Basketball backpack

Abstract

A backpack includes a housing, a main zipper assembly, a flap, a zipper, and a movable object. The housing has a bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and connecting panels extending between the front and back panels. The main zipper is configured to unzip to permit access to an interior of the housing for removal or insertion of items and to zip to define a volume of the housing. The flap is connected to the housing and positioned in front of the front panel secured by the zipper. The movable object is coupled to the housing and has a stored configuration and a released configuration. In the stored configuration, the movable object is positioned between the flap and the front panel in an enclosed volume. In the released configuration, the movable object is moved out of the stored configuration to extend beyond the enclosed volume.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for storing or holding items therein, comprising:
 a housing having a bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and one or more connecting panels extending between the front panel and the back panel and defining a width dimension of the housing, the housing defining a volume for containing items therein;   a main zipper assembly configured to unzip to permit access to an interior of the housing for removal or insertion of items relative to the housing and to zip to define the volume;   a flap connected to the housing and positioned in front of the front panel;   releasable securing means for releaseably securing the flap to the front panel, the flap having a closed position in which the flap is secured by the releasable securing means to the front panel and an open position in which the flap is released from the releasable securing means and urged away from the front panel; and   a movable object coupled to the housing and having a stored configuration and a released configuration, where in the stored configuration the movable object is positioned between the flap and the front panel in an enclosed volume, and where in the released configuration the movable object is moved out of the stored configuration to extend beyond the enclosed volume.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first strap attached to the back panel and configured to support the weight of the apparatus when carried by a person.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a second strap attached to the back panel opposite the first strap and configured to support, together with the first strap, the apparatus when carried by the person. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be worn as a backpack by a person such that the back panel is positioned against a back of the person and the first and the second straps are configured to be worn over the shoulders of the person when the apparatus is worn by the person. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hinge connecting the movable object to the front panel of the housing to permit the movable object to transition between the stored configuration and the released configuration.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the movable object is a basketball hoop having a net, the hinge being configured to allow the basketball hoop to transition from a vertical position in the stored configuration parallel with the front panel to a horizontal position in the released configuration generally orthogonal to the front panel. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flap includes a transparent window through which the movable object is visible when the flap is secured to the front panel by the releasable securing means. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the movable object moves with the flap as the flap is moved between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the movable object is moved out of the stored configuration to extend beyond the enclosed volume in any direction therefrom by a distance that exceeds 10% of a longest dimension of the flap. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first bracket positioned between the flap and the front panel to hold the flap in a fixed position relative to the front panel when the flap is in the open position, the first bracket being configured to be housed within the enclosed volume when the flap is in the closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a second bracket positioned opposite the first bracket and between the flap and the front panel to hold the flap in the fixed position, the second bracket being configured to be housed within the enclose volume when the flap is in the closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the releasable securing means includes a zipper that extends at least around an edge of the flap except along an edge between the flap and the bottom panel. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the releasable securing means include a hook and loop fastener or a snap positioned on the flap and the apparatus to releaseably secure the flap in the closed position to the apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connecting panel is one connecting panel connected at one end to an edge of the bottom panel and at an opposite end to an opposite edge of the bottom panel. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting panel has a generally curved upper shape bounded by parallel flat sides to resemble a U-shape. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus  claim 1 , wherein the main zipper assembly includes a first zipper tape attached to the back panel and a second zipper tape attached to the connecting panel, wherein the first zipper tape starts at a point on the back panel located at least halfway along a height of the back panel.