Sports Accessory Belt

A sports accessory belt having a belt strip having an attachment mechanism and a base strip, and a hem, wherein an interior surface of the attachment mechanism is connected to an exterior surface of the base strip.

BACKGROUND

Golf is an extremely popular sport in the United States and in other countries throughout the world. A golfer uses a golf club to strike a golf ball in order to move the golf ball toward a hole. A golfer often utilizes a golf glove to protect the hand from injury and allow the golfer to secure a tight grip on the golf club. The golfer will often remove the golf glove for comfort while in transition to the next shot or while putting. Golfers must transport their golf equipment around the golf course as they play the game. Typically the golfer places golf clubs in a golf bag, however, typically smaller items, such as a golf glove, are not placed in a golf bag so the golfer can easily access the golf glove without spending needless time accessing the golf bag in search for the golf glove. Golfers often place their golf glove in the pocket of their pants. This, too, is undesirable as the golf glove will often fall out or interfere with the golfer's ability to play golf.

There is thus a need to provide golfers with a device that will allow a golf glove to be secured to the golfer's body in a manner that reduces the likelihood of the glove from easily being detached from the device as a result of the glove snagging or catching on an object, such as a tree branch, or the golfer's club or hands while swinging a golf club.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure pertains to a sports accessory belt having a belt strip having an attachment mechanism and a base strip, and a hem, wherein an interior surface of the attachment mechanism is connected to an exterior surface of the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the attachment mechanism is a continuous piece of material extending substantially the full length of the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the attachment mechanism is a hook or loop mechanism.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem is continuously integrated with the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem extends from the base strip, wraps around a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism, and attaches to the attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the interior surface of the hem touches the exterior surface of the attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem wraps around a perimeter edge of the belt strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein a first portion of an the interior surface of the hem touches an exterior surface of the attachment mechanism and a second portion of an interior surface of the hem touches an exterior surface of the base strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein a portion of the attachment mechanism is positioned between the base strip and the hem.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt having a cavity. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the cavity extends substantially the entire length of the belt strip. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the cavity is configured to receive the complete thickness of the flap of the glove, so that the top surface of the glove flap is at an even level or recessed below the exterior surface of the hem. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt having a second hem, wherein the cavity is defined by the first hem, the second hem, and the attachment mechanism.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein having a securing mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein securing mechanism passes through the base strip and the attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the securing mechanism passes through the hem. Another aspect of the disclosure is a sports accessory belt wherein the hem comprises a first hem portion and a second hem portion and wherein the securing mechanism passes through the first hem portion and the second hem portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown inFIG. 1, the present disclosure pertains to sports accessory belt10configured to attach sports accessories12, for example, without limitation, a sports glove such as a golf glove, baseball batting glove, or the like, to the belt10. The belt10is configured to be disposed around the waist of an athlete where the interior surface11of the belt10touches the athlete. As shown inFIGS. 2-3, the belt10can have a belt strip20having a base strip30and an attachment mechanism40.

The attachment mechanism40is configured to secure a sports accessory12to the belt strip20. As shown inFIGS. 2-4, the interior surface42of the attachment mechanism40can be connected to and/or touch the exterior surface32of the base strip30. In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism40can be a continuous piece of material extending substantially the full length of the base strip30. In one embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 5-6, the belt strip20can have more than one attachment mechanism40of desired lengths and positioned at desired locations on the base strip30. The multiple attachment mechanisms40can be disposed apart from one another at predetermined intervals on the base strip30.

The attachment mechanism40can be any means for releasably attaching a sports accessory12to the belt strip20, for example, without limitation, the attachment mechanism40can be a hook and loop mechanism. In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism40can be a hook or loop mechanism, for example, without limitation, the attachment mechanism40can be the hook member or the loop member of a hook and loop mechanism. Most sports gloves12close using a hook and loop material having two closing flaps, a hook flap (not shown) and a loop flap14, where the hook flap has hook material and the loop flap14has loop material. Thus, where the attachment mechanism40has hook material, the sports glove12can attach to the belt by securing the loop flap14to the attachment mechanism40, and where the attachment mechanism40has loop material, the sports glove12can attach to the belt10by securing the hook flap to the attachment mechanism40.

The base strip30can have an interior surface34and an exterior surface32. The base strip30can be made of any suitable material for a belt strip20, for example, leather, fabric, plastic, synthetic material, composite material, or the like.

In one embodiment, the belt10can have at least one hem50configured to secure the attachment mechanism40to the base strip30. The hem50can have an exterior surface52and an interior surface. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 7, the hem50is a continuous piece integrated with the base strip30. In one embodiment, the hem50can be created by folding a portion of the base strip30around a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism40so the interior surface of the hem50touches the exterior surface44of the attachment mechanism40and/or the interior surface32of the base strip30. In one embodiment, a portion of the attachment mechanism40is positioned between the base strip30and the hem portion50of the base strip30. Upon the attachment mechanism40being secured to the base strip30by the securing mechanism60, the attachment mechanism40is pinched between the base strip30and the hem50. This, and other similar engagements described herein, allow for the attachment mechanism40to be more firmly secured to the base strip30thereby allowing for a resilient engagement more impervious against the forces pulling the attachment mechanism40away from the base strip30as a result of the repeated disengagement of the sports glove12from the attachment mechanism40. This is because the hem50receives some of the detachment force thereby preventing the securing mechanism60from receiving all of the detachment force. The hem50can extend a portion of a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism40, substantially the entire length of a perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism40, or the entire perimeter of the attachment mechanism40. In one embodiment, the belt strip20can have two hems50, where a first hem50ais positioned along a first longitudinal perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism40and a second hem50bis positioned along a second longitudinal perimeter edge of the attachment mechanism40.

In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 8, the hem50can be an additional piece of material, separate from the base strip30, where the hem50piece is folded around a perimeter edge of the belt strip20. In one embodiment, the hem50can have a top hem portion56and a bottom hem portion58. The hem50can be secured to the belt strip20by the bottom hem portion58being secured to the exterior surface34of the base strip30, the hem50wrapping around the perimeter of the belt strip20, and the top hem portion56being secured to the exterior surface of the attachment mechanism40. More specifically, the interior surface of the top hem portion56touches the exterior surface44of the attachment mechanism40and the interior surface of the bottom hem portion58touches the exterior surface34of the base strip30.

In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism40is recessed below the hem50. In one embodiment, the exterior surface44of the attachment mechanism40is recessed below the exterior surface52of the hem50thereby creating a cavity70defined by a first hem50a, second hem50b, and attachment mechanism40. For example, without limitation, where the attachment mechanism40is the hook portion of the hook and loop attachment mechanism40, the top of the hooks on the exterior surface44of the attachment mechanism40can be positioned below the exterior surface56a,bof the hem50. The cavity70is configured such that the cavity70is sufficiently deep to completely receive a glove flap14of a sport glove12or the thickness of a glove flap14of the sports glove12so that, upon a glove flap14connecting to the attachment mechanism40, the exterior surface16of the glove flap is at least at an even level or recessed below an exterior surface52a,bof the hem50. This reduces the likelihood of the glove flap14catching or snagging on an object and inadvertently being stripped off the belt10. In one embodiment, the cavity70can extend substantially the entire length of the belt strip20.

In one embodiment, the belt strip20can have a securing mechanism60for securing the attachment mechanism40to the base strip30. The securing mechanism60can secure the attachment mechanism40to the base strip30and/or to the hem50by way of adhering the attachment mechanism40utilizing adhesive, sewing the attachment mechanism40utilizing thread, or the like. In one embodiment, where the securing mechanism60is thread, the securing mechanism60is sewn through the hem50, the attachment mechanism40, the base strip30, or any combination thereof, thereby securing the attachment mechanism40to the base strip30by threading the attachment mechanism40to the base strip30and cinching the attachment mechanism40between the hem50and the base strip30. In one embodiment, where the securing mechanism60is thread, the securing mechanism60is sewn through the attachment mechanism40and the base strip30, thereby securing the attachment mechanism40to the base strip30.

In one embodiment, the belt can have a buckle18engaged to a first end22of the belt strip20and a tongue portion19incorporated into the second end of the belt strip20. The tongue portion19can have a plurality (e.g., four or five) of holes spaced apart in a line or row along the belt strip20configured to receive a prong of the buckle18, can have rivets configured to be received by a ratcheting mechanism of the buckle18, or the like.

The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments described above, as they should be regarded as being illustrative and not as restrictive. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.