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Baseball glove organizerRelated Patent Categories: Supports: Racks, Special Article, Receptacle Support, Of Sheet MaterialBaseball glove organizer description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060157432, Baseball glove organizer. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to sports and athletic equipment. More specifically, the present invention comprises various embodiments of a portable storage device having a series of open pockets therein, and providing for the removable storage of the baseball or softball gloves and/or other equipment for a baseball or softball team. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] More and more people, both adults and younger persons, are becoming involved with various team sports. As interest has developed in these various sports, various articles of specialized equipment have been developed for players in order to facilitate their play of the game, and/or to provide some advantage or edge for the player during the game. Examples of such specialized equipment are specialized cleated shoes and special gloves in the sport of baseball, which equipment is also used in softball and is even finding its way down to the initial training level of play in T-ball. [0005] Players must of course keep track of their equipment during the course of play, as they periodically move from defensive play in the field to the dugout or sideline awaiting their turn at bat. While many articles of equipment (e.g., shoes) are worn continually throughout the game, fielding gloves must be removed when coming in from the field and donned again when players return to the field. With perhaps up to twenty players (in a softball game) simultaneously removing and donning gloves between each half inning of play, it can be difficult for players to keep track of their equipment. Even at the lower levels of play, gloves are not an inexpensive item, and the loss of a glove can be financially painful to a player, particularly a younger player who may be financing his/her participation and equipment in the game through an allowance or low paying part-time job after school. [0006] Thus, a baseball glove organizer solving the aforementioned problems is desired. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The baseball glove organizer comprises a relatively large sheet of heavy-duty flexible material (e.g., canvas, vinyl-coated fabric, etc.) having a series of pockets attached to the front surface thereof. Each of the pockets has sufficient size and volume to contain at least a baseball or softball fielding mitt or glove therein, with one pocket being provided for each member of the team and including a coach position for a nine-player baseball team. Each pocket (possibly excepting the coaching position, where provided) also includes a description (graphic or schematic, as well as text) of the specific fielding position for the player using that specific pocket, and may also include scoring shorthand for the position. The device is temporarily secured to a backstop, fence, or other suitable structure for the duration of a game. When the game is over, the gloves and/or other personal equipment are removed by the players, and the empty organizer is rolled or folded for storage until needed for the next game or practice. [0008] These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] FIG. 1 is an environmental elevation view of a baseball glove organizer according to the present invention, showing its use. [0010] FIG. 2 is a detailed elevation view of the organizer of FIG. 1, showing further details thereof. [0011] FIG. 3 is a detailed elevation view of a second embodiment of the present organizer having ten player position pockets, being adapted for softball. [0012] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0013] The present invention comprises various embodiments of a baseball glove organizer for the temporary placement of fielding gloves or mitts, and/or other athletic equipment, therein during the course of a game. The present organizer greatly assists players, particularly younger and/or less experienced players, in keeping track of their equipment (particularly gloves), and also serves as a training or teaching aid for the various playing positions and their scoring abbreviations or shorthand. [0014] FIG. 1 of the drawings provides an exemplary environmental illustration of the present ball glove organizer 10 in use, with FIG. 2 providing a more detailed view of the device 10. The organizer 10 includes a relatively large backing sheet 12, e.g., about two and one-half feet high by four feet wide (other dimensions may be used as desired). The backing sheet includes a series of ten essentially identical fielding glove pockets 14a through 14j thereon, in a matrix of two horizontal rows each having a series of five pockets therein. Other configurations may be provided as desired. [0015] Each pocket 14a through 14j is configured to hold at least a single fielding glove therein, e.g., the catcher's mitt C of the pocket 14b, pitcher's or fielder's glove F of the pockets 14a and 14d through 14i, and/or a first baseman's glove B of the pocket 14c. The tenth pocket 14j allows the coach of a nine-member baseball team to place a glove or other equipment therein, as desired. The backing sheet 12 and pockets 14a through 14j are preferably formed of a durable material, e.g., a heavy duty canvas material or the like having a closed weave, heavy-duty vinyl-coated fabrics, either natural or synthetic, etc. as desired. Such materials hold up well to the wear and tear likely to be encountered by such equipment, including the effects of sunlight and other outdoor weather phenomena. Such materials may be provided in virtually any color desired, e.g., black background with white lettering for good legibility, or may alternatively be provided in team colors or other colors as desired. [0016] The backing sheet 12 includes a series of structural attachments 16 extending therefrom for securing the device 10 to a fence, backstop, or other suitable structure. The attachments 16 may comprise a series of eyelets or grommets disposed about the periphery of the backing sheet 12 with a corresponding number of elasticized bungee cords extending therefrom, with each of the cords having a hook at the distal end thereof to hook into the conventional chain link fence or backstop structure. Other attachment means may be used as desired, e.g., rope or cord, wire or cable, mating hook and loop fabric (e.g., Velcro.RTM.) straps, etc. Alternatively, the backing sheet 12 could comprise a rigid panel (e.g., plywood, etc.), but flexible fabric material is preferred for folding the organizer for storage. [0017] FIG. 2 provides a more detailed view of the glove organizer 10 of FIG. 1, including the configurations of the glove storage pockets 14a through 14j. Each of the pockets includes an open upper edge 18, devoid of any form of closure means. This allows players (and the coach, where applicable) to quickly and easily access and store their gloves as required, during the limited time between inning halves as sides are changed between the field and batting. The pockets 14a through 14j may have a substantial depth extending for the majority of the height of each row along the backing sheet 12 in order to more completely secure the gloves therein, or may be somewhat shallower to facilitate the placement therein and removal of gloves therefrom, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 and discussed further below. [0018] Each pocket 14a through 14i includes a representation, or graphical image, of the corresponding fielding position for the player using that pocket for the storage of his or her glove. The representations 20a through 20i are distinguished from one another by the specific player position shown thereon, with all of the fielding positions required for the play of the game being provided for on the pocket series. The fielding position representations 20a through 20i each include a schematic representation of at least the infield portion of the playing field, i.e., representations 20a through 20f for infield players, with outfield positions being shown on the schematic representations 20g through 20i. The general location of the player assigned to that position is indicated by a dot or mark on the schematic representation. [0019] In addition, each pocket 14a through 14j may include the name or title, respectively 22a through 22j, of the fielding position (or coach, for the pocket 14j), for further clarification. Finally, each pocket 14a through 14i may also include the scoring shorthand or abbreviation, respectively 24a through 24i, for that position, e.g., "1-P" scoring designation 24a for the pitcher's glove pocket 14a, "8-CF" designation 24h for the center fielder's pocket 14h, etc. These scoring symbols 24a through 24i are conventionally used when recording the play of a game to note which players were involved in a given play. Generally, only the numbers are used, with the numerical order for the positions being conventional. The inclusion of alphabetic abbreviations with the numerical positions facilitates recognition of the numerical positions and their order on the score sheets. [0020] FIG. 3 provides a detailed illustration of an alternative embodiment configured for use in playing softball. The softball glove organizer 110 is configured essentially identically to the baseball glove organizer 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, excepting the field position representations on the pocket series, as the positions differ slightly between softball and baseball. It will be seen that the softball organizer 110 may also be used at the beginning level for very young players in T-ball and coach pitch, if so desired. The organizer 110 includes a backing sheet 112 and a series of pockets 114a through 114j thereon. The backing 112 and pockets 114 may be formed of the same materials as described further above for the baseball organizer 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. A series of structure attachments or fasteners 116, similar to the corresponding components 16 of the organizer 10, may be provided along the edges of the backing sheet 112. Continue reading about Baseball glove organizer... Full patent description for Baseball glove organizer Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Baseball glove organizer patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Baseball glove organizer or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Display rod lock mechanism Next Patent Application: Display device for retail goods Industry Class: Supports: racks ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Baseball glove organizer patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.1625 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers 174 |
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