Abstract:
A sport equipment carrying system that allows items such as baseball bats, balls, or rackets to be carried, organized and stored. The system has an ice chest to carry drinks or food to be consumed while participating in sporting events. The ice chest is attached to an external enclosure via a snap-on frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to sporting equipment carrying systems, and more specifically, to a sporting equipment carrying system which attaches to a portable cooler. 
       2. Description of Related Art 
       [0002]    Sporting equipment carrying systems are known in the art and provide a viable means of storing sporting items for transport. In  FIG. 1 , a commonly known sporting equipment carrying system  101  is shown. System  101  includes a bag compartment  103  with an upper opening which commonly secured using a zipper. The portable storage system  101  is commonly carried using one or more shoulder straps  105  or by grabbing the hand strap  107 . Items can be stored inside the bag compartment  103  and easily transported using the shoulder straps  105  allowing for hands-free operation. 
         [0003]    Users of conventional sporting equipment carrying systems similar to that shown in system  101  commonly store and transport cold drinks in the carrying system. Cold and hot drinks are oftentimes desirable at sporting events; hence, users conveniently store them in the carrying system for later consumption. The refreshments commonly change to ambient temperature due to the lack of insulation in the carrying system. This is viewed as a disadvantage of conventional carrying systems. Alternatively, individuals sometimes use a portable cooler to store the cold drinks while using the sporting equipment carrying system to store the sporting items. Traveling to sports games with both equipment carrying systems and bulky portable coolers can be undesirable and physically difficult. This is viewed as another disadvantage of conventional carrying systems. 
         [0004]    Although great strides have been made in the area of sport equipment carrying systems, many shortcomings remain. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The novel features believed characteristic of the embodiments of the present application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the embodiments themselves, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an oblique view of a conventional sport equipment carrying system; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an oblique view of a sport equipment carrying system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an oblique view of the sport equipment carrying system given in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an oblique view of a sport equipment carrying system in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present application. 
       
    
    
       [0010]    While the system and method of use of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0011]    Illustrative embodiments of the system and method of use of the present application are provided below. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions will be made to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0012]    The system and method of use in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with conventional sport equipment carrying systems. Specifically, the system of the present application provides the user with a sport equipment carrying system which attaches to a portable cooler system. The sport equipment carrying system includes many features for storing sports items and accessories including, but not limited to, gloves, cleats, bats, helmets, cans, balls, and other dry storage items. These and other unique features of the system and method of use are discussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
         [0013]    The system and method of use will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the system are presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless described otherwise. 
         [0014]    The preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art to follow its teachings. 
         [0015]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several views,  FIG. 2  depicts a sport equipment carrying system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application. It will be appreciated that system  201  overcomes one or more of the above-listed problems commonly associated with the conventional sport equipment carrying systems. 
         [0016]    In a preferred embodiment, system  201  includes a cooler body  203  with pivoting and removable lid  205  which form an insulated enclosure for storing cold or hot items. The formed, insulated enclosure surface  227  is sealed such that liquid can be safely stored internally without leaking. The insulated walls are configured such that heat transfer is minimized and the internal, enclosed temperature can be retained for long periods of time. 
         [0017]    An external enclosure body  207  with pivoting lid  209  are attached to the snap-on frame  213 . The snap-on frame  213  formably attaches to the cooler body  203  and provides a lightweight mounting surface for many of the unique features of system  201 . The external enclosure body  207  and lid  209  are configured to form a bin which provides a means of storing various equipment such as gloves, hats, etc. This is viewed as an advantage of the system of the present application. It is appreciated that the external enclosure lid  209  could be excluded in an alternate embodiment. 
         [0018]    One or more wheels  211  are attached to the insulated enclosure body  203  which provide a means of easily moving system  201 . Additionally, one or more telescoping shafts  223  are mechanically attached to the insulated enclosure body  203  and are connected by handle  225 . The telescoping shafts  223  can be extended or collapsed linearly in direction  231  for the user&#39;s convenience and ergonomic preference. The handle  225  provides a comfortable grip for the user to hold while moving system  201 . This is viewed as an advantage of the system of the present application. 
         [0019]    As depicted in  FIG. 2 , one or more bat holders  215  are attached to the snap-on frame  213 . One or more bat clamps  217  are pivotably attached to the bat holders  215  and provide a means of positively retaining a bat in the bat holder  215  and securing with a lock. One or more hooks  221  are attached to the snap-on frame  213  and provide a means of hanging sports gear, e.g. shoes or cleats, using the laces near the toe of the shoe. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an oblique view of system  201  is respectively shown. A storage bag  301  is attached to the external enclosure body  207 . The storage bag  301  is depicted as an elastic mesh composition; however, it is appreciated that the removable storage bag could be a solid vinyl or fabric material in an alternate embodiment. The storage bag  301  provides a configurable means of storing many other items such as helmets, basketballs, footballs, etc. Additionally, the open top storage bag  301  provides quick access to the stored goods. This is viewed as an advantage of the system of the present application. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an oblique view of system  401  is respectively shown in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present application. System  401  is substantially similar in function to system  201  and it is contemplated interchanging the features of the different types of the systems discussed herein. 
         [0022]    In an alternative embodiment, system  401  includes a modular, snap-on frame  403  which formably attaches to a wide variety of cooler bodies and provides a lightweight mounting surface for many of the unique features of system  401 . System  401  is configured to be customizable, modular, and to quickly attach to many existing portable cooler types. One or more external enclosure bodies  407  and lids  409  are configured to form a bin which provides a means of storing various equipment such as gloves, hats, etc. Similar to system  201 , system  401  contains many unique features such as bat holders  413 , equipment hooks,  411 , and bat retainers  415  and  417 . It is appreciated that the arrangement of these unique features located on the snap-on frame  403  can be varied. 
         [0023]    The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the embodiments may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. Although the present embodiments are shown above, they are not limited to just these embodiments, but are amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.