Technical Field The present invention relates generally to articles carried by a person. More particularly, it relates to a bag for retaining and transporting sports accessories.

Background Art Many sports require that a player be possessed of a multiplicity of pieces of equipment and articles of clothing for proper participation in the sport. For example, the properly outfitted soccer player must have athletic shoes (i. e., cleats), shin pads, a soccer ball, and a uniform. Obviously, this equipment and clothing must somehow find its way to and from the playing arena. Normally, each player confronts this task individually and with his or her own selected carrying means. Most often, this means comprises a carrying bag.

Of course, one must recognize that the prior art has provided bags with storage compartments large enough to carry all necessary equipment and clothing. However, prior art bags, even those directed specifically to transporting sports equipment, leave the user with a multitude of disadvantages. For example, conventional bags leave the user with substantially one option for retaining all accessories in the form of a large single compartment. As previous inventors have noted, in single-compartment bags the

contained articles of clothing and sports equipment unavoidably jumble together. With the player's athletic shoes intermingled with shin pads, a sports ball, and other accessories, it often is difficult for an athlete to locate and retrieve a specifically desired article.

Other problems with prior art sports bags derive from the fact that certain game equipment such as a player's cleats and sports ball often become laden with mud and other debris during play. This wet and soiled equipment disadvantageously rubs against other retained accessories, such as a player's uniform and change of clothes, thereby rendering the accessories filthy, in need of cleaning, and possibly unwearable. Also, even in bags where separate compartments have been provided for maintaining certain iteins such as cleats separately, the mud and other debris becomes dislodged during transport and especially with drying. Once its bottom is littered with such debris, cleaning the bag usually requires one to empty the bag completely so that he or she can turn it upside- down and shake the mud, grass, and other materials from within the bag.

This accumulation of debris is a recognized and longstanding problem with which a multiplicity of inventors have attempted to deal. For example, U. S. Patent No.

5,356,002 discloses a sports bag that attempts to alleviate the undesirable effects of the accumulation of mud and other debris by providing a compartment for retaining cleats or the like that has an access opening on the bottom of the bag. Under this arrangement, when the compartment is opened to remove the athletic shoes, all debris falls from the compartment under the force of gravity. However, this arrangement suffers from a number of disadvantages not the least of which is the fact that a user's forgetting to seal the compartment or the compartment's unexpected opening would lead to the user's cleats

falling from the bag and possibly being lost. Furthermore, by the very nature of the invention, one opening the compartment undoubtedly would be bombarded with falling debris. Such an evacuation and cleaning mechanism is less than advantageous.

Yet another problem with prior art bags derives from their inability to maintain perspiration-dampened, potentially unsanitary athletic clothing separately from other, unwom clothing. The undesirable repercussions of this inability are obvious. Further still, many prior art bags, even back packs, have proven to be difficult to carry due to uneven and changeable weight distribution. An additional disadvantage of the prior art is that once the bag is closed the contents are effectively sealed in the bag; although desirably protected from exposure to the elements, the potentially damp contents of the bag are disadvantageously denied ventilation.

While solving one or more of the previously-mentioned problems certainly would constitute a useful development, an invention presenting a solution to every one of the previously-mentioned problems undoubtedly would represent a marked advance over the prior art.

Disclosure of the Invention Advantageously, the present invention presents a sports bag that meets the needs left by the prior art. One aspect of the invention provides a solution to the troublesome problem of mixing and jumbling of sports accessories in the form of a compartmented sports bag. The preferred sports bag has a sports ball compartment coupled to an outer surface of a primary compartment. This arrangement achieves dual benefits; the sports

ball is eliminated from the mixing equation, and any debris or moisture that has _ accumulated on the ball is prevented from contaminating other accessories. An ideal sports ball compartment will have a ventilating means such as a mesh strip, possibly shielded with a protective flap, to permit a drying ventilation to reach a contained sports ball. Naturally, the sports ball compartment may assume a variety of shapes (i. e., spherical, football shaped) and sizes depending on the sports ball to be retained. Where the sports ball compartment is spherical, a most efficient use of material is accomplished by forming the compartment of mutually-matingly-coupled hourglass-shaped strips of flexible material.

Another important aspect of the invention, which also assists in reducing clutter within the bag, provides a unique solution to the disadvantages deriving from the intercontamination of sports accessories and the accumulation of dried mud and other debris on and within the sports bag. In this aspect, the sports bag includes a sleeved storage compartment that is lined with an inner sleeve. Advantageously, a body portion of the inner sleeve is not restrictedly coupled to the sleeved storage compartment. This permits the inner sleeve to be turned inside out for evacuating debris from within the inner sleeve and, derivatively, form the sleeved storage compartment and to allow any necessary cleaning of the inner sleeve.

The sleeved storage compartment may be the bag's primary storage compartment.

Alternatively or additionally, it may comprise a first, sleeved cleat pocket which may be supplemented by a second, similarly sleeved cleat pocket. The cleat pockets may be coupled to opposite sides of the outer surface of the primary compartment. This

arrangement provides a multiplicity of the advantages of the present invention. For example, intercontamination between accessories retained within other compartments and a pair of cleats or other footwear is eliminated. Furthermore, cleats and the other accessories retained within the bag are retained in a more accessible and organized fashion. Still further, debris crumbling from the shoes can be evacuated from the cleat pockets quickly and easily by insiding-out the pockets'inner sleeves. Also, attaching the cleat pockets to opposite sides of the bag enhances an even weight distribution, which is particularly advantageous where the bag has a pair of shoulder straps as carrying means and is adapted for use as a back pack.

Additional sleeved compartments may be provided to great advantage. For example, a sleeved contaminated article pocket attached to the inner surface of the primary compartment would provide a useful means for retaining contaminated articles such as wet clothing separately from other accessories. Ideally, such a contaminated article pocket would be waterproof. Of course, in addition to preventing contamination of other accessories and allowing an evacuation and cleaning of the pocket, the contaminated article pocket also would provide the additional advantages of further improving the organization of the bag and increasing the accessibility of the retained articles.

Other elements, including additional compartments may be included to improve the organization of the bag, to enhance the accessibility of its contents, and to promote consistently even weight distribution. For example, first and second shin guard compartments, which may not need to be sleeved since shin guards do not normally

accumulate substantial debris, may be coupled to the inner surface of the primary compartment for retaining a pair of shin guards. The preferred embodiment of the invention further increases the comfortable enjoyment of sports participation by coupling a beverage container sleeve with an insulative barrier to the sports bag so that the sports bag can maintain a beverage in a desired temperature condition.

Another important advantage of the invention derives from the invention's unique compartment closure means that are comprised of a drawstring closure shielded by a protective flap. Such a closure means preferably is used to close the primary compartment and each of the cleat pockets. While traditional closure means such as zippers tend to seal the contents of a closed compartment from ventilating communication with the bag's environment whereby the bag's contents can not dry and become musty, the present invention's closure means effectively protect the bag's contents from adverse exposure while permitting contained accessories to breathe. As a result, damp accessories can dry while in the sports bag, and neither the bag nor its contents become musty.

Of course, additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art who read this specification and view the accompanying drawings. One also should be mindful that the foregoing discussion is designed merely to broadly outline the more important features of the invention to enable a better understanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill a better appreciation of the inventors'contribution to the art. Before an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction, descriptions of geometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of

possible manifestations of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 is a view in rear elevation of a sports bag embodying the present invention; FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the sports bag of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sports bag of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation of the sports bag of FIG. 1; and FIG. 5 is a view in rear elevation of an alternative sports bag embodying the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Looking more particularly to the drawings, a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention for a sports bag is indicated generally at 10. The sports bag 10 has a primary compartment 20. As FIG. 3 illustrates most clearly, the primary compartment 20 has a first side 22, a second side 24, a front 26, and a back 28, which together enclose an open inner volume 30. With its relatively large open inner volume 30, the primary compartment 20 may be used for retaining a variety of sports accessories such as clothing or the like (not shown). First and second adjustable shoulder straps 12 and 14 act as a carrying means to enable a user to carry the sports bag 10 as a back pack. Of course additional or alternative carrying means are within the scope of the invention.

A number of the invention's advantages, particularly regarding the organization

of the bag and the accessibility of its contents, are provided by coupling certain additional, secondary storage compartments to the primary compartment 20. These compartments are unique in a number of ways including their size, shape, location, and individual features. For example, a first cleat compartment 32 is coupled to the outer surface of the first side 22 of the primary compartment 20 while an offsetting second cleat compartment 34 is coupled to the outer surface of the second side 24 of the primary compartment 20.

The first and second cleat compartments 32 and 34 are relatively deep and narrow pockets that are generally oblong or rectangular in shape and allow cleats and other athletic shoes that may be laden with mud and the like to be retained separately from other, easily contaminated accessories, such as clothing. The location of the cleat pockets 32 and 34 enhance an even weight distribution of the contents of the sports bag 10. The organization and balanced weight distribution of the bag 10 and the accessibility of its contents are improved still further by the preferred embodiment's provision of first and second shin guard compartments 33 and 35 coupled to the inner surface of the first and second sides 22 and 24 respectively of the primary compartment 20. It has been found that, when the sports bag 10 is constructed as in the preferred embodiment, shin guard compartments 33 and 35 most ideally are approximately eight inches (twenty centimeters) wide at their uppermost portion and approximately ten inches (twenty-five centimeters) deep.

As has been amply noted, cleats retain significant debris, and that debris commonly accumulates in compartments that retain the athletic shoes and is difficult to remove without emptying the sports bag and turning it upside-down. Advantageously, as FIG.

1 most clearly shows, the present invention substantially obviates that difficulty with the provision of an inner sleeves 36 that line each of the first and second cleat pockets 32 and 34. Each inner sleeve 36 has a body portion 38 with an inner surface 40 that normally is retained within its respective cleat pocket 32 or 34. The inner sleeves 36 are not restrictedly coupled to their respective cleat pockets 32 and 34 whereby the body portion 38 of each inner sleeve 36 may be pulled from within the cleat pocket 32 or 34 to permit a ready evacuation of accumulated debris from within the inner sleeve 36 and, derivatively, from the sleeved cleat pocket 32 or 34 and to allow a cleaning of the inner surface 40 of the inner sleeve 36. To make insiding-out each inner sleeve 36 most convenient, pull tabs 42 are affixed to the bottom of the inner surface 40 of each inner sleeve 36 whereby a user can grasp the pull tab 42 and pull the inner sleeve 36 inside out.

Similarly fitted with an inner sleeve 36 is a contaminated article pocket 44 that is affixed to the inner surface of the front 26 of the primary compartment 20. The contaminated article pocket 44 is waterproof and has an elastic lip 46 that may be pulled open by an opening tab 48 to permit a user to insert and remove contaminated articles such as clothing that have been dampened by perspiration. When necessary, a user can inside-out the inner sleeve 36 by simply pulling on the pull tab 42 thereby to permit an easy removal of debris from within the inner sleeve 36 and a convenient cleaning of the inner surface 40 of the inner sleeve 36.

Further advantages are realized by the coupling of a sports ball compartment 50 to the outer surface of the back 28 of the primary compartment 20. The sports ball compartment 50 has an open inner volume 52 sufficient in size for retaining a sports ball

(not shown). In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1,2, and 3, the sports _ ball compartment 50 is generally spherical and, as such, is particularly suited for retaining a spherical sports ball such as a soccer ball or a basketball with minimal movement and minimal material usage. With a sports ball compartment 50 designed for retaining a soccer ball, the open inner volume 52 should have an effective inner diameter D equal to the diameter of a standard soccer ball plus an acceptable clearance. For example, an effective inner diameter D of at least about eight and one-half inches (twenty-one and one-half centimeters) probably is required, and an effective inner diameter D of about ten inches (twenty-five centimeters) would be preferred. When the sports ball compartment 50 is sized to retain a basketball, an effective inner diameter D of about nine and one-half inches (twenty-four centimeters) would be required, and an effective diameter D of about eleven inches (twenty-eight centimeters) would be preferred.

Of course, it is within the scope of the invention that the sports ball compartment 50 could be suited to retain non-spherical sports balls. In FIG. 5, the sports ball compartment 50 is shown to be football-shaped whereby a football may be retained most advantageously. To retain a standard-sized football, the football-shaped sports ball compartment 50 must a length L greater than about eleven inches (twenty-eight centimeters) and a width W greater than about seven inches (seventeen and one-half centimeters).

Although the mere inclusion of a sports ball compartment 50 provides significant advantages over the prior art, a number of further details of the invention's preferred sports ball compartment 50 are worthy of discussion. For example, the construction of

the sports ball compartment 50 render it efficient in material usage and simple in _ manufacture because the sports ball compartment 50 is comprised of a first hourglass- shaped strip of flexible material 54 that is mutually matingly coupled with a second hourglass-shaped strip of flexible material 56. A flap top 58 that is comprised of a bulb of the first hourglass-shaped strip of flexible material 54 allows a user to render the sports ball compartment 50 effectively topless by the unzipping of a zipper 60 whereby insertion and removal of a sports ball is rendered most convenient.

Since one might predict that sports balls often will be damp or wet when inserted into the sports ball compartment, the invention provides a ventilating means 62 in the form of a mesh strip 62 to allow the ball to dry while ensuring that it is retained properly.

In FIG. 2, the mesh strip 62 is shielded from view by a protective zipper flap 64 that prevents adverse exposure to the environment while permitting a ventilating communication therewith. Of course, the ventilating means could assume a number of alternative embodiments such as one or more eyelets (not shown).

One familiar with sports participation will note that other accessories in addition to the sports ball also would be well served by preserving ventilating communication between the accessories and the sports bag's 10 environment. Without such communication, sports accessories are known to become unacceptably musty and unpleasant. With this in mind, this most preferred embodiment of the invention employs unique closure means for the prim. ry compartment 20 and each of the cleat pockets 32 and 34 that provides effective protection from adverse environmental exposure while permitting the contents of the sport-s bag 10 to breathe.

As FIG. 3 shows most clearly, in each case the closure means is comprised essentially of a protective flap 70 and a drawstring closure 66 with a selectively slidable, push-button slider 68. Looking to FIGS. 4 and 5, one sees that the protective flap 70 may be secured by a male-female clip mechanism 72 that is adjustable in length. This adjustability is useful for adapting the primary compartment 20 and the first and second cleat pockets 32 and 34 to suit the size their respective contents. For example, where large cleats are to be held in the first and second cleat compartments 32 and 34, a user can allow for the added length and overall size of the large cleats by appropriately extending the length of the male-female clip mechanism 72.

Finally, the preferred embodiment of the sports bag 10 is rendered still more useful by the inclusion of first and second beverage container sleeves 74 and 76 coupled to the back 28 of the sports bag 10 on opposite sides of the sports ball compartment 50.

Advantageously, the beverage container sleeves 74 and 76 each have an insulative barrier 78 for maintaining a retained beverage within a beverage container (not shown) in a desired temperature condition. Furthermore, the opposing placement of the first and second beverage container sleeves 74 and 76 further improves the balance of the sports bag 10, which is particularly useful when the sports bag 10 is employed as a back pack as in the preferred embodiment.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a multiplicity of advantages over prior art sports bags. For example, with a multiplicity of particularly adapted compartments, the sports bag 10 is capable or retaining an array of sports accessories in an organized and accessible manner. Cleats, shin guards, a sports ball,

contaminated articles, and a multiplicity of additional accessories can be maintained separately with substantially no possibility of intercontamination or jumbling.

Additionally, those accessory compartments that are likely to accumulate debris can be evacuated and cleaned easily by insiding out the inner sleeves 36 that line such compartments. Of like importance is the invention's even weight distribution of contained sports accessories which makes the sports bag 10 safer and more convenient to carry, particularly when it is employed as a back pack. Furthermore, with first and second insulated beverage container sleeves 74 and 76, the sports bag 10 can maintain beverages in a desired temperature condition. Further still, with the drawstring closure 66 employed in conjunction with the protective flap 70, accessories contained in the primary compartment 20 and each of the cleat pockets 32 and 34 are afforded a breathing communication with the sport bag 10 environment while being protected from adverse environmental exposure.

Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art undoubtedly will find alternative embodiments obvious after reading this disclosure. With this in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.