Receptacles – Receptacle having means to facilitate maintaining contents... – Thermally insulated receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2001-12-11
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Receptacle having means to facilitate maintaining contents...
Thermally insulated receptacle
C108S014000, C190S01200R, C206S541000, C220S259300, C220S592030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328179
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to portable coolers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Portable coolers are seeing an increase in popularity, particularly as their portability has been enhanced. They are, of course, used in various outings, including picnics, as well as at parties and the like to maintain food and beverages at a desired temperature, usually, but not always, below the temperature of the ambient. To enhance the versatility of such coolers, many are made with wheels and a handle for pulling the cooler on the wheels.
Typical wheeled coolers perform their intended function of providing portability, but in many instances, are aggravating to use. Because, for example, compactness is a desirable feature in such a cooler, the handles may be relatively short with a consequence that the user, grasping the handle to pull the cooler, may feel the cooler literally nipping at the user's heels because the cooler must be towed directly behind the user.
Moreover, conventional handle designs do not take into account the stature of users of a wheeled cooler. A long handle suitable for a person of tall stature may make it impossible for a person of short stature, such as a child, to tow a cooler by the handle without the cooler dragging on the underlying terrain, when the cooler is provided with only two wheels.
Still another difficulty arises where the towing handle is freely pivoted to the cooler. In such a case, if the person pulling the cooler stops relatively abruptly, the momentum of the cooler may cause it to continue to move forward. Because the handle is pivoted to the cooler and free to move, in a typical case, to or even past a purely vertical position, the cooler may coast into the legs of the user.
Many coolers have flat upper surfaces on their lids or covers which may be used as a table surface. However, when the lid or cover is being used as a table surface, it is impossible to achieve access to the interior of the cooler without first taking all objects off of the lid of the cooler. Furthermore, where coolers are taken on outings away from a residence, it is not uncommon that the user of the cooler will be bringing other objects as well. For example, if the user were going to the beach, lawn chairs and/or blankets and/or towels would typically be brought along. Handling these items in addition to the cooler makes transportation of the ingredients of the beach party a difficult chore.
A further problem with conventional coolers occurs when one is transporting items in the cooler that are intended to remain dry and/or are subject to crushing. As is well known, it is typical to fill the bottom of a cooler with beverage cans or bottles along with ice to maintain the items at a cold temperature. Eventually the ice melts and if other food items that are not intended to be wetted are in the cooler, the water from the ice may saturate the food items and make them unpalatable. Moreover, such food items as, for example, sandwiches, even if placed in sealed plastic bags or the like, are subject to crushing as heavy beverage cans or bottles shift within the cooler cavity.
The present invention is directed to providing a cooler that meets one or more of the above concerns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved portable cooler.
According to one facet of the invention, a cooler is provided that includes a cooler body of insulating material and which has an internal cavity having an upper access opening for receipt of items whose temperature is to be maintained at a predetermined level. A cover is provided for the access opening and a first hinge pivots the cover to the cooler body. A table element that includes edges and a lower table surface overlies the cover. A second hinge pivots one of the edges of the table element to one of the cover and the body. A leg is provided and overlies the cover. The leg has a length generally the same as the height of the body and a third hinge pivots the leg to the table element oppositely of the table surface and at a location spaced from the second hinge.
As a consequence, the table element resides compactly on top of the cover during transportation of the cooler and yet may be opened with the leg unfolded to provide a table surface adjacent to the cooler body. The use of the separate table surface enables one to use the table surface and yet achieve access to the interior of the cooler body by opening the cover without first clearing the table surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the first and second hinges respectively pivot the cover and the table about a common pivot axis.
In one embodiment, the table element includes a recess oppositely of the table surface and the leg nests in the recess.
A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a hook at an edge of the table element and in the table surface at a location spaced from the second hinge. The hook may be used to support a waste receptacle such as a plastic garbage bag.
A preferred embodiment includes stops on the table element for engaging the leg to limit movement of the leg from a stored position nested within the recess to an extended position approximately 90° therefrom.
According to another aspect of the invention, a cooler is provided which includes a cooler body and lid having an internal cavity for receiving items whose temperature is to be maintained at a desired level. A pulling handle is attached to the cooler body and lid and wheels are disposed on the cooler body and lid so that the cooler body and lid may be pulled over the underlying terrain. A pair of horizontally spaced openings are disposed in the cooler body and lid and an elongated bungee cord having opposed ends is provided. The ends of the bungee cord are received in and restrained in a respective one of the openings. As a consequence, other non-cooler items to be transported, such as chairs, blankets or the like, may be placed on the cover and lid and secured thereto through the use of the bungee cord, making it necessary only to pull the cooler rather than pull the cooler and carry the additional items.
In a preferred form of this facet of the invention, the cooler body and lid include an upwardly opening cooler body and a lid element pivoted thereto. The openings receiving the ends of the bungee cord are located in the lid element.
Preferably, the bungee cord is in tension and even more preferably, a groove extends between the openings so that the tension in the bungee cord normally causes the bungee cord to retract and nest in the groove to be out of the way except when being used to secure other items to the cooler and lid.
In a preferred embodiment, there are two pairs of the openings, one on each of the opposed sides of the cooler body and lid and two of the bungee cords, one for each of the two pairs of openings.
Preferably, one of the bungee cords includes a hook intermediate its ends so it can be hooked to the opposite bungee cord across items to be transported.
According to still another facet of the invention, there is provided a cooler that includes a cooler body of insulating material having an internal cavity and an upper access opening as before, together with a cover for the access opening. A hinge pivots the cover to the cooler body and a recess is located in the cover so as to face the cavity in the body. A flexible, fabric-like panel is secured to the cover about the recess to define an item-receiving pocket between the cover and the panel.
Preferably, the panel is formed of a mesh.
In a preferred embodiment, the recess in the panel are rectangular and the panel is secured to the cover about three sides of the recess. The panel further includes a free side defining an access opening to the pocket.
As a consequence of this construction, items that are to be placed in the cooler, but are to be remain dry or are subject to crushing, may be stored in the pocket on the underside of the cover to the free from contamination by water from melting ice and/or the possibility of crushing by moving beverage containers or the like.
Conrado Ann-Marie
Massee Bart
Mensch Alice
Scherer Craig
Garbe Stephen P.
Merek Joseph C.
The Thermos Company
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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