the manifold and vents are shown laterally extending in the bag 100 of FIG. 7 (e.g., between a first vent 102a located on a left side 115a of the wall 110a of the bag 100 and a second vent 102b located on a right side 115b of the wall 110a), in other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, a side view of the bag 100, the manifold may extend longitudinally along a wall of the bag (e.g., the rear wall 110a of the bag). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a first vent 102a may be located at a top of the wall 121a and a second 102b vent may be located at a bottom 121b of the wall, with the manifold 126 extending therebetween. In some embodiments, both vents 102a, 102b are inlet vents that supply air to the hoses 106a-106i, although one of the vents also may be an outlet or exhaust vent that allows air to circulate through the manifold. In the view shown in FIG. 8, the manifold is connected to nine hoses 106a-106i that transmit air into the interior of the bag or into and/or onto one or more pieces of athletic equipment. As will be appreciated, more or fewer hoses also may be attached to the manifold 126.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the manifold 126 may extend into the interior 124 of the bag, such as in the form of a rigid structure like a pipe. Such a pipe may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic (e.g., PVC) and or metal (e.g., aluminum). The manifold also may be positioned within one or more walls in the bag such that the manifold is not visible to the user. In such embodiments, as will be appreciated, the vents and/or hoses may still extend into the interior 124 of the bag 100. In other embodiments, the manifold may include a flexible bladder that may be positioned within the bag or within a wall of the bag (e.g., sewn in between an outer wall and an inner wall of the bag) for supplying air to the one or more hoses.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate an embodiment in which two vents 102a, 102b are connected to a manifold 126 at the top of the rear wall 110a of the bag 100. In this embodiment, the manifold 126 is connected to three hoses 106a, 106b, 106c that supply air to the interior of the bag. As also shown in this view, in some embodiments, an air supply device 128, such as an electric air blower or dryer, may be attached to (e.g., snapped or threaded into) one or more of the vents 102a, 102b. For example, the air supply device may be snapped or threaded into an opening of the vent located on the outside of the bag 100. As will be appreciated, the air supplying device may be attached to the bag in other suitable manners. The air supply device also may be located inside the bag.

In some embodiments the air supply device 128 may be removably attached to the bag, while in other embodiments the air supply device may be permanently attached to the bag. The air supply device 128 may supply air to the interior of the bag and/or into or onto the athletic equipment. In some embodiments the air supply device 128 may supply warm or hot air to the interior of the bag (e.g., via the second vent 102b). For example, the bag may include blower positioned in the bag to force air through the vents and hoses.

In some embodiments, the electric air supply device 128 may be powered by plugging the air supply device into an electric wall outlet (e.g., via plug 130). The air supply device 128 also may be powered by a battery. In such embodiments, the battery may be rechargeable. In some embodiments, the first vent 102a may be arranged to also transfer air into the interior of the bag, although the first vent also may be arranged to be an exhaust to allow air to circulate through the manifold. In some embodiments, the air supply device also may include an exhaust.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a manifold 126 that may be attached to a bag via first and second vents 102a, 102b. As with other embodiments, the manifold 126 may be attached to a back wall, a bottom wall and/or another suitable wall of the bag. In some embodiments, the manifold may be formed integral with the bag. For example, the manifold may be formed between an outer wall and inner wall of the bag. In such an example, the manifold may be permanently attached to the bag (not shown) via the first and second vents 102a, 102b. In other embodiments, the manifold may be removably attached to the bag.

As shown in FIG. 10, in some embodiments, the manifold 126 may be formed integral with the flow vents 102a, 102b. In such an embodiment, a flange 112 may be used to attach the manifold 126 to the bag (not shown) via the flow vents 102a, 102b. As will be appreciated, the manifold and flow vents also may be separate pieces that are attached to one another (e.g., via a press fit, snap fit, threaded or other suitable engagement). In some embodiments, the manifold includes one or more manifold sections 126a, 126b that are attached to one another. In such embodiments, the manifold sections 126a, 126b may be attached to one another via any suitable method (e.g., via a press fit, snap fit, and/or threaded engagement).

As also shown in FIG. 10, six hoses 106a-f may be attached to the manifold 126 for transferring air (e.g., warm or hot air) into the bag and/or into or onto one or more pieces of athletic equipment. In such embodiments, the hoses 106a-f may be permanently attached to the manifold 126, although the hoses also may be removably attached thereto. As will be appreciated, more or fewer hoses may be attached to the manifold in other embodiments. For example, although the manifold 126 is shown as receiving six hoses in this view, 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 15 or more hoses may be attached thereto. As with other embodiments, the hoses may be rigid and/or flexible. One or more hoses also may be expandable in length. In some embodiments, as is shown in this view, each of the hoses may be the same size or type (e.g., flexible and about 10 inches in length), although all the hoses need not be the same size or type. For example, one of the hoses may instead be a short, rigid hose.

As with other embodiments, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, an air supply device such as an air supply device 128, may be attached to one of the vents (e.g., vent 102b) to supply air, such as hot or warm air, into the bag and/or into or onto one or more pieces of athletic equipment. As will be appreciated, the air may travel through the manifold 126 and one or more hoses 106a-f into the interior of the bag and/or into or onto the athletic equipment. Although only one air supply device is shown attached to the vents in these views, it will be appreciated that more than one air supply device may be attached to the bag in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, one vent (e.g., 102b) may be arranged as a supply vent while the other vent (e.g., 102a) is arranged as an exhaust vent. In such embodiments, the exhaust vent may allow air to exit the manifold and create air circulation. In some embodiments, the manifold 126 may include a stopper 134, which may be inserted into the exhaust vent (e.g., vent 102a) to stop air from flowing out of the manifold. In some embodiments, the stopper may be removably attached to the vent 102 (e.g., via a press fit, snap fit and/or threaded engagement). For example, the stopper may be attached to the vent while the air supply device 128 is turned on and supplying air to the bag, and thereafter removed. As will be appreciated, in embodiments in which both vents 102a, 102b are configured as supply vents, one or more stoppers 134 may be inserted into the vents to partially or fully stop air flow it the bag and/or into or onto the piece of athletic equipment.

According to another aspect a method of supplying air to an interior of a bag and/or to a piece of athletic equipment (e.g., onto or into the athletic equipment) is disclosed. The method includes placing at least one piece of athletic equipment into the bag. In some embodiments, the method includes placing the piece of athletic equipment relative to a hose in the interior of the bag. For purposes herein, being placed relative to the hose may mean that the piece of athletic equipment is placed directly on the hose (e.g., is slid onto the hose) such that air may flow into the piece of athletic equipment. The piece of athletic equipment also may be placed near or adjacent to the hose such that air may flow around and/or into the piece of athletic equipment. The method further includes closing the bag and supplying air into the interior of the bag and/or into or around a piece of athletic equipment. In some embodiments, supplying air to the bag may mean allowing ambient air to circulate into and out of the bag. In other embodiments, supplying air to the bag may mean that the bag is positioned such that one or more air vents are adjacent a grate that may supply warm air to the bag, Supplying air to the bag also may mean that an air supply device (e.g., an electric dryer) is connected to a vent to supply warm or hot air to the bag. As will be appreciated, other suitable methods may be employed to supply air to the bag.

According to another aspect, a method of installing a flow vent into a bag is disclosed. Such a method may include forming one or opening in a wall of a bag and attaching the vent to the bag, as illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11C. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11A, the method includes forming one or more openings 132 in a first wall of the bag. The openings may be formed in a rear wall 110a of the bag, as is shown, or in another suitable wall of the bag. Openings also may be formed on two or more walls of the bag (e.g., on the bottom wall of the bag and on the left side wall of the bag). As will be appreciated, the openings may be formed via a tap, although the openings may be formed via other suitable methods (e.g., via a pair of scissors).

Next, the vent is inserted into the opening so that at least a portion of the conduit is visible in the interior of the bag. As described a hose may be inserted into the conduit for directing air into the bag. As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the vent (e.g., conduit) may be inserted into the opening via the outside of the bag. In such an embodiment, a combination washer/nut 114 may be threaded onto an distal portion 119 of the conduit such that a portion of the wall of the bag is held between the combination washer/nut 114 and a flange 112 positioned on the outside of the bag 100. As will be appreciated, although the flange 112 is shown integrally formed with the conduit in this embodiment, the flange and conduit may be a separate piece in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the conduit may be inserted into the opening via the inside of the bag until a proximal portion 135 of the conduit is visible from the exterior of the bag. In such embodiments, prior to inserting the conduit into the opening, a flange 134 (e.g., a first washer) may be placed on the conduit (e.g., via the proximal portion), such that the flange is positioned between an interior portion 136 of the conduit and the interior surface of the wall. As will be appreciated, although the flange 134 and conduit 102 are shown as separate pieces in this view, the flange also may be formed integrally with the interior portion of the conduit. FIG. 11C shows a proximal portion 135 of the conduit visible through the opening of the bag after the vent has been inserted through an opening in the wall from the interior of the bag. As shown in this view, at least a portion of the exterior surface of the proximal portion 135 of the conduit 104 may be threaded in some embodiments.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11D, a second flange 138 (e.g., a second washer) may be placed on the proximal portion 135 of the conduit 104 and positioned adjacent an exterior surface of the wall of the bag. Finally, as shown in FIG. 11E, a lock nut 140 may be threaded onto the proximal portion 135 of the conduit to secure the flow vent to the bag place. In such embodiments, the wall of the bag may be held in between the first and second flanges. In some embodiments, the second flange may be formed integrally with the lock nut, as with other embodiments.

In the above embodiments, the first and second flanges may be attached to the proximal end of the conduit. For purposes herein, attachment to the proximal end may mean attachment at the proximal end of the conduit. Such attachment also may mean attachment at a proximal portion of the conduit. For purposes herein, attachment at the proximal portion may include attachment in the last 10% of a length of the conduit closest to the proximal end. Attachment at the proximal portion also may include attachment in the last 25% of the length of the conduit closest to the proximal end.

As will be appreciated, the flow vent may be attached to the bag via other suitable methods. For example, the flow vents may be formed integrally with the bag. In another example, the flange (whether integrally formed or separate from the vent) may be sewn in between an inner and outer layer of the wall of the bag). As will be further appreciated, the conduits, hoses flanges, and lock nuts may be made of any suitable. For example, all of the pieces may be made of a plastic material (e.g., PVC). In other embodiments, the hoses and conduits may be made of a plastic material while the flanges and lock nuts are made of a metallic material (e.g., aluminum).

As will be appreciated, the flow vent may be permanently attached to the bag or may be removably attachable. In some embodiments, the flow vent may be attached to the bag via the manufacturer of the bag (e.g., integrally formed with the bag). In other embodiments, the flow vents are included in a kit that may be used to transform an existing athletic bag to the athletic bag as shown an described, allowing direct air flow into the interior of the bag and/or into the pieces of athletic equipment. Such a kit also may include one or more hoses for transferring air into and/or onto a piece of athletic equipment, a manifold, and/or an air supply device. Such a kit also may include tools necessary for creating openings in one or more walls of the bag, into which the flow vents are inserted.

While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

Claims

1. An athletic bag comprising:

a flow vent attached to a first wall of the bag;

a hose coupled to the flow vent;

wherein the hose is arranged to transfer air to at least one of an interior of the bag, an exterior of a piece of athletic equipment and an interior of the piece of athletic equipment.

2. The athletic bag of claim 1, further comprising:

a second flow vent attached to the first wall,

a second hose coupled to the second flow vent.

3. The athletic bag of claim 1, wherein the flow vent is removably attachable to the first wall.

4. The athletic bag of claim 1, wherein the first wall comprises a first opening, the flow vent being connected to the first opening.

5. The athletic bag of claim 1, wherein the flow vent comprises a conduit, the first hose being coupled to the conduit.

6. The athletic bag of claim 1, wherein the hose is removably attachable to the flow vent.

7. The athletic bag of claim 1, wherein the first hose is expandable.

8. The athletic bag of claim 1, further comprising a manifold arranged to couple the hose to the flow vent.

9. The athletic bag of claim 8, further comprising a second hose coupled to the flow vent via the manifold.

10. The athletic bag of claim 1, wherein the hose is coupled to the flow vent in the interior of the bag.

11. A method of directing air in and around a piece of athletic equipment, the method comprising:

placing a piece of athletic equipment into an interior of a bag;

supplying air to at least one of into the bag, into the piece of athletic equipment or onto the piece of athletic equipment via a flow vent attached to a first wall of the bag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein placing a piece of athletic equipment into an interior of a bag comprises placing the piece of athletic equipment relative to a hose connected to the flow vent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein placing the piece of athletic equipment relative to the hose connected to the flow vent comprises sliding the piece of athletic equipment onto the hose.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein placing the piece of athletic equipment comprises placing the piece of athletic equipment relative to the hose connected to the flow vent in the interior of the bag.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein supplying air comprises transferring air via the hose to at least one of an interior of the bag, an exterior of the piece of athletic equipment, and an interior of the piece of athletic equipment.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising attaching an air supply device to the flow vent for supplying air to the piece of athletic equipment.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising placing a second piece of athletic equipment into the interior of the bag and supplying air to the second piece of athletic equipment via the flow vent.

18. A flow vent for transferring air to at least one of an interior of the bag, an exterior of a piece of athletic equipment and an interior of the piece of athletic equipment, the flow vent comprising:

a conduit having first and second ends, the first end arranged to extend into an interior of a bag;

first and second flanges attached to the second end of the conduit, the first and second flanges arranged to hold the conduit relative to a wall of the bag via a locking member.

19. The flow vent of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second flanges include washers and wherein the locking member includes a lock nut.

20. The flow vent of claim 18, wherein the first end of the conduit is arranged to receive a hose for transferring air into at least one of the interior of the bag, the exterior of the piece of athletic equipment, and the interior of the piece of athletic equipment.

21. The flow vent of claim 18, wherein the first flange is permanently attached to the second end of the conduit.

22. The flow vent of claim 21, wherein the second flange is removably attached to the second end of the conduit.

23. The flow vent of claim 20, wherein the hose is arranged to extend into an interior of the bag.