Abstract:
An improved sports equipment frame includes frame having a main vertical member including an upper end and a lower end, and a plurality of extensions projecting laterally from the main vertical member; and a bowed hanger extending from the main vertical member for draping an article of clothing, the hanger elevationally located between the upper and lower ends of the vertical member. In a preferred embodiment, the sports equipment rack includes pant leg restrainers for suppressing movement of the legs of pants during spray washing, and a headgear support plate having a generally flat upper surface that is larger than the cross sectional area of the vertical member. The sports equipment rack is lightweight, compact and portable, and is suitable for storing, organizing, washing and drying various types of sporting equipment and clothing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/940,132 entitled SPORTS EQUIPMENT RACK, which was filed on Sep. 14, 2004 and is now pending. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention described herein relates to equipment and clothing racks, and more particularly to a sports equipment rack suitable for supporting sporting clothing and/or equipment for storage, washing and/or drying. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Various devices have been developed for supporting, washing and/or drying clothing and/or sporting equipment. However, many of these devices lack portability, in the sense that they cannot be easily carried and loaded into a vehicle. For example, various drying racks for shoes, boots, clothing and the like, include large, heavy frames with wheels or castors that allow the rack to be wheeled around on a floor within a building, but which are too large and unwieldy to be loaded into a typical non-commercial vehicle. Many of the more portable devices are only suitable for drying particular items, such as a helmet or shoes, and cannot be easily used for simultaneously supporting a complete set of sporting clothing and equipment. 
         [0004]    In certain sports, such as cross country motorcycle racing, it is often desirable to be able to wash and dry a complete set of equipment and clothing, including boots, helmet, trousers, jersey, pads, gloves, etc., between races. Known sports equipment racks and various related drying apparatuses have not been particularly well suited for washing and drying such equipment at remote locations due to their lack of portability and/or limited ability to support a complete set of sporting equipment and clothing. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,849 discloses a sports equipment rack for supporting various sports equipment, particularly hockey and football equipment. The device comprises straight, right angle, and obtuse angle tubular pieces that are connected together to form an equipment rack that is said to minimize the amount of floor space required, yet allow arrangement of the equipment and/or clothing to facilitate drying in as short a time as possible. However, the device does not include an integral hanger for supporting a jersey, jacket or trousers, but instead includes a helmet support that may be used to support a hanger for a jersey or pants on the backside of the rack. This arrangement is not particularly well suited for washing or drying trousers or jerseys. Further, the device does not facilitate rapid drying, but instead relies on gravity (drip drying) and natural air drying, and therefore is not particularly useful for washing and drying between events occurring on the same day. 
         [0006]    Unites States Patent Application Publication 2003/0222038 discloses a storage rack for athletic equipment and clothing having air flow apertures on each of various appendages which communicate with a common air chamber held at superatmospheric pressure by a heated air blower. However, the device does not include an integral hanger for supporting trousers, a jersey or a jacket, but instead has eyelets for supporting a removable hanger. This arrangement is not particularly conducive to washing or drying of trousers, jerseys or the like. 
         [0007]    There is a need for an improved sports clothing/equipment rack that is easily transportable by hand, and which can be easily loaded in a vehicle for use at a remote location for washing and/or drying a full set of sporting equipment and clothing, including headgear, trousers, jersey, gloves, footwear, pads, etc. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    There is provided an improved sports equipment rack that is easily transported by hand, and which facilitates washing and drying of a full set of sporting equipment and clothing, including headgear, trousers, jersey, footwear, gloves, pads, etc., at a remote location. 
         [0009]    In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the sports equipment rack comprises a frame including a main vertical member having an upper end and a lower end, and a plurality of extensions projecting laterally from the main vertical member; and a hanger having bowed shoulders extending from the main vertical member for a torso-covering article of clothing, the hanger elevationally located between the upper and lower ends of the vertical member. This arrangement allows trouser and/or a jersey to be supported in manner that facilitates rapid washing and drying of the jersey and/or trousers. 
         [0010]    These and other features, advantages and objects of the invention will be further understood and appreciated by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sports equipment rack for supporting sporting equipment and/or clothing for storage, washing and/or drying. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view illustrating assembly and disassembly of the sports equipment rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the sports equipment rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a fragmented, enlarged perspective view of an upper section of the sports equipment rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4A  is a fragmented, enlarged perspective view of the upper section of an alternative embodiment of a sports equipment rack in accordance with the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a fragmented, enlarged perspective view of the lower section of the sports equipment rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are enlarged perspective views showing a valve arrangement for the boot/footwear supports of the sports equipment rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    In  FIG. 1 , there is shown an embodiment of a sports equipment rack  10  in accordance with the invention. Sports equipment rack  10  includes a frame  12  having a main vertical member  14  with an upper end  16  and a lower end  18 , and a plurality of extension projecting laterally from the main vertical member. The lateral extensions of the illustrated sports equipment rack  10  include boot/trouser-retainer extensions  20  and  21 , glove extensions  22  and  23 , and hanger extensions  24  and  25 . Extending upwardly from boot/trouser-retainer extensions  20 ,  21  are trouser leg restrainers  26  and  27 , and boot/footwear supports  28  and  29 . Extending upwardly from glove extensions  22 ,  23  are glove supports  30  and  31 . Extending from main vertical member  14  is a bow-shaped hanger  32 . Attached onto and supported solely by upper end  16  of vertical member  14  is a headgear support plate  34 . 
         [0019]    Sports equipment rack  10  is designed to be mounted either to a wall using a wall mount  36 , or on a foldable base  38 . Thus, the illustrated embodiment is provided with lateral extensions  40 ,  41  that are adapted for quick connection to lateral members  42  and  43 , respectively, projecting from base plate  44  of wall mount  36 . Preferably, extensions  40 ,  41  and lateral members  42 ,  43  are provided with cooperating quick-connect mechanisms that allow frame  12  to be quickly and easily attached to wall mount  36  and quickly removed when desired. Desirably, base plate  44  of wall mount  36  is provided with fastener apertures that allow wall mount  36  to be securely fastened (such as which screws) to a sturdy member (e.g., stud) of a wall. 
         [0020]    A quick-release/quick-connect mechanism may be provided to allow lower end  18  of main vertical member  14  to be easily attached to and removed from foldable base  38 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , foldable base  38  comprises two elongate members, including an upper base member  48  and a lower base member  49 . Lower base member  49  is attached to upper base member  48  so that lower base member  49  can be rotated (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), from the position shown in which members  48 ,  49  form a highly stable cross configuration, by  90  degrees into a configuration in which lower base member  49  is parallel to and located completely under upper base member  48 . Upper base member  48  is provided with a lug for attaching frame  12  to foldable base  38  to facilitate transportation and storage of foldable base  38  and frame  12  together. 
         [0021]    Sports equipment rack  10  is designed to support sporting equipment and clothing in a manner and orientation resembling the manner and orientation in which the sporting equipment and clothing are worn by a sportsman. This arrangement has many advantages. The arrangement allows the sportsman to quickly ascertain whether all of the equipment is present and in good condition. The arrangement also facilitates dressing or suiting up by presenting all of the equipment and clothing in an organized fashion. Another important advantage is that the configuration of the sports equipment rack  10  presents surfaces of the equipment and clothing in a manner resembling the manner in which such surfaces are presented on the sportsman, thereby facilitating washing of all surfaces of the equipment and clothing. Specifically, sports equipment rack  10  is configured with headgear support plate  34  attached at upper end  16  of main vertical member  14 , and with the footwear supports  28 ,  29  and trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  near the base or lower end  18  of sports equipment rack  10 . Hanger  32  is vertically located directly underneath headgear support plate  34 , and spaced sufficiently above trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  to allow a pair of trousers  50  (shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 1 ) to be suspended from hanger  32  with pant legs  51 ,  52  extending over trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27 . This serves two functions. First, in all embodiments, restrainers  26 ,  27  prevent trousers  50  from moving while being washed, such as during spraying with a hose. In certain embodiments, trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  are provided with a plurality of apertures from which heated air flows from the interior of frame  12  onto and up the legs of trousers  50 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , hanger  32  may be provided with a pair of clips  56  from which a pair of trousers may be suspended at the waist. Preferably, trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  are located under hanger  32  so that pant legs  51 ,  52  of trousers  50  suspended from hanger  32  can be positioned over trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  to suppress movement of pant legs  51 ,  52 , such as during spray washing or air drying in the wind. 
         [0023]    In an alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 4A , upwardly projecting prongs  58  extend from hanger  32  to provide a means by which a pair of trousers may be suspended from hanger  32  by placing belt loops of the trousers over prongs  58 . 
         [0024]    In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the invention, main vertical member  14 , boot/trouser restrainer extensions  20 ,  21 , glove extensions  22 ,  23 , hanger extensions  24 ,  25 , trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27 , boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29  and glove supports  30 ,  31  are tubular members that define conduits in fluid communication with each other for conveying heated air from an inlet port  60  through the various conduit members of frame  12  and out of a plurality of apertures  54  provided through walls of main vertical member  14 , lateral hanger extensions  24 ,  25 , trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27 , boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29  and glove supports  30 ,  31 . Specifically, heated air may be directed through the apertures at upper end  16  of main vertical member  14  to facilitate rapid drying of a helmet of other headgear supported on headgear support plate  34 , from the apertures through the walls of hanger extensions  24 ,  25  onto a jersey, jacket of the like supported on hanger  32 , from the apertures through the walls of trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  to facilitate rapid drying of trousers  50 , through the apertures defined in the walls of boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29  to facilitate rapid drying of boots or other footwear, and through the apertures defined in the walls of glove supports  30 ,  31  to facilitate rapid drying of gloves or mittens. 
         [0025]    Preferably, inlet air port  60 , may be provided with a quick-connect/disconnect coupling to facilitate quick connection to a flexible hose  62  for conveying heated air from a blow dryer  64  into frame  12  through inlet air port  60 . 
         [0026]    In the illustrated embodiment (see details in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ) a valve mechanism  66  is provided on boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29  to either allow air to flow out of the apertures in boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29  as shown in  FIG. 6 , or block off the flow of air through the apertures in boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29  as shown in  FIG. 7 . This feature allows air flow to be limited as desired to concentrate heated air flow through those apertures where it is needed. For example, in the event that a sportsman wishes to dry a jersey or jacket and a pair of trousers, but does not need to dry any footwear, valves  66  may be closed to cause more air to flow through the apertures defined in the walls of trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27 , glove supports  30 ,  31 , main vertical member  14  (near the headgear support plate), and hanger extensions  24 ,  25 . Although the illustrated embodiment includes valve mechanism  66 , on boot/footwear supports  28 ,  29 , it is conceivable that similar valve mechanisms may be employed for the apertures near the upper end  16  of frame  12  in the event that it is not necessary to dry a helmet or any other headgear. Similarly, such valve mechanisms may also be provided on hanger extensions  24 ,  25 , glove supports,  30 ,  31  and/or trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27 , to limit flow of heated air for drying as needed or desired. The telescopic sections  68 ,  70  and height adjustment locking mechanisms are designed to maintain a substantially leak proof or leak resistant conduit for conveying air from blower  64  to apertures  54  regardless of the height adjustment. 
         [0027]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , main vertical member  14  may be divided into separate telescoping sections, including a lower section  68  and an upper section  70 . In the illustrated embodiment, lower sections  68  includes a larger diameter tubular section  70  and a smaller diameter tubular section  74 , whereas upper section  70  of main vertical member  14  includes only a single larger diameter tubing which is the same size as the larger diameter tubing  72  of the lower section  68 . The outer dimensions of small diameter section  74  correspond with the inner dimensions of the larger diameter tube of upper section  70  so that upper section  70  can slide up and down in a telescoping manner with respect to lower section  68 , whereby the height of rack  10  may be adjusted. At the same time, the distance from hanger  32  to trouser leg restrainers  26 ,  27  is also adjusted to accommodate various trouser lengths to optimize utility during washing and drying. Various spring-loaded locking mechanisms may be used for holding upper section  70  at a desired height. The telescopic sections  68 ,  70  and height adjustment locking mechanisms are designed to maintain a substantially leak proof or leak resistant conduit for conveying air from blower  64  to apertures  54  regardless of the height adjustment. 
         [0028]    A useful optional feature of the sports equipment rack  10  of the invention is the provision of a detachable stool  76 . Stool  76  includes a padded seat  78 , a vertical support member  80 , and a pair of spaced apart lateral support members  82 ,  83  which connect with corresponding spaced apart lateral extensions  84 ,  85  projecting from a side of lower section  68  of main vertical member  14 . Preferably extensions  84 ,  85  and lateral supports members  82 ,  83  are provided with cooperating quick-connect coupling mechanisms that allow stool  76  to be quickly and easily attached to vertical member  14  and detached from vertical member  14 . A support plate  86 , which may include a cushioned pad (e.g., a rubber pad) on its underside, rests on the upper surface of base member  48  of foldable base  38 . Stool  76  is particularly useful for removing boots or other footwear, gear or clothing when rack  10  is used out of doors at a remote location. 
         [0029]    Another attractive optional feature of the sports equipment rack of this invention is the provision of a detachable umbrella holder  88 . Detachable umbrella holder  88  (best illustrated in  FIG. 4A ) includes a member  90  that is insertable into a lateral extension  92  projecting from main vertical member  14 , and a socket or retainer cup  94  for receiving an umbrella pole  95  or umbrella handle. Member  90  and extension  92  are preferably provided with cooperative quick-connect/disconnect coupling features that allow the umbrella holder  88  to be quickly and easily attached to or removed from vertical member  14 . This feature is particularly helpful for outdoor use during inclement weather, facilitating drying of clothing and/or equipment out of doors, even while it is raining. 
         [0030]    In order to facilitate transportability, main vertical member is preferably provided with a handle  96 . 
         [0031]    Hooks  98  project outwardly from side walls of vertical member  14  to provide means for supporting various miscellaneous items. 
         [0032]    While frame  12  may be constructed from various materials, including plastics, especially fiber reinforced plastics, hollow metal tubing, such as steel or aluminum is preferred. The various extensions and support members are preferably welded together, and plastic caps  99  may be used for closing off the ends of the various supports and extensions. 
         [0033]    The sports equipment rack is typically used as indicated in  FIG. 1 . Trousers may be suspended from prongs  58  or hanger clips  56  attached to hanger  32 . Preferably, trousers  50  are suspended from prongs  58  or clips  56  at the waist, so that the pant legs  51 ,  52  can be positioned over trouser leg retainers  26 ,  27 . If cleaning is necessary, it may be desirable to spray wash the trousers before supporting other equipment and/or clothing on rack  10 . Mittens or gloves  100  and/or boots  102  or other footwear may be placed over glove supports  30 ,  31  and footwear supports  28 ,  29  as appropriate, and spray washed as needed. Jersey or jacket  104  may then be draped over hanger  32  as shown in  FIG. 1 , and helmet  106  or other headgear may be placed on headgear support plate  34  and spray washed as needed. Thereafter, is desired, a blow dryer  64  may be connected to rack  10  via flexible hose  62  to dry equipment and clothing supported on rack  10 . Of course, rack  10  may be used for cleaning without forced convection drying, for either forced convection drying or natural drying without washing, or only for supporting and/or storing equipment/clothing. 
         [0034]    While the invention has been described primarily with reference to its use for cross country motorcycle racing equipment rack  10  may also be used for hunting equipment and/or clothing, snowmobile equipment and/or clothing, football equipment and/or clothing, and various other sporting equipment and/or clothing. 
         [0035]    The above description is considered that of particular embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.