BASEBALL BAT WARMING DEVICE

Description

(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to warming devices and more particularly pertains to a new warming device for warming baseball bats during cold weather. The device includes a box that is comprised of a thermally insulating material and a lid, hingedly coupled to the box, which has a plurality of holes for insertably receiving baseball bats for storing the baseball bats in a vertical orientation. The device includes a heater that is integrated into the box for warming an interior of the box thereby warming the plurality of baseball bats.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to warming devices including a solar powered bat warmer device that includes a box that has an open side to accumulate solar rays and a lid which has a pair of holes for insertably receiving a pair of baseball bats which are warmed by the solar rays and a baseball bat warming device which includes a box which is divided into multiple cavities and a plurality of tubes which are vertically suspended in the box for insertably receiving baseball bats that are supported on an adjustable grate in the box and a convection heat source for warming the baseball bats and a plurality of caps that are each positionable over respective baseball bats. In no instance does the prior art disclose a baseball warming device that includes a box which defines a single interior space and a lid attached to the box which has a plurality of holes for insertably receiving baseball bats and a heater disposed in the interior space of the box for warming the baseball bats.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box which defines an interior space to accommodate a plurality of baseball bats in a vertical orientation. The box is comprised of a thermally insulating material to inhibit thermal communication between the interior space and ambient air. A lid is hingedly coupled to the box and the lid has a plurality of holes each extending through the lid to accommodate a respective one of the baseball bats when the lid is in a closed position. A heater is integrated into the box and the heater is in thermal communication with the interior space thereby enabling the heater to heat the interior space when the heater is turned on. In this way the heater can heat the plurality of baseball bats thereby enhancing comfort for a user of the baseball bats when the baseball bats are employed during cold weather.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a baseball bat warming device according to an embodiment of the disclosure showing a lid in an open position.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a lid in a closed position.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new warming device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the baseball bat warming device 10 generally comprises a box 12 defining an interior space 14 which has dimensions sufficient to accommodate a substantial length of a baseball bat 16. In this way the box 12 can store a plurality of baseball bats 16 in a vertical orientation. The baseball bats 16 may comprise baseball bats of any conventional design and the baseball bats 16 may be comprised of wood or a composite material or aluminum or any other material that is approved for use in the game of baseball. Furthermore, the box 12 may accommodate a plurality of softball bats in lieu of the plurality of baseball bats thereby enabling the box 12 to store either baseball bats or softball bats. The box 12 may have a length of at least 60.0 cm and a width of at least 33.0 cm and a height of at least 43.0 cm.

The box 12 is comprised of a thermally insulating material, including but not being limited to polyethylene or a polyurethane foam, to inhibit thermal communication between the interior space 14 and ambient air. The box 12 has an outer wall 18 which has a top edge 20 defining an opening 22 into the interior space 14 and the outer wall 18 has a recess 24 extending into an inside surface 26 of the outer wall 18. The recess 24 extends around a full perimeter of the outer wall 18 and the recess 24 extends downwardly from the top edge 20. Additionally, the top edge 20 has a depression 28 which is centrally located along a rear side 30 of the outer wall 18.

A lid 32 is hingedly coupled to the box 12 thereby enabling the lid 32 to be positionable between an open position to expose the interior space 14 and a closed position for closing the interior space 14. The lid 32 has a plurality of holes 34 each extending through the lid 32 to accommodate a respective one of the baseball bats 16. The plurality of holes 34 enables the plurality of baseball bats 16 to be extended into the interior space 14 of the box 12 when the lid 32 is in the closed position. Furthermore, the lid 32 is comprised of a thermally insulating material, including but not being limited polyethylene of a polyurethane foam, to inhibit thermal communication between the interior space 14 of the box 12 and ambient air. Additionally, each of the holes 34 may have a diameter of at least 6.0 cm to accommodate regulation sized baseball bats or softball bats. Furthermore, a total of twelve holes 34 may be provided to enable the box 12 to contain enough baseball bats 16 for one team of players of either baseball or softball.

Each of the plurality of holes 34 extends through a top surface 36 and a bottom surface 38 of the lid 32 and the plurality of holes 34 is arranged in a plurality of rows 40 on the lid 32. Each of the plurality of rows 40 extends between a first lateral edge 42 and a second lateral edge 44 of the lid 32. Furthermore, each of the plurality of holes 34 which are associated with a middle one of the plurality of rows 46 is staggered with respect to the plurality of holes 34 associated with each of a front one of the plurality of rows 48 and a back one of the plurality of rows 50. In this way the plurality of rows 40 inhibits the baseball bats 16 in each of the plurality of rows 40 from abutting against each other. The lid 32 has a grip 47 that is recessed into a front side 49 of an outer surface 51 of the lid 32 to enabling the grip 47 to be gripped for opening or closing the lid 32.

The lid 32 has a lip 52 extending downwardly from the bottom surface 38 of the lid 32 and the lip 52 is spaced inwardly from the outer surface 51 of the lid 32. Additionally, the lip 52 is continuous such that the lid 32 extends around a full perimeter of the outer surface 51. The lip 52 extends into the recess 24 in the inside surface 26 of the outer wall 18 of the box 12 when the lid 32 is in the closed position to inhibit air from passing between the lid 32 and the box 12 when the lid 32 is in the closed position. Additionally, the lid 32 has a hinge 56 which is located on the bottom surface 38 of the lid 32 and the hinge 56 is aligned with a back side 58 of the outer surface 51 of the lid 32. The hinge 56 is located in the depression 28 in the top edge 20 of the outer wall 18 of the box 12 thereby hingedly attaching the lid 32 to the box 12.

The lid 32 has a plurality of annular rings 60 each extending upwardly from the top surface 36 of the lid 32. Each of the plurality of annular rings 60 is positioned to surround a respective one of the plurality of holes 34 in the lid 32. Additionally, each of the plurality of annular rings 60 stabilizes the baseball bat 16 that is extended through the respective hole 34. In this way the plurality of annular rings 60 serves to assist with retaining the plurality of baseball bats 16 in the vertical orientation in the lid 32.

A heater 62 is integrated into the box 12 having the heater 62 being positioned in the interior space 14 defined in the box 12. The heater 62 is in thermal communication with the interior space 14 thereby enabling the heater 62 to heat the interior space 14 when the heater 62 is turned on. In this way the heater 62 can heat the plurality of baseball bats 16 when the plurality of baseball bats 16 is extended through the plurality of holes 34 in the lid 32. Thus, comfort for a user of the baseball bats 16 is enhanced when the baseball bats 16 are employed during cold weather by ensuring that the baseball bats 16 are warm to the touch.

The heater 62 is disposed on the inside surface 26 of the outer wall 18 of the box 12 such that an exhaust 64 of the heater 62 is positioned in the interior space 14 defined in the box 12. The heater 62 has a power cord 66 which extends through the outer wall 18 of the box 12. The power cord 66 has a male plug 68 which is electrically coupled to a distal end 70 of the power cord 66. Furthermore, the male plug 68 can be electrically coupled to a power source 72 comprising a female electrical outlet 74 for powering the heater 62. The female electrical outlet 74 may be a cigarette lighter power port of a vehicle or other type of 12.0 volt power source that would commonly be found at a baseball field or other remote location and the male power plug 68 may be a cigarette lighter type of power plug. The heater 62 may comprise an electrical heater or the like which has a temperature output ranging between approximately 80.0 degrees Fahrenheit and 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit. In this way the heater 62 can retain the plurality of baseball bats 16 at a temperature that is comfortable for a person to touch.

In use, the power cord 66 is electrically coupled to the power source 72 and each of the plurality of baseball bats 16 is inserted into a respective one of holes 34 to store each of the plurality of baseball bats 16 in a vertical orientation. The heater 62 warms the interior space 14 of the box 12 to enable the plurality of baseball bats 16 to be warmed to a temperature that is comfortable for a person to touch. In this way the baseball bats 16 can be comfortably employed during game play that is conducted during seasons when temperatures are regularly below 45.0 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, or other situation that would render the baseball bats 16 to feel cold to the touch.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.