U.S. patent application number 15/849378 was filed with the patent office on 2018-06-21 for apparatus and methods for a sports gear organizer.
The applicant listed for this patent is John T. Reed, JR.. Invention is credited to John T. Reed, JR..
Application Number | 20180169502 15/849378 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62557281 |
Filed Date | 2018-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180169502 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reed, JR.; John T. |
June 21, 2018 |
Apparatus and Methods for a Sports Gear Organizer
Abstract
A wall mountable rack for storing balls, pucks, gloves, jerseys,
sticks, bats, light gear and related accessories related to
Lacrosse, Hockey, Baseball, Floorball, Field Hockey or any similar
sport. The rack includes a wall mountable single piece body with
vertically spaced, upper and lower shelf extending away from a
connecting backing structure. The upper shelf comprises of concave
pockets alternating with U-shaped indentations and having a lip
like edge structure. The lower shelf has a similar structure which
is a mirror image of the upper shelf.
Inventors: |
Reed, JR.; John T.; (Tigard,
OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Reed, JR.; John T. |
Tigard |
OR |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
62557281 |
Appl. No.: |
15/849378 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62436927 |
Dec 20, 2016 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 81/005 20130101;
A47B 81/00 20130101; A63B 57/20 20151001; A47B 96/06 20130101; A63B
71/0045 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 71/00 20060101
A63B071/00; A47B 81/00 20060101 A47B081/00; A47B 96/06 20060101
A47B096/06 |
Claims
1. A sports gear organizer comprising: an upper shelf with two or
more concave pockets alternating with U-shaped indentations and a
first edge structure contouring the upper shelf; a lower shelf with
two or more convex pockets alternating with U-shaped indentations
and a second edge structure contouring the lower shelf; the upper
shelf and the lower shelf are vertically spaced and project away
from a connecting backing structure.
2. The sports gear organizer described in claim 1, wherein the
backing structure has at least two pairs of reinforced holes to
assist in wall mounting.
3. The sports gear organizer described in claim 1, wherein the
upper shelf structure is a mirror image of the lower shelf
structure.
4. The sports gear organizer described in claim 1, wherein the
upper shelf has a hole in the spacing between the one or more
concave packets and the edge structure contouring the upper
shelf.
5. The sports gear organizer described in claim 1, wherein the
lower shelf has a hole in the spacing between the one or more
convex packets and the edge structure contouring the lower
shelf.
6. The sports gear organizer described in claim 1, wherein a double
headed hook can be attached to a pair of holes belonging to one
from the upper shelf and to one from a lower shelf
respectively.
7. The sports gear organizer as described in claim 1, wherein the
U-shaped indentations of the upper shelf and the U-shaped
indentation of the lower shelf align with each other.
8. The sports gear organizer as described in claim 1, wherein the
concave pockets of the upper shelf align above the convex pockets
of the lower shelf are separated by a distance of separation
between the upper shelf and the lower shelf.
9. The sports gear organizer as described in claim 1, wherein the
height of the sports gear organizer ranges between 4.00 to 5.00
inches.
10. The sports gear organizer as described in claim 1, wherein the
length of the sports gear organizer ranges between 23.00 to 25.00
inches.
11. The sports gear organizer as described in claim 1, wherein the
depth of the sports gear organizer ranges between 3.00 to 4.00
inches.
12. The sports gear organizer as described in claim 1, wherein the
sports gear organizer is made of a plastic material.
13. A method of installing a sports gear organizer on a wall,
comprising: marking one or more pairs of screw locations on a wall;
aligning the screw locations to the one or more pair of reinforced
holes on a backing structure of the sports gear organizer; and
inserting one or more pair of screws into the wall through the
reinforced holes.
14. The method of installing a sports gear organizer on a wall as
described in claim 10, further comprising, attaching one or more
hooks to the sports gear organizer through apertures in an upper
shelf and a lower shelf.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/436,927 filed Dec. 20, 2016, entitled as
"Sports Gear Organizer", which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The field of this inventive subject matter is for organizers
for sporting gear. Especially a multipurpose rack which can
simultaneously hold different kinds of sporting gear, for example
balls, bats, sticks, hangers, hats, gloves, shoes in a space
efficient and organized manner.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A varied number of accessories are generally associated with
the playing of any kind of sports, balls, bats, gloves, hats,
gloves, uniforms and like. It is desirable to store these gears in
an organized manner without cluttering.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,462 issued to Brooks describes a wall
mountable sports equipment rack having a ball holder having an
arcuate region and balancing leg.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,278 issued to Craft et al. describes a
sports storage rack with a storage area and a raised upper shelf
equipped to hold different sports accessories.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,890 issued to de Villers describes a
sports equipment storage rack comprising two parallel support
members with a transverse forwardly extending upper support member
secured to an upper end of each the vertical support members.
[0007] The usual problems associated with the prior organizers is
that they are designed for one type of sporting equipment.
Accordingly, there exists a need for wall mountable, durable and
light weight organizer to compactly and safely store variety of
accessories associated with any kind of sports.
SUMMARY
[0008] The present inventive subject matter in an embodiment
describes an apparatus for organizing sports gear in general,
specifically an organizer which can simultaneously hold different
kind of sporting gear, for example balls, bats, sticks, hangers and
like in a space efficient manner.
[0009] The present inventive subject matter in another embodiment
describes a wall mountable rack for storing balls, pucks, gloves,
jerseys, sticks, bats, light gear and related accessories related
to lacrosse, hockey, baseball, floorball, field hockey or any
similar sport. The rack includes a wall mountable single piece body
with vertically spaced, upper and lower shelf extending away from a
connecting backing structure. The upper shelf of the wall mountable
rack has a series of concave pockets alternating with U-shaped
indentations and having a lip like edge structure. The lower shelf
has a similar structure, which is a mirror image of the upper shelf
of the wall mountable rack.
[0010] The present inventive subject matter in a yet another
embodiment is an apparatus for organizing sports gear, specifically
an organizer which has additional attachable hooks and inserts for
holding more sporting accessories especially jerseys, hats,
helmets, additional gear (i.e. gloves, elbow pads, etc.),
backpacks, jackets, sweat shirts and the like.
[0011] The present inventive subject matter in another embodiment
describes the method steps for an installation of the sports gear
organizer on a wall.
[0012] These and other embodiments are described in more detail in
the following detailed descriptions and the figures. The foregoing
is not intended to be an exhaustive list of embodiments and
features of the present inventive subject matter. Persons skilled
in the art are capable of appreciating other embodiments and
features from the following detailed description in conjunction
with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 describes a perspective view of a sports gear
organizer according to an embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 2 describes a close-up view of the sports gear
organizer according to the embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 3 describes a front side view of the sports gear
organizer according to the embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 4 describes a backside view of the sports gear
organizer according to the embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 5 describes a left side/right side view of the sports
gear organizer according to the embodiment.
[0018] FIG. 6 describes an isometric view of the of the sports gear
organizer according to the embodiment mounted on a wall and
supporting lacrosse and hockey sticks shown in broken line
representation.
[0019] FIG. 7 describes a perspective view of a sports gear
organizer according to another embodiment.
[0020] FIG. 8 describes a perspective view of a sports gear
organizer according to another embodiment.
[0021] FIG. 9 describes the method steps for the installation of
the sports gear organizer on a wall.
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
[0022] 100--Illustrates FIG. 1 [0023] 110--Upper Shelf [0024]
120--Lower Shelf [0025] 130--Backing Structure [0026] 131--Left
side [0027] 132--Right side [0028] 133/134/135/136--Holes on
backing structure [0029] 140--Concave Pockets [0030] 150--U Shaped
indentations on upper shelf [0031] 160--Convex pockets [0032]
170--U Shaped indentations on lower shelf [0033] 180--Upper shelf
contour [0034] 190--Lower shelf contour [0035] 195--Holes on upper
shelf [0036] 196--Holes on lower shelf [0037] 200--Illustrates FIG.
2 [0038] 300--Illustrates FIG. 3 [0039] 400--Illustrates FIG. 4
[0040] 500--Illustrates FIG. 5 [0041] 600--Illustrates FIG. 6
[0042] 700--Illustrates FIG. 7 [0043] 710--Double headed hook
[0044] 720--Upper end of double headed hook [0045] 730--Lower end
of double ended hook [0046] 800--Illustrates FIG. 8 [0047]
810--Bracket hook [0048] 820--Bracket [0049] 850--Snapping inserts
[0050] 900--Method steps flow chart [0051] 910--Initial step [0052]
920--Second step [0053] 930--Third step [0054] 940--Final step
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0055] The sports gear organizer 100 of the present inventive
subject matter according to a first embodiment is as described in
FIG. 1. The sports gear organizer 100 includes an upper shelf 110
and a lower shelf 120, spaced apart and extending from a supporting
backing structure 130. The upper shelf 110 is designed to have two
or more adjacent concave pockets 140, which alternate with U-shaped
indentations 150 in the plane of the upper shelf 110. The concave
pockets 140 are designed for holding balls, pucks and similar
accessories. The lower shelf has a similar structure as the upper
shelf, with two or more adjacent convex pockets 160 alternating
with U-shaped indentations 170 which match/mate with the
positioning of the concave pockets 140 and U-shaped indentations
150 of the upper shelf. In an essence, the lower shelf can be
described as a mirror image of the upper shelf. The upper shelf has
a first lip like edge structure 180 facing vertically upwards from
the plane of the upper shelf and contouring from one end of the
backing 130 of the sports gear organizer to the other end. The lip
like edge structure contours both the concave pockets 140 and the
alternate U-shaped indentations 150. The lower shelf has a similar
second lip like edge structure 190, which faces vertically
downwards from the plane of the lower shelf. The upper and lower
shelf 110/120 have a series of reinforced apertures 195/196 in the
spacing between the concave/convex pockets 140/160 and the lip like
edge structures 180/190 respectively. The backing structure 130 of
the sports gear organizer 100 has two pairs 133/134/135/136 of
reinforced holes nearing to the left and right side 131/132 of the
sports gear organizer 100 respectively, to assist in wall mounting
of the structure.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view 200
of the sports gear organizer 100 according to the first embodiment.
It can be clearly visualized that the lip-like edge structure 180
adds further depth to the concave pockets and the U-shaped
indentations acquire a well-defined edge at the upper shelf
110.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, FIG. 3 refers to a front
side view 300 and FIG. 5 refers to the right/left side view 500 of
the sports gear organizer 100 according to the first embodiment.
The upper shelf 110 mirror imaging the lower shelf 120 can be
clearly visualized by these two FIGs. The backing structure 130 of
the sports gear organizer has two pair of reinforced holes
133/134/135/136 to assist in wall mounting of the structure. The
reinforced holes structures can be clearly visualized in 300 and
400. By means of the illustrated arrangement of using reinforced
holes, heavy items such as coats or the like which may be hung upon
the organizer exert stress directly against the screws insert into
the holes for mounting rather than the backing 130 which protects
the organizer from overload.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 4, 400 represents the backside view of the
sports gear organizer 100 according to the first embodiment. The
other end of the holes 133/134/135/136 can be clearly visualized
and the backside of the backing is plane flat, which would help in
attaching the structure in a more adhesive way to the wall.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 6, 600 represent an isometric view of the
of the sports gear organizer 100 according to the first embodiment
mounted on a wall and supporting balls and pucks in concave pockets
140 or in spacing behind the U-shaped indentations 150/170,
lacrosse sticks and hockey sticks held in the U-shaped indentations
150/170, a pair of gloves hanged on to the holes 196 with a hooked
rope and a jersey hanged on to a hanger and further hanged on to
the holes 196 of the sports gear organizer. All accessories shown
in broken line representation.
[0060] In a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the sports gear
organizer 100 would be as follows. A height ranging between 4.00 to
5.00 inches (typical separation between the upper shelf 110 and the
lower shelf 120), a length ranging between 23 to 25 inches and
depth ranging between 3.00 to 4.00 inches and the organizer can
hold up to 55 to 65 pounds of overall weight. In a varied
combination, the sports gear organizer can accommodate 5 to 7
bats/sticks in the U-shaped indentations 150/170, 5-6 balls/pucks
in the concave/convex pockets 140/160, several jerseys/sweatshirts
and similar gear and equipment. The organizer can be mounted at any
height for users of different heights and ages and is perfect
decluttering solution for homes, garages and rooms and athletic
centers. The organizer provides for easy/quick installation
procedures and installs into studs or drywall with the help of
common tools from a tool box. The series of holes on the upper
shelf and lower shelf are designed to pair up to hold prospective
attachments such as hooks, holders, clasps or similar specific
attachments for holding different sporting goods and
accessories.
[0061] The sports gear organizer 100 of the present inventive
subject matter according to another embodiment is as described at
700 as in FIG. 7. The sports gear organizer 100 as described in
FIG. 1, is attached with double headed hook 710. The double headed
hook 710 can be attached to any of a pair of reinforced apertures
195/196 belonging to the upper shelf 110 and the lower shelf 120.
These double headed hooks 710 are easily detachable. The double
headed hook has an upper hook head 720 and a lower hook head 730,
which can be used to hang accessories like jerseys, sweatshirts,
jackets and similar gear related to any sports. sports rack's
features allow you to hang/store skateboards, helmets and light
equipment/gear.
[0062] The sports gear organizer 100 of the present inventive
subject matter according to another embodiment is as described at
800 as in FIG. 8. A bracket hook 810 with a bracket 820 can be
attached between any of a pair of reinforced apertures 195/196
belonging to the upper shelf 110 and the lower shelf 120. The
bracket hook 810 can be used to hold on to different bats,
including but not limited to baseball bats and tennis rackets. Any
other hook attachments, which fall in the scope of the inventive
subject matter can be used attached to any of a pair of reinforced
apertures 195/196 belonging to the upper shelf 110 and the lower
shelf 120. The spacing of any of the U-shaped indentations 150 of
the upper shelf 110 or the U-shaped indentations 170 of the lower
shelf 120 can be adjusted by inserting snapping inserts 850, thus
making way for hanging sports accessories with narrow space
requirements. The snapping inserts 850 can be easily attached and
detached into the U-shaped indentations 150/170 of the upper shelf
110 or lower shelf 120. In a typical sports gear organizer 100, the
spacing of the U-shaped indentations 150/170 ranges between 0.86 to
0.88 inches. By inserting the snapping inserts 850, the spacing of
the U-shaped indentations 150/170 can be reduced by 1.5% of its
original spacing.
[0063] The sports gear organizer 100 of the present invention is
preferably constructed of a suitable high strength plastic, which
may be formed by conventional molding techniques. It will be
understood that while provision has been made for mounting 5-6
bats/sticks on the upper/lower shelf 110/120, any number of
indentations may be provided for mounting any desired number of
bats. In addition, while the double headed hooks 710, bracket hook
810, snapping inserts 850 are preferably constructed of plastic, it
will be understood that they may be formed from any other suitable
material depending on the desired use.
[0064] Referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 9 describes a method for
installing the sports gear organizer 100 on a mounting wall. The
initial step 910 includes marking one or more pairs of screw
locations on a wall. The second step 920 involves to align the
screw locations to the one or more pair of reinforced holes on a
backing structure of the sports gear organizer. The third step 930
involves to insert one or more pair of screws into the wall through
the reinforced holes and the final step 940 includes to check the
stability of the sports gear organizer and hanging different sports
gear on the sports gear organizer.
[0065] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the sports
gear organizer 100 of the present inventive subject matter includes
means for storing different sized balls without the need for any
special placements. In addition, the lip like edge structures
180/190 helps in holding on the accessories in place.
[0066] The many aspects and benefits of the invention are apparent
from the detailed description, and thus, it is intended for the
following claims to cover all such aspects and benefits of the
invention which fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.
In addition, because numerous modifications and variations will be
obvious and readily occur to those skilled in the art, the claims
should not be construed to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation illustrated and described herein.
Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents should be
understood to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed
herein.
* * * * *