Sports Equipment Stand

Abstract

A portable stand having retractable arms extending from vertically-extending central trunk is described. The arms when deployed are at least slightly upwardly angled so that a baseball player can slide his glove, his hat and his batting helmet there over to store them when not in use. Typically, enough arms are provided along the trunk to permit an entire team to store their equipment on the stand with each player having his own arm to use. In variations, a topper is provided that has outwardly extending arms and spaced fingers that permit baseball bats to be hung there from. Variations can be used to store player equipment from other sports.

I claim: 
     
         1 ) A portable sports equipment stand comprising:
 a base section, the base section having a ground support portion and a base trunk portion, the base trunk portion having top and bottom base ends and one or more base sides extending between the top and bottom ends, and the ground support portion comprising one or more legs extending outwardly from proximate the bottom base end; and   one or more elongated trunk sections, each trunk section having (i) a body section with a trunk top end, a trunk bottom end, one or more trunk sides extending between the top and bottom trunk ends, and (ii) a plurality of equipment-holding trunk arms attached to the one or more trunk sides, each trunk arm having extended and retracted positions, the trunk arm being generally parallel with the one or more trunk sides when in the retracted position and the trunk arm extending upwardly at an acute angle relative to the respective elongated trunk section when in the extended position;   wherein at least one end of each trunk sections is configured to attach to at least one end of (a) another trunk section, and (b) a top end of the base section.   
     
     
         2 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more legs comprises three or more elongated legs having extended and retracted positions, each leg extending generally orthogonally from the base trunk portion when the extended position and each leg being generally parallel to the base trunk portion when in retracted position. 
     
     
         3 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 2 , wherein each leg includes a locking mechanism to secure the leg in the extended position. 
     
     
         4 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 2 , wherein each leg is pivotally attached to the base trunk portion. 
     
     
         5 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein the base trunk portion includes a plurality of base arms attached to the one or more sides, each base arm having extended and retracted positions, the base arm being flush with the one or more base sides when in the retracted position and the base arm extending upwardly at an acute angle when in the extended position. 
     
     
         6 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a bolt received through a bore on a flange of the base trunk portion and a bore passing through the leg. 
     
     
         7 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more elongated trunk sections includes four trunk arms. 
     
     
         8 ) The portable equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more trunk arms rest flush with a trunk side of the one or more trunk sides of each of the one or more elongated trunk sections. 
     
     
         9 ) The portable equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein the acute angle is 25-45 degrees. 
     
     
         10 ) The portable equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of trunk arms are pivotally attached to the one or more trunk sides of the one or more elongated trunk sections. 
     
     
         11 ) The portable equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein each equipment-holding trunk arm has a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the equipment-holding trunk arm is pivotally attached to the one or more trunk sides of the respective elongated trunk section of the one or more elongated trunk sections. 
     
     
         12 ) The portable equipment stand of  claim 1 , wherein each equipment-holding trunk arm is pivotally held in the retracted position by way of a magnet. 
     
     
         13 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 1 , further comprising a topper section, the topper section configured to attach to a trunk top end of an elongated trunk section of the one or more elongated trunk sections at a center connector, the topper section comprising a plurality of topper arms extending radially from a center connector, and each topper arm including a plurality of spaced finger rods extending generally orthogonally from the topper arm. 
     
     
         14 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 13 , wherein the spacing between each finger on the topper arm is configured to receive a handle of a baseball bat therein. 
     
     
         15 ) The combination of the portable sports equipment stand of  claim 1 , a plurality of baseball gloves, and plurality of baseball gloves, wherein a first baseball glove of the plurality of baseball gloves and a first batting helmet of the plurality of batting helmets is received on a first trunk arm of the plurality of trunk arms, and a second baseball glove of the plurality of baseball gloves and a second batting helmet of the plurality of batting helmets is received on a second trunk arm of the plurality of trunk arms. 
     
     
         16 ) The combination of the portable sports equipment stand of  claim 13 , a plurality of baseball gloves, plurality of baseball gloves and a plurality of bats, wherein a first baseball glove of the plurality of baseball gloves and a first batting helmet of the plurality of batting helmets is received on a first trunk arm of the plurality of trunk arms, a second baseball glove of the plurality of baseball gloves and a second batting helmet of the plurality of batting helmets is received on a second trunk arm of the plurality of trunk arms, and first and second baseball bats of the plurality of bats are each received between a pair of spaced finger rods of the plurality of spaced finger rods. 
     
     
         17 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 13  in combination with a storage container, the portable sports equipment stand being received in the storage container when in a disassembled configuration. 
     
     
         18 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more elongated trunk sections comprises two elongated trunk sections. 
     
     
         19 ) A portable sports equipment stand comprising:
 a base section, the base section having a ground support portion and a base trunk portion,
 the base trunk portion having top and bottom base ends, one or more base sides 
   extending between the top and bottom ends and a plurality of base arms attached to the one or more sides, each base arm having extended and retracted positions, the base arm being flush with the one or more base sides when in the retracted position and the base arm extending   upwardly at an acute angle when in the extended position, and
 three or more elongated legs pivotally attached to the base trunk portion and having extended and retracted positions, each leg extending generally orthogonally from the base 
   trunk portion when the extended position and each leg being generally parallel to the base   trunk portion when in retracted position, each leg further having a locking mechanism to secure the leg in the extended position; and   one or more elongated trunk sections, each trunk section having (i) a body section with a trunk top end, a trunk bottom end, one or more trunk sides extending between the top and bottom trunk ends, and (ii) a plurality of equipment-holding trunk arms pivotally attached to the one or more trunk sides, each trunk arm having extended and retracted positions, the trunk arm being flush with the one or more trunk sides when in the retracted position and the trunk arm extending upwardly at an acute angle of 25-45 degrees relative to the respective elongated trunk section when in the extended position;   wherein at least one end of each trunk sections is configured to attach to at least one end of (a) another trunk section, and (b) a top end of the base section.   
     
     
         20 ) The portable sports equipment stand of  claim 19 , further comprising a topper section, the topper section configured to attach to a trunk top end of an elongated trunk section of the one or more elongated trunk sections at a center connector, the topper section comprising a plurality of topper arms extending radially from a center connector, and each topper arm including a plurality of spaced finger rods extending generally orthogonally from the topper arm