Patent Application
20240240855
This disclosure relates generally to embodiments of a cooler, such as for holding one or more items that are desired to be maintained at a relatively low temperature for a relatively extended period of time. Certain embodiments include a cooler that is configured to define discrete can receptacles within the cooler's interior volume using a combination of one or more interior walls of a housing of the cooler and one or more surfaces of an interior post within the cooler.
A cooler is typically used to hold and transport one or more items, such as food or beverages, while reducing heat transfer between such one or more items held in the cooler and an ambient environment around the exterior of the cooler. Currently available coolers tend to define a generic, open internal space for the purposes of accommodating a wide variety of items within the cooler. However, this generic, open internal space configuration of currently available coolers can come with the drawback of less than desired heat transfer reduction functionality, thereby reducing the cooler's performance for it intended purpose. Moreover, this generic, open internal space configuration of currently available coolers can mean items placed within this open internal space are unstable and subject to undesired movement and shaking during transport of the cooler.
Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to a cooler that is configured to define can receptacles within the cooler's interior volume using one or more interior wall surfaces of a housing of the cooler and/or one or more interior post surfaces within the cooler. For example, cooler embodiments disclosed herein can define a plurality of can receptacles via a combination of one or more interior wall concave surfaces within the interior volume of the cooler and one or more interior post concave surfaces within the interior volume of the cooler. Such a can receptacle configuration, formed via one or more interior wall concave surfaces and one or more interior post concave surfaces within the interior volume of the cooler, can act to improve the ability of the cooler to resist temperature increases for longer periods of time, as compared to other cooler configurations, by providing improved capability to resist heat transfer between the interior volume of the cooler and an ambient environment. Moreover, such a can receptacle configuration can help to provide improved structural stability to a plurality of cans received and held at the can receptacles within the interior volume of the cooler to reduce of prevent unwanted movement (e.g., shaking) of cans within the cooler during transport of the cooler.
One embodiment includes a cooler. This cooler embodiment includes a housing, a lid coupled to the housing, and an interior post. The housing includes a floor surface and one or more interior walls that extend upward from the floor surface. The floor surface and the one or more interior walls define an interior volume. The interior post is positioned within the interior volume and the interior post extends upward from the floor surface. The interior post includes a first concave post surface and a second concave post surface.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the first concave post surface forms approximately 50% or less of a perimeter of the interior post. For example, the first concave post surface forms approximately 25% of the perimeter of the interior post.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the interior post is spaced apart from the one or more interior side walls about the floor surface.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the one or more interior walls includes a first interior wall. The first interior wall includes a first concave first interior wall surface and a second concave first interior wall surface. The first concave post surface faces the first concave first interior wall surface and the second concave post surface faces the second concave first interior wall surface. In one such example, the first concave post surface and the first concave first interior wall surface together define a first can receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a first can. For instance, the first concave post surface and the first concave first interior wall surface can have a same radius of curvature. In another such additional or alternative example, the second concave post surface and the second concave first interior wall surface together define a second can receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a second can.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the interior post further includes a third concave post surface and a fourth concave post surface. For example, the first concave post surface, the second concave post surface, the third concave post surface, and the fourth concave post surface can be equally spaced apart about a perimeter of the interior post. In this example, for instance, each of the first concave post surface, the second concave post surface, the third concave post surface, and the fourth concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the interior post. In another additional or alternative example, the one or more interior walls can include a first interior wall, a second interior wall that is adjacent the first interior wall, and a third interior wall that is adjacent the first interior wall. The first interior wall can include a first concave first interior wall surface and a second concave first interior wall surface, where the second interior wall includes a first concave second interior wall surface, and the third interior wall includes a first concave third interior wall surface. The first concave post surface can face the first concave first interior wall surface, the second concave post surface can face the second concave first interior wall surface, the third concave post surface can face the first concave second interior wall surface, and the fourth concave post surface can face the first concave third interior wall surface. The first concave post surface and the second concave post surface can be at a first side of the interior post, and the third concave post surface and the fourth concave post surface can be at a second side of the interior post, with the first side of the interior post being opposite the second side of the interior post. The first concave post surface and the first concave first interior wall surface can together define a first can receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a first can, the second concave post surface and the second concave first interior wall surface can together define a second can receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a second can, the third concave post surface and the first concave second interior wall surface can together define a third can receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a third can, and the fourth concave post surface and the first concave third interior wall surface can together define a fourth can receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a fourth can. When the first can is received and held at the first can receptacle, the first can receptacle can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of the first can. When the second can is received and held at the second can receptacle, the second can receptacle can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of the second can When the third can is received and held at the third can receptacle, the third can receptacle can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of the third can. And, when the fourth can is received and held at the forth can receptacle, the fourth can receptacle can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of the fourth can.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the interior post is a first interior post, and this first interior post further includes a third concave post surface and a fourth concave post surface. In such embodiment, the cooler can further include a second interior post positioned within the interior volume and extending upward from the floor surface. The second interior post can include a fifth concave post surface, a sixth concave post surface, a seventh concave post surface, and an eighth concave post surface. The first concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the first interior post, the second concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the first interior post, the third concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the first interior post, and the fourth concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the first interior post. And, the fifth concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the second interior post, the sixth concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the second interior post, the seventh concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the second interior post, and the eighth concave post surface can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the second interior post.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, a freezable fluid is included within the one or more interior walls, and the freezable fluid is included within the interior post. In addition, in a further such example, the freezable fluid can be included within the lid.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the lid includes a first coupling component and the housing includes a second coupling component. The first coupling component is complementary to the second coupling component such that when the first coupling component and second coupling component are brought into contact the lid is removably closed at the housing.
In a further embodiment of this cooler, the housing further includes a first exterior wall. This first exterior wall includes a first convex first exterior wall surface. The first convex first exterior wall surface includes at least a portion thereof that is the inverse of the first concave first interior wall surface.
The details of one or more examples of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
The following drawings are illustrative of particular examples of the present invention and therefore do not limit the scope of the invention. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, though embodiments can include the scale illustrated, and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description wherein like reference characters denote like elements. Examples of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings.
The following detailed description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides some practical illustrations for implementing examples of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the noted examples have a variety of suitable alternatives.
The housing 102 can include one or more exterior walls 108 that can form, at least in part, the housing 102. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the housing 102 can include a first exterior wall 108a, a second exterior wall 108b, a third exterior wall 108c (e.g., opposite the first exterior wall 108a and the same as the first exterior wall 108a), and fourth exterior wall 108d (e.g., opposite the second exterior wall 108b and the same as the second exterior wall 108b). The one or more exterior walls 108 (e.g., each of the exterior walls 108) can include one or more convex exterior wall surfaces. For example, the first exterior wall 108a can include a first convex first exterior wall surface 109a and a second convex first exterior wall surface 110a, and the second exterior wall 108b can include a first convex second exterior wall surface 109b, a second convex second exterior wall surface 110b, and a third convex second exterior wall surface 111b. In certain embodiments, the third exterior wall 108c can be the same as that illustrated for the first exterior wall 108a, and the fourth exterior wall 108d can be the same as that illustrated for the second exterior wall 108b. As shown here, the first convex first exterior wall surface 109a, at the first exterior wall 108a, and the first convex second exterior wall surface 109b, at the second exterior wall 108b, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, convex shaped surface that extends from the first exterior wall 108a to the second exterior wall 108b. Likewise, the second convex first exterior wall surface 110a, at the first exterior wall 108a, and a first convex fourth exterior wall surface, at the fourth exterior wall 108d, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, convex shaped surface that extends from the first exterior wall 108a to the fourth exterior wall 108d; the third convex second exterior wall surface 111b, at the second exterior wall 108b, and a first convex third exterior wall surface, at the third exterior wall 108c, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, convex shaped surface that extends from the second exterior wall 108b to the third exterior wall 108c; and a second convex third exterior wall surface, at the third exterior wall 108c, and a third convex fourth exterior wall surface, at the fourth exterior wall 108d, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, convex shaped surface that extends from the third exterior wall 108c to the fourth exterior wall 108d.
In the illustrated embodiment, the exterior walls 108 of the cooler 100 can define a 2×3 can receptacle configuration (could be referred to as a “six pack” configuration). As illustrated, each of the first exterior wall 108a and the third exterior wall 108c can define, in part, two can receptacles, and the second exterior wall 108b and the fourth exterior wall 108d can define, in part, three can receptacles. The convex exterior wall surfaces at these exterior walls can define these can receptacles at the exterior walls 108. Also in the illustrated embodiments, at least one indention 112 can be present at each exterior wall 108a, 108b, 108c, 108d. For instance, one indention 112 can be defined at the first exterior wall 108a between the first convex first exterior wall surface 109a and the second convex first exterior wall surface 110a, and two indentions 112 can be defines at the second exterior wall 108b—one indention 112 between the first convex second exterior wall surface 109b and the second convex second exterior wall surface 110b and one indention 112 between the second convex second exterior wall surface 110b and the third convex second exterior wall surface 111b.
As shown for the illustrated embodiment, the lid 104 can rotatably move relative to the housing 102. The lid 104 can include a first coupling component 116, and the housing 102 can include a second coupling component 118. The first coupling component 116 can be complementary to the second coupling component 118 such that when the first coupling component 116 and second coupling component 118 are brought into contact (e.g., by moving the lid 104 relative to the housing 102) the lid 104 can resultingly be removably closed at the housing 102. The first and second coupling components 116, 118 can form, as one example, a protruded track as one of the first and second coupling components 116, 118 and a recessed track receptacle as the other of the first and second coupling components 116, 118 so as to complementarily engage and thereby hold the lid 104 closed at the housing 102 to help improve the thermal insulation provided within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100.
The housing 102 can include a floor surface 120 and one or more interior walls 122. The one or more interior walls 122 can extend upward from the floor surface 120. The floor surface 120 and the one or more interior walls 122 can define the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100. For example, the illustrated embodiment of the cooler 100 the one or more interior walls 122 can include a first interior wall 122a, a second interior wall 122b that is adjacent to the first interior wall 122a, a third interior wall 122c (e.g., opposite the first interior wall 122a and the same as the first interior wall 122a) that is adjacent to the second interior wall 122b, and a fourth interior wall 122d (e.g., opposite the second interior wall 122b and the same as the second interior wall 122b) that is adjacent to each of the third interior wall 122c and the first interior wall 122a. Together, the first interior wall 122a, the second interior wall 122b, the third interior wall 122c, the fourth interior wall 122d, and the floor surface 120 can define the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100.
The one or more interior walls 122 can each include one or more concave interior wall surfaces. For example, for the illustrated embodiment of the cooler 100, the first interior wall 122a can include a first concave first interior wall surface 123a and a second concave first interior wall surface 124a; the second interior wall 122b can include a first concave second interior wall surface 123b, a second concave second interior wall surface 124b, and third concave second interior wall surface 125b; the third interior wall 122c can include a first concave third interior wall surface 123c and a second concave third interior wall surface 124c; and the fourth interior wall 122d can include a first concave fourth interior wall surface 123d, a second concave fourth interior wall surface 124d, and third concave fourth interior wall surface 125d. As shown here, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, at the first interior wall 122a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b, at the second interior wall 122b, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, concave shaped surface that extends from the first interior wall 122a to the second interior wall 122b. Likewise, the second concave first interior wall surface 124a, at the first interior wall 122a, and the third concave fourth interior wall surface 125d, at the fourth interior wall 122d, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, concave shaped interior wall surface that extends from the first interior wall 122a to the fourth interior wall 122d; the third concave second interior wall surface 125b, at the second interior wall 122b, and the first concave third interior wall surface 123c, at the third interior wall 122c, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, concave shaped interior wall surface that extends from the second interior wall 122b to the third interior wall 122c; and the second concave third interior wall surface 124c, at the third interior wall 122c, and the first concave fourth interior wall surface 123d, at the fourth interior wall 122d, can together form a continuous, or substantially continuous, concave shaped interior wall surface that extends from the third interior wall 122c to the fourth interior wall 122d.
In various embodiments, like the one or more exterior walls 108, the one or more interior walls 122 of the cooler 100 can define a 2×3 can receptacle configuration (could be referred to as a “six pack” configuration). More particularly, the convex surfaces exterior wall surfaces can be complementary to the concave interior wall surfaces such that the one or more exterior walls 108 and the one of more interior walls 122 form a 2×3 can receptacle configuration within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100. For example, the convex surfaces exterior wall surfaces can be aligned with respective concave interior wall surfaces such that the one or more exterior walls 108 and the one of more interior walls 122 form the 2×3 can receptacle configuration within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100. Specifically, this can include the first convex first exterior wall surface 109a being aligned with the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, with the first convex first exterior wall surface 109a including at least a portion thereof that is the inverse shape of the first concave first interior wall surface 123a. The same inverse shape concept can apply to each of the other aligned convex surfaces exterior wall surfaces and concave interior wall surfaces. Other embodiments can include other row by column numbers and configurations to define various numbers of can receptacles within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100.
The cooler 100 can further include at least one interior post 130. The illustrated embodiment includes two posts 130a, 130b. Each interior post 130a, 130b can be positioned within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100, and each interior post 130a, 130b can extend upward from the floor surface 120. In some embodiments, such as that shown here, each interior post 130a, 130b can be spaced apart from the one or more interior walls 122 about the floor surface 120. In addition, each interior post 130a, 130b can include one or more concave surfaces. For example, the illustrated embodiment of the interior post 130a includes a first concave post surface 131a, a second concave post surface 132a , a third concave post surface 133a, and a fourth concave post surface 134a. As shown here, the first concave post surface 131a and the second concave post surface 132a are at a first side 137 of the interior post 130a, and the third concave post surface 133a and the fourth concave post surface 134a are at a second side 139 of the interior post 130a, with the first side 137 being opposite the second side 139. Likewise, the illustrated embodiment of the interior post 130b includes a fifth concave post surface 131b, a sixth concave post surface 132b, a seventh concave post surface 133b, and an eighth concave post surface 134b. As shown here, the fifth concave post surface 131b and the sixth concave post surface 132b are at a first side 151 of the interior post 130b, and the seventh concave post surface 133b and the eighth concave post surface 134b are at a second side 153 of the interior post 130b, with the first side 151 being opposite the second side 153. In one example, the concave surfaces included at the interior post 130a, and likewise the concave surfaces included at the interior post 130b when so present, can be equally spaced apart about the interior post 130 and/or 130b. For instance, with respect to the interior post 130a, the first concave post surface 131a, the second concave post surface 132a, the third concave post surface 133a, and the fourth concave post surface 134a can be equally spaced apart about the perimeter of the interior post 130a. For such interior post 130a embodiment, each of the first concave post surface 131a, the second concave post surface 132a, the third concave post surface 133a, and the fourth concave post surface 134a can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the interior post 130a. In a likewise instance, with respect to the interior post 130b, the fifth concave post surface 131b, the sixth concave post surface 132b, the seventh concave post surface 133b, and the eighth concave post surface 134b can be equally spaced apart about the perimeter of the interior post 130b. For such interior post 130b embodiment, each of the fifth concave post surface 131b, the sixth concave post surface 132b, the seventh concave post surface 133b, and the eighth concave post surface 134b can form approximately 25% of the perimeter of the interior post 130b.
In other embodiments, for instance where the interior post 130a includes less than four concave post surfaces, the first concave post surface 131a can form approximately 50% or less of a perimeter of the respective interior post 130a, and, when a second interior post 130b is included and the interior post 130b includes less than four concave post surfaces, similarly the first concave post surface 131b can form approximately 50% or less of a perimeter of the interior post 130b.
The concave post surfaces and interior walls can be configured together to form discrete can receptacles with each such can receptacle being configured to receive and hold thereat an individual can 150. The illustrated embodiment of the cooler 100 defines six discrete can receptacles, with each such can receptacle being formed via a combination of one or more concave interior wall surfaces and a complementary, facing concave post surface.
For example, as shown for the illustrated embodiment, the first concave post surface 131a can face the first concave first interior wall surface 123a such that at least the first concave post surface 131a and the first concave first interior wall surface 123a can together define, at least in part, a first can receptacle 140 that is configured to receive and hold a first can, and the second concave post surface 132a can face the second concave first interior wall surface 124a such that at least the second concave post surface 132a and the second concave first interior wall surface 124a can together define, at least in part, a second can receptacle 141. More specifically, the first concave post surface 131a can face both the first concave first interior wall surface 123a and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b such that the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b can together define the first can receptacle 140, and the second concave post surface 132a can face both the second concave first interior wall surface 124a and the third concave fourth interior wall surface 125d such that the second concave post surface 132a, the second concave first interior wall surface 124a, and the third concave fourth interior wall surface 125d can together define the second can receptacle 141.
Likewise, for the illustrated embodiment, a third can receptacle 142, a fourth can receptacle 143, a fifth can receptacle 144, and a sixth can receptacle 145 can be formed within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100 via one or more concave interior wall surfaces and one or more concave post surfaces. Namely, for the illustrated embodiment, both the third concave post surface 133a, of the interior post 130a, and the fifth concave post surface 131b, of the interior post 130b, face the second concave second interior wall surface 124b such that the third concave post surface 133a, the fifth concave post surface 131b, and the second concave second interior wall surface 124b together define the third can receptacle 142. Also for the illustrated embodiment, both the fourth concave post surface 134a, of the interior post 130a, and the sixth concave post surface 132b, of the interior post 130b, face the second concave fourth interior wall surface 124d such that the fourth concave post surface 134a, the sixth concave post surface 132b, and the second concave fourth interior wall surface 124d together define the fourth can receptacle 143. Additionally for the illustrated embodiment, the seventh concave post surface 133b, of the interior post 130b, faces both the third concave second interior wall surface 125b and the first concave third interior wall surface 123c such that the seventh concave post surface 133b, the third concave second interior wall surface 125b, and the first concave third interior wall surface 123c together define the fifth can receptacle 144. And, finally, for the illustrated embodiment, the eighth concave post surface 134b, of the interior post 130b, faces both the second concave third interior wall surface 124c and the first concave fourth interior wall surface 123d such that the eighth concave post surface 134b, the second concave third interior wall surface 124c, and the first concave fourth interior wall surface 123d together define the sixth can receptacle 145.
For embodiments where the can receptacles 140-145 are to be configured to receive and hold a cylindrical shaped can 150, the components at the interior volume 114 forming the discrete can receptacles 140-145 can each be configured to collectively define the respective can receptacle as a cylindrical shape bounded by those components at the interior volume 114 forming the respective can receptacle 140-145. For example, with respect to the first can receptacle 140 which in the illustrated embodiment is formed by the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b, each of the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b can have a same radius of curvature. Moreover, in such embodiment, each of the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b can be spaced at a same distance from a center point 149 of the first can receptacle 140 such that the respective convex surfaces of the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b define a constant radius for the first can receptacle to each of the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b. The same concepts can apply to each of the other can receptacles 141-145 and those concave surfaces that collectively form the other, respective can receptacles 141-145.
Depending on the embodiment, the can receptacles 140-145 can be formed partially or entirely by the noted concave surfaces present within the interior volume 114. For embodiments where the noted concave surfaces within the interior volume 114 form the entirety of a respective can receptacle, the can 150 received and held at the respective can receptacle can be surrounded around its entire perimeter (e.g., three hundred and sixty degrees around the cylindrical can 150's circumference) by the noted concave surfaces present within the interior volume 114. For embodiments where the noted concave surfaces within the interior volume 114 form some, but not all, of a respective can receptacle, there can be gaps or spaced between one or more such concave surfaces, such as present for the illustrated embodiment of the cooler 100 and best seen at
In either case, the can receptacles 140-145 formed by the noted combination of concave surfaces within the interior volume 114 can include such concave surfaces to an extent that these concave surfaces span along at least 50% of a can perimeter of the can 150 received and held at the respective can receptacle 140-145. More specifically, when a first can is received and held at the first can receptacle 140, the first can receptacle 140 can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that first can (e.g., the first concave post surface 131a, the first concave first interior wall surface 123a, and the first concave second interior wall surface 123b span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that first can such that any gaps or spaces between these concave surfaces make up no more than 25% of the can perimeter span of the first can receptacle 140 around that first can). Similarly, when a second can is received and held at the second can receptacle 141, the second can receptacle 141 can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that second can (e.g., the second concave post surface 132a, the second concave first interior wall surface 124a, and the third concave fourth interior wall surface 125d span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that second can such that any gaps or spaces between these concave surfaces make up no more than 25% of the can perimeter span of the second can receptacle 141 around that second can). Similarly, when a third can is received and held at the third can receptacle 142, the third can receptacle 142 can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that third can (e.g., the third concave post surface 133a, the fifth concave post surface 131b, and the second concave second interior wall surface 124b span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that third can such that any gaps or spaces between these concave surfaces make up no more than 25% of the can perimeter span of the third can receptacle 142 around that third can). Similarly, when a fourth can is received and held at the forth can receptacle 143, the fourth can receptacle 143 can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that fourth can (e.g., the fourth concave post surface 134a, the sixth concave post surface 132b, and the second concave fourth interior wall surface 124d span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that fourth can such that any gaps or spaces between these concave surfaces make up no more than 25% of the can perimeter span of the fourth can receptacle 143 around that fourth can). Similarly, when a fifth can is received and held at the fifth can receptacle 144, the fifth can receptacle 144 can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that fifth can (e.g., the seventh concave post surface 133b, the third concave second interior wall surface 125b, and the first concave third interior wall surface 123c span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that fifth can such that any gaps or spaces between these concave surfaces make up no more than 25% of the can perimeter span of the fifth can receptacle 144 around that fifth can). Similarly and finally, when a sixth can is received and held at the sixth can receptacle 145, the sixth can receptacle 145 can be configured to span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that sixth can (e.g., the eighth concave post surface 134b, the second concave third interior wall surface 124c, and the first concave fourth interior wall surface 123d span along at least 75% of a can perimeter of that sixth can such that any gaps or spaces between these concave surfaces make up no more than 25% of the can perimeter span of the sixth can receptacle 145 around that sixth can).
One or more portions or components of the cooler 100 can include a freezable fluid 157 (e.g., water). As examples, a freezable fluid 157 can be included within one or more of the interior walls 122, within one or more interior posts 130a, 130b, within the lid 104, and/or within/beneath the floor surface 120. In this way, when the cooler 100 is placed in a freezing means (e.g., a powered freezer) the freezable fluid 157 that is included within any one or more portions or components of the cooler 100 can freeze and provide added temperature control and heat transfer control within the interior volume 114 of the cooler 100. Moreover, the taught configuration of the can receptacles, formed via the taught concave surfaces at the interior walls 122 and one or more interior posts 130a, 130b, can allow such frozen fluid included within the interior walls 122 and the one or more interior posts 130a, 130b to surround and substantially bound (e.g., along at least 75% of a can receptacle 140-145) a respective can received and held at the respective can receptacle 140-145. Accordingly, the taught configuration of the can receptacles 140-145, formed via the taught concave surfaces at the interior walls 122 and one or more interior posts 130a, 130b, can act to improve the ability of the cooler 100 to resist temperature increases for longer periods of time as compared to other, different cooler configurations. Indeed, even for embodiments where no freezable fluid 157 is include at one or more portions of the cooler 100, the configuration of the can receptacles 140-145, formed via the taught concave surfaces at the interior walls 122 and one or more interior posts 130a, 130b, can act to improve the cooler 100's ability to resist heat transfer between the interior volume 114 and an ambient environment as a result of the precise, tailored can-fit facilitated by the taught configuration of the can receptacles 140-145, formed via the taught concave surfaces at the interior walls 122 and one or more interior posts 130a, 130b.
Various examples of the disclosure have been described. Any combination of the described systems, operations, or functions is contemplated.
