Athletic ball purse and method of making

Abstract

An athletic game ball purse having the look and feel of a game ball and a method of making the athletic game ball purse with the athletic game ball purse comprising an athletic game ball shell having an interior compartment, a pouch housing located within the interior compartment of the game ball shell for receiving articles to be carried therein, an elongated aperture located on and extending across the game ball shell to allow a user to place the user's hand through the elongated aperture and into the pouch housing, a tape for supporting the pouch housing in the interior compartment of the game ball shell, a fastener located on the tape for moving the game ball shell between an open condition and a closed condition, and at least one holding strap secured to the athletic game ball shell for facilitating the handling of the game ball shell as a purse.

1 . An athletic game ball purse having the look and feel of a game ball comprising: 
 an athletic game ball shell having an interior compartment;    a pouch housing located within the interior compartment of the game ball shell for receiving articles to be carried therein;    an elongated aperture located on and extending across the game ball shell to enable a user to place the user's hand through the elongated aperture and into the pouch housing;    a tape for supporting the pouch housing in the interior compartment of the game ball shell;    a fastener located on the tape for moving the game ball shell from an open condition to a closed condition and vice versa; and    at least one holding strap secured to the athletic game ball shell for facilitating the handling of the game ball shell as a purse.    
   
   
       2 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 1  wherein the fastener comprises a zipper.  
   
   
       3 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 1  wherein the tape is stitched to the game ball shell.  
   
   
       4 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 3  including a pair of rivets for further securing the tape to the game ball shell.  
   
   
       5 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 1  wherein the game ball shell comprises a football shell.  
   
   
       6 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 5  including at least one overlaying strap secured to an exterior surface of the football shell for retaining a playing shape of the football shell.  
   
   
       7 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 5  including a pair of overlaying straps secured to an exterior of the football shell for retaining a playing shape of the football shell.  
   
   
       8 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 1  wherein the game ball shell comprises a soccer ball shell formed from a plurality of panels having free edges for mating.  
   
   
       9 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of panels includes an elongated aperture panel having a region for receiving the fastener thereon.  
   
   
       10 . The athletic game ball purse of  claim 9  wherein the elongated aperture panel includes a plurality of creases thereon with the plurality of creases forming an array of integral pentagon-shaped and hexagon-shaped pattern on the elongated aperture panel.  
   
   
       11 . An assembly for forming an athletic game ball purse comprising: 
 a plurality of panels having free edges for mating with each other to form a game ball-shaped housing, said plurality of panels including at least one elongated aperture panel having a shape comprising the shape formed by the integral mating of a plurality of panels which mate with the free edges of the elongated aperture panel, said elongated aperture panel including a region thereon for receiving an elongated aperture to allow the user access to an interior of said game ball-shaped housing, said at least one elongated aperture panel including a fastener locate proximal said elongated aperture for moving the game ball-shaped housing in an un-abrupt path from an open condition to a closed condition and vice versa.    
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein said game ball-shaped housing comprises a football-shaped housing.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein said game ball shaped housing comprises a soccer ball-shaped housing.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein said fastener comprises a zipper fastener movable on said elongated aperture panel in an un-abrupt path.  
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein said plurality of panels include a plurality of pentagonal-shaped panels and a plurality of hexagonal-shaped panels each having free edges for mating to form said game ball-shaped housing.  
   
   
       16 . The assembly of  claim 15  wherein said at least one elongated aperture panel includes a plurality of creases forming an array of pentagon-shaped and hexagon-shaped patterns on said at least one elongated aperture panel.  
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 15  wherein said plurality of panels includes at least four sets of panels extending from said at least one elongated aperture panel.  
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein said at least four sets of panels each comprises at least one pentagonal-shaped panel and at least one hexagonal-shaped panel each having free edges for mating.  
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein said at least four sets of panels includes two sets of panels each comprising one pentagonal-shaped panel and one hexagonal-shaped panel and two sets of panels each comprising one pentagonal-shaped panel and two hexagonal-shaped panels with each of the panels having free edges for mating.  
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 17  including a further set of panels comprising a plurality of pentagonal-shaped panels and a plurality of hexagonal-shaped panels each having free edges for mating to form said game ball-shaped housing.  
   
   
       21 . A method of forming an athletic game ball purse comprising the steps of: 
 forming a plurality of panels made from a flexible material with each of the panels having free edges for mating;    mating the free edges of the panels to form a game ball-shaped housing having an interior compartment;    forming an elongated aperture on an elongated aperture panel of the plurality of panels to provide access to the interior compartment of the game ball-shaped housing;    securing a fastener to the region of the elongated aperture panel containing the elongated aperture to allow for the movement of the game ball-shaped housing from an open condition to a closed condition and vice versa; and    securing at least one strap to the shell of the game ball to facilitate handling of the shell of the game ball when used as a purse.    
   
   
       22 . The method of forming the athletic game ball purse of  claim 21  including the step of attaching a pouch housing to the interior compartment of the game ball-shaped housing with the pouch housing accessible in the open condition of the game ball-shaped housing.  
   
   
       23 . The method of forming the athletic game ball purse of  claim 21  wherein the step of mating the free edges of the plurality of panels to form a game ball-shaped housing comprises mating the free edges of the panels to form a football-shaped housing;  
   
   
       24 . The method of forming the athletic game ball purse of  claim 21  wherein the step of mating the free edges of the plurality of panels to form a game ball-shaped housing comprises mating the free edges of the plurality of panels to form a soccer ball-shaped housing.