Sports Accessory Belt

Abstract

A sports accessory belt having a belt strip having an attachment mechanism and a base strip, and a hem, wherein an interior surface of the attachment mechanism is connected to an exterior surface of the base strip.

Description

BACKGROUND

Golf is an extremely popular sport in the United States and in other countries throughout the world. A golfer uses a golf club to strike a golf ball in order to move the golf ball toward a hole. A golfer often utilizes a golf glove to protect the hand from injury and allow the golfer to secure a tight grip on the golf club. The golfer will often remove the golf glove for comfort while in transition to the next shot or while putting. Golfers must transport their golf equipment around the golf course as they play the game. Typically the golfer places golf clubs in a golf bag, however, typically smaller items, such as a golf glove, are not placed in a golf bag so the golfer can easily access the golf glove without spending needless time accessing the golf bag in search for the golf glove. Golfers often place their golf glove in the pocket of their pants. This, too, is undesirable as the golf glove will often fall out or interfere with the golfer's ability to play golf.

There is thus a need to provide golfers with a device that will allow a golf glove to be secured to the golfer's body in a manner that reduces the likelihood of the glove from easily being detached from the device as a result of the glove snagging or catching on an object, such as a tree branch, or the golfer's club or hands while swinging a golf club.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure pertains to a sports accessory belt having a belt strip having an attachment mechanism and a base strip, and a hem, wherein an interior surface of the attachment mechanism is connected to an exterior surface of the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the attachment mechanism is a continuous piece of material extending substantially the full length of the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the attachment mechanism is a hook or loop mechanism.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem is continuously integrated with the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem extends from the base strip, wraps around a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism, and attaches to the attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the interior surface of the hem touches the exterior surface of the attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem wraps around a perimeter edge of the belt strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein a first portion of an the interior surface of the hem touches an exterior surface of the attachment mechanism and a second portion of an interior surface of the hem touches an exterior surface of the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein a portion of the attachment mechanism is positioned between the base strip and the hem.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt having a cavity. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the cavity extends substantially the entire length of the belt strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the cavity is configured to receive the complete thickness of the flap of the glove, so that the top surface of the glove flap is at an even level or recessed below the exterior surface of the hem. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt having a second hem, wherein the cavity is defined by the first hem, the second hem, and the attachment mechanism.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein having a securing mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein securing mechanism passes through the base strip and the attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the securing mechanism passes through the hem. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem comprises a first hem portion and a second hem portion and wherein the securing mechanism passes through the first hem portion and the second hem portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a sport accessory belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present disclosure pertains to sports accessory belt 10 configured to attach sports accessories 12, for example, without limitation, a sports glove such as a golf glove, baseball batting glove, or the like, to the belt 10. The belt 10 is configured to be disposed around the waist of an athlete where the interior surface 11 of the belt 10 touches the athlete. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the belt 10 can have a belt strip 20 having a base strip 30 and an attachment mechanism 40.

The attachment mechanism 40 is configured to secure a sports accessory 12 to the belt strip 20. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the interior surface 42 of the attachment mechanism 40 can be connected to and/or touch the exterior surface 32 of the base strip 30. In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism 40 can be a continuous piece of material extending substantially the full length of the base strip 30. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5-6, the belt strip 20 can have more than one attachment mechanism 40 of desired lengths and positioned at desired locations on the base strip 30. The multiple attachment mechanisms 40 can be disposed apart from one another at predetermined intervals on the base strip 30.

The attachment mechanism 40 can be any means for releasably attaching a sports accessory 12 to the belt strip 20, for example, without limitation, the attachment mechanism 40 can be a hook and loop mechanism. In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism 40 can be a hook or loop mechanism, for example, without limitation, the attachment mechanism 40 can be the hook member or the loop member of a hook and loop mechanism. Most sports gloves 12 close using a hook and loop material having two closing flaps, a hook flap (not shown) and a loop flap 14, where the hook flap has hook material and the loop flap 14 has loop material. Thus, where the attachment mechanism 40 has hook material, the sports glove 12 can attach to the belt by securing the loop flap 14 to the attachment mechanism 40, and where the attachment mechanism 40 has loop material, the sports glove 12 can attach to the belt 10 by securing the hook flap to the attachment mechanism 40.

The base strip 30 can have an interior surface 34 and an exterior surface 32. The base strip 30 can be made of any suitable material for a belt strip 20, for example, leather, fabric, plastic, synthetic material, composite material, or the like.

In one embodiment, the belt 10 can have at least one hem 50 configured to secure the attachment mechanism 40 to the base strip 30. The hem 50 can have an exterior surface 52 and an interior surface. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the hem 50 is a continuous piece integrated with the base strip 30. In one embodiment, the hem 50 can be created by folding a portion of the base strip 30 around a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism 40 so the interior surface of the hem 50 touches the exterior surface 44 of the attachment mechanism 40 and/or the interior surface 32 of the base strip 30. In one embodiment, a portion of the attachment mechanism 40 is positioned between the base strip 30 and the hem portion 50 of the base strip 30. Upon the attachment mechanism 40 being secured to the base strip 30 by the securing mechanism 60, the attachment mechanism 40 is pinched between the base strip 30 and the hem 50. This, and other similar engagements described herein, allow for the attachment mechanism 40 to be more firmly secured to the base strip 30 thereby allowing for a resilient engagement more impervious against the forces pulling the attachment mechanism 40 away from the base strip 30 as a result of the repeated disengagement of the sports glove 12 from the attachment mechanism 40. This is because the hem 50 receives some of the detachment force thereby preventing the securing mechanism 60 from receiving all of the detachment force. The hem 50 can extend a portion of a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism 40, substantially the entire length of a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism 40, or the entire perimeter of the attachment mechanism 40. In one embodiment, the belt strip 20 can have two hems 50, where a first hem 50a is positioned along a first longitudinal perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism 40 and a second hem 50b is positioned along a second longitudinal perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism 40.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the hem 50 can be an additional piece of material, separate from the base strip 30, where the hem 50 piece is folded around a perimeter edge of the belt strip 20. In one embodiment, the hem 50 can have a top hem portion 56 and a bottom hem portion 58. The hem 50 can be secured to the belt strip 20 by the bottom hem portion 58 being secured to the exterior surface 34 of the base strip 30, the hem 50 wrapping around the perimeter of the belt strip 20, and the top hem portion 56 being secured to the exterior surface of the attachment mechanism 40. More specifically, the interior surface of the top hem portion 56 touches the exterior surface 44 of the attachment mechanism 40 and the interior surface of the bottom hem portion 58 touches the exterior surface 34 of the base strip 30.

In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism 40 is recessed below the hem 50. In one embodiment, the exterior surface 44 of the attachment mechanism 40 is recessed below the exterior surface 52 of the hem 50 thereby creating a cavity 70 defined by a first hem 50a, second hem 50b, and attachment mechanism 40. For example, without limitation, where the attachment mechanism 40 is the hook portion of the hook and loop attachment mechanism 40, the top of the hooks on the exterior surface 44 of the attachment mechanism 40 can be positioned below the exterior surface 56a,b of the hem 50. The cavity 70 is configured such that the cavity 70 is sufficiently deep to completely receive a glove flap 14 of a sport glove 12 or the thickness of a glove flap 14 of the sports glove 12 so that, upon a glove flap 14 connecting to the attachment mechanism 40, the exterior surface 16 of the glove flap is at least at an even level or recessed below an exterior surface 52a,b of the hem 50. This reduces the likelihood of the glove flap 14 catching or snagging on an object and inadvertently being stripped off the belt 10. In one embodiment, the cavity 70 can extend substantially the entire length of the belt strip 20.

In one embodiment, the belt strip 20 can have a securing mechanism 60 for securing the attachment mechanism 40 to the base strip 30. The securing mechanism 60 can secure the attachment mechanism 40 to the base strip 30 and/or to the hem 50 by way of adhering the attachment mechanism 40 utilizing adhesive, sewing the attachment mechanism 40 utilizing thread, or the like. In one embodiment, where the securing mechanism 60 is thread, the securing mechanism 60 is sewn through the hem 50, the attachment mechanism 40, the base strip 30, or any combination thereof, thereby securing the attachment mechanism 40 to the base strip 30 by threading the attachment mechanism 40 to the base strip 30 and cinching the attachment mechanism 40 between the hem 50 and the base strip 30. In one embodiment, where the securing mechanism 60 is thread, the securing mechanism 60 is sewn through the attachment mechanism 40 and the base strip 30, thereby securing the attachment mechanism 40 to the base strip 30.

In one embodiment, the belt can have a buckle 18 engaged to a first end 22 of the belt strip 20 and a tongue portion 19 incorporated into the second end of the belt strip 20. The tongue portion 19 can have a plurality (e.g., four or five) of holes spaced apart in a line or row along the belt strip 20 configured to receive a prong of the buckle 18, can have rivets configured to be received by a ratcheting mechanism of the buckle 18, or the like.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments described above, as they should be regarded as being illustrative and not as restrictive. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A sports accessory belt comprising:

a belt strip comprising an attachment mechanism and a base strip, and

a hem,

wherein an interior surface of the attachment mechanism is connected to an exterior surface of the base strip.

2. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 wherein the attachment mechanism is a continuous piece of material extending substantially the full length of the base strip.

3. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 wherein the attachment mechanism is a hook or loop mechanism.

4. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 wherein the hem is continuously integrated with the base strip.

5. The sports accessory belt of claim 4 wherein the hem extends from the base strip, wraps around a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism, and attaches to the attachment mechanism.

6. The sports accessory belt of claim 5 wherein the interior surface of the hem touches the exterior surface of the attachment mechanism.

7. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 wherein the hem wraps around a perimeter edge of the belt strip.

8. The sports accessory belt of claim 7 wherein a first portion of an the interior surface of the hem touches an exterior surface of the attachment mechanism and a second portion of an interior surface of the hem touches an exterior surface of the base strip.

9. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 wherein a portion of the attachment mechanism is positioned between the base strip and the hem.

10. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 further comprising a cavity.

11. The sports accessory belt of claim 10 wherein the cavity extends substantially the entire length of the belt strip.

12. The sports accessory belt of claim 10 wherein the cavity is configured to receive the complete thickness of the flap of the glove, so that the top surface of the glove flap is at an even level or recessed below the exterior surface of the hem.

13. The sports accessory belt of claim 10 further comprising a second hem, wherein the cavity is defined by the first hem, the second hem, and the attachment mechanism.

14. The sports accessory belt of claim 1 further comprising a securing mechanism.

15. The sports accessory belt of claim 14 wherein the securing mechanism passes through the base strip and the attachment mechanism.

16. The sports accessory belt of claim 15 wherein the securing mechanism passes through the hem.

17. The sports accessory belt of claim 16 wherein the hem comprises a first hem portion and a second hem portion and wherein the securing mechanism passes through the first hem portion and the second hem portion.