Patent Application
20050263432
The present invention relates to portable, insulated containers and more particularly to an insulated tote particularly adapted for storing containerized drinks.
Insulated containers have been developed for storing a variety of food and drink products, particularly where these products need to be kept cool or warm for a prolonged period. Some insulated containers have been developed to accommodate a so-called six pack of twelve ounce cans, generally in the upright position. While such coolers are convenient to the consumer, twelve packs of sodas have become increasingly popular. In particular, an elongated twelve pack beverage box, marketed as the FRIDGE PACK, has been developed. This elongated twelve pack beverage box has a partly removable end wall to provide access to the beverages disposed within it. Advantagely, the box can be easily disposed on a refrigerator shelf in a can dispensing position. Should the consumer wish to transport the chilled beverage cans, however, he must either place the box in a much larger cooler/ice chest, or the cans must be removed from the box before transport.
The invention provides an insulated tote which is adapted in particular to receive an elongated twelve pack beverage box so that the beverages can be purchased in the twelve pack box, placed in a refrigerator for initial cooling, and then transported in the tote provided in accordance with the invention, to maintain the chilled temperature of the beverage cans. The tote provided in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention further includes an end access door so that chilled beverage cans may be removed individually from the beverage box without removing the beverage box from the tote and without unduly comprising the insulating characteristics of the tote.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a flexible strap is provided for suspending and transporting an elongated tote. In an exemplary embodiment, the strap is eccentrically mounted to the tote so that a stable support of the elongated tote is facilitated.
Although the tote may be a hard sided container, in an exemplary embodiment, the elongated tote of the invention is formed with generally flexible insulating walls as a so-called soft-sided cooler, so that it is lightweight and can be reduced in size or even flattened for storage.
Thus, the invention may be embodied in an insulated container comprising: insulated side and end wall panels; a bottom wall panel; and a top wall panel, said top panel being secured to at least one of said side and end wall panels, said side, end, top and bottom end wall panels defining an insulated enclosure volume therebetween, at least a portion of said top wall panel being displaceable with respect to a top edge of said side and end wall panels as a lid panel to provide selective access to said insulated enclosure volume, wherein a length of said side wall panels is at least about 2½ times a width of said end wall panels and at least about 2½ times a height thereof.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the lid panel has a length generally corresponding to said length of said side wall panels and a width generally corresponding to a width of said end wall panels.
The invention may also be embodied in an insulated container comprising insulated front, rear and end panels, a bottom panel and a top panel detachably secured to at least one of said front, rear, and side panels, said panels defining an insulated enclosure volume therebetween, said top panel being displaceable with respect to a top edge of said front, rear, and end panels to provide selective access to said insulated enclosure volume, a carrying strap having first and second longitudinal ends, said first longitudinal end being secured to said front panel and said second longitudinal end being secured to said rear panel, said first and second longitudinal ends being offset from one another along a longitudinal axis of said cooler so that said longitudinal ends are each laterally offset from a plane perpendicular to and passing through a longitudinal midpoint of said front and rear panels.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention, will be more completely understood and appreciated by careful study of the following more detailed description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
An exemplary embodiment of an insulated tote 10 embodying the invention is shown in
The walls 12,14,16,18,20,22 together define an insulated enclosure volume generally designated at 24 in
In the illustrated embodiment, the top wall panel 12 is provided as a substantially continuous, unitary lid panel that is hingedly attached to the rear wall 16 of the tote. Thus, a flexible hinge panel 28 is provided in the illustrated embodiment respectively fastened, as by stitching or other temporary or permanent fastener, to secure the top panel or lid 12 to the rear wall 16. It is to be understood, however, that the material comprising the lid 12 could be integrally provided with the rear wall 16 of the tote and/or the lid 12 could be provided as a plurality of lid parts without departing from the invention.
The top panel 12 is secured with a suitable fastener to the top edge of at least the front side wall 16 and preferably also the right and left end walls 20,22. In the illustrated embodiment, a zipper fastener 30 is provided to close and secure the top panel or lid 12 with respect to the front, right, and left walls 16,20,22 of the tote, to selectively provide full and open access to the enclosure volume 24 as illustrated in
To accommodate the elongated beverage box 26, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the tote has a length that is substantially greater than its width and height dimensions. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the tote has a length that is about 2½ to 3½ times its width. By way of example, an elongated twelve pack beverage box currently available has a width of about 5 inches and a length of about 15½ inches. A soft-sided beverage tote having a width of about 5 to 6 inches and a length of about 15½ to 16½ inches will closely receive the elongated twelve pack without hindering its insertion or removal from the tote 10. The height of the tote may vary but most preferably is adapted to receive the twelve pack beverage box which has a height of about 5¼ inches such that a height of e.g., about 5½ to 7½ inches will well accommodate the beverage box.
A beverage access panel 32,132 is provided in at least one of one of the right and left end wall panels 20,22 (the right panel in the illustrated embodiment) to provide selective access to individual beverage containers 34 within box 26 without requiring that the tote 10 be opened, or even that access to the tote lid 12 be possible. Thus, even if the tote is packed for transport with objects disposed on front and rear sides thereof and on top and below, it is nevertheless possible to open the beverage access panel 32,132 and selectively remove individual containerized drinks 34, as shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, the access panel 32,132 is pivotally mounted as at 36,136 at or adjacent bottom wall 14 of the tote. In one embodiment, gussetted side walls 38 are provided to limit displacement of panel 32 when it is pivoted outwardly to provide access to the containerized drink, as shown in
A suitable closure is advantageously provided to hold the flap 32,132 in the closed position. In the illustrated embodiment, a Velcro-type hook and fastener material 40,42 is provided respectively on the panel 32,132 and on the end wall panel 120 of the tote to hold the access panel 32,132 closed. A pull tab or loop 44 projects from the free edge 46,146 of the flap 32,132 to facilitate grasping and opening of the panel. In the alternative, a closure flap may be provided to hold panel 32 closed.
In the illustrated embodiment, the other, left end wall 22 of the tote is provided with a dry goods storage pocket which by way of example is a pivoted, side gussetted panel 48 that defines a receptacle with the end wall 22 of the tote. A suitable closure member, such as a closure flap 50 having a closure member, e.g. a Velcro-type hook and loop fastener, snap or magnetic closure, may be provided to hold flap 50 closed. It is to be understood that another closure configuration could be provided in lieu of the flap 50 illustrated.
As noted above, each wall panel of the insulated tote preferably has insulative properties such that heat transfer across the panel is limited. An example of a suitable panel construction is an internal core of foam such as closed cell poly urethane foam. The insulating foam is in turn received between a protective, preferably waterproof layer provided on the interior of the tote and a decorative layer of polymer sheeting, such as nylon sheeting on the exterior of the tote. In order to maintain the soft-sided characteristics of the portable tote of the illustrated embodiment, preferably at least the side and end panels are pliable. In a preferred embodiment, the top panel is also pliable. In this manner the tote structure can be partially or completely collapsed for low profile storage. However, it is preferred that the bottom wall of the tote be not only insulated but also reinforced to ensure that the tote can maintain its structural integrity when supporting heavy contents such as a twelve pack of twelve ounce cans. A relatively rigid base is also preferred due to the elongated tote configuration, to minimize bowing at the mid point of the tote. As will be appreciated, the soft wall configuration of the panels of the illustrated embodiment reduces the weight of the tote and makes the tote more comfortable to carry.
In an embodiment of the invention, an adjustable, flexible carrying strap 60 is provided which can be received over the shoulder or carried by hand. In the illustrated embodiment, a first longitudinal end 62 of the strap is attached to the front wall 16 of the tote and a second longitudinal end 64 of the strap is attached to a rear wall 18 of the tote. It is to be noted that the longitudinal ends of the strap are longitudinally offset with respect to one another along the longitudinal axis of the tote. In the illustrated, presently preferred embodiment, the strap attachments are adjacent the right and left ends of the tote. Surprisingly, this eccentric attachment of the strap provides a stable, manageable suspension for the elongated tote structure that minimizes right to left or front to rear rotation of the tote body. In addition to or as an alternative to the shoulder strap shown, a transport handle may be secured, e.g., to the top panel 12 of the cooler, aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tote. To enhance the aesthetics of the tote, in the illustrated embodiment, a wave swell detail 66,68 is provided along the front and rear walls. The wave swell design may be omitted, however, without departing from the scope of the invention.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
