MODULAR COOLER ASSEMBLY WITH LID HAVING INTEGRAL DRAWER

Abstract

A modular cooler assembly that includes: a cooler base, where the cooler base defines an insulated housing; a lid, where the lid covers the cooler base; and a carrying case. The insulated housing defines a receptacle with a closed bottom, closed sides and an open top, wherein the lid defines a planar body sized to cover the open top of the insulated housing to form an enclosure. The lid is hingedly attached to the insulated housing, adapted to hinge between an enclosure position and a flipped position. The lid may further include a pull out drawer, a pair of flip drawer locks and a drawer handle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to food storage containers and, more particularly, to an insulated storage container with cooling dividers and a lid with drawers.

Description of the Prior Art

The use and design of coolers conventional, generally defined as insulated receptacles used to keep food or drink cool, is well established. In many instances, a conventional coolers is embodied as an insulated, waterproof box which can be partially filled with ice or ice packs. A problem which still exists, however, is that many conventional coolers lack a plurality of insulated compartments and non-insulated compartments which allow items to be selectively stored in a cool environment or ambient environment. Thus, there remains a need for a modular cooler assembly which includes a plurality of cooled compartments and ambient compartments. It would be helpful if such a modular cooler assembly included a lid having a pull out drawer. It would be additionally desirable for such a modular cooler assembly to include a carrying case which included a plurality of storage pockets.

The Applicant's invention described herein provides for a modular cooler assembly adapted to allow a user to store items in either a cooled environment or an ambient environment. The primary components in Applicant's modular cooler assembly are an insulated housing, a lid, and a carrying case. When in operation, the modular cooler assembly enables more effective and efficient storage of food and drink in various temperature environments. As a result, many of the limitations imposed by prior art structures are removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a modular cooler assembly that includes: a cooler base, where the cooler base defines an insulated housing; a lid, where the lid covers the cooler base; and a carrying case. The insulated housing defines a receptacle with a closed bottom, closed sides and an open top, wherein the lid defines a planar body sized to cover the open top of the insulated housing to form an enclosure. The lid is hingedly attached to the insulated housing, adapted to hinge between an enclosure position and a flipped position. The lid may further include a pull out drawer, a pair of flip drawer locks and a drawer handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a carrying case of a modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a cooler base of a modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present invention with the lid in an enclosure position and the drawer in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a cooler base of a modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present invention with the lid in an enclosure position and the drawer in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a cooler base of a modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present invention shown with the lid in a flipped position.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an insulated housing of a modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, a modular cooler assembly is shown as a cooler base 100 and a carrying case 101. The cooler base 100 defines an insulated housing 110 having a lid 120 integral therewith. In the preferred embodiment, the insulated housing 110 defines a receptacle with a closed bottom, closed sides and an open top while the lid 120 defines a planar body sized to cover the open top of the insulated housing 110 so as to form an enclosure. Similar to conventional coolers, the closed bottom and closed sides are comprised of an interior and exterior shell of plastic with hard foam in between.

In one embodiment, the lid 120 is hingedly attached to the insulated housing 110 so as to be hinged between an enclosure position, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a flipped position, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The bottom surface of the lid 120 is constructed of a polystyrene foam in the preferred embodiment so that each wall of the cooler base enclosure is insulated.

The lid 120 includes a pull out drawer 121, a pair of flip drawer locks 122, a drawer handle 123. It is contemplated that the drawer locks 122 are operative to selectively fix the drawer 121 in the closed position and the lid 120 in the enclosure position while the drawer handle 123 provides a grasping member which allows the drawer 121 to be slid out of the lid 120 (when unlocked). Because the bottom surface of the lid 120 is insulated, it is contemplated that the drawer 121 maintains an ambient temperature even when the housing 110 is being cooled by some cooling aspect.

Internally, the housing 110 includes a plurality of divider tracks 112 and removable dividers 113 which may be selectively positioned in the tracks 112. In the preferred embodiment, the dividers 113 define conventional rigid ice packs, which either contain the melting water inside or have a gel sealed inside, so as to allow for the placement of a cooling aspect into the housing 110 which also serves to divide the space inside the housing 110. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the dividers 113 may each be identically sized and the tracks 112 may be positioned so that the dividers 113 can be placed in a parallel or perpendicular orientation relative to one another.

In one embodiment, the housing 110 includes a plurality of specially designed stackable inserts 111, each of which include a handle that allows for easy placement of the inserts 111 in and removal of the inserts 111 from the housing 110 when the dividers 113 are in place therein.

It is appreciated that the carrying case 101 is sized to receive the cooler base 100 such that the cooler base 100 may be enclosed inside the case 101. In the preferred embodiment, the carrying case additionally includes a plurality of pockets 102 for additional ambient temperature storage and straps 103 for carrying by hand or over the shoulder.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A modular cooler assembly comprising: a. a cooler base, where the cooler base defines an insulated housing;b. a lid, where the lid covers the cooler base; andc. a carrying case.

2. The modular cooler assembly according to claim 1, where the insulated housing defines a receptacle with a closed bottom, closed sides and an open top, wherein the lid defines a planar body sized to cover the open top of the insulated housing to form an enclosure.

3. The modular cooler assembly according to claim 1, where the lid is hingedly attached to the insulated housing, adapted to hinge between an enclosure position and a flipped position.

4. The modular cooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lid includes a pull out drawer, a pair of flip drawer locks and a drawer handle.