Claims
- 1. A soft sided insulated container comprising:an insulated enclosure structure having an upper portion and a lower portion; said lower portion having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a first end wall and a second end wall co-operatively connected to define a first chamber; said upper portion having a first end wall, a second end wall and a spanning wall co-operatively connected to define a second chamber; a permanently attached partition mounted between said upper portion and said lower portion, said partition member having a periphery; said lower portion having an upper margin matable with said periphery of said partition; said upper portion having a lower margin matable with said periphery of said partition; said enclosure structure having a first opening defined therein by which to obtain access to said first chamber, and a first closure member operable to inhibit access to said first chamber; said enclosure structure having a second opening defined therein by which to obtain access to said second chamber, and a second closure member operable to inhibit access to said second chamber; said end walls of said upper portion each having an upper edge having a downwardly concave profile; said spanning wall conforming to said downwardly concave profile; and said partition fully closing off said first and second chambers from each other whereby said partition forms a bottom panel of said upper portion and a top panel of said lower portion.
- 2. The soft sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein said partition includes a mesh pocket member mounted thereto.
- 3. The soft sided insulated container of claim 1 further comprising a handle by which to carry said container, said handle being mounted to said spanning wall.
- 4. The soft sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein said soft sided insulated container has a center of gravity, and a carrying member is mounted to said container above said center of gravity.
- 5. The soft sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein a carrying strap is mounted to said upper portion of said container.
- 6. The soft sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein said container has a liner.
- 7. The soft sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein said bottom wall is rectangular, having a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges, said front and rear walls standing upwardly from said long edges.
- 8. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said container is hinged relative to said lower portion of said container, said upper portion being movable relative to said lower portion when said first closure member is moved to an open position to provide access to said first chamber through said first opening.
- 9. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 1 wherein said spanning wall conforms to said profile continuously from said first end wall of said upper portion to said second end wall of said upper portion.
- 10. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:an upper portion and a lower portion; said upper portion having, a rectangular bottom wall having a pair of short sides and a pair of long sides; a pair of first and second opposed end walls each standing upwardly of one of said short sides of said bottom wall; each of said end walls having an upper edge, said upper edges having a downwardly widening profile; an intermediate wall having a front wall margin, a rear wall margin, and a top wall portion intermediate said front and rear wall margins; said rectangular bottom wall being permanently connected to said rear wall margin; said front wall margin and said rear wall margin being opposed and extending upwardly of respective first and second ones of said long sides of said bottom wall, between said end walls; said top wall portion conforming to said profile of said upper edges of said end walls; said top wall portion extending between said rear wall margin and said front wall margin; said bottom wall, intermediate wall, and said first and second end walls defining a first chamber; said insulated container having a first opening defined therein by which to obtain access to said first chamber, and a first closure member operable to inhibit access to said first chamber; said lower portion has insulated wall members co-operating with said bottom wall of said upper portion to define a second insulated chamber; and said insulated container having a second opening defined therein by which to obtain access to said second chamber, and a second closure member operable to inhibit access to said second chamber.
- 11. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 10 wherein said bottom wall has a mesh pocket member mounted thereto.
- 12. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 10 wherein a thermal storage element is mounted therewithin.
- 13. The soft sided insulated container of claim 10 wherein a liner is mounted within one of said chambers.
- 14. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 10 wherein one of said walls of said upper portion has a reflective surface oriented toward said first chamber.
- 15. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 10 wherein said top wall portion and said front wall margin meet at said first closure member.
- 16. The soft-sided container of claim 10 wherein:said wall members of said lower portion include a bottom wall member, a front wall member, a rear wall member and first and second end wall members, and said wall members co-operate to define an open topped box; said front wall member, rear wall member and end wall members each have an upper margin; said rear margin of said intermediate wall of said upper portion is hingedly connected to said upper margin of said rear wall member of said lower portion; and said second closure member is mounted to said upper margin of said front wall member and to said first long side of said bottom wall of said upper portion, said second closure member being operable to secure said upper portion in a closed position relative to said front wall member.
- 17. The soft-sided container of claim 10 wherein a suspension member is mounted to said top wall portion.
- 18. The soft-sided container of claim 10 wherein said container has a center of gravity, and a suspension member mounted thereto at a level above said center of gravity.
- 19. The soft-sided container of claim 10 wherein said container has a shoulder strap mounted thereto.
- 20. A soft sided insulated container assembly comprising:a first soft-sided insulated wall structure having a rectangular base, and rectangular sides extending upwardly from said base, said first insulated wall structure having a first insulated chamber defined therewithin; a second soft-sided insulated wall structure having a pair of end walls, said end walls having upper margins defining a lid contour, and a longitudinal wall extending between said end walls and conforming to said lid contour, said second soft-sided insulated wall structure defining a second insulated chamber therewithin; an insulated divider mounted between said first and second insulated wall structures to segregate said first chamber from said second chamber; said divider having a periphery, said second soft-sided insulated wall structure conforming to said periphery of said divider; first and second closure members operable to control access to said first and second chambers; and said second insulated wall structure being located above said first insulated wall structure when said first chamber is in a closed position.
- 21. The soft-sided insulated container assembly of claim 20 wherein:said rectangular sides of said first soft sided insulated wall structure have front and rear upper edges and first and second side upper edges; said end walls of said second soft sided wall structure have respective first and second lower margins, said longitudinal wall has a front lower margin and a rear lower margin; said insulated divider is attached to said end wall first and second lower margins and said front and rear lower margins of said longitudinal wall; said rear lower margin of said longitudinal wall is hingedly connected relative to said rear upper edge of said first soft sided insulated wall structure; said first closure member of said first soft sided insulated wall structure is mounted to said front upper edge and to a corresponding front portion of said periphery of said divider; and when said first closure member is in an open position, said first soft-sided insulated wall structure being hingedly displaceable relative to said second soft-sided insulated wall structure.
- 22. The soft-sided insulated container assembly of claim 20 wherein said soft-sided container has a center of gravity, and a carrying member is mounted to said container above said center of gravity, whereby when carried by said carrying member, said first chamber hangs below said second chamber.
- 23. The soft-sided container assembly of claim 20 wherein a handle by which to carry said container is mounted to said second soft sided wall structure whereby, when carried by said handle, said first chamber hangs below said second chamber.
- 24. The soft-sided container assembly of claim 20 wherein a carrying strap is mounted to said second soft sided wall structure whereby when carried by said strap, said first chamber hangs below said second chamber.
- 25. The soft-sided container assembly of claim 20 wherein said insulated divider has a receptacle mounted thereto, said receptacle having an interior for receiving a thermal energy storage element, said receptacle having a vented portion to permit air from one of said chambers to communicate with said interior.
- 26. The soft-sided container assembly of claim 25 wherein a thermal energy storage element is mounted within said receptacle.
- 27. The soft-sided container assembly of claim 25 wherein said vented portion is oriented to face said first chamber.
- 28. The soft-sided container of claim 20 wherein a liner is mounted within one of said first and second chambers.
- 29. A soft sided insulated container assembly comprising:a first soft-sided insulated wall structure having a rectangular base, and rectangular sides extending upwardly from said base, said first insulated wall structure having a first insulated chamber defined therewithin; a second soft-sided insulated wall structure having a pair of end walls, said end walls each having upper margins having a downwardly concave profile, and a longitudinal wall extending between said end walls and conforming to said downwardly concave profile, said second soft-sided insulated wall structure defining a second insulated chamber therewithin; an insulated divider mounted between said first and second insulated wall structures to segregate said first chamber from said second chamber; openings to provide access to said first and second chambers, said openings each having a closure member attached thereto, said closure members being operable to maintain said chambers in a closed position or an open position; and said second insulated wall structure being located above said first insulated wall structure when said first chamber is in the closed position thereof.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,502, filed Dec. 3, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,328 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/323,202, filed Jun. 1, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,677 which was itself a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/199,287, filed Nov. 25, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,091 and a continuation of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/113,102, filed Nov. 1, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (93)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
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2149491 |
May 1995 |
CA |
2 025 593 |
Jan 1980 |
GB |
Continuations (2)
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Parent |
09/453502 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/881770 |
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US |
Parent |
29/113102 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/199287 |
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US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Date |
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Parent |
09/323202 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/453502 |
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US |
Parent |
09/199287 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/323202 |
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US |