SPORT BOTTOM WEAR

Abstract

A sport bottom wear having an integrated ball holder is disclosed. The sport bottom wear includes a waistband having a front waistband portion and a back waistband portion, a front fabric connected to the front waistband portion that is configured to be worn at a front side of a person, a back fabric connected to the back waistband portion that is configured to be worn at a back side of the person, and a ball holder non-removably secured to an outer surface of the front fabric.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/427,298, filed on Nov. 22, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to sports bottom wear, and more particularly, to sports bottom wear having an integrated ball holder.

BACKGROUND

Paddle or racket sports which use a ball do not have a good way of storing extra balls for easy access. Placing balls in pockets at the sides of the thighs result in the balls moving around and getting into the way of a swing. Some ball holders involve clipping a separate ball holder made of hard plastic at the lower back or at the waist. Such separate ball holders are intrusive and uncomfortable, may interfere with play, and are easy to forget.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to sports bottom wear having an integrated ball holder.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a sport bottom wear having an integrated ball holder is disclosed. The sport bottom wear includes a waistband having a front waistband portion and a back waistband portion, a front fabric connected to the front waistband portion that is configured to be worn at a front side of a person, a back fabric connected to the back waistband portion that is configured to be worn at a back side of the person, and a ball holder non-removably secured to an outer surface of the front fabric.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the ball holder includes an elastic fabric panel, where at least a portion of the elastic fabric panel is non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the elastic fabric panel is a mesh fabric.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the elastic fabric panel has a perimeter that includes a top perimeter portion and other perimeter portions, where the top perimeter portion is substantially aligned with the waistband.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the other perimeter portions of the elastic fabric panel are non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, at least a portion of the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel is pullable away from the front fabric and the front waistband portion, and the other perimeter portions of the elastic fabric panel are non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric, thereby forming a pouch that is accessible from the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the elastic fabric panel is sized such that the pouch can hold at least one ball. In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the pouch can hold at least two pickleballs.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the front fabric includes a crotch portion and thigh portions, and the elastic fabric panel is secured to the outer surface of the front fabric such that an entirety of the perimeter of the elastic fabric panel is bounded by the crotch and thigh portions of the front fabric.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel overlaps the front waistband portion.

In various embodiments of the sport bottom wear, the sport bottom wear is one of: shorts, skirts, spats, and sweat pant.

The details of one or more embodiments of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts in the figures:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example of a sport bottom wear, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a front elevational view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a rear elevational view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a right side elevational view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a left side elevational view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a top plan view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a bottom plan view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1 wherein a portion of the front of the sport bottom wear protrudes when balls are held therein, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to sports bottom wear having an integrated ball holder. Integrating a ball holder into a sports bottom wear, as disclosed herein, provides the advantage of making extra balls easily accessible by a person without the need for a separate ball holding device. The sport bottom wear with integrated ball holder of the present disclosure satisfies a long felt but unmet need in sports for an easily accessible and unobtrusive ball holder that does not interfere with leg movement or racket/paddle swing.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a diagram of an example of a sport bottom wear that includes an integrated ball holder. A pair of shorts is shown in FIG. 1 as an example, but other types of bottom wear are within the scope of the present disclosure, such as skirts, spats, sports pants, or sweatpants, among other bottom wear. FIG. 1 includes a boundary line 200 to indicate portions of the bottom wear that would be common to different types of bottom wear (i.e., portions above the boundary line 200) and to indicate portions of the bottom wear that may differ for different types of bottom wear (i.e., portions below the boundary line 200).

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the illustrated sports bottom wear includes a waistband 110, front fabric 120, back fabric 140, and a ball holder 150. The waistband 110 has a front waistband portion 112 to be worn at a person's front side and a back waistband portion 114 to be worn at a person's back side. The front fabric 120 is connected to the front waistband portion 112 and is constructed to be worn at the person's front side. For example, the front fabric 120 may be constructed to allow for forward and lateral thigh movement, among other things. The back fabric 140 is connected to the back waistband portion 114 and is constructed to be worn at the person's back side. For example, the back fabric 140 may be constructed to accommodate the curvatures of a person's back side. In various embodiments where the sports bottom wear includes multiple layers, the front fabric 120 and the back fabric 140 form the outermost front and back layers, respectively, of the sport bottom wear, such that no other layer covers the front fabric 120 or the back fabric 140, except the ball holder 150 which covers a portion of front fabric 120.

The waistband 110, the front fabric 120, and the back fabric 140 may be made from various materials, such as, without limitation, nylon, polyester, spandex, micro athletic mesh, and/or sweat wicking material, among other materials. The elastic portion of the waistband 110 may be made from elastomers, such as, without limitation, rubber, latex, and/or polyurethane, among other elastomers.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the ball holder 150 is an integral part of the sports bottom wear and is non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric 120. Thus, the ball holder 150 cannot be removed from the sports bottom wear without destroying a portion of the sports bottom wear. The ball holder 150 is not covered by any other material so it is easily accessible. The ball holder 150 includes an elastic fabric panel 155, which may be made from a material such as a mesh fabric, among other materials, and includes a hem or elastic band 152 which can be pulled away from the front fabric 120 to insert or remove a ball. The ball holder 150 may be sized to hold various numbers of balls, such as one ball, two balls, or more than two balls, such as pickleballs, racquet balls, tennis balls, or badminton birdies, among other balls.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a front view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1. The elastic fabric panel 155 is shown. As the following paragraphs will describe, the elastic fabric panel 155 is secured to the front fabric 120 in a way that forms a pouch for holding one or more balls, such as pickleballs, racquet balls, tennis balls, or badminton birdies, among other balls. The elastic fabric panel 155 and pouch illustrated in FIG. 2 have a trapezoid shape, but an elastic fabric panel and pouch in accordance with the present disclosure may have other shapes. The pouch shown in FIG. 2 will be described as the primary example, but all shapes of pouches (including multiple separate pouches) are within the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, depending on the construction of the pouch(es), the pouch(es) may be accessed in various ways and from various sides.

With continuing reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the elastic fabric panel 155 has a perimeter that includes a top perimeter portion 156 and other perimeter portions 158. Part of the perimeter is non-removably secured to the front fabric 120 to form a pouch, and part of the perimeter is pullable away from the front fabric 120 to form an opening for accessing the pouch. In the illustration of FIG. 2, the front fabric 120 includes a crotch portion 122 and thigh portions 124. The crotch portion 122 is located over the crotch region of the person (male or female), and the thigh portions 124 are located over the thighs of the person. In various embodiments and as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic fabric panel 155 is secured to the outer surface of the front fabric 120 such that the entire perimeter 156, 158 of the elastic fabric panel 155 is bounded by the crotch and thigh portions 122, 124. Positioning the pouch in this manner reduces discomfort in the crotch region and reduces interference with thigh movements when the pouch holds a ball.

In various embodiments and as shown in FIG. 2, the top perimeter portion 156 may be substantially aligned with the front waistband portion 112, which means that the top perimeter portion 156 progresses along the same general direction as the front waistband portion 112 but may not progress in exactly the same direction as the front waistband portion 112 due to factors such as manufacturing imperfections, movability of elastic materials in the waistband, and wear and tear on the sports bottom wear, among other factors. The top perimeter portion 156 may overlap the front waistband portion 112, as shown in FIG. 2.

As described above, the elastic fabric panel 155 is non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric 120. In the illustrated embodiment, the other perimeter portions 158 of the elastic fabric panel 155 are non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric 120 by, for example, sewing and/or fabric glue, among other possibilities. In various embodiments, the entirety of the outer perimeter portions 158 is non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric 120. In various embodiments, only parts of the outer perimeter portions 158 are non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric 120 (e.g., the secured portions are spaced apart), which may reduce material costs and manufacturing time.

In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the top perimeter portion 156 is pullable away from the front fabric 120 and from the front waistband portion 112, while the entirety of or part of the other perimeter portions are non-removably secured to the front fabric 120. In this manner, the elastic fabric panel 158 forms a pouch that is accessible from the top perimeter portion 156 and that may hold one or more balls, such as pickleballs, racquet balls, tennis balls, or badminton birdies, among other balls. In different embodiments, the pouch may hold one ball, may hold two balls, or may hold more than two balls. The size of the elastic fabric panel 158 may be configured based on the number of balls the pouch should hold.

FIG. 2 and the description above provide merely an example. A ball holder according to present disclosure may have different shapes, construction, and/or positioning. For example, in various embodiments (not shown), the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel may not be substantially aligned with the front waistband portion 112. In various embodiments (not shown), the top perimeter portion may not overlap or may only partially overlap with the front waistband portion 112. For example, in various embodiments, the top perimeter portion may be partially or entirely below the front waistband portion 112. Such and other embodiments are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, as described above, portions above the boundary line 200 would be common to different types of bottom wear and portions below the boundary line 200 may differ for different types of bottom wear (e.g., shorts, skirts, spats, sports pants, or sweatpants, among other bottom wear).

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a rear elevational view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, no ball holder is secured to the back waistband portion 114 or to the back fabric 140.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are diagrams of, respectively, a right side elevational view and a left side elevational view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the illustrated ball holder 150 is substantially flush with the front fabric 120 when no ball is held in the ball holder 150.

In FIGS. 3-5, and as described above, portions above the boundary line 200 would be common to different types of bottom wear and portions below the boundary line 200 may differ for different types of bottom wear (e.g., shorts, skirts, spats, sports pants, or sweatpants, among other bottom wear).

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are diagrams of, respectively, a top plan view and a bottom plan view of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the illustrated ball holder 150 is slim and unobtrusive.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the sport bottom wear of FIG. 1 where two balls are held in the ball holder 150. Because the ball holder 150 is made with an elastic fabric panel 155, the elastic fabric panel stretches to accommodate the balls. Meanwhile, the elastic band or hem 152 may remain taut to contain the balls in the ball holder 150. As described above, portions above the boundary line 200 would be common to different types of bottom wear and portions below the boundary line 200 may differ for different types of bottom wear (e.g., shorts, skirts, spats, sports pants, or sweatpants, among other bottom wear).

With reference also to FIG. 2 and as described above, the entirety of or portions of the other perimeter portions 158 are non-removably secured to the front fabric 120 by, for example, sewing and/or fabric blue, among other things. When the ball holder 150 holds one or more balls, such construction may cause portions of the front fabric 120 to be pulled by the elastic fabric panel 155. An unexpected result of this construction is that the pull of the front fabric 120 by the ball holder 150 does not interfere with the person's leg movements while the ball holder 150 contains a ball. Moreover, another unexpected result of integrating the ball holder 150 with the front fabric 120 in the disclosed manner is that the ball(s) held by the ball holder 150 do not interfere with the person's arm movements while playing the sport (e.g., pickleball, racquetball, tennis, or badminton, etc.). Meanwhile, integrating the ball holder 150 with the front fabric 120, as disclosed herein, provides the advantage of making the extra balls easily accessible by the person without the need for a separate ball holding device. In contrast, placing balls in a side pocket of a sport bottom wear may interfere with a person's leg movements, and placing a ball under spandex shorts may result in the ball inadvertently falling out during play. The sport bottom wear with integrated ball holder of the present disclosure satisfies a long felt but unmet need in sports for an easily accessible and unobtrusive ball holder that does not interfere with leg movement or racket/paddle swing.

The embodiments disclosed herein are examples of the disclosure and may be embodied in various forms. For instance, although certain embodiments herein are described as separate embodiments, each of the embodiments herein may be combined with one or more of the other embodiments herein. Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Like reference numerals may refer to similar or identical elements throughout the description of the figures.

The phrases “in an embodiment,” “in embodiments,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” or “in other embodiments” may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure. A phrase in the form “A or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B).” A phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, or C” means “(A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).”

It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances. The embodiments described with reference to the attached drawing figures are presented only to demonstrate certain examples of the disclosure. Other elements, steps, methods, and techniques that are insubstantially different from those described above and/or in the appended claims are also intended to be within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A sport bottom wear having an integrated ball holder, the sport bottom wear comprising:

a waistband comprising a front waistband portion and a back waistband portion;

a front fabric connected to the front waistband portion and configured to be worn at a front side of a person;

a back fabric connected to the back waistband portion and configured to be worn at a back side of the person; and

a ball holder non-removably secured to an outer surface of the front fabric.

2. The sport bottom wear of claim 1, wherein the ball holder comprises an elastic fabric panel, wherein at least a portion of the elastic fabric panel is non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric.

3. The sport bottom wear of claim 2, wherein the elastic fabric panel is a mesh fabric.

4. The sport bottom wear of claim 2, wherein the elastic fabric panel has a perimeter, the perimeter comprising a top perimeter portion and other perimeter portions, wherein the top perimeter portion is substantially aligned with the waistband.

5. The sport bottom wear of claim 4, wherein the other perimeter portions of the elastic fabric panel are non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric.

6. The sport bottom wear of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel is pullable away from the front fabric and the front waistband portion, and wherein the other perimeter portions of the elastic fabric panel are non-removably secured to the outer surface of the front fabric, thereby forming a pouch that is accessible from the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel.

7. The sport bottom wear of claim 6, wherein the elastic fabric panel is sized such that the pouch can hold at least one ball.

8. The sport bottom wear of claim 7, wherein the pouch can hold at least two pickleballs.

9. The sport bottom wear of claim 4, wherein the front fabric comprises a crotch portion and thigh portions,

wherein the elastic fabric panel is secured to the outer surface of the front fabric such that an entirety of the perimeter of the elastic fabric panel is bounded by the crotch and thigh portions of the front fabric.

10. The sport bottom wear of claim 4, wherein the top perimeter portion of the elastic fabric panel overlaps the front waistband portion.

11. The sport bottom wear of claim 1, wherein the sport bottom wear is one of: shorts, skirts, spats, and sweat pant.