Abstract:
According to one embodiment, a structure for storing a plurality of sport balls comprises top and bottom portions connected to a plurality of elongated mesh panels and a plurality of stretchable material panels attached in an alternating manner forming a generally elongated structure, a closure component creating a closable opening, and a rigid center tubular component including a plurality of sockets, wherein each socket is configured to hold a sport ball.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    Embodiments of the disclosure relate to the field of sport ball carriers. More specifically, one embodiment of the disclosure relates to a structure for the transport and storage of a plurality of sport balls wherein the sport balls are contained within the smallest possible space. 
       GENERAL BACKROUND 
       [0002]    While attending sporting events, whether a single, a tournament or a team practice, often times a plurality of sport balls are required. For example, a basketball team may require 10-20 basketballs at a practice. Currently, carriers for sport balls may include a large bag with a single interior opening in which sport balls are stored. Alternatively, a rack, with or without a covering, may be used to store or transport sport balls. 
         [0003]    While current carriers for sport balls may allow for the transport and/or storage of sport balls, they fail to provide a carrier that fully encloses a plurality of sport balls and includes a plurality of components, each designed to hold an individual sport ball while utilizing the smallest possible space. 
         [0004]    In addition, constructing the carrier to utilize the smallest possible space has the advantages of an ease of storage and transport. Current carriers fail to include a rigid structure that adds stability while transporting the carrier while also providing a covering that compresses the enclosed sport balls. It would be advantageous for a carrier to provide a rigid structure to maintain stability, individual components to hold each of a plurality of sport balls and a tight-fitting stretchable covering to pull the sport balls toward the center of the carrier. Such a carrier would utilize the smallest space possible while preventing dislodgment during transport or storage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]    Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary illustration of a carrier  10  for sport balls. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary illustration of the carrier  10  with a zipper component in an open state. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary illustration of the center console  20 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a magnified view of an exemplary portion of the center console  20 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a magnified view of a second exemplary portion of the center console  20 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is magnified view of an exemplary portion of a second center console  60 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a second magnified view of an exemplary portion of the center console  60 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to a carrier for sport balls that provides for an efficient use of space while ensuring the sport balls are not dislodged while transporting or storing the carrier. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary illustration of a carrier for sport balls is shown. The carrier for sport balls  10  (carrier  10 ) includes an outer covering that may fully enclose the sport balls placed within the carrier  10 . The outer covering of the carrier  10  includes a plurality of mesh panels  11  (as drawn in  FIG. 1 , the carrier  10  includes four mesh panels, three of which are illustrated: mesh panels  11 A- 11 C), a top portion  13 , a bottom portion (not shown) and a plurality of material panels  12  (as drawn in  FIG. 1 , the carrier  10  includes four material panels, two of which are illustrated: material panels  12 A- 12 B). The material comprising the top portion  13  and bottom portion may be, for example, diamond composite nylon ripstop fabric. Examples of the material comprising the material panels include, but are not limited or restricted to, spandex or other stretchable fabrics. The mesh panels  11  and the material panels  12  extend outwardly when at least one sport ball is placed with the carrier  10 . As the material panels  12  come in contact with the sport balls, the stretchable material fabric pulls the sport balls toward the center of the carrier  10 . 
         [0014]    In addition, the carrier  10  includes at least one closure component. Examples of closure components include, but are not limited or restricted to, a zipper component, a series of buttons or a series of snaps. Throughout the specification, a zipper component will be used as an example of a closure component. The embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 1  includes a zipper component that runs the length of the carrier  10  such that when the zipper component is opened, the outer covering, including the mesh panels  11  and material panels  12 , peels away from the enclosed sport balls. The zipper component includes a zipper  17  and two zipper pulls  18 . Alternative embodiments may include a plurality of zipper components. For example, the carrier  10  may include four zipper components such that each zipper extends from the center of the top portion  13  to an opposing corner of the bottom portion. 
         [0015]    The carrier  10  may also include attachment components  14  for attaching detachable carrying straps  15  to the carrier  10 . The carrier  10  of  FIG. 1  is illustrated as including four attachment components  14 A- 14 D that attach carrying straps  15 A- 15 B to the carrier  10 . In one embodiment, the attachment components  14  may be G-hooks. Furthermore, the carrier  10  may include a handle  16 . The carrying straps  15  and the handle  16  each independently provide ways for the carrier  10  to be easily transported. 
         [0016]    In yet another embodiment, the carrier  10  may include a pull-handle and a set of drop-down wheels (not shown). For example, the top portion  13  may include a flap through which a pull-handle may extend outward. In addition, the bottom portion may include at least one flap through which a set of wheels may drop-down from the carrier  10 . The set of wheels may include one or more wheels. For example, a set of wheels may include two wheels with a first wheel dropping down on a first side of the bottom portion and a second wheel dropping down on an adjacent side of the bottom portion of the carrier  10 . This configuration may enable one to tilt the bag thereby engaging the wheels with the ground. Alternatively, a set of wheels may include four wheels wherein each corner of the bottom portion of the carrier  10  includes one drop-down wheel. When the drop-down wheels are not desired, they may fold up into the carrier  10 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , an exemplary illustration of the carrier  10  with a zipper component in an open state is shown. Under the covering comprised of a plurality of mesh panels  11  and material panels  12 , the carrier  10  includes a center console  20  for securing the sport balls during storage and transport. In one embodiment, as the zipper component of the covering is opened and the covering peels away from the sport balls and remains attached to the center console. In such an embodiment, the center console  20  may be attached to the bottom portion of the carrier  10 . In a second embodiment, the center console  20  may be removed entirely from the covering of the carrier  10 . 
         [0018]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the carrying straps  15  are detached from the carrier  10 . In one embodiment, the carrying straps  15  may be placed in a storage component within the center tubing component  21 . 
         [0019]    The center  20  console includes a center tubing component  21  and a plurality of sockets for securing the sport balls. The center tubing component  21  may be hollow to give the carrier  10  the least amount of weight while providing the carrier  10  with a rigid structure for support and stability. In addition, as mentioned above, the center tubing component  21  may include a storage component for the detachable carrying straps  15 . The plurality of sockets, for example, sockets  22 A- 22 D shown in  FIG. 2 , extend outward from the center tubing component  21 . Each socket  22 A- 22 D is configured to secure a single sport ball  23 A- 23 D during transport and/or storage. The sockets  22 A- 22 D may be configured to hold a single type of sport ball, for example, only volleyballs. Alternatively, the sockets  22 A- 22 D may be configured to hold a plurality of sport ball types, for example basketballs, soccer balls, and/or volleyballs. In one embodiment, the sockets may be designed to be the shape of half of a sphere. Alternatively, the sockets may be designed to be the shape of half of an ellipsoid (shown below in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). 
         [0020]    As each socket is filled, the sockets are configured such that the exterior of the sockets may touch, thereby wasting no space within the carrier  10 . In addition, the combination of the center tubing component  21  and the sockets  22 A- 22 D ensures that the sport balls placed within the carrier  10  maintain a particular configuration and therefore use the minimal amount of space possible. Coupled with the stretchable material panels pulling the sport balls toward the center of the carrier  10 , the socket and center tubing component configuration ensures the most efficient use of space by the carrier  10 . 
         [0021]    Although the center console  20  is shown in  FIG. 2  as including 20 sockets (four columns of five rows), the center console 20 is not limited to only 20 sockets. In addition, the center console  20  may include less than  20  sockets. For example, the center console  20  may include four columns of three sockets thereby having the capability to hold up to twelve sport balls. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary illustration of the center console  20  is shown. The sockets  22 A- 22 E of the center console  20  include four wall portions. When a socket is empty, the wall portions of the socket are at rest. For example in  FIG. 3 , the sport ball  23 E has been removed from the socket  22 E. The socket  22 E includes four wall portions that are at rest when not securing the sport ball  23 E but expand as the sport ball  23 E is pressed into the socket  22 E, securing the sport ball  23 E within the carrier  10 . The wall portions of the socket  22 E secure the sport ball  23 E by applying tension to the sport ball  23 E when the outer edge of the wall portions reach the middle of the circumference of the sport ball  23 E. This tension secures the sport balls lodged into the sockets during transport and/or storage. In addition, the mesh panels  11  and the material panels  12  provide a tight-fitting cover to ensure the sport balls do not become dislodged. Although the sockets  22 A- 22 E are illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  as having four wall portions, other embodiments are possible. For example, the sockets may be comprised of two wall portions. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a second magnified view of an exemplary portion of the center console  20  is shown. The sockets  22 A- 22 D are seen to be at rest as none of the sockets  22 A- 22 D are illustrated as securing a sport ball. Referring to  FIG. 5 , a magnified view of a second exemplary portion of the center console is shown. In contrast to the illustration of  FIG. 4 , the sockets  22 A- 22 E of  FIG. 5  are seen to be securing the sport balls  23 A- 23 D. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a magnified view of an exemplary portion of a second center console  60  is shown. The center console  60  is configured to hold a plurality of sport balls generally shaped as ellipsoids. For example, the sockets  62 A- 62 D may be configured to hold a plurality of sport balls  63 A- 63 D such as footballs and/or rugby balls. Referring to  FIG. 7 , a second magnified view of an exemplary portion of the center console  60  of  FIG. 6  is shown. The socket  62 D is seen to be at rest. In addition, the embodiment of the center tubing component  61  includes a cavity  64 B. The cavity  64 B provides an additional space saving element wherein the sport ball  63 B may partially extend inward toward the center tubing component  61 . 
         [0025]    In particular, only a small portion of a sport ball will sit flush against the center tubing component if no cavity is included with each socket. For example, as most sport balls include a rounded shape, only a small portion of the sport ball sits against the center tubing component, while the majority of the sport ball extends outward from the center tubing component. However, if a cavity is included in the center tubing component for each socket, a portion of the sport ball may rest within the hollow portion of the center tubing component. In some embodiments, the cavities may be configured as circles. In other embodiments, the cavities may be configured to take the shape of the particular sport ball for which the carrier  10  is intended (e.g., an ellipse for a football). When cavities take the particular shape of a sport ball, the size of the carrier  10  may be decreased thereby obtaining an efficient use of space. 
         [0026]    In addition, the size of a circular cavity may be configured depending on the size of the sport ball to be placed in the socket. For example, a men&#39;s basketball has an official size of 29.5 inches in circumference while a women&#39;s basketball has an official size of 28.5 inches in circumference. Therefore, if a carrier is designed specifically for men&#39;s basketballs the cavities included in the center tubing component may differ in size of cavities includes in the center tubing component of a carrier designed for women&#39;s basketballs. Similarly, an official soccer ball has a circumference of 68 to 70 cm (or 26.8 to 27.6 inches), differing from both men&#39;s and women&#39;s basketballs. Therefore, the cavities included in the center tubing component of a carrier made specifically for soccer balls may differ than those includes in a carrier design specifically for a men&#39;s basketball and women&#39;s basketball. 
         [0027]    In the foregoing description, the invention is described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.