U.S. patent application number 14/521290 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-12 for ball projection and cup connector assemblies.
The applicant listed for this patent is Jeffrey L. Blood, Carl Caylor. Invention is credited to Jeffrey L. Blood, Carl Caylor.
Application Number | 20150069100 14/521290 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52624532 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150069100 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blood; Jeffrey L. ; et
al. |
March 12, 2015 |
BALL PROJECTION AND CUP CONNECTOR ASSEMBLIES
Abstract
The invention discloses ball projection cup connector assemblies
for holding or carrying outdoor recreational equipment, especially
gear such a traditional fishing nets, hiking sticks, water bottles
or walking staff/fishing net combinations. The pieces of gear have
a ball projection that is integral or attached as a separate piece.
The cup connector can attach to a person outerwear via a standard
clip or alternatively, the cup connector may be incorporated into
the clothing of the outerwear.
Inventors: |
Blood; Jeffrey L.;
(Cranberry Township, PA) ; Caylor; Carl;
(Ashtabula, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Blood; Jeffrey L.
Caylor; Carl |
Cranberry Township
Ashtabula |
PA
OH |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52624532 |
Appl. No.: |
14/521290 |
Filed: |
October 22, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13488503 |
Jun 5, 2012 |
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14521290 |
|
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|
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61520209 |
Jun 6, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/269 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45B 3/00 20130101; A45F
5/02 20130101; A45B 1/00 20130101; A45B 2009/007 20130101; A01K
77/00 20130101; A45F 2200/0583 20130101; A45F 5/021 20130101; A45F
2200/0566 20130101; A45B 9/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/269 |
International
Class: |
A45F 5/02 20060101
A45F005/02 |
Claims
1. A cup connector for attaching outdoor recreational equipment to
clothing comprised of: a cup capable of receiving and locking a
spherical ball projection that is attached to a piece of outdoor
recreational equipment and that is capable of supporting said piece
of outdoor recreational equipment when attached to the clothing
being worn by a person allowing their hands to be free, said cup
being comprised of a top, front, a rear, and a bottom, said cup
being Y-shaped, said cup further comprised of a top opening
virtually spanning the entire tot) of said cup, said top opening is
contiguous with a narrower slot opening centrally located on the
front of said cup, the narrower slot opening spanning to near the
bottom of said cup, attached to the rear of said cup is a centrally
located solid clip and attached to the rear of said cup are fork
clips located on either side of centrally located solid clip.
2. The connector of claim 1 wherein a width of the bottom of said
cup is approximately 1/5 of a width of the top of said cup and a
height of said cup is approximately 3/5 of the width of the top of
said cup.
3. The connector of claim 1 wherein the fork clips are further
comprised of grippers,
4. The connector of claim 1 wherein a bottom side of said cup is
comprised of a central opening.
5. The connector of claim 1, whereby the connector is used in
conjunction with a dock, said dock comprised of sturdy yet flexible
backing, a front of the barking comprised of two pockets capable of
receiving snuggly the fork clips and a rear of the backing being
flat, whereby the rear of backing can be attached to the clothing
being worn by a person.
6. The connector of claim 1, where the piece of outdoor
recreational equipment is a combination fishing net/walking
stick.
7. A docking system: Said docking system enabling for a person to
stow a piece of outdoor recreational equipment on themselves
leaving their hands free; said docking system comprised of: a piece
of outdoor recreational equipment with a ball projection, as cup
connector; said cup connector being comprised of a top, front, a
rear, and a bottom, said cup being Y-shaped, said cup further
comprised of a top opening virtually spanning the entire top of
said cup, said top opening is contiguous with a narrower slot
opening centrally located on the front of said cup; the narrower
slot opening spanning to near the bottom of said cup; attached to
the rear of said cup are a plurality of fork clips; and a dock,
said dock comprised of sturdy yet flexible backing, a front of the
backing comprised of a plurality of pockets and said pockets being
capable of receiving snuggly the fork clips, and a rear of the
backing being flat; whereby the rear of the backing can be attached
to clothing being worn by a person; whereby the fork clips of said
cup can be inserted to said pockets attaching the cup connector to
said clothing being worn by said person and whereby the ball
projection on the piece of outdoor recreational equipment can be
inserted into said cup via the top opening and can be pushed down
through the slot opening to the bottom of said cup locking the hall
projection into said cup.
8. The docking system of claim 7 where the ball projection is
integral to the piece of outdoor recreational equipment.
9. The docking system of claim 7, where the piece of outdoor
recreational equipment is a combination fishing net/walking
stick.
10. The docking system of claim 7, wherein the cup is father
comprised of a centrally located solid, clip attached to the rear
of said cup.
11. A method for enabling for person to stow a piece of outdoor
recreational equipment on themselves leaving their hands free
comprising: inserting a hall projection on a piece of outdoor
recreational equipment into a cup via a top opening that virtually
spans the entire op of said cup while being contiguous with a
narrower slot opening centrally located on a front of said cup,
pushing the all projection down through the slot opening, to the
bottom of said cup locking the bail projection into said cup; and
attaching said cup to a person's clothing via a dock previously
attached to the person's clothing.
12. The method of claim 11, whereby the cup is further comprised of
a plurality of fork clips and the dock is further comprised of a
plurality of pockets capable of snuggly receiving the fork clips,
whereby the fork clips are inserted in to the pockets of the dock
previously attached to the person's clothing.
13. The method of claim 11, whereby the dock is previously attached
to the person's clothing by the use of glue.
14. The method of claim 11, whereby the dock previously attached to
the person's clothing is attached on the back of said person at
approximately the C7 vertebrate.
Description
[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/488,503 entitled BALL PROJECTION AND CUP
CONNECTOR ASSEMBLIES, filed on Jun. 5, 2012, which claims priority
to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/520,209 filed on
Jun. 6, 2011, entitled WADING STAFF WITH INTEGRAL FISHING NET, the
contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention is directed to assemblies for holding or
carrying outdoor recreational equipment on a person so that they do
not need to use their hands, This invention solves an important
problem for those who need to use a wade or walking staff to get to
a favorite fishing spot. They can now carry their necessary
equipment on their person, leaving their hands free to use a
walking stick or to grab on to something should they stumble/slip
while walking through the woods. Specifically, this invention
provides for a ball projection and cup connector assembly design
that allows someone to hold or carry on their person outdoor
recreational equipment such as hiking sticks, fishing nets, water
bottles or any other equipment commonly used by outdoors persons
including the walking staffs/fishing net combinations that are
disclosed in provisional, application Ser. No. 61/520,209 and
sister non provisional application 13/482,046, now U.S. Pat. No.
8,631,810, Many outdoor sporting activities such as hunting,
fishing or hiking require persons to carry several pieces of gear
to a specific place. For example, fly-fishing in rivers and streams
requires transporting multiple pieces of fishing gear to a desired
fishing spot near a river's edge or midstream. The terrain that
leads to most fishing spots is uneven, may have obstacles such as
fallen trees, or may lust be muddy and therefore very slippery. It
is almost essential that the fisherman have his hands free to
balance himself during this treacherous walk, to be able to grab
something to prevent a fall or to be able to use a walking stick
for aid. Carrying any equipment that will not be used until his
destination is reached is not only impractical, but could actually
be dangerous since his hands will be occupied. Additionally, when a
preferred fishing spot is reached, a fisherman must keep all
necessary gear he uses within reach. The loss free standing or
detached equipment he needs to worry about or potentially leave
behind, the better.
[0004] There are some garments and devices that allow equipment or
other items to be attached to a person while walking, but these
designs are horribly deficient for fishing equipment such as a
fishing net or other recreational equipment such as a walking
stick,
[0005] Ostnas U.S. Pat. No. 2,743,894 discloses a detachable
carrier which can hold equipment with a ball attachment, however
the carrier shape is not advantageous, for example, to an active
fly fisherman who needs equipment that can be easily removed from
or inserted into a holder without looking, keeping their eyes on
their activity. The carrier in Ostnas has a covered top (sleeve 10
is closed by at one end by plug 11) and the opening is located
solely in the side of the carrier as can be seen FIGS. 1-6. The
opening is a keyhole slot 17 with the top having a slightly
enlarged aperture 18 for a ball to be inserted. However the
aperture is not that much wider than the narrow portion of the slot
or the ball that is inserted. This causes a person to have to be
more precise and to carefully watch while inserting or removing the
equipment, which can be a hassle when you are performing a dynamic
activity such as fly fishing. Easy manipulation of the equipment
while keeping focus is required for these types of activities and
this advantage is not offered by the carrier disclosed in
Ostnas.
[0006] Sentell US Publication No. 2010/0294816 discloses a waist-
or belt-mounted beverage, container holder. Here the equipment is a
pouch for carrying a beverage container such as a can or a bottle.
On the pouch is a mounting, stud that ultimately has a projection
with a disk shape that is inserted, into the opening of the belt
clip holder. The belt clip holder has a slightly flared opening at
the top, which contiguous with a more narrow side opening. But it
suffers from the same defect as Ostnas, insertion or removal
requires a person to have to be more precise. Using either one of
the Ostnas or Sentell designs, a user would need to look at the
holder while carefully inserting or retrieving their equipment.
Therefore, neither carrier would be useful if placed on a person's
back; the precision needed to insert or to remove equipment would
be too exacting to be practical or even impossible. Also the use of
a disk shape projection as well as the overall size of the holder
in Sentell makes it an impractical holder for heavier recreational
equipment such as fishing nets. A ball projection is a much
sturdier design for such heavier equipment, such as that seen in
U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,810.
[0007] Darling U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,739 discloses a harness with a U
shaped holder 108 that cooperates with multiple other styles of
holders to attach a sling which can ultimately carry an infant, The
U shaped holder is not designed to be a standalone holder for
equipment nor could it be considering, its shape and size; it is
designed to be part of a harness with multiple attachment points
for a sling It could not accommodate it ball projection to support
a piece of heavier recreational equipment such as that seen in U.S.
Pat. No. 8,631,810.
[0008] Garrido US Publication No. 2011/0119800 discloses a sports
utility garment with a holster. The holster is solid (no slotted
opening) except for the top opening and is used to directly hold
equipment. This limits the types of equipment that can be
accommodated to smaller items such as a water bottle. Also the
holster disclosed requires a guide to insert or to remove items,
which suggest that these actions are not easily manipulated; again
too much of a hassle for person participating in an activity such
as fly fishing, where ease of retrieving a fishing net or other
equipment is required.
[0009] What is needed to solve the deficiencies described above is
a sturdy holder that allows for easy manipulation of heavier
recreational equipment. First, the equipment should have a sturdy
ball projection attachment. Second, the holder should be shaped so
that a person does not have the hassle of needing to be precise
when inserting or removing the equipment while attached to clothing
on their person. In fact, it would be most advantageous if s user
could insert or remove the recreational equipment from a holder
without having to take their eyes away from their activity. Having
a holder with a sturdy but open design that allows the user to
manipulate their equipment without using their sight would be most
preferred. Flexibility of placement of the holder on the person is
also preferred. Most preferred is a way to place the holder in the
sweet spot on the back of person to carry items. The sweet spot for
most people is right below the back of the neck at the C-7
vertebrate. Most garments that use an attachment ring on the back
have that attachment ring sitting too low on the person, basically
in area that cannot be easily reached. It would be desirable to
have a product where equipment can be attached to a person's
clothing anywhere on their body where they feel it to be most to
comfortable to carry the equipment and that allows for easy
retrieval of that equipment without looking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The ball projection and cup connector assembly design of
this invention allows outdoor recreational gear to easily attach to
its user for transport and for stowing while leaving the user hands
free for walking or other activities such as fly fishing. In some
embodiments of the invention has the design can be utilized with a
combination walking staff/fishing net with a telescopic staff such
as that disclosed in provisional application 61/520,209 and sister
non-provisional application Ser. No. 13/482,046, now U.S. Pat. No.
8,631,810. On the top of the disclosed walking staff/fishing net is
a handle fir gripping the staff while walking, wading, or hiking.
The ball projection and cup connector design can also be used with
other pieces of outdoor gear including but not limited to
traditional fishing nets, hiking sticks and water bottles.
[0011] The design contemplates a ball projection, preferably a
projection that ends in a sphere (the ball), as a part of a
specific piece of outdoor gear. This projection slideably
interlocks with a cup connector attached to a person via an opening
in the front of the cup. Though end of the projection is preferably
spherical, any feasible end shape that can slideably interlock with
the cup is contemplated by the invention. The cup designs
envisioned include a funnel cup design or a Y-shaped cup design.
These open designs allow a user to insert or to remove recreational
equipment with a ball projection attachment easily without looking,
as precision is not necessary with these designs. Therefore user
can keep their eyes on their recreational activity without missing
a step. The cup connector may be affixed directly to the
sportsperson's outerwear clothing via a simple solid clip
attachment. Likewise, the cup connector may be incorporated as part
of a user's outerwear such as a fishing vest. Incorporation designs
can include, but not limited to, the cup connector being sewn in
the clothing, or attachment via snaps, a dock, or a D-ring
attachment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] Further features, objectives and advantages of the present
invention will become clearer when referring to the following
detailed description made with reference to the drawings in
which:
[0013] FIG. 1a is an upper perspective view of the cup connector
with one embodiment of a clip assembly according to this
invention;
[0014] FIG. 1b is an exploded view of said cup connector with
holder detached.
[0015] FIG. 1c is a rear plan view of said cup connector with
holder attached.
[0016] FIG. 1d is a left plan view of said cup connector with
holder attached.
[0017] FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
cup connector with a standard clip.
[0018] FIG. 2b is a right side perspective said cup with a standard
clip.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a
ball projection used on a walking staff/fishing net.
[0020] FIG. 4a is a side perspective view showing a ball projection
on a walking staff/fishing net situated over a cup connector.
[0021] FIG. 4b is a side perspective view showing a ball projection
on said walking staff'fishing net situated most of the way into a
cup connector.
[0022] FIG. 4c is a side perspective view showing a ball projection
on said walking staff/fishing net "locked" into the bottom of a cup
connector for transport,
[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a walking staff/fishing net
with a ball projection closer to the base of the fishnet frame.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a right side perspective view after the walking
staff/fishing net depicted in FIG. 5 has been "locked" into a cup
connector.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a left side perspective view of the FIG. 5 walking
staff/fishing net with its ball projection "locked" into a cup
connector 180 degrees inverted from the position shown in FIG.
6.
[0026] FIG. 8a is an embodiment of the cup connector incorporated
into the front of the outerwear of a sportsperson.
[0027] FIG. 8b is an embodiment of the cup connector incorporated
into the back of the outerwear of a sportsperson.
[0028] FIG. 9 is an embodiment of a hiking stick with a ball
projection design.
[0029] FIG. 10 is an embodiment of a water bottle with an integral
ball projection design.
[0030] FIG. 11a is a perspective view of a cup connector of a
preferred embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 11b is a front view of a cup connector of a preferred
embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 11c is rear view of a cup connector of a preferred
embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 11d is a bottom view of a cup connector of a preferred
embodiment.
[0034] FIG. 11e is a top view of a cup connector of a preferred
embodiment.
[0035] FIG. 11f is a bi-section of the front view of a cup
connector of a preferred embodiment.
[0036] FIG. 12a is a front view of a dock of a preferred
embodiment.
[0037] FIG. 12b is a rear view of a dock of a preferred
embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 12c is a top view of a dock of a preferred
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] The disclosed invention solves a problem encountered by many
sportspersons, especially fishermen during their day of
sport/relaxation. While walking/wading through streams, ponds,
marshes, swamps, and river or lake shores, they run into unseen
perils including sharp rocks, litter and other foreign objects tree
branches, and surprise terrain drop-offs any of which may cause the
fishermen to all and risk serious bodily injury, Such perils may be
averted by using a walking/wading staff for better balance. It may
prove difficult, however, for one to carry his/her own tackle box,
fishing rod/reel, netting and several other accessories while
traversing to one's favorite fishing spot. Also, staff storage
after reaching one's preferred destination poses a secondary
concern.
[0040] The disclosed invention alleviates the foregoing problem by
incorporating a interlocking connecting system with a telescopic
walking staff having a handle grip situated over a fully functional
fishing, net such as that disclosed in provisional application
61/520,209 and sister non-provisional application Ser. No.
13/482,046, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,180. Though the accompanying
drawings show one preferred fishnet shape (i.e., teardrop) and
width/size, it should be understood that other sizes and shapes of
fishing nets and frames may be substituted for same. The invention
is a means that for easily connecting the walking staff/fishing net
or other recreational equipment to a user via a ball-projection cup
connector interlocking design eliminating handling/storage
concerns. FIGS. 8a and 8b depict some embodiments of stowing
options with a cup incorporated into a fishing vest. One option for
attachment would be to use the docking system as disclosed with
FIGS. 11A-F and FIGS. 12A-C. An advantage to the cup designs that
are disclosed is that the user does not need to watch while
inserting or retrieving their recreational equipment. The user can
keep their focus on their activity. Because precision to manipulate
the ball projection equipment with the cup connector designs is not
necessary, the cup connector can be placed on the users back for
stowing and retrieving, With the embodiment shown FIG. 8b, a
fisherman can either reach over his/her shoulder, or down and
behind his/her own back for snapping the device out of its own
funnel cup holder. Another option would be for the fisherman to
place the holder right below the back of the neck at the C-7
vertebrate, which is a common sweet spot for many people.
[0041] The examples set forth in the drawings show only some
possibilities for present embodiments. After studying same, still
further variations may be made clear.
[0042] FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a cup connector of
the disclosed invention. Cup connector 1 is comprised of funnel cup
2 which has an opening 3 that is wide on the top and narrows along
the front, clip 4 attached to the back of funnel cup 2. and holder
5 which receives clip 4 in slot 6 from funnel cup 2 and connects
the funnel cup to the user via catches 7. FIG. 2 shows a second
embodiment of a cup connector of the present invention. Cup
connector 8 is comprised of funnel cup 9 with opening 11 that is
wide on the top and narrows along the front and a standard clip 10
attached to the back. Though the funnel cup is a preferred
embodiment, the invention contemplates any feasible cup design that
can interlock with the ball projections described in the following
figures, Likewise, the inv ration also contemplates any fastening
means known in the art in addition to the clip-holder assembly or
the standard clip design shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0043] One object of this invention is to provide a new and
improved way to stow a walking staff-fishnet combination such as
that disclosed in provisional application 61/520,209 and sister
non-provisional application 13/482046, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,180.
Though FIGS. 3-7 depict some preferred embodiments related to this
device, the ball projection and cup connector assembly can also be
used with traditional fishing nets, hiking sticks and an other type
of outdoor gear that is practical to carry on one's person. FIG. 3
shows an embodiment of a telescopic walking staff/integral fishing
net such as that disclosed in provisional application 61/520,209
and sister non-provisional application Ser. No. 13/482,046, now
U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,810. Walking staff/fishing net 20 is comprised
of frame 21 holding fishing net 24, staff 22 connected at the
bottom of frame 21, handle 23 connected at the top of frame 21 and
the ball projection 27 comprised of projection 25 having spherical
end 26 located on the front of frame 21 towards the top end near
the handle 23. Though the hall projections in this and the
following figures are depicted with spherical ends, the end of a
ball projection can be any feasible shape that can interlock with a
cup connector of the disclosed invention. FIG. 4 depicts the
walking staff/fishing net 20 from FIG. 3 interlocking with cup
connector 1 of FIG 1. FIG. 4a shows the ball projection 27 of as
retracted walking staff/fishing net 20 situated over cup connector
1, FIG. 4b shows the ball projection 27 of the walking
staff/fishing net 20 situated most of the way into cup connector 1,
and FIG. 4c shows the ball projection 27 of the walking
staff/fishing net 20 "locked" into the bottom of cup connector 1 as
necessary for transport.
[0044] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment for the telescopic
walking staff/integral fishing net such as that disclosed in
provisional application 61/520,209 and sister non-provisional
application Ser. No. 13/482,046 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,810.
Walking staff/fishing net 30 has ball projection 31 located on the
top of staff 32 where it connects to the bottom of frame 33. FIG. 6
shows the staff 30 of FIG. 5 without netting being interlocked with
the cup connector 8 depicted FIG. 2 via ball projection 31
protruding through opening 11 in funnel cup 9. FIG. 7 depicts staff
30 interlocking with cup connector 8 in an alternative (180 degree
opposite) orientation.
[0045] FIG. 8 shows embodiments of a cup connector incorporated
into the outerwear of sportsperson. FIG. 8a depicts a front
orientation embodiment of vest 40 having cup connector 41 that can
interlock with staff 30 as depicted in FIG. 5 via ball projection
31. FIG. 8b depicts a back orientation embodiment of vest 42 with
cup connector 43 that can interlock with staff 20 as depicted in
FIG. 3 via projection 27, incorporation designs can include but not
limited, to the cup being sewn into the clothing, or attachment is
snaps or D-ring attachment for easy removability of cup from the
person.
[0046] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a ball projection 50 used with
a hiking stick 51. Preferably the hiking stick is comprised of
telescopic segments 52 that are retractable so that the hiking
stick is easier to carry on ones person. FIG. 10 depicts a water
bottle 53 with an integral ball projection 54.
[0047] FIGS. 11a-f show a preferred embodiment of a cup connector
capable of receiving a spherical ball projection attached to a
piece of equipment. Some examples of such equipment are disclosed
in FIGS. 3, 5, 9, and 10. Insertion and locking of bail projection
is similar to that described for FIGS. 4a-c. Cup connector 60 is
comprised of a Y-shaped cup 81 with a generously wide top opening
62 that is contiguous with slot opening 63 on the front 64 of the
cup. Most preferably, the width of the bottom of cup 61 is
approximately 1/5 of the width of the top of cup 61 and the height
of cup 61 is approximately 3/5 of the width of the top of cup 61.
In one embodiment, on the bottom side of the Y-shaped cup 61 is a
centrally located opening 68. Alternatively the bottom side of
V-shaped cup 61 can be a solid piece. A shown in this figure, a
preferred embodiment has two styles of clip attachments. Attached
to the back 65 of the cup are a centrally located solid clip 66 and
two fork clips 67. Fork clips 67 may be further comprised of
grippers 69. Use of two different typos of clips gives the user
flexibility when using the cup connector. The cup connector can
attached to a belt or a traditional clothing pocket using the solid
clip or the cup connector can be attached to the user's clothing
using the fork clips via a dock similar to that described in FIGS
12a-c. Alternatively, a cup with a single type o clip attachment is
also contemplated.
[0048] FIGS. 12a-c depict a dock that can be used in conjunction
with the cup connector embodiment shown in FIGS. 11A-F. Dock 70 is
comprised of a sturdy, yet flexible, backing 71. The front 72 of
backing 71 is comprised of pockets 73 with openings 75 that can
snuggly receive the fork clips 67 from FIGS. 11a-f. The rear 74 of
backing 71 is a flat surface that can be attached to clothing.
Attachment of dock 70 to clothing can be done by glue or any other
means known for attachment.
[0049] Advantages to using a docking system comprised of the
combination of using a cup connector similar to that in FIG. 11a-f
with a dock similar to that in FIG. 12a-c are:
The connector can be the sole holder for the equipment when
attached to the clothing of a person. Its design provides a stable
platform for a person to carry recreational equipment utilizing a
ball projection such as the combination fishing net/walking stick
described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,810, an individual fishing net or
a walking stick with a ball projection, or any other item with a
ball projection attachment such as a water bottle. The generous top
opening in this and in the other cup connector embodiments allows
for easy manipulation of such ball projection recreational
equipment, because it is no a hassle for the user to insert or
remove the equipment; precision and sight of the cup connector is
not necessary. The use of the dock allows flexibility in the
placement of the cup connector on the person. The most preferred
place for the connector is on the sweet spot of the back. The sweet
spot for most people is right below the back of the neck at the C-7
vertebrate and most garments that use an attachment ring on the
back have that attachment ring sitting too low on the person,
basically in area that cannot be easily reached. The use of the
dock alleviates this problem. The dock can be attached to any
clothing on a place where the person feels it will be most
comfortable and convenient including the sweet spot. The open
design allows for easy retrieval of the equipment from anywhere on
a person's body without the user using having look; therefore the
user can keep their eyes on their activity. The use of the cap
connector also provides increased stability for storing a piece of
ball projection equipment on a person.
[0050] Though only certain outdoor sporting gear is depicted in the
figures, the invention contemplates using a ball projection on any
piece of outdoor recreational gear that is practical to carry
around on one's person by interlocking with the cup connectors
disclosed in the present invention.
[0051] Cup connectors and dock can be comprised any materials with
enough strength to support a piece of outdoor gear with a ball
projection. Ball projections can be integral to the piece of gear
or the can be attached as separate pieces by any means known in the
art.
[0052] The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely
exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the
art will readily recognize from the accompanying drawings and
claims that various changes or modifications can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
* * * * *