SPORTS EQUIPMENT BAG
A sports equipment bag having two compartments, each compartment comprising a rear panel, a front panel, top and bottom panels, side panels, and pockets, a connector pivotally connecting the two compartments, to accommodate moving the compartments to and from each other between a transport configuration, in which the rear panels are disposed against one another and a hang-up configuration, in which the compartments extend from each other with rear panels substantially coplanar, at least two fasteners, to releasably secure the compartments in either the transport configuration or a stand-up configuration, in which the rear panels are disposed in angled relation and at an angle less than 180° to one another, at least one loop for hanging the bag in the hang-up configuration, a shoulder strap for carrying the bag in the transport configuration, wherein each of the compartments comprises a frame.
Latest CORE BRAND, INC. Patents:
This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/851,252, filed Sep. 6, 2007.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to luggage products and, more particularly, to a bag for carrying sports equipment and items of clothing.
BACKGROUNDA number of sports require players to maintain and carry substantial amounts of equipment and items of clothing. This requirement is pronounced particularly in team sports, where players often go on road trips and stay in hotels. Similar requirement is posed by resort activities, such as skiing or aquatic sports. Although a duffle bag is commonly used by players, particularly in recreational and amateur settings, it has a number or shortcomings: it is bulky, uncomfortable to carry over larger distances, and does not allow for content to remain organized for easy access. Moreover, it is not advisable to leave perspiration- and moisture-laden equipment and items of clothing in the duffle bag for any prolonged period of time, as poor ventilation will prevent drying and result in the development of odors and even mould.
A number of patents address one or more of the above issues. Thus, for example, Canadian Patent No. 2,205,607 to Fournier describes a sports bag for the transport and storage of hockey equipment, comprising a base to which side walls and end walls are hingedly connected. The bag can assume either a planar configuration, when the base, side walls and end walls are co-planar, or a closed configuration, when the walls are hinged upwardly from the base and connected to each other, in one embodiment by zippers, at adjacent edges to define an interior space. Pockets disposed on the interior surfaces of the bag are made of mesh, which, in the planar configuration, allows air to circulate and expedites evaporation of moisture frown sports equipment and clothing. With Fournier's bag, however, the content may be accessed in an organized manner—if at all—only when the bag is completely unfolded and hung up. Also, although the pockets are made of mesh, ventilation is hindered by the fact that the outer surface of the bag (i.e., in the planar configuration, the back side of the bag) is made of traditional non-porous materials.
A similar solution, proposed in Canadian Patent No. 2,231,170 to Schaeffer, provides for some degree of ventilation in the closed configuration, by providing side walls manufactured of mesh. In the flat configuration, however, the back side of the bag is still non-porous. Additionally, the means for hanging the bag require that multiple pegs on the wall are used at the same time, which may not be a feasible option in crowded change rooms.
Yet another similar solution is taught in Canadian Patent No. 2,364,871 to Albritton. In this specification, the bag also includes a back wall having a hook for hanging of the bag when in an open configuration, and a plurality of compartments on a front surface of the back wall. The compartments are partially manufactured of mesh, accommodating a view of contents and circulation of air. Interestingly, the compartments can have shelves projecting from the back wall.
An earlier Canadian Patent to Gorizzan (No. 1,299,147) addresses the problem of carrying and towing a sports bag, particularly a hockey bag, and proposes a solution in which the bag comprises a soft upper portion which enables substantial packing of the bag and a lower portion of increased rigidity, provided on its underside with rollers. Organized access to the content and drying issues are not addressed.
A number of patent documents discuss solutions for organizing and providing easy access to content of travel bags, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,342 to Pulichino et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,700 to Rice and U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,795 to Bomes et al. Thus, Pulichino et al. describe a garment carrier providing means for organizing the content both on coat hangers and in multiple pockets. The invention also teaches use of reinforcements for maintaining the shape of the bag.
In spite of the prior art solutions, there is still a need for a sports equipment bag which will provide for superior transport and ventilation solutions, as well as a more efficient way of organizing and accessing the equipment and items of clothing in contemporary settings. Locker and change rooms, particularly in amateur and recreational sports, generally provide insufficient space for players to organize and access their equipment: and items of clothing before and after engaging in sports activities. There are few pegs for hanging the clothes, and the number of players concurrently using the same change room may leave insufficient bench, wall and floor space. These and other issues are addressed by the solutions provided in the present invention.
SUMMARYForming one aspect of the invention is a sports equipment bag for use with a hockey stick. The bag comprises two compartments, a connector, at least two fasteners attached one to each side of one of the compartments, at least one loop and a shoulder strap. Each compartment consists of a rear panel, a front panel, top and bottom panels, side panels, and pockets for accommodating sports equipment and items of clothing. The connector pivotally connects said two compartments along the bottom panel of one and the top panel of the other of the compartments to accommodate moving the compartments to and from each other between a transport configuration and a hang-up configuration. In the transport configuration, the rear panels are disposed against one another. In the hang-up configuration, the compartments extend from each other with rear panels substantially coplanar. The at least two fasteners attached one to each side of one of the compartments engage corresponding fasteners on the sides of the other compartment to releasably secure the compartments in either the transport configuration or a stand-up configuration in which the rear panels are disposed in angled relation and at an angle less than 180° to one another. The at least one loop is mounted on the outside of the rear panel of at least one compartment for hanging the bag in the hang-up configuration. The shoulder strap is for carrying the bag in the transport configuration. Each of the compartments comprises a frame, the frame being sufficiently rigid to render the bag, when in the stand-up configuration and disposed with the top panel of the one compartment and the bottom compartment of the other compartment in ground engagement, stable. One of the compartments has mounted thereto a pair of wheels. One of the compartments is adapted to releasably, grippingly receive said hockey stick such that, when said compartment is in said releasable, gripping receipt of said stick and said bag is in the transport configuration, the stick protrudes from the bag to define a handle for towing the bag on the wheels.
According to another aspect of the invention, said compartments can be permanently attached to said connector.
According to another aspect of the invention, the bag comprises multiple loops mounted in multiple positions on the outside of the rear panel of at least one of said compartments, for adjusting the height at which the bag is hung up.
According to another aspect of the invention, one of said compartments can be permanently attached to said connector and the other compartment can be releasably attached to said connector, to facilitate separating said compartments.
According to another aspect of the invention, multiple loops can be mounted in multiple positions on the outside of the rear panel of each of said compartments for adjusting the height at which each of the separated compartments is hung up.
According to other aspects of the invention, at least the rear panel, front panel and pockets of the compartments can be manufactured of open texture material, to facilitate ventilation and drying of sports equipment and items of clothing carried therein and said open texture material can be mesh.
According to another aspect of the invention, the mesh can comprise at least 60% of the surface area of said front and rear panels.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the compartments can comprise a loop mounted on the inside of the top panel for receiving a coat hanger.
According to another aspect of the invention, one of the compartments can further comprise a retractable handle and said wheels and retractable handle can be provided to facilitate towing the bag in the transport configuration.
According to another aspect of the invention, said retractable handle can comprise a telescopic handle assembly featuring: an outer tubing, supported in a bottom bracket mounted on the bottom panel and in a top bracket mounted on, and extending through, the top panel of said compartment; and an inner tubing, extendably enclosed in said outer tubing, and provided with a handle.
Advantages of the invention will become apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the appended claims and upon review of the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show in detail the embodiments and applications thereof, reference will be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The sports equipment bag of the present invention, shown in
Compartment 10 comprises a rear panel 11 (not visible in
It will be understood that terms “top” and “bottom,” as used in this description and accompanying claims, are for convenience only, and refer to positions of respective elements in the drawings.
At least two fastening means 16, one on each side of the compartment 10, are provided to engage corresponding at least two fastening means 26 on the sides of compartment 20, as will be explained in greater detail below.
Compartment 10 is further provided with at least one loop, 17, for hanging the sports equipment bag from the wall, when, used in the hang-up configuration to access sports equipment and items of clothing carried therein, or to allow the content to dry.
The connector strip 30 is provided with a shoulder strap 31 and, optionally, with a carrying handle 32. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the shoulder strap 31 can be integral with the connector strip 30, or it can be permanently or releasably attached thereto.
In a further embodiment of the invention, compartment 20 differs from compartment 10 in being further provided with a retractable handle, as will be explained in greater detail below (only the top bracket of the handle assembly, 43, is shown in
In the stand-up configuration, the fastening means 16 releasably engage fastening means 26 to limit spacing apart of the bottom sides of the compartments 10 and 20. In this way, the sports equipment bag of the invention may be placed on the floor, with a relatively small footprint, while sports equipment and items of clothing carried in both compartments remain organized and readily accessible to the player. The same set of fastening means 16 and 26, or an additional set of fastening means (not shown), are used to secure the bottom sides of compartments 10 and 20 together when the bag of the present invention is in the transport configuration.
Fastening means 16 and 26 comprise strips provided with male and, respectively, female elements of a snap fastener, a hook-and-loop fastener (Velcro®), a clasp, a buckle, or other convenient releasable fastener.
Pads 52 provide for enhanced friction and help keep the bag in the stand-up configuration in place when accessing items carried therein. The pads 52 are generally made of rubber, although a person skilled in the art will recognize that the specific material, shape, position and number of pads will depend on the design as much as on the functional considerations.
In one embodiment of the invention, depicted in
In another embodiment, shown in
In the embodiment illustrated in
Similarly, in
According to an embodiment of the invention, the top panel 24 further comprises an opening 241 for receiving the top bracket of the retractable handle assembly (not shown), while the bottom panel 25 features an openings 251 for receiving wheel brackets (not shown).
In a further embodiment,
It will be understood that the specific arrangement of partitions and pockets may differ from the arrangement illustrated in
The sports equipment bag of the present invention is at least partially manufactured of a material commonly used for luggage and bags, such as natural or synthetic canvas and polyurethane- or vinyl-based synthetic leather. In one embodiment, the material is a 600 Denier polyester with polyurethane or vinyl backing. Rear panels, front panels, partitions and pockets can be, however, manufactured of an open texture material, to ensure proper ventilation and drying of equipment and items of clothing carried in the bag.
In one embodiment of the invention, the open texture material is mesh. In another embodiment, mesh comprises at least 60% of the outer surface of the bag.
In the embodiment of the present invention in which the compartments can be separated from each other, the compartment 20 will also be provided with multiple loops and a pair of handles providing a convenient grip when the compartment is being hung up.
To ensure structural integrity of the sports equipment bag of the present invention, particularly in the stand-up configuration, rear panels 11 and 21 are provided with frames 111 and 211, respectively. The frames are sufficiently rigid to prevent the compartments from collapsing when the bag is in the stand-up configuration and, as shown in
To maintain the shape of the compartment when carrying heavier or oddly-shaped equipment, the side panels, as well as the top and bottom panels, may also be reinforced. In
As shown in
At home or in a hotel room, the sports equipment bag according to the invention may be conveniently hung in a well-ventilated area, allowing the equipment and items of clothing to dry.
In the embodiment of the invention where the compartments may be separated from each other, both compartment may be independently hung up on the wall, as illustrated in
When carried (
A further embodiment is shown in
It will be apparent that various modifications of the sports equipment bag may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention should be understood as limited only by the accompanying claims, purposively construed.
Claims
1. A sports equipment bag for use with an associated hockey stick, the bag comprising:
- two compartments, each compartment comprising a rear panel, a front panel, top and bottom panels, side panels, and pockets for accommodating sports equipment and items of clothing;
- a connector pivotally connecting the two compartments along the bottom panel of one and the top panel of the other of the compartments, to accommodate moving the compartments to and from each other between a transport configuration, in which the rear panels are disposed against one another and a hang-up configuration, in which the compartments extend from each other with rear panels substantially coplanar;
- at least two fasteners attached one to each side of one of the compartments and engaging corresponding fasteners on the sides of the other compartment, to releasably secure the compartments in either the transport configuration or a stand-up configuration, in which the rear panels are disposed in angled relation and at an angle less than 180° to one another;
- at least one loop, mounted on the outside of the rear panel of at least one compartment, for hanging the bag in the hang-up configuration;
- a shoulder strap for carrying the bag in the transport configuration, wherein each of the compartments comprises a frame, the frame being sufficiently rigid to render the bag, when in the stand-up configuration and disposed with the top panel of the one compartment and the bottom compartment of the other compartment in ground engagement, stable;
- one of the compartments has mounted thereto a pair of wheels; and
- one of the compartments is adapted to releasably, grippingly receive the associated hockey stick such that, when the compartment is in the releasable, gripping receipt of the associated stick and the bag is in the transport configuration, the associated stick protrudes from the bag to define a handle for towing the bag on the wheels.
2. The sports equipment bag of claim 1, wherein the compartments are permanently attached to the connector.
3. The sports equipment bag of claim 1, comprising multiple loops mounted in multiple positions on the outside of the rear panel of at least one of the compartments, for adjusting the height at which the bag is hung up.
4. The sports equipment bag of claim 1, wherein one of the compartments is permanently attached to the connector, and the other compartment is releasably attached to the connector, to facilitate separating the compartments.
5. The sports equipment bag of claim 4, comprising multiple loops mounted in multiple positions on the outside of the rear panel of each of the compartments, for adjusting the height at which each of the separated compartments is hung up.
6. The sports equipment bag of claim 1, wherein at least the rear panel, front panel and pockets of the compartments are manufactured of open texture material, to facilitate ventilation and drying of sports equipment and items of clothing carried therein.
7. The sports equipment bag of claim 6, wherein the open texture material is mesh.
8. The sports equipment bag of claim 7, wherein the mesh comprises at least 60% of the surface area of said front and rear panels.
9. The sports equipment bag of claim 1, wherein at least one of the compartments comprises a loop, mounted on the inside of the top panel for receiving a coat hanger.
10. The sports equipment bag of claim 1, wherein one of the compartments further comprises a retractable handle, the wheels and retractable handle being provided to facilitate towing the bag in the transport configuration.
11. The sports equipment bag of claim 10, wherein the retractable handle comprises a telescopic handle assembly comprising:
- an outer tubing, supported in a bottom bracket mounted on the bottom panel and in a top bracket mounted on, and extending through, the top panel of said compartment; and,
- an inner tubing, extendably enclosed in the outer tubing, and provided with a handle.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 9, 2009
Publication Date: Apr 1, 2010
Applicant: CORE BRAND, INC. (MISSISSAUGA)
Inventor: SALVATORE MAURO (GEORGETOWN)
Application Number: 12/634,232
International Classification: A45C 5/14 (20060101); A45C 13/00 (20060101); A45C 3/00 (20060101); B65D 85/20 (20060101);