U.S. patent application number 12/074592 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-11 for sports equipment having a pocket.
Invention is credited to David Montgomery.
Application Number | 20080220916 12/074592 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39742222 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080220916 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Montgomery; David |
September 11, 2008 |
Sports equipment having a pocket
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a piece of sports equipment
with a pocket capable of storing a personal item.
Inventors: |
Montgomery; David; (Sanford,
NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUITER SWANTZ PC LLO
14301 FNB PARKWAY, SUITE 220
OMAHA
NE
68154
US
|
Family ID: |
39742222 |
Appl. No.: |
12/074592 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60905762 |
Mar 8, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/604 ;
2/247 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 43/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/604 ;
2/247 |
International
Class: |
A63B 43/00 20060101
A63B043/00; A41D 27/20 20060101 A41D027/20 |
Claims
1. A pocket, comprising: means for affixing the pocket to a piece
of sports equipment, wherein the pocket is capable of storing a
personal item.
2. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the pocket is attached to the
interior of a piece of sports equipment.
3. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the pocket is configured to
ensure proper functioning of the sports equipment.
4. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the pocket is configured to
retain the sports equipment's air seal.
5. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the pocket divides the interior
of the sports equipment into air-filled compartments.
6. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the pocket is secured closed by
at least one of a snap, a button, a hook and loop fastener, a
closable flap, a clasp, a turn lock, a hinge, a zipper, magnets, or
ties.
7. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the pocket is waterproof.
8. A piece of sports equipment, comprising: a pocket; and a closure
for sealing the pocket, wherein the pocket is capable of storing a
personal item.
9. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the pocket is
comprised of a lining and the sports equipment is comprised of an
outer cover.
10. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the pocket is
secured closed by at least one of a snap, a button, a hook and loop
fastener, a closable flap, a clasp, a turn lock, a hinge, a zipper,
magnets, or ties.
11. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the pocket is
configured to ensure proper functioning of the sports
equipment.
12. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the pocket is
configured to retain the sports equipment's air seal.
13. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the pocket
divides the interior of the sports equipment into air-filled
compartments.
14. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the pocket is
waterproof.
15. A recreational item for use in games, wherein the recreational
item defines a pocket capable of storing a personal item.
16. The recreational item of claim 15, wherein the recreational
item and the pocket are formed by unitary construction.
17. The recreational item of claim 15, wherein the recreational
item can be made in a variety of sizes and shapes.
18. The recreational item of claim 15, wherein the pocket is
secured closed by at least one of a snap, a button, a hook and loop
fastener, a closable flap, a clasp, a turn lock, a hinge, a zipper,
magnets, or ties.
19. The recreational item of claim 15, wherein the pocket is
configured to ensure proper functioning of the sports
equipment.
20. The recreational item of claim 15, wherein the pocket is
waterproof.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/905,762,
filed Mar. 8, 2007. Said U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.
60/905,762 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The disclosure generally relates to the field of sports
equipment, and more particularly to particularly to a pocket for a
piece of sports equipment, such as a football with a closable
pocket.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Sports are played all around the world. Typically, when
engaged in a sport, it may be uncomfortable for a person to have
jewelry, keys, a cell phone, and/or other personal items on his or
her person. Oftentimes, there are no convenient or safe places,
such as lockers, to store personal items while engaging in a sport.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a safe and/or
convenient place to store personal items while engaging in a
sport.
SUMMARY
[0004] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a piece of
sports equipment with a pocket capable of storing personal items.
The pocket may be opened or closed. A closure may be utilized to
close the pocket.
[0005] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the
present disclosure. The accompanying drawings, which are
incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification,
illustrate subject matter of the disclosure. Together, the
descriptions and the drawings serve to explain the principles of
the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The numerous advantages of the disclosure may be better
understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the
accompanying figures in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric cross-sectional view illustrating a
piece of sports equipment;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the piece of sports
equipment as illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an isometric view illustrating a piece of sports
equipment;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a partial isometric view of the piece of sports
equipment as illustrated in FIG. 3;
[0011] FIG. 5 is an isometric view illustrating a piece of sports
equipment;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the piece
of sports equipment as illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein the closure
is a closable flap;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional front view illustrating
of the piece of sports equipment, wherein the closure is a
zipper;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the piece
of sports equipment, wherein the closure is a snap;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating a piece of sports
equipment, wherein the piece of sports equipment is a football;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a front cross-sectional view of the piece of
sports equipment illustrated in FIG. 9;
[0017] FIG. 11 is an isometric view illustrating a piece of sports
equipment, wherein the piece of sports equipment is a
basketball;
[0018] FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the piece
of sports equipment as illustrated in FIG. 11;
[0019] FIG. 13 is an isometric view illustrating a piece of sports
equipment, wherein the piece of sports equipment is a
volleyball;
[0020] FIG. 14 is an isometric view illustrating a piece of sports
equipment, wherein the piece of sports equipment is a soccer ball;
and
[0021] FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of producing
a piece of sporting equipment, in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter
disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0023] Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 14 a piece of sports
equipment 100 is shown in accordance with the exemplary embodiments
of the present invention. The piece of sports equipment 102
contains an internal pocket 104. In some embodiments, sports
equipment 102 may comprise a football, baseball (hard or soft),
softball, basketball, a baseball glove/mitt, volleyball, tennis
ball, soccer ball, hockey puck, lacrosse ball, dodge ball,
kickball, racketball, foam ball, hockey stick, crosse (lacrosse
netted stick), rugby ball, cricket ball, helmet, shin guard, knee
pad, elbow pad, life jacket, and water polo ball. This list is
exemplary only and is not meant to be restrictive of the present
invention. It is contemplated that a variety of sports equipment
may be utilized in the present invention.
[0024] The pocket 104 is capable of storing a personal item 108.
The pocket 104 may be any suitable shape and size depending upon
the piece of sports equipment utilized. Furthermore, the pocket 104
may be comprised of any material suitable for securing and
protecting a personal item 108. In one embodiment, the pocket 104
may be sized for carrying credit cards and/or money. In another
embodiment, the pocket 104 may be larger than pocket-sized and
capable of holding larger personal items 108, such as sunglasses
and/or cell phones.
[0025] The pocket may be formed in the interior of the sports
equipment in a number of ways depending upon the type of sports
equipment utilized. In one specific embodiment, when the piece of
sports equipment's interior is filled with air, such as footballs,
volleyballs, basketballs, and the like, a piece of material may be
attached to the interior lining of the air-filled compartment of
the piece of sports equipment while retaining the piece of sports
equipment's air seal. In this embodiment, material forms the
pocket. The material may form a solitary pocket inside the
air-filled compartment, as illustrated in FIG. 11, or may be
attached for a second time to the opposite side of the interior
lining of the air-filled compartment while retaining the piece of
sports equipment's air seal. This attachment may form multiple
air-filled compartments with the pocket dividing the air-filled
compartments as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10. In another specific
embodiment, when the sports equipment is solid all the way through,
such as in a foam football, baseball, or hockey puck, a portion of
the solid interior material is left empty to form a pocket.
[0026] In one embodiment, the pocket 104 is formed to ensure that
when the pocket 104 is empty, the pocket has no negative effects on
the sports equipment during use. For example, the pocket may be
formed in a basketball to ensure that the basketball's weight is
distributed evenly while retaining a necessary bounciness.
[0027] A personal item 108 may comprise any object that is small
enough to fit within the pocket 104. For instance, the personal
item may comprise keys, money, credit cards, debit cards, jewelry,
hair pieces, documents/papers, cell phones, mittens, gloves,
personal hygiene items, gum, candy, and/or sunglasses. This list is
exemplary only and is not meant to be restrictive of the present
invention. It is contemplated that a variety of items may be
utilized in the present invention. Further, the pocket may be
shaped and/or sized to accommodate variously shaped personal items
108, such as shaped for a key, a credit card, coins, or the like.
The pocket 104 may be open or closed.
[0028] In one embodiment, a closure 106 may close the pocket 104.
For example, the closure may comprise a snap, a button, a hook and
loop fastener, a closable flap, a clasp, a turn lock, a hinge, a
zipper, magnets, and/or ties. This list is exemplary only and is
not meant to be restrictive of the present invention. It is
contemplated that a variety of closures capable of closing the
pocket may be utilized in the present invention. In one embodiment,
when the closure is closable flat, the closure may be attached to
the piece of sports equipment by a hinge. In another embodiment,
the closure and/or the pocket may be waterproof by preventing water
from substantially entering the pocket.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 15 a flow diagram of a method 200 for
producing a piece of sports equipment is shown, in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention. Method 200 provides a piece
of sporting equipment 202. Method 200 adds a pocket to the piece of
sports of equipment 204 to form the piece of sporting equipment
with a pocket for carrying personal items.
[0030] In some embodiments of the invention, the methods disclosed
may be implemented as sets of instructions, through a single
production device, and/or through multiple production devices.
Further, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of
steps in the methods disclosed are examples of exemplary
approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that
the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method can be
rearranged while remaining within the scope and spirit of the
present invention.
[0031] It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its
attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing
description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be
made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components
without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without
sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is
merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims
to encompass and include such changes.
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