Exterior Ice Chest Pocket and Retrofit Kit

Abstract

A removable, flexible, soft sided pocket secured to the external wall of a rigid, rectangular box shaped ice chest cooler. The pocket is configured in a width to height ratio similar to a side of a typical ice chest. The thickness of the pocket is small relative to its width and height. A zippered opening extends across the top of the pocket. The top and bottom edges of the pocket each incorporate attachment flaps that include two or more snaps that are positioned to align with snap bases on the side of the ice chest. The removable pocket may be snapped onto or removed from the sidewall of the ice chest leaving only the low profile snap bases permanently attached. The pocket may in kit form to allow for retrofitting an existing cooler with a pocket sized specifically for the cooler or ice chest.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A pocket enclosure removably attachable to an external wall of a rigid, box shaped ice chest cooler, the pocket enclosure comprising:
 a front wall panel having a height and a width;   a rear wall panel having a height and a width, the rear wall panel positioned generally over and parallel to the front wall panel;   first and second side wall panels joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their height;   a top wall panel joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their width;   at least one zipper positioned on at least one of the top, front, and side wall panels, the at least one zipper configured to alternately open and close the pocket enclosure;   a top attachment flap extending along and from a first edge of the rear wall panel; and   a bottom attachment flap extending along and from a second edge of the rear wall panel.   
     
     
         2 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 1  wherein the at least one zipper is positioned on and along a length of the top wall panel. 
     
     
         3 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 1  wherein the top and bottom attachment flaps each comprise a flexible band of material and a plurality of attachment mechanisms spaced along a length of the flexible band of material. 
     
     
         4 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 3  wherein the plurality of attachment mechanisms comprise snap assemblies, each snap assembly comprising a base component and a cap component, the base components secured to the external wall of the rigid box shaped ice chest cooler, and the cap components secured to the flexible band of material. 
     
     
         5 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 3  wherein the plurality of attachment mechanism comprise hook and loop attachment surfaces, the hook surfaces secured to the external wall of the rigid box shaped ice chest cooler, and the loop attachment surfaces secured to the flexible band of material. 
     
     
         6 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 1  further comprising a bottom wall panel joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their width. 
     
     
         7 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 6  wherein the first and second side wall panels, the top wall panel, and the bottom wall panel, comprise portions of a continuous band of flexible material extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their width and height. 
     
     
         8 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 1  wherein the front, rear, first side, second side, and top wall panels comprise stitched together flexible vinyl fabric material. 
     
     
         9 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 1  wherein the front, rear, first side, second side, and top wall panels comprise thermal insulating material. 
     
     
         10 . A pocket enclosure removably attachable to an external wall of a rigid, box shaped ice chest cooler, the pocket enclosure comprising:
 a front wall panel having a height and a width and a perimeter edge;   a rear wall panel having a height and a width and a perimeter edge, the rear wall panel positioned in a generally spaced and parallel relationship to the front wall panel;   at least one side wall panel joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels along their perimeter edges;   at least one zipper positioned on the at least one side wall panel, the at least one zipper configured to alternately open and close the pocket enclosure; and   at least one attachment flap extending along and from a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear wall panel.   
     
     
         11 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 10  wherein the at least one attachment flap comprises a flexible band of material and a plurality of attachment mechanisms spaced along a length of the flexible band of material. 
     
     
         12 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of attachment mechanisms comprise snap assemblies, each snap assembly comprising a base component and a cap component, the base components secured to the external wall of the rigid box shaped ice chest cooler, and the cap components secured to the flexible band of material. 
     
     
         13 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of attachment mechanism comprise hook and loop attachment surfaces, the hook surfaces secured to the external wall of the rigid box shaped ice chest cooler, and the loop attachment surfaces secured to the flexible band of material. 
     
     
         14 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 10  wherein the front, rear, and at least one side wall panels comprise stitched together flexible vinyl fabric material. 
     
     
         15 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 10  wherein the front, rear, first side, second side, and top wall panels comprise thermal insulating material. 
     
     
         16 . A pocket enclosure removably attachable to an external wall of a rigid, box shaped ice chest cooler, the pocket enclosure comprising:
 a front wall panel having a height and a width, and comprising a flexible fabric material;   a rear wall panel having a height and a width, and comprising a flexible fabric material, the rear wall panel positioned generally over and parallel to the front wall panel;   first and second side wall panels comprising a flexible fabric material joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their height;   a top wall panel comprising a flexible fabric material joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their width;   a bottom wall panel comprising a flexible fabric material joined to and extending between the front and rear wall panels generally along their width;   at least one zipper positioned on at least one of the top, front, and side wall panels, the at least one zipper configured to alternately open and close the pocket enclosure, the at least one zipper positioned on and along a length of the top wall panel;   a top attachment flap extending along and from a first edge of the rear wall panel, the top attachment flap comprising a flexible band of fabric material and a plurality of attachment mechanisms spaced along a length of the flexible band of fabric material, the plurality of attachment mechanisms comprising snap assemblies, each snap assembly comprising a base component and a cap component, the base components secured to the external wall of the rigid box shaped ice chest cooler, and the cap components secured tthrough the flexible band of fabric material; and   a bottom attachment flap extending along and from a second edge of the rear wall panel, the bottom attachment flap comprising a flexible band of fabric material and a plurality of attachment mechanisms spaced along a length of the flexible band of fabric material, the plurality of attachment mechanisms comprising snap assemblies, each snap assembly comprising a base component and a cap component, the base components secured to the external wall of the rigid box shaped ice chest cooler, and the cap components secured through the flexible band of fabric material.   
     
     
         17 . The pocket enclosure of  claim 16  wherein the wall panels are first stitched together with internal hidden stitching and again with external top stitching.