Patent Application
20200018536
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The disclosure and prior art relates to storage assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new storage assembly for maintaining a temperature of an item.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shell that defines an interior space. The shell comprises membranous polymer so that the shell is flexible. The shell has a top that is open. A lid is pivotally coupled to a back of the shell adjacent to the top. The shell is configured to insert items into the interior space and the lid is positioned to selectively close the top. A plurality of panels is selectively couplable to an inner surface of the shell. The panels extend between a front and a back of the shell and define a plurality of compartments. The panels are configured to separate the items. A cooling unit that comprises an evaporator and a condenser is coupled to the shell. The cooling unit is positioned to cool the interior space and the items that are positioned therein.
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.
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:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A lid 22 is pivotally coupled to a back 24 of the shell 12 adjacent to the top 16. The lid 22 is positioned to selectively close the top 16. A first coupler 26 is coupled to the shell 12 proximate to the top 16. A second coupler 28 is coupled to the lid 22. The second coupler 28 is complementary to the first coupler 26. The second coupler 28 is positioned to selectively couple to the first coupler 26 to couple the lid 22 to the shell 12 to close the top 16. The first coupler 26 and the second coupler 28 comprise a zipper 30. The zipper 30 extends along a front 32 and opposing sides 34 of the shell 12 adjacent to the top 16.
A plurality of panels 36 is selectively couplable to an inner surface 38 of the shell 12, as shown in
A plurality of first fasteners 42 is coupled to the inner surface 38 of the shell 12. Each of a plurality of second fasteners 44 is coupled to a respective panel 36. The second fasteners 44 are complementary to the first fasteners 42. Each second fastener 44 is positioned to selectively couple to a respective first fastener 42 to couple the respective panel 36 to the shell 12. The plurality of second fasteners 44 comprises eight second fasteners 44 that are positioned singly on opposing edges 46 of four panels 36. Each second fastener 44 and the respective first fastener 42 comprise a hook and loop fastener 48.
A cooling unit 50 is coupled to the shell 12. The cooling unit 50 comprises an evaporator 52 and a condenser 54 so that the cooling unit 50 is positioned to cool the interior space 14 and the items that are positioned therein. The cooling unit 50 comprises a housing 56 that defines an internal space 58. The housing 56 is coupled to the back 24 of the shell 12, as shown in
The power module 62 comprises a power supply unit 64, as shown in
An adaptor 72 is selectively couplable to the cable connector 70, as shown in
The compressor 60 is operationally coupled to the power module 62, the evaporator 52, and the condenser 54. The evaporator 52 comprises a conduit 76 that is positioned between the outer layer 18 and the inner layer 20. The conduit 76 is coupled to and extends between the condenser 54 and the compressor 60. The conduit 76 is loopedly positioned in the back 24, a bottom 78, and the opposing sides 34 of the shell 12.
A plurality of slots 80 and an orifice 82 are positioned through a rear wall 84 of the housing 56. The slots 80 are configured to vent the internal space 58 to cool the condenser 54. A fan 86 is positioned in the orifice 82 and is coupled to the housing 56. The fan 86 is operationally coupled to the power module 62. The fan 86 is configured to force air through the internal space 58 to cool the condenser 54.
The evaporator 52 also comprises a plurality of tubes 88. The tubes 88 are pleated so that the tubes 88 are flexible. Each tube 88 is positioned in the conduit 76 so that the tube 88 is positioned around a respective edge 90 of the shell 12. The tubes 88 are configured to facilitate folding of the shell 12.
A controller 92 is coupled to the rear wall 84 of the housing 56. The controller 92 is operationally coupled to the power module 62 and the compressor 60. The controller 92 is positioned to control a level of cooling of the interior space 14. The controller 92 comprises a knob 94. The knob 94 is rotatable relative to the housing 56 to select the level of cooling.
The assembly 10 also comprises a strap 96, as shown in
In another embodiment, as shown in
In use, the panels 36 are coupled to the inner surface 38 of the shell 12 to create a desired number of compartments 40. The items are positioned in the compartments 40 and separation is maintained by the panels 36. The knob 94 is used to select a desired level of cooling.
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.
