Sports backpack

[0002] This invention relates in general to article carriers and deals more particularly with an improved sports backpack for carrying bulky sports gear.

[0003] There was a time when knapsacks and backpacks were generally associated with hiking and camping and where used almost exclusively in those activities. However, in recent years the trend toward more casual lifestyle has contributed to the acceptance and rise in popularity of the backpack as a convenient means for transporting articles of all kinds and special purpose backpacks have been developed for a wide range of usages.

[0004] Heretofore, such special purpose backpacks have been provided for carrying bulky sports gear. One such backpack shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,581 to Reddy is particularly adapted to carry a large sports ball, such as a basketball and is convertible between a backpack and a shoulder bag. Another backpack for bulky sports gear and footwear is shown in the patent to Kliot, Des. 409,377. A shoulder carried sports pack shown in the patent to McArthur, 4,883,207, is particularly suited to carry equipment for recreational water sports such as scuba diving and provides pockets for carrying flippers. However, such backpacks as heretofore available are not generally suited to contain or otherwise carry an elongated sports playing device such as a baseball bat or a tennis racket having an elongated handle and shaft.

[0005] Accordingly, it is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved, versatile sports backpack particularly adapted to carry sports apparel including such specialized footwear as may be required to play a sport and an elongated playing device such as a bat or a racket, for example. It is a further aim of the invention to provide an improved sports backpack to be worn on the back when hiking or cycling, but which may be conveniently hand carried, when necessary, as when traveling by public transportation. Yet another aim of the invention is to provide a backpack which may be folded to a convenient size for storage when not in use.

[0006] In accordance with the present invention, an improved sports backpack has a pack body formed from flexible sheet material and includes a main container having front and rear walls and defining a main carrying compartment. The pack body further includes a pair of elongated upwardly extending footwear containers located rearward of the main container and disposed in laterally spaced apart side-by-side relation to each other. The footwear containers cooperate with the rear wall to define a rearwardly open carrying space for receiving and containing in a carrying position an elongated portion of a sports playing device, such as the barrel portion of a baseball bat or the handle and shaft portions of a tennis racket. A releasable retaining means draws the shoe containers toward each other and into gripping engagement with an associated portion of the playing device to releasably secure the playing device to the backpack.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a sports backpack embodying the present invention shown with a baseball bat secured in a carrying position thereon.

[0008] FIG. 2 is front perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1, but shown with a tennis racket secured thereto in a carrying position.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the backpack of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4—4 of FIG. 3.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the backpack.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the backpack as it appears in FIG. 3.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the backpack as it appears in FIG. 3.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a right side elevational view of the backpack as it appears in FIG. 3.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a left side elevational view of the backpack as it appears in FIG. 3.

[0016] Turn now to the drawings, a sports backpack embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The backpack 10 essentially comprises a pack body made from suitable water repellent flexible sheet material and designated generally by the numeral 12. The pack body includes a main storage container 14, suitable for carrying sports apparel, a towel, and miscellaneous other items. A pair of footwear containers 16,16, each define a storage compartment for carrying a shoe or the like separated from the articles in the main storage compartment. The backpack 10 is further constructed and arranged to carry an elongated sports playing device, such as a baseball bat shown in FIG. 1 and indicated by the letter B. A playing device of another kind or any elongated article of suitable size and length may be carried on the pack 10, as, for example, a tennis racket having elongated handle and shaft portions, and in FIG. 2 the backpack 10 is shown with a racket, indicated by the letter R, supported in a carrying position thereon.

[0017] Further referring to the drawings and considering the backpack 10 in more detail and as it appear oriented in the drawings, the main storage container 14 has a front wall 18, a rear wall 20, and pair of opposing sidewalls 22 and 24, a bottom wall 26, and an arcuately upwardly arched top wall 28. Access to the storage compartment defined by the main storage container 14 is provided through an opening in the top wall 28. The opening extends across the entire width of the top wall between the sidewalls and is closed by a slide fastener or zipper 30. A closure flap 32 formed on the top wall overlies the zipper 30 when the main storage container 14 is secured in closed position by the zipper.

[0018] The front wall 18, normally rests on the back of a person wearing the pack, is padded for the comfort, and imparts a degree of rigidity to the pack. More specifically, the front wall 18 is formed by two layers of sheet material or fabric with padding material 32 sandwiched therebetween. The padding layer imparts rigidity to the front wall. The outer layers of the padded front wall are stitched together through the inner padding to prevent shifting of the padding. The stitching, best shown in FIG. 3 includes a main stitch indicated at 34 which extends from the top wall 28 to the bottom wall 26, bisecting the front wall 18, substantially as shown. The main stitch 34 defines a fold line along which the front wall may be forwardly folded onto itself to collapse the empty pack to a somewhat more convenient size for storage when not in use.

[0019] A relatively deep front pocket (not shown) is provided within the storage compartment defined by the main storage container 14 and is located adjacent the inner surface of the front wall 18. The front pocket which is partially defined by the front wall 18 may be used to carry a towel or the like separated from other articles in the main compartment. Another somewhat smaller rear pocket (not shown) which has a zipper closure is located in the main storage compartment adjacent the rear wall 20 and is suitable for carrying a wallet, keys, and other small personal articles.

[0020] A pair of padded shoulder straps 36,36 of adjustable length are disposed forwardly of the front wall 18 for use when the pack is worn as a backpack. The shoulder straps are preferably made from a web material and have upper ends secured in spaced apart relation to each other near the upper end of the pack and at junctions of the front and top walls. The lower ends of the adjustable shoulder straps 36,36 are respectively stitched to gussets attached to opposite sides of the pack body at junctions of the front and side walls of the main container 14. The shoulder straps 36,36 are inclined downwardly from the upper end of the pack and away from each other and are adapted to be disposed between opposite halves of the front wall 18 when the pack is folded to a collapsed position along the fold line defined by the main stitch 34. A carrying handle 40 preferably formed from flexible web material, is located centrally of the upper end of the pack body 12, the opposite ends of the handle being stitched to the pack body in laterally spaced apart relation to each other at junctions between the front and top walls, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

[0021] The footwear containers 16,16 comprise generally rectangular containers, define shoe receiving compartments, and are mounted in upwardly extending positions on the rear wall 20 and in laterally spaced apart side-by-side relation to each other, the front wall of each footwear compartment being defined by an associated portion of the main container rear wall 20. Each footwear container 16 has an outer side wall 42 which forms a rearward extension of an associated one of the side walls 22 and 24 of the main storage container. Each footwear container also has a rear wall 43, a top wall 44, a bottom wall 46 and an inner side wall 48. At least a portion of one wall of each footwear container 16 provided with ventilation openings compartment. In the presently preferred embodiment 10, the top and inner side wall of each container 16 are formed from a flexible net material which defines the ventilation openings. Access to the interior of each shoe container 16 is provided by a vertically disposed central opening in the rear wall 43 which extends from the top wall 44 to the bottom wall 46. A zipper 50 provides a closure for the latter opening.

[0022] The opposing inner side walls 48,48 of the footwear containers are spaced apart a sufficient distance to define a carrying space therebetween for receiving and containing an elongated portion of a sports playing device as, for example, the barrel of a baseball bat, such as the bat B shown in FIG. 1, or the handle and shaft portions of a tennis racket, such as the racket R shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] A horizontally disposed supporting wall 52, which comprises a part of the pack body 12, extends across the space between the lower ends of the footwear containers 16,16. Preferably, and as shown, the supporting wall 52 and the footwear container bottom walls 46,46 are disposed generally within a common plane. The supporting wall 52 serves to support a lower end of a playing device or other article disposed in a carrying position in the carrying space between the footwear containers. The pack body further includes a generally vertically disposed and rearwardly facing retaining wall 54 which extends across the carrying space between the footwear container inner side walls 48,48 near the lower ends of the containers. The retaining wall 54 serves to retain in a carrying position a lower end portion of a playing device or other article supported in carrying position in the carrying space between the footwear containers 16,16. In accordance with presently preferred construction, the retaining wall 54 lies within the plane of the footwear container rear walls 43,43, is joined to the rear edge of the supporting wall 52, and cooperates with the supporting wall and portions of the rear wall 20 and the inner side walls 48,48 to form an upwardly open pocket 55 at the lower end of the pack body 12 bridging the carrying space between the footwear containers 16,16 for receiving, supporting and retaining the lower end of a playing device or other article in carrying position within the carrying space between the footwear containers.

[0024] An article disposed in carrying position within the pocket 55 extends upwardly between the opposing inner side walls 48,48 and is further retained on the backpack 10 by an adjustable retaining strap assembly indicated generally at 56. The retaining strap assembly 56 essentially comprises a pair of separable retaining straps 58 and 60 releasably connected together by a quick connect and release buckle 62 of a well-known type. One of the retaining straps is attached to the pack body at one side of the body and at a junction between the rear wall 20 and an associated outer side wall 42 and near the lower end of the body. The other retaining strap 60 is attached to the opposite side of the pack body and at a junction between the rear wall 20 and the other outer side wall 42, but at a somewhat higher elevation relative to the lower end of the pack body. Thus, the retaining strap assembly 56 extends across the rear walls 43,43 of both footwear containers 16,16 and is upwardly inclined from one side of the pack body toward the opposite side of the body, substantially as shown in the drawings. As shown in FIG. 9, the buckle 62 has two separable parts 64 and 66 releasably connected together by resilient latches. The two buckle parts may be separated from each other by pinching a central portion of the buckle to release the latches. Shortening the effective length of the adjustable retaining strap 56 by pulling on the free end of the strap 60 causes the retaining strap assembly to draw the footwear containers 16,16 toward each other thereby bringing the inner side walls 48,48 into gripping engagement with a playing member, such as the bat B, or other elongated article supported in carrying position therebetween.

[0025] An additional holding strap assembly, indicated generally at 66, is provided to further secure a playing member or other article in carrying position on the backpack 10. Like the retaining strap assembly 56, previously described, the holding strap assembly 66 includes a pair of holding straps and a quick connect and disconnect buckle. One end of the holding strap assembly 66 is attached to one side of the pack body near the upper end of the footwear container 16 at that side of the body and at the junction formed by the main container rear wall 20 and outer side wall 42. The other end of the holding strap assembly 66 is attached to an upper portion of the pack body 12 at a junction between the rear wall 20 and the top wall 28. The holding strap assembly 66 is upwardly inclined in the manner of the retaining strap assembly 56 and in the general direction of incline of the retaining strap assembly. The holding strap assembly 66 is adapted to engage a portion of the playing member or other article being carried at a location above the top walls of the footwear containers 16,16 and further serves to hold the playing member or other article in carrying position within the carrying space between the footwear containers. The quick connect and release buckles on the retaining and holding strap assemblies permit an article to be quickly released from its carrying position without altering the adjustment of the retaining and holding straps. The article may then be quickly returned to its carrying position on the pack without further strap adjustment.

[0026] An insulated water bottle container 68 is mounted on one side of the pack body 12. A pouch 70 with a zipper closure is also located externally of the pack body and at the opposite side of the body and provides a container for small articles which may be readily accessed without opening the main storage container 14. A pouch for a portable radio or cellular telephone, shown in FIG. 2 and indicated at 72, may also be provided and conveniently attached to one of the shoulder straps by a VELCRO fastener (not shown).

[0027] Although the pack is normally worn on the back supported by the shoulder straps 36,36, it can also be hand carried by the handle 40 as, for example, when traveling on public transportation where the pack cannot be conveniently be worn.