SOFT-SIDED INSULATED CONTAINER WITH RIM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of portable insulated containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soft sided insulated containers have become popular for carrying either articles that may best be served cool, such as beverages or salads, or warm, such as appetizers, hot dogs, and so on. Such containers are frequently used to carry liquids, whether hot liquids, such as soup containers, coffee or tea, or cold liquids such as beer, soft drinks, or other carbonated beverages, juices and milk. The containers are typically made in a generally cube-like or rectangular parallelepiped shape, whether of sides of equal length or not, having a base, four upstanding walls, and a top. The top is generally a lid which opens to permit articles to be placed in, or retrieved from, the container.

In soft sided coolers it is common for the closure of the lid to rely on the closing of a zipper, often a zipper running around three sides of a rectangle, with the fourth side being hinged. The lid may rest on a foam lip or pad. When a container of this nature falls over, its resistance to the spilling of liquid through the closure may not be as effective as might be desired. It might be advantageous to have a somewhat tighter seal, such as might be made by stiffer materials in an interference fit. At the same time, while one may desire a friction fit closure for relatively ready and easy use, there are other occasions, such as transport, where a secondary closure or securement may also be desired.

The stiffness desired in a lid, or opening, or friction fit closure may be desired at the same time as a soft-sided insulated container assembly that can be transformed from an expanded or deployed condition to a collapsed or folded position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an aspect of the invention there is an insulated container assembly. It has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The first portion has a soft-sided insulated wall structure defining a main body of the insulated container assembly. The second portion defines a lid of the soft-sided insulated container. The third portion defining a liner of the container assembly. The lid is co-operable with the body to define an insulated chamber therewithin in which to place objects. The chamber has an opening. The lid is movable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position to govern access to the chamber. The liner fits within the chamber of the main body. The first portion has a rigid cuff that extends about the opening of the chamber. The soft-sided insulated wall structure of the main body being surmounted by the rigid cuff. The lid has a second closure member. The second closure member is movable to a first position relative to the cuff in which the lid obstructs access to the chamber, the first position being a closed position of the lid. The second closure member is movable to a second position relative to the cuff. The second position defines an open position of the lid relative to chamber. The second closure member defines a rigid land. The liner has a rigid rim. The rigid rim of the liner seats removably on the cuff. In the closed position of the second closure member relative to the cuff the rigid land of the second closure member entraps the rim.

In a feature of that aspect, the cuff defines a first peripherally extending indexing member, the rim defines a second peripherally extending indexing member, and the first and second indexing members are mutually engageable in a male-female mating relationship. In another feature, in the closed position the rigid land of the second closure member of the lid bears against the rigid rim of the liner in an interference fit. In a further feature, in the closed position the rigid rim is sandwiched between the rigid land of the lid and the rigid cuff of the main body portion. In still another feature, the cuff includes an upstanding ridge, and the rim has an over-folded flange, and the over-folded rim seats on the ridge. In still another feature, the liner includes a flexible membrane that depends from the rigid rim, and, on installation of the liner, the membrane locates within the chamber.

In a feature, the main body of the container assembly has a base and an upstanding soft-sided peripheral sidewall that stands upwardly of the base. The soft-sided peripheral sidewall has an uppermost margin distant from the base, and the cuff caps the uppermost margin of the soft-sided peripheral sidewall. In a further feature, the cuff has a first depending leg that extends downwardly inside the chamber, and a second leg that extends downwardly outside the uppermost margin of the upstanding soft-sided peripheral sidewall. In a further feature, the cuff has a leg that extends downwardly outside the uppermost margin of the upstanding soft-sided peripheral wall. The container assembly has an outermost fabric skin, the outermost fabric skin having an uppermost margin, the uppermost margin of the outermost fabric skin being mated to the downwardly extending leg of the cuff.

In another feature, the lid has a peripherally extending outermost flange that bottoms on the cuff when the lid is in the closed position. In a further feature, the lid has a downwardly extending shoulder that co-operates with the rim when the lid is in the closed position and the lid has at least one seal member mounted thereto, the seal member being squeezed between the lid and the rim when the lid is in the closed position. In another feature, the third portion is a rigid liner and the rim is part of the rigid liner. In still another feature, the container assembly is a folding container assembly.

In yet another feature, the cuff has the form of a Z-section, in which a first leg of the Z-section is an upstanding index upon which the rim seats, and a second leg of the Z-section is a depending leg, and the container assembly has an outermost skin that mates with the depending leg. In another feature, the cuff has a first leg, a second leg and a third leg. The first leg extends upwardly to define an index upon which the rim seats. The second leg is a depending leg to which an outermost skin of the main body of the container assembly mates. The third leg is a depending leg to which a flexible liner membrane is mated. In another feature, the cuff has an inside leg, an outside leg, and a web extending between the inside leg and the outside leg. The inside leg, the outside leg and the web define a relief. The soft-sided insulated wall structure has an upper margin of the main body seats in the relief.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and features of the invention can be understood with the aid of the following illustrations of a number of exemplary, and non-limiting, embodiments of the principles of the invention in which:

FIG. 1a shows an isometric view taken from in front, above, and to the right, of an embodiment of a container assembly according to an aspect of the present invention, the container assembly being in a closed position;

FIG. 1b shows an isometric view taken from in behind, above, and to the left, of the container assembly of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 1c shows an isometric view taken from in front, above, and to the right, of the container assembly of FIG. 1a in an open position;

FIG. 1d shows an isometric view taken from in behind, above, and to the left, of the container assembly of FIG. 1b in the open position;

FIG. 2a is an orthogonal front view of the container assembly of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2b is a rear view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2c is a left-hand side view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2d is a right-hand side view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2e is a top view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2f is a bottom view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2g is a cross-section of the lower portion of the container assembly of FIG. 1a with the front pouch omitted;

FIG. 2h is a front view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a with the internal front wall stiffener superposed to show its relative size and location;

FIG. 2i is a rear view of the container assembly of FIG. 2a with the internal rear wall superposed to show its relative size and location;

FIG. 3a shows the container assembly of FIG. 2a with its container body mounting bezel separated from the lower portion of the container;

FIG. 3b is an isometric view of the bezel of FIG. 3a;

FIG. 3c is an enlarged detail of the bezel of FIG. 3b taken on arrow ‘3c’;

FIG. 3d is a cross-section of the bezel of FIG. 3c on section ‘3d-3d’;

FIG. 3e is a cross-section of the bezel of FIG. 3c on section ‘3e-3e’;

FIG. 3f is a cross-section of the bezel of FIG. 3b on section ‘3f-3f’;

FIG. 3g is a cross-section of the bezel of FIG. 3b on section ‘3g-3g’;

FIG. 3h is an isometric view of an alternative bezel to that of FIG. 3b;

FIG. 3i is a front view of the bezel of FIG. 3h;

FIG. 4a shows an isometric view of the container assembly of FIG. 1a; flipped over on its lid preparatory to folding such that the container is seen from the bottom, to the right, and behind;

FIG. 4b shows the container assembly of FIG. 4a in a first step of folding in which the rear panel has been folded in toward the lid;

FIG. 4c shows the container assembly of FIG. 4a in a subsequent step of folding with the front panel folded back over the rear panel and secured as folded;

FIG. 4d is a side view of the container assembly of FIG. 4c;

FIG. 4e shows an enlarged detail of the container assembly of FIG. 4c;

FIG. 5a is a schematic of three-dimensional views of the steps 1 through 5 of folding of the container assembly of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 5b is a schematic of three-dimensional views of the steps 1 through 5 of folding of the container assembly of FIG. 5a showing the respective positions of the stiffeners of the front and rear wall panels during folding;

FIG. 6a is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of container assembly to that of FIG. 1a in which the container has a flap that functions as a retainer to hold the assembly in the folded, or collapsed, condition or position;

FIG. 6b is a view similar to FIG. 6a in which the flap is in the secured position;

FIG. 6c is a side view of the container assembly of FIG. 6a with the position of the otherwise hidden internal stiffeners indicated in cross-hatching;

FIG. 7a shows an isometric view of an alternate, reversed, embodiment of container assembly to that of Figure la in the open or unfolded condition or position, in which the container assembly has an auxiliary compartment closure that also functions as the retainer to hold the container assembly in the collapsed condition;

FIG. 7b shows the container assembly of FIG. 7a in the collapsed or folded condition or position, and the retainer in the secured position;

FIG. 7c is a rear view of the container assembly of FIG. 7a;

FIG. 7d is a side view of the container assembly of FIG. 7b showing the relative position of the hidden internal stiffener members shown in cross-hatching;

FIG. 8a is an isometric view of an alternate soft-sided insulated container assembly to that of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 8b is an isometric view of the container assembly of FIG. 8a with the lid thereof partially open;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the container assembly of FIG. 8a taken on section ‘9-9’ of FIG. 8a;

FIG. 10a is an enlarged detail of the cross-section of FIG. 9 showing the closure relationship of the body, lid and liner thereof in a spread apart view;

FIG. 10b shows the enlarged detail of FIG. 10a in and engaged condition;

FIG. 10c shows an alternate detail to that of FIG. 10a;

FIG. 10d shows an alternate detail to that of FIG. 10a, 10b or 10c in which the lid does not include a full spanning web;

FIG. 11a shows an alternate assembly to that of FIG. 10a in which the liner has a rigid rim and a flexible membrane main portion; and

FIG. 11b shows an alternate section to that of FIG. 11a with a rigid liner; and

FIG. 11c show an alternate configuration to that of FIG. 11b;

FIG. 11d shows an alternate configuration to that of FIG. 11a, 11b or 11c in which the rim has an extended depending leg to increase crush depth; and

FIG. 11e show an alternate configuration to that of FIG. 11d in which the depending leg has an enlarged foot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective reference numerals. The drawings are substantially to scale, except where noted otherwise, such as in those instances in which proportions may have been exaggerated in order more clearly to depict certain features of the invention.

For the purposes of this description, it may be that a Cartesian frame of reference may be employed. In such a frame of reference, the long, or largest, dimension of an object may be considered to extend in the direction of the x-axis, the base of the article, where substantially planar, may be considered to extend in an x-y plane, and the height of the article may be measured in the vertical, or z-direction. In other contexts, the z-direction may be the through thickness of a substantially planar panel where the major dimensions lie in the x- and y-directions. The largest container panels herein may be designated arbitrarily as either the front and rear sides, or top and bottom sides, faces, or portions of the container. Similarly, the closure member, or opening is arbitrarily designated as being at the top, and the base panel is designated as being at the bottom, as these terms may be appropriate for the customary orientation in which the objects may usually be found, sold, or employed, notwithstanding that the objects may be picked up and placed on one side or another from time to time at the user's choice.

In the context of the container assembly as a whole, the terms cross-wise, lateral, spanwise, or laterally outboard, or transverse, or transversely outboard refer to a distance or orientation relative to the side-to-side direction, which is typically the x-direction. The commonly used engineering terms “proud”, “flush” and “shy” may be used herein to denote items that, respectively, protrude beyond an adjacent element, are level with an adjacent element, or do not extend as far as an adjacent element, the terms corresponding conceptually to the conditions of “greater than”, “equal to” and “less than”. In this specification the English terminology “to extend about” has the same meaning as “to extend around” in North American English.

It should also be understood that, within the normal range of temperatures to which human food and human touch is accustomed, although the term cooler, or cooler container, or cooler bag, may be used, such insulated structures may generally also be used to aid in keeping food, beverages, or other objects either warm or hot as well as cool, cold, or frozen.

In this specification reference is made to insulated containers. The adjective “insulated” is intended to be given its usual and normal meaning as understood by persons skilled in the art. It is not intended to encompass single layers, or skins, of conventional webbing materials, such as Nylon (t.m.), woven polyester, canvas, cotton, burlap, leather, paper and so on, that are not otherwise indicated as having, or being relied upon to have, particular properties as effective thermal insulators other than in the context of being provided with heat transfer resistant materials or features beyond that of the ordinary sheet materials in and of themselves. Following from Phillips v. AWH Corp., this definition provided herein is intended to supplant any dictionary definition, and to prevent interpretation in the US Patent Office (or any other Patent Office) that strays from the customary and ordinary meaning of the term “insulated”. The Applicant also explicitly excludes cellophane, waxed paper, tin foil, paper, or other single use disposable (i.e., not intended to be re-used) materials from the definition of “washable”.

Similarly, this description may tend to distinguish various embodiments of hard shell containers from soft-sided containers. In the jargon of the trade, a soft-sided cooler, or bag, or container, is one that does not have a substantially rigid, high density exoskeleton. A typical example of a container having a hard exoskeleton is one having a molded shell, e.g., of ABS or polyethylene, or other common types of molded plastic. Rather, a soft-sided container may tend not to be substantially rigid, but may rather have a skin that is flexible, or crushable, or sometimes foldable. By way of an example, which is not intended to be exhaustive, comprehensive, exclusive or limiting, a soft-sided cooler may have an outer skin, a layer of insulation, and an internal skin, both the internal and external skins being of some kind of webbing, be it a woven fabric, a nylon sheet, or some other membrane. The layer of insulation, which may be a sandwich of various components, is typically a flexible or resilient layer, perhaps of a relatively soft and flexible foam. In some examples, a soft-sided container may include a substantially rigid liner, or may include one or more battens (which may be of a relatively hard plastic) concealed within the soft sided wall structure more generally, or where hard molded fittings may be used either at a container rim or lip, or to provided a base or a mounting point for wheels, but where the outside of the assembly is predominantly of soft-sided panels. Once again, this commentary is intended to forestall the adoption by the US Patent Office, (or any other Patent Office), of an interpretation of the term “soft-sided” that diverges from the ordinary and customary meaning of the term as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art in the industry, and as used herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, and by way of a general overview, a container assembly is indicated generally as 20. Container assembly 20 is a soft-sided insulated container assembly. Container assembly 20 has a first, or main portion 22, and a second portion 24. Second portion 24 is mounted to first portion 22 and is movable relative thereto between a first position and a second position to govern access to container assembly 20. The first position, seen in FIG. 1a and 1b is a closed position. The second position, seen in FIGS. 1c and 1d is an open position.

Main portion 22 includes an outer casing 26 in the nature of a soft-sided, insulated wall structure 28. In the example shown, outer casing 26 has a bottom wall 30, a front wall 32, a rear wall 34, a left-hand side wall 36, and a right-hand side wall 38. Bottom wall 30 and side walls 32, 34, 36 and 38 co-operate to form an upstanding open-topped five-sided box. A receptacle 40 is defined within soft-sided insulated wall structure 28. Receptacle 40 may be watertight. Receptacle 40 does not include a rigid liner, and is foldable. Main portion 22 also has a rigid member in the form of a ring-frame, or open from, or peripheral stiffener or a surround, or rim, or rim-reinforcement, however it may be called, that is identified in the drawings as bezel 50. It may also be termed “surround 50” or “frame 50” in this specification, the terminology being interchangeable for the purposes of this description. Frame 50 and upstanding soft-sided wall structure 28 are co-operably mated together. Frame 50 is removably secured to the upper margin of upstanding soft-sided wall structure 28, as explained in greater detail below. The feature of removability permits wall structure 28 to be separated from frame 50 from time to time to facilitate washing of wall structure 28 separately from frame 50.

Wall structure 28 has an upper portion or upper rim 42 that extends peripherally about the top of receptacle 40. Rim 42 is made by the collective co-operation of the upper margins of all of the upstanding walls 32, 34, 36 and 38. Rim 42 mates with frame 50, which also runs peripherally about the top margin of wall structure 28. The opening defined within rim 42, and through frame 50, is identified as receptacle opening 44. As may be understood, objects may be placed in, or removed from receptacle 40 through opening 44 according to the position of second portion 24 relative to first portion 22, i.e., when second portion 24 is in the first, or closed position relative to first portion 22, access to the chamber defined inside receptacle 40 is obstructed, and when second portion 24 is in the second, or open, position access to the chamber inside receptacle 40 is permitted rather than obstructed.

Second portion 24 of container assembly 20 is indicated as a top panel, or lid assembly identified as lid 52. Lid 52 has an internal structural member 54 for engagement with frame 50. In this context, frame 50 acts as a first closure member. Lid 52 acts as the second or mating closure member that co-operates with the first closure member to govern access to the enclosed chamber defined within receptacle 40. Internal structural member 54 may have a peripherally extending bead or seal member 56 for interferingly engaging the mouth of receptacle 40, in particular it engages the land 58 defined by the inside face of frame 50. The interference fit of lid 52 as such may tend to deter the egress of materials, that might otherwise occur when container assembly 20 is inadvertently tipped over or jostled excessively energetically.

Internal structural member 54 has a peripherally extending structural section 60 that is sized to fit within, and to mate with, frame 50. Internal structural member 54 may be an open frame, like a banjo frame, over which an external skin of fabric, or an insulated blanket of fabric may be sewn or stretched. In the example shown, however, internal structural member 54 includes a spanning member 62 that defines a continuous web within the periphery surrounding wall defined by structural section 60. Structural section 60 forms a flange around spanning member 62. It has an inside leg 66 and an outside leg 68. Outside leg 68 has an outwardly rolled edge. An insulated panel 70 overlies internal structural member 54, and thereby insulates lid 52. Although insulation may be provided in soft quilts, in the example shown the insulation is a relatively stiff expanded foam pad that is stiff enough to support objects placed upon lid 52. Second portion 24, and so lid 52, is connected to first portion 22 by a hinge 72. Hinge 72 is secured at the top to the rear margin of lid 52, and at its lower edge to the upper margin of rear wall 34. Hinge 72 may be a fabric hinge, as shown. In use, the downwardly depending structural section 60 defines a nose or nosing, or a plug, or a male member, that seats within the receiver, or seat or socket defined by frame 50. Structural section 60 is then like a door or striker plate that interacts with a door jamb defined by frame 50. The relationship between this nosing or plug and the land of frame 50 is the same as that of a pane within a bezel, in which frame 50 defines the bezel, or seat, for the lid structure. In the embodiment illustrated, structural section 60 and spanning member 62 are formed as a unitary rigid plastic molding.

The interference friction fit of the engagement of internal structural member 54 with land 58 of frame 50 defines a first closure of soft-sided insulated container assembly 20. Additionally, there is a secondary closure, or secondary securement. To that end, first portion 22 has a first member of the second securement in the form of a hook-and-loop fabric strip or pad 74 located on the front face of front wall 32, below the lower edge of frame 50; second portion 24 has a second member of the second securement in the form of a flap or latch 76 that has a root mounted to lid 52, and a distal tongue that has a mating hook-and-loop patch 78 that co-operatively mates with patch 74 when closed and secured. To some extent it is arbitrary whether pad 74 is mounted to first portion 22 or second portion 24 or flap or latch 76 is mounted to second portion 24 or first portion 22. Different kinds of mating male and female latch combinations could be used, whether with snaps, magnets, rotating fasteners, clips or such releasable fasteners as may be.

First portion 22 may also provide the basic supporting structure to which auxiliary features are mounted, notably a secondary enclosure or pouch 80 mounted on the front of front wall 32, and pouches or pockets 82 and 84 mounted on the end walls, i.e., on left-hand side wall 36 and right-hand sidewall 38. Soft-sided container assembly 20 also has a lifting apparatus in the form of a handle or carrying strap 90 that has a first end 86 mounted to left-hand side wall 36 and a second end 88 mounted to right-hand side wall 38.

The structure of walls 30, 32, 34 can be understood from the sectional view of FIG. 2g. In respect of FIG. 2g, the external auxiliary features such as pouch 80 are omitted. Considering first front wall 32, it can be seen there is an external or outside skin 92 that may typically be made of a relatively durable and scuff-resistant woven polymer. Inwardly of outside skin 92 is a flexible layer of thermal insulation 94, such as may be a closed cell foam. There may be a first inside skin or layer 96, which may be a laminated metallicized PET sheet, and there may be a further interior skin or layer in the form of a transparent liner 98. Effectively items 96 and 98 can be provided in a single laminated web.

Additionally, front wall 32 may have a reinforcement, or batten, or stiffened panel 100. It lies inwardly of external skin 92. In the example illustrated it lies between the external skin and the insulation. Stiffened panel 100 is sewn within a pair of non-woven polypropylene sheets that are then sewn at their margins into the structure of front wall 32 more generally. Stiffened panel 100 is sized to correspond to the width of front wall 32 in the x-direction, and has a length L₁₀₀that corresponds to a distance in the z-direction that is less than the height of front wall 32 by roughly double the wall thickness of front wall 32. (The thicknesses shown in FIG. 2g are not to scale). The remaining height above the end of stiffened panel 100 permits that portion of front wall 32 to bend and fold over rear wall 34 when container assembly 20 is folded. FIGS. 2h and 2i, show the placement and size of stiffener panels 100 and 102 relative to the walls in which they are mounted.

Similarly, rear wall 34 has the same construction as front wall 32, other than that rear wall 34 has a stiffened panel 102 that is sized to fit the width of rear wall 34 in the x-direction, and a length in the z-direction L₁₀₂that is sized to fit the overall height of rear wall 34. It may be noted that L₁₀₂is longer than L₁₀₀. It may also be noted that L₁₀₂is less than, or may generally correspond to, the depth in the y-direction of lid assembly 32 and frame 50. In terms of folding, the junction of rear wall 34 with the rear margin of frame 50 forms a pivot, or hinge, at which rear wall 34 is capable of folding forwardly to lie against or behind, second portion 24.

In the example, stiffener panels 100, 102 may have the form of boards. The boards may be, and in the example illustrated are, made of a high-density plastic, such as a Nylon (t.m.) or UHMW polymer that is substantially rigid. These boards may be corrugated plastic boards. The board is placed directly behind, i.e., next to, the exterior skin material. The flutes of the corrugations (i.e., symbolized by the vertical lines or stripes shown in FIGS. 2h and 2i) run vertically to prevent top to bottom bowing, such as may tend otherwise to occur where the container has been held in the collapsed position for an extended period of time. The boards are four sided, corresponding to the four-sided nature of the panels in which they are installed. Those four-sided panels may be generally rectangular. However the boards have a clear margin of ¼ inch (i.e., 0.6 cm) on all sides within the sewn envelope, and the boards are not sewn to the envelope, i.e., they are able to float within the envelope as opposed to being sewn into the binding at the respective edges of the boards. Moreover, the boards have generous corner radii such that they do not have sharp corners that might otherwise puncture or damage the exterior material. Those corner radii may be 1 cm or ½ inch, or larger, as suitable.

Left-hand side wall 36 and right-hand side wall 38 may have the same or substantially the same construction as front wall 32 or rear wall 34, but they do not include stiffeners such as 100 or 102. However, the ends 86 and 88 of carrying strap 90 are secured to side walls 36 and 38 as noted above. The side walls 36 and 38 are intended to be able to fold in use, as shown in the sequence of illustrations in FIG. 5. To that end, side walls 36, 38 may be, and in the illustrations are, made of an open celled foam. That foam may be a polyurethane foam. The foam is flexible to all side panels 36, 38 to fold inwards as shown in FIG. 4b.

Bottom wall 30 may have, and in the embodiment illustrated does have, the same construction as side walls 36 and 38. Bottom wall 30 does not include a rigid stiffener like stiffeners 100 or 102. Bottom wall 30 may have an external skin, or layer, or protector, such as identified by scuff-resistant covering 104, which may be a relatively heavy fabric or other suitable material to protect the bottom of the container which may be expected to sit on the ground in use. Bottom wall 30 may differ from, and in the embodiment illustrated does differ from, the front and rear walls by being thicker than the upstanding sidewalls, in particular in respect of the layer of insulation being thicker than in the sidewalls.

Looking at frame 50 in greater detail, it can be seen in FIG. 3a that frame 50 extends circumferentially or peripherally about the upper margin of the upstanding soft-sided insulated sidewall of wall structure 28. It has corresponding first, second, third, and fourth portions identified as front, rear, left-hand and right-hand portions 112, 114, 116 and 118 respectively, that co-operate to form a continuous peripheral structure. The basic form of the section is shown in FIG. 3d. There is an inside skirt or inside leg 106 and an outside skirt or outside leg 108 joined by a back 110 to form a downwardly opening channel section that defines an accommodation 120 between legs 106 and 108. As a channel section, frame 50 is relatively stiff. Frame 50 may be made of a variety of stiff materials. It may be, and in the embodiment illustrated it is, a rigid plastic molding. Although FIG. 3d shows legs 106 and 108 as being parallel, they may be splayed or tapered such that the tips of legs 106 and 108 are farther apart than the roots at back 100 to provide a molding draft angle for manufacture. Legs 106 and 108 need not be of the same length, and in the embodiment illustrated they are of different lengths, the inside leg being shorter than the outside leg.

Accommodation 120 is sized to receive the upper band 130 of the rim or upper margin of soft-sided insulated wall structure 28. Upper band 130 is a continuous band. It is sewn to the respective upper portions of walls 32, 36, 34 and 38 around the opening 44, at a double seam 122. Band 130 has a height in the vertical direction that corresponds to the height of accommodation 120. Band 130 is filled with insulation 124 to give a through-thickness that corresponds to the inside width of accommodation 120. In the example illustrated, the outside width of the section of frame 50 corresponds, roughly, to the outside through-thickness of walls 32, 34, 36 and 38. Accordingly, in that embodiment the through thickness of upper band 130 is correspondingly thinner. Being filled with insulating foam, on installation band 130 is squeezed or modestly compressed when inserted between legs 106, 108. It is not loose, but in a friction fit.

The cross-section of FIG. 3e is taken at the location of the various openings formed in frame 50. That is, as noted above, soft-sided insulated wall structure 28 is removably mounted to frame 50. To that end, soft sided-insulated wall structure 28 has a set of attachment fittings 140 that are spaced about the periphery of frame 50. In the example shown there are four such fittings, although there could be more, as suitable. In the example shown, there are left-hand and right-hand front wall attachment fittings in the form of straps 132, and left-hand and right-hand side wall attachment fittings in the form of straps 134. The roots of straps 132 are attached to front wall 32; the roots of straps 134 are attached to side walls 36 and 38 respectively, such that there is a four-point attachment pattern. Similarly, frame 50 has a corresponding set of securement fittings 150 that are engaged by the attachment fittings 140. In the example illustrated, securement fittings have the form of accommodations, or apertures, or slots, identified as openings 126 in front portion 112 of frame 50, and openings 128 in left portion 116 and right portion 118 of frame 50. In use, straps 132, 134 pass through openings 126, 128, respectively, and are folded back upon themselves. The inside face of the distal tip of the tongue of the straps has a hook-and-loop fabric fastener patch 136 that then engages a mating hook-and-loop fabric fastener patch 138 on the outside of the respective strap. The return securement patch need not be part of the strap but could be mounted to the respective wall of the container. However, it is convenient that it be located on the root of the strap. Hook-and-loop fabric fasteners could alternatively have the form of ties or snaps, or clips, as may be. Finally, additional hook-and-loop fabric patches 144 are also mounted on front wall 32, (or where there is a secondary compartment mounted to front wall 32, then to that secondary compartment) at the corner distant from frame 50, at the vertices where front wall 32 meets side walls 36 and 38 respectively. Patches 144 align with, and are engaged by, patches 136 of straps 134 when container assembly 20 is in the folded position. Additionally, a grip or handle 156 is mounted to rear wall 34. In the example shown, handle is mounted at or near the base of rear wall 34 distant from frame 50.

Inasmuch as the tongue of the respective straps is to be fed through openings 126, 128, at the locations of openings 126, 128 the inside leg 106 of frame 50 is relieved at those locations, the respective reliefs being indicated as 142, the relief having the form of an upwardly extending rebate that extends to the height of openings 126, 128, such that the ends of straps 132, 134 can then be fed horizontally through openings 126, 128.

FIG. 3f shows the cross-section of frame 50 along the rear edge where the section is substantially the same as in FIG. 3d, except that both inside leg 146 and outside leg 148 are shorter than legs 106 and 108 with the inside leg again being slightly longer. The shorter legs can be used given that the rear run of frame 50 is unperforated. Similarly, FIG. 3g shows the section of frame 50 along the central part of the front 112 again has shorter legs 152, 154 of which the inside leg 152 is slightly longer, and the outside leg is of reduced section. In this case, the shortness in the region of central rebate 158 permits latch 76 to be secured a bit higher on the front face of front wall 32 than if the outside skirt were longer, as in skirt or leg 108. In other embodiments the front edge central portion may be flush with the adjacent longer skirt as in legs 106, without the central rebate 158.

FIGS. 3h and 3i there is an alternate form of bezel or ring-frame shown as frame 160. Frame 160 may be taken as being the same as frame 50 except that frame 160 does not have openings 126 and 128 in front portion 112 and left-hand and right-hand portions 116, 118, with the corresponding reliefs 142 located to permit the securement straps 132 and 134 of attachment fittings 140 to be fed laterally through openings 126 and 128 respectively. Instead, frame 160 has front, rear, left-hand and right-hand portions 162, 164, 166 and 168. Portions 162, 166 and 168 have respective openings 170 formed in back 110, along the apex of spine of back 110. Relief 142 is not then provided, and the legs of the section are full-length legs 106 and 108, giving the full depth of section. Moreover, the full-length legs continue along the front portion as well, such that rebate 158 in front portion 112 has been eliminated. As may be appreciated from FIG. 3i, openings 170 have an edge that lies slightly lower than the apex of back 110 more generally. When straps 132 and 134 are fed upwardly through openings 170, they are then folded outwardly, and back on themselves as before such that pads 138 and 136 are then engaged to secure frame 160.

In some products, it may be desirable to be able to collapse or fold the soft-sided insulated container into a more compact form, as for shipping or storage, yet to be able to expand the container to an unfolded, or expanded, or deployed condition for normal use. At the same time, it may also be desirable to have a container that has a friction fit closure, or a sealed closure, or a rigid opening geometry that will keep its shape to facilitate placing objects in, or retrieving object from, the container. Or, alternatively, it may be desired to have a rigid lid, while nonetheless retaining the ability to fold or collapse the overall structure to a smaller volume. At the same times, where a rigid liner is employed, the container is not collapsible because the rigid liner is not collapsible. By contrast, a rigid container rim frame, such as frame 50, may tend to provide the rigidity suitable for one or all of these purposes, while still permitting folding of the structure to a smaller condition.

To that end considering the steps shown in FIGS. 4a-4f, and the five steps seen in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the deployed positions shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b can be taken as a starting point. The first step is to invert container assembly 20, i.e., to turn it upside down as shown in FIG. 4a. The retainers or attachments defined by straps 134 are released from respective hook-and-loop patches 138. Then rear wall 34 is pivoted forwardly toward front wall 32 and then downwardly to lie against the inside of lid 52. Given the thickness of the soft-sided insulated walls generally, prior to, or as part of, folding rear wall 34 pivotally toward lid 52, left-hand side wall 36 and right-hand side wall 38 may be tugged outwardly away from each other to make it easier to push rear wall 34 forward and downward. Tugging the sidewalls outward also starts to draw rear wall 34 forward, as suggested by steps 1 and 2 in FIG. 5b.

As this happens, the movement will tend to cause bottom wall 30 to tend to fold toward front wall 32. As rear wall 34 moves to oppose lid 52, bottom wall 30 will then be drawn to lie against the back of front wall 32. Once rear wall 34 has been pushed as far as it can go toward lid 52, the upstanding side walls will each have a general form of a pair of triangles whose hypotenuse is the folded-over diagonal of the respective side wall. The next step is to push those folded-over diagonal edges toward each other, as in step 3 in FIG. 5a. In addition to causing the side wall panels to further tend to fold again roughly into diagonal quarters. As this occurs, front wall 32 and bottom wall 30 will tend to fold backward and downward toward the now-folded rear wall 34. In consequence the now-folded side walls end up being folded between bottom wall 30 and rear wall 34, with front wall 32 lying on top of bottom wall 30 as seen in step 4 in FIG. 5a. Finally, once front wall 32 reaches its folded position, straps 134 are re-attached by engaging pads 136 with pads 144. In this way straps 134 also define releasable retainers that are used to secure front wall 32, and therefore container assembly 20 more generally, in the folded position or condition. Whether in folding or unfolding container assembly 20, it may be helpful to use handle 156 to grasp rear wall 34. When container assembly 20 is being folded, handle 156 is used in aiding in pushing rear wall 34 toward lid 52. When container assembly 20 is being unfolded, handle 156 aids in pulling rear wall 34 away from lid 52.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c, an alternative container assembly is shown as 180. Container assembly 180 is a soft-sided insulated container assembly and for the purposes of description can be taken as being generally the same as, and having the same features as, soft-sided insulated container assembly 20, such that the description of container assembly is applicable to container assembly 180 without the need of repetition of that description. Container assembly 180 differs from container assembly 20 in that a flap 182 is provided across the upper rear region of rear wall 184. It is flap 182 that has hook-and-loop fabric fastener patches 186 located on the underside of flap 182 near the distal margin thereof. Hook-and-loop fabric fastener patches 186 then mate with corresponding hook-and-loop fabric fastener patches 144 mounted to lower margin of front wall portion 32. This means that former securement straps 134 are not required to perform this function, and may be replaced with securement straps 188 that can be shorter while still retaining fastener patches 136 and 138. Use of a shorter strap may then permit the side pockets or pouches 82, 84 to have greater vertical depth, and thus the potential of holding larger objects or more objects, as may be.

In operation, container assembly 180 is converted between folded and unfolded configurations or positions or conditions in the same manner, and with the same steps as container assembly 20 described above with reference to FIGS. 5a and 5b, with the difference that the assembly is secured in the folded position by flap 182 being, or functioning as, the retainer, rather than straps 132.

It may be noted that it is to some extent arbitrary which wall is the front and which wall is the rear. That is, hinge 72 could be attached along the top edge of front wall 32 rather than along the top edge of rear wall 34. Therefore, one of the front or rear walls can be designated the “first” wall member, and the other can be designated the “second” wall member. It may be, however that where an auxiliary container is mounted to the front wall, folding will be facilitated if hinge 72 is mounted along the upper margin of rear wall 34, and the larger stiffener 102 is in the rear wall, rather than the less easily folded front wall.

This alternate approach is illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 7a-7d, in which there is a foldable container assembly 190 that is in substance the same as container assembly 20 and container assembly 180, but with the arrangement of the folding panels reversed. Accordingly, the parts and nomenclature applicable to container assembly 20 are also applicable to container assembly 190 without the need for repetition of the previous description. Container assembly 190 has a front wall panel 192 that has a handle 194 that otherwise corresponds to handle 156 that is mounted to the rear wall panel 34 of container assembly 20. Container assembly 190 may have, and in the embodiment illustrated does have, as secondary or auxiliary compartment 196 that is mounted on front wall panel 192. Handle 194 is mounted to the lower portion of, or below, auxiliary compartment 196. Auxiliary compartment 196 has a closure that is shown in the illustrations as flap 198. Flap 198 has hook-and-loop fabric fastener patches 200 on the underside of flap 198.

In normal deployed operation as seen in FIG. 7a, patches 200 engage mating patches on the upper margin of the front wall of auxiliary compartment 196 to form a securable closure of auxiliary compartment 196. The closure can be opened so that, in normal use, flap 198 is movable between open and closed positions to govern access to the inside of auxiliary compartment 196 to permit objects to be introduced or removed. In the folded condition or position shown in FIGS. 7b and 7d patches 200 engage securement patches 202 located at the lower margin of rear wall panel 208 to hold container assembly 190 in the collapsed or folded condition or position. In this position, stiffeners 204, 206 correspond to stiffeners 100, 102, except that the longer stiffener 204 is mounted in the front wall panel 192, and the shorter stiffener 206 is mounted in the rear wall panel 208, being the opposite arrangement to that of container assembly 20. In this instance it is the flap 198, and the fasteners mounted thereto that function as, and may be referred to as the retainer or retainer assembly, rather than the side straps 134 as in the context of container assembly 20.

In operation, container assembly 190 works in the same manner as container assemblies 20 and 180 with reference to FIGS. 5a and 5b, except that container assembly 190 works in the opposite direction. That is, container assemblies 20 and 180 may be termed “rear folding” units because the folding procedure involves a handle on the rear wall panel, and the main folding step involves first grasping handle 156 and pushing the rear wall panel toward the lid, and then later folding the front panel. Container assembly 190 is the opposite: it is a “front folding” unit because handle 194 is mounted to the front wall panel of the unit and the main folding step involves first grasping handle 194 and pushing the front wall panel toward the lid, to be followed later by the rear wall panel.

FIGS. 8a and 8b show general assembly view of an alternate embodiment of soft-sided insulated container assembly 220 to that of Figure la. In this instance, except as noted, container assembly 220 may be taken as being similar to, or substantially the same as, container assembly 20 such that the description of general methods and features of construction may be taken as being the same so that the foregoing description may be taken as applying to container assembly 220 without the need for repetition. That is, container assembly 220 is a soft-sided insulated container assembly. Container assembly 220 has a first, or main portion, or main body portion 212, and a second portion 214. Container assembly 220 differs from container assembly 20 in that container assembly 220 has a third portion 216 that will be described below. Second portion 214 is mounted to first portion 212 and is movable relative thereto between a first position and a second position to govern access to the internal chamber of container assembly 220. The first position, seen in FIG. 8a is a closed position. The second position, seen in FIG. 8b is an open position.

Main portion 212 has an outer casing 226 in the nature of a soft-sided, insulated wall structure 228. As shown, outer casing 226 has a bottom wall 230, and an upstanding peripherally extending wall structure defined by a front wall 232, a rear wall 234, a left-hand side wall 236, and a right-hand side wall 238. Bottom wall 230 and side walls 232, 234, 236 and 238 co-operate to form an upstanding open-topped five-sided box. A receptacle, or chamber, 240 is defined within soft-sided insulated wall structure 228. Chamber 240 may be watertight. In the examples of FIG. 9, chamber 240 has a rigid liner 210, and is not foldable unless the liner is removed (as for washing or replacement). In general, it may be understood that rigid liner 210 is permanent, such that a soft-sided insulated container assembly 220 that has liner 210 is a non-collapsible cooler assembly, or non-collapsible soft-sided insulated container assembly. To the extent that container assembly 220 has a rigid liner 210, it will not have battens or internal wall stiffeners such as stiffeners 100 and 102.

Whether it has a rigid liner or a non-rigid liner, first portion 212 of container assembly 220 may also be termed the “main body”, or main body portion, or container assembly 220. Main body portion 212 also has a rigid member in the form of a ring-frame, or open from, or peripheral stiffener or a surround, or rim, or rim-reinforcement, however it may be called, that is identified in the drawings as a cuff 250. It may also be termed a “surround 250” or “frame 250” in this specification, the terminology being interchangeable for the purposes of this description. Cuff 250 is a rigid section that has sufficient stiffness to hold its shape, and also to function as a spreader extending around the upper margin of main body portion 212, thereby tending to hold open the opening of the internal chamber by aiding it in maintaining its plan form shape as seen from above. In the examples shown, that shape is a four-sided, generally rectangular shape. Cuff 250 and upstanding soft-sided wall structure 228 are co-operably mated together. Different forms of this mating relationship are shown. In FIGS. 9 and 10a, cuff 250 is secured to the upper margin of upstanding soft-sided wall structure 228. In a container assembly such as container assembly 20, this relationship may be a removable relationship given straps 132 and 134. In the soft-sided container assemblies of FIGS. 10a-10c this may be a permanent relationship in which cuff 250 is permanently sewn to upstanding soft-sided wall structure 228. That is, since third portion 216 (described below) may permit removability for washing of the liner, cuff 250, need not be releasable and removable.

Wall structure 228 has an upper portion or upper rim or upper margin 242 that extends peripherally about the top of the internal volume or upper region of the internal volume or chamber 240. Upper margin 242 is made by the collective co-operation of the respective upper margins of all of the upstanding walls 232, 234, 236 and 238. Upper margin 242 mates with cuff 250, which also runs peripherally about (i.e., around) the top margin of wall structure 228. The opening defined within rim 242, and through cuff 250, is identified as receptacle opening 244. As may be understood, objects may be placed in, or removed from receptacle or chamber 240 through opening 244 according to the position of second portion 214 relative to first portion 212, i.e., when second portion 214 is in the first, or closed position relative to first portion 212, access to the space defined inside receptacle or chamber 240 is obstructed, and when second portion 214 is in the second, or open, position access to chamber 240 is permitted rather than obstructed.

Second portion 214 of container assembly 220 is indicated as a top panel, or lid assembly identified as lid 252. Lid 252 has an internal structural member 254 for engagement with cuff 250. In this context, cuff 250 acts as a first closure member. Lid 252 acts as the second or mating closure member that co-operates with the first closure member to govern access to the enclosed chamber defined within chamber 240. Internal structural member 254 may have a peripherally extending bead or seal 256 for interferingly engaging the mouth of chamber 240, in particular as it engages the land 258 defined by one or the other of third portion 216 or the inside face of cuff 250. Seal 256 may be an O-ring seal, for example, and it may sit in a groove or detent or relief or channel formed in the depending skirt 246 of internal structural member 254. Alternatively skirt 246 may be provided with molded externally outstanding dimples or ridges 248 in place of an O-ring. In use these ridges ride against the opposing surface they encounter. In the example of FIGS. 10a, 10b and 10c, that opposing surface is the land of third portion 216, described below. The interference fit of lid 252 as such may tend to deter the egress of materials, that might otherwise occur when container assembly 220 is inadvertently tipped over or jostled excessively energetically.

In the example of FIGS. 10a, 10b and 10c, internal structural member 254 has a peripherally extending structural section 260 that is sized to fit within, and to mate with, third portion 216. Internal structural member 254 may be an open frame, like a banjo frame, over which an external skin of fabric, or an insulated blanket of fabric 264 may be sewn or stretched. In the example shown internal structural member 254 includes a spanning member 262 that defines a continuous web within the periphery surrounding wall defined by structural section 260. Structural section 260 forms a flange around spanning member 262. It has an inside leg 266 and an outside leg 268. Outside leg 268 has an outwardly rolled edge. An insulated panel 270 overlies internal structural member 254, and thereby insulates lid 252. Although insulation may be provided in soft quilts, in the example shown the insulation is a relatively stiff expanded foam pad that is stiff enough to support objects placed upon lid 252. Second portion 214, and so lid 252, is connected to first portion 212 by a hinge 272. Hinge 272 is secured at the top to the rear margin of lid 252, and at its lower edge to the upper margin of rear wall 234. Hinge 272 may be a fabric hinge, as shown. Outward of structural section 260 lid 252 has an externally extending, overhanging edge or overhang 274 that curls outward and downward. It terminates in a flange or flat 276. In use, flat 276 opposes the upper surface of second segment 302. The fabric covering 264 is stretched over the curl and terminates on flat 276. The edge of fabric covering 264 is sewn through flat 276. Binding 278 runs around the peripheral edge of flat 276. When lid 252 is closed, overhang 274 bottoms on rim 290, which, itself, seats on the upturned segment, 304, functioning as a stop or abutment relationship. Alternatively, or additionally, as overhang 274 is bottoming on rim 290, flat 276 is bottoming on the upper surface of second segment 302 of cuff 250 such that the edge of bead 278 sits between them, bottoming at approximately the same position.

In use, the downwardly depending structural section 260 defines a nose or nosing, or a plug, or a male member, that seats within the receiver, or seat or socket defined by the frame or cuff 250. Structural section 260 is then like a door or striker plate that interacts with a door jamb defined by the land of third portion 216 backed up by cuff 250. In that relationship, when lid 252 is closed, third portion 216 is sandwiched between lid 252 and cuff 250 of first portion 212. Third portion 216 is thereby captured between them. The relationship between this nosing or plug of peripherally extending structural section 260 and the land of third portion 216 is like that of a window-pane or door within a window or door seal or striker plate, in which either or both of cuff 250 and third portion 216 define the door frame (i.e., a stiff peripherally extending receiving structure). Alternatively, depending on the relative stiffness, the third portion 216 can be conceptualized as a seal plate or striker plate that mounts to the stiffer door frame, and the lid structure functions as the window or door that swings to close the opening. In the embodiment illustrated, structural section 260 and spanning member 262 are formed as a unitary rigid plastic molding.

Third portion 216 may pertain to a rigid molded tub or bucket identified as a receptacle or rigid liner 210, as in the example of FIGS. 9, 10a and 10b, or to a flexible liner assembly 280 as in the example of FIG. 10c. Considering the rigid molded tub, or bucket, or liner defined by rigid liner 210, there is a bottom wall 282 and an upstanding side wall 284 that has front, rear, left-hand and right-hand wall portions corresponding to the front, rear, left-hand and right-hand wall panels or portions of the soft-sided insulated wall structure of the main portion or first portion 212 of container assembly 220 more generally. As can be seen, rigid liner 210 fits closely within chamber 240. Rigid liner 210 has a shoulder 286 located part way up upstanding sidewall 284, such as may form a ledge on which to place a tray or divider. In FIG. 9, shoulder 286 is closer to the top of rigid liner 210 than to the bottom, e.g., being roughly ¾ of the height from the bottom. The uppermost portion of rigid liner 210 (i.e., the portion most distant from bottom wall 282) terminates in a rim 290. A depending skirt 288 extends downwardly of rim 290 to shoulder 286.

Looking at the sectional detail of FIG. 9, rim 290 is, or includes, a molded flange 292 that extends outwardly away from chamber 240, and runs peripherally about (i.e., around) the uppermost margin of upstanding sidewall 284. Flange 292 includes a first portion 294 that extends predominantly laterally or horizontally outwardly, and a second portion 296 having the form of a rearwardly (i.e., downwardly, as installed) extending lip or drip edge, or bead or bulb. Rim 290 has a rounded edge where flange 292 merges into upstanding sidewall 284, and a rounded or radiused edge where first portion 294 merges into second portion 296. There is a space, or gap, between the depending lip of second portion 296 and upper margin of skirt 288.

The detail of FIG. 9 also shows cuff 250 in cross-section. In the example of FIG. 10a, cuff 250 has a first segment 300, a second segment 302, and a third segment 304. In the context of the item shown, it is in some sense arbitrary whether these items are referred to as segments, or legs, or webs, and these names can be used interchangeably. In the example, second segment 302 extends outwardly away from rigid liner 210. It may extend in a horizontal plane, or a substantially horizontal plane. First segment 300 depends from the outboard end of second segment 302. Third segment 304 stands upwardly from the inboard end of second segment 302. In this example, cuff 250 is a Z-section in which first segment 300 is the outboard flange of the Z-section, segment 302 is the web of the Z-section, and segment 304 of the inboard flange of the Z-section. It may also be noted that first segment 300 is longer than third segment 304. In this example, first segment 300 defines a skirt that extends downwardly in front of the soft-sided insulated panel material of upstanding outer casing 226. The lowermost tip of first segment 300 may be thinned such that a rabbet or relief 306 is formed. The upper edge of the external membrane or fabric covering 308 of main body 212 is mated to first segment 300. The edge of the fabric may be folded back on itself to form a clean edge. The folded back, doubled edge sits in relief 306 and is sewn to the lower tip of first segment 300, so that when assembled the outside skin of the fabric is substantially co-planar, or very close to co-planar, with the outside face of the main outer portion of first segment 300. The top margin of the insulated side wall material then seats in the crook, in the inside corner, where the web of segment 302 meets first segment 300.

The gap in the underside of rim 290 between skirt 288 and lip 296 admits the uppermost edge, or tip, of upstanding segment 304. Given the depth of section defined by the web of segment 302 between the outer and inner flanges defined by segments 300 and 304 is much larger than the through thickness of skirt 288 and rim 290, the Z-section of cuff 250 may be expected to be substantially stiffer, i.e., more resistant to bending in the horizontal plane the direction traverse to the section, that is, it has a greater effective local flexural modulus EI (where E is the Young's modulus of the material and I is the local second moment of area of the section). As such, conceptually peripherally extending cuff 250 defines the relatively stiff door frame. When lid 252 is closed, the inside face of skirt 288 defines land 258 against which lid 252 bears, and, as that occurs skirt 288, and therefore second portion 214 more generally, is sandwiched between, and squeezed between, lid 252 and main body 212.

In this example, lid 252 and main body 212 still define first and second closure members that co-operate to govern access to chamber 240. The difference is that in container assembly 220 the upper edge of rigid liner 210 may be captured between lid 252 and main body 212 when closed.

The example of FIGS. 9, 10a and 10b provides a relatively compact, stiff, junction of lid 252, main body 212 and liner 210 that may be helpful in forming a good seal, or a relatively controlled tolerance seal, where the dimensions of the mating parts are determined in the respective molds, the parts fit closely together, and the parts are relatively locally stiff as compared to a soft, flexible insulating foam. However, one may not necessarily need or want a rigid liner, but rather merely a waterproof liner such as may provide a liquid tight barrier against leakage in use, or a barrier for syrupy or sticky materials that may stain or cling to the liner that one may wish to be able to remove for washing from time to time as needed. In that case the use of a flexible liner such as web or membrane or fabric may be suitable. Accordingly, the close, reliable, repeatable fit of the stiff surround may be combined with a flexible bag.

Accordingly, in the example of FIG. 10c there may be a soft-sided container assembly 320 that is substantially the same container assembly 20 or container assembly 220 in terms of basic structure and manufacturing techniques. In this case, the first portion 312 of container assembly 320 has a cuff 350 that is the same as cuff 250, that is installed in the same relationship to the upstanding sidewall structure 326 as cuff 250 has to upstanding sidewall structure 226. Container assembly 320 has a second portion 214 and lid 252 that are the same as for container assembly 220. The example of FIG. 10d is the same as the example of FIG. 10c, other than in respect of lid 352 which does not have a fully-extending spanning member 262, but rather the rigid molded reinforcement of the peripherally extending section 348 has the form of an open-centered picture frame or surround that has a central opening. Section 348 is the same as section 260, but ends at a flange 354. The insulation of the lid is sewn to the inside of fabric covering 308. This arrangement using a ring frame without a fully extensive spanning web may be used in any of the examples shown herein, whether in FIGS. 10a, 10b, 10c, 11a, 11b, 11c or 11d, as may be.

What is different is that third portion 316 is not a full, continuous, rigid moulded liner in the manner of rigid liner 210. Third portion 316 has a flexible or foldable or collapsible liner 310 that has a rigid upper frame, or surround, 318, and a lower portion 322. Lower portion 322 is a flexible membrane 324, and may be a sheet of vinyl, whether opaque or clear. The flexible membrane 324 is water-tight, and washable. Flexible membrane 324 has a bottom and an upstanding sidewall. The sack or bag, or flexible liner so formed fits closely within the underlying internal chamber 240 of container assembly 320. Flexible membrane 324 has an upper margin 332 that mates with the lower margin of surround 318. That is, the lower edge 334 of surround 318 is thinned and the over-folded upper edge or margin 332 is sewn to lower edge 334. The result is that container assembly 320 is then collapsible and foldable in much the same manner as container assembly 20 herein. As with rigid liner 210, the inside face of surround 318 defines a land 328 that is engaged by lid 252.

The upper margin of surround 318 has a rim 336 that may be taken as being the same as rim 290. Surround 318 also has a depending leg, or skirt, 338 that may have the same geometry as the upper portion of skirt 288, such that there is a gap or space, or reach, between skirt 338 and the over-curled or over-folded lip, or tip of rim 336. In use this reach provides an accommodation that is engages by the top end, or toe, or tip, of upwardly extending leg of segment 304 of first portion 312 in the same manner as rim 290 engages first portion 212 of container assembly 220.

The example of FIG. 11a is an illustration of the use of a flexible liner assembly such as that of FIG. 10c. That is, the example of FIGS. 9, 10a and 10b that provides a compact, stiff, junction of the lid, the body and the liner that may be helpful in forming a good seal, or a relatively controlled tolerance seal, may also be used where the benefit of a folding container assembly such as container assembly 20 is also sought. In that case the use of a rigid internal tub such as rigid liner 210 would prevent folding from occurring.

In a further alternative of FIG. 11a, there is soft sided insulated container assembly 360. It has a first portion 362, a mating second portion that may be understood to be the same, or substantially the same, as second portions 214, and a third portion 366 that has the form of a flexible liner assembly 370. Liner assembly 370 has a surround or reinforcement, or structural stiffener such as may indicated as ring frame 372, and a depending flexible membrane in the shape of a bag or sack, or pliable lining 374. Pliable lining 374 has a bottom portion 376 that, when installed, rests on and extends over the bottom wall 30; and an upstanding sidewall portion 378 that extends upwardly from bottom portion 376 and is bounded by the respective upstanding sidewalls of insulated wall structure 28. Those portions 376 and 378 may be understood to co-operate to form a continuous internal membrane that holds liquids. To avoid unnecessary repetition of description, first portion 362 may be taken as being the same, or substantially the same, as first body portion or main body portion 22, including its external soft-sided insulated shell or outer casing 26 including its insulated wall structure 28.

Similarly, first portion 362 has an upper ring frame, or surround, or cuff 380 that seats on upper band 130 of wall structure 28, as before in the same general arrangement or relationship as seen in FIG. 2g, such that a peripherally extending rim is formed that is reinforced by cuff 380.

For the most part, cuff 380 has the same cross-section as the rigid surround 110 of FIG. 2g, except inasmuch as rather than merely being a U-shaped downwardly opening channel section, it also has an upstanding leg, or segment, or flange, 382 of comparable geometry to third segment 304 of cuff 250. Alternatively, cuff 380 can be thought of as being the same as the Z-section of cuff 250 except for the addition of a downwardly depending inside segment, or flange, or leg 384. That is to say, the resultant cuff, in cross- section has four segments, rather than three. The first segment is segment 300 as before, the second segment is segment 302 as before, the third segment is leg 384, and the fourth segment is flange 382. Segment 302 defines the horizontally extending web between the downwardly extending flange defined by segment 300 and both the opposed flange 384 and the upstanding flange 382.

Upwardly extending segment or flange 382 co-operates with rim 390 and the leg or tail 386 of flexible internal liner assembly 370 in FIG. 11a. Rim 390 of third portion 366 is formed to have the cross-section of a finger, or hook 392 having a first portion or reach 394 and a second portion or depending tip 396. The hook so formed forms a catch that engages the tip of flange 382 in a mating relationship. As may be noted, a folded over upper hem 368 of flexible membrane 374 is mated to a thinned bottom margin 398 of tail 386.

In this example, the U-shaped cuff cross-section of the middle web defined by second segment 302 and the co-operation of depending segments 300 and 384 may provide a three-sided restraint on the upper peripheral rim portion 340 of main body wall section 326. The fourth segment, defined by upstanding flange 382 which functions at the indexing member or catch, or dog, or hanger, upon which the mating indexing member or catch, or hanger or hook, or finger defined by the section of the overhanging rim 390. The shank of the hook facially engages, and is buttressed by, the inward facing surface of the H-shape of cuff 380.

Additionally, as in container assembly 20, the front wall of container assembly 360 may have a reinforcement, or batten, or stiffened panel 100. It lies inwardly of external skin 92. In the example illustrated it lies between the external skin and the insulation. Stiffened panel 100 is sewn within a pair of non-woven polypropylene sheets that are then sewn at their margins into the structure of front wall 32 more generally. Stiffened panel 100 is sized to correspond to the width of front wall 32 in the x-direction, and has a length L₁₀₀that corresponds to a distance in the z-direction that is less than the height of front wall 32 by roughly double the wall thickness of front wall 32. The remaining height above the end of stiffened panel 100 permits that portion of front wall 32 to bend and fold over rear wall 34 when container assembly 20 is folded.

FIG. 11b, shows a section similar to FIG. 11a, but for a non-folding soft-sided container assembly 400 that has a rigid liner 402. It has a cuff 410 with a Z-section as in FIG. 2g. However, it differs in having a hook arrangement as in FIG. 11a and the wall panel is not held loosely in the accommodation in the Z-section as in FIG. 10a, 10b, or 10c, or H-Section as in FIG. 11a. In FIG. 11a the wall insulation 404 is sewn between inner and outer skins, and the seamed skins have extending tabs 406 and 408. Extending tab 406 is sewn to seat in the rabbet 306 defined at the thinned lowermost portion of the lower tip of the Z-section of cuff 410. The remaining tab 408 is then wrapped over the upstanding leg of third segment 304 and sewn through. The hook of the rim than seats over the sewn edge tab.

In FIG. 11c, the apparatus is substantially the same as in FIG. 11b, except that insulation 404 is held within a U-shaped unitary skin 412 that has an outside leg, forming the outer skin, that has an overfolded hem 414 sewn to rabbet 306, and an inside leg, forming the inner skin, that has an upper edge 416 and binding 418 that seats over upper edge 416 and uppermost segment 304 and sewn through together both of them. On assembly the underside of the molded rim hook 420 seats on binding 418 much as if binding 418 were a gasket.

In FIGS. 11d and 11e the apparatus is substantially the same as in FIG. 11b or FIG. 11c. To this point, the apparatus of FIGS. 10a-10e and 11a-11b has been drawn in the context of relatively large, insulated containers, such as a 20-can cooler (i.e., a cooler having an internal capacity to accommodate 20 soft-drink or beer can of 355 ml (i.e., 12 fl. oz.) or 473 ml (i.e., 16 fl. oz, or 1 US Pint). The first can is roughly 2-⅝″ dia.×4-⅞″ high, the second is 2-⅝″ dia.×6-¼″ high. Accordingly, a typical 20 can cooler may be roughly 12 inches wide (i.e., in the x-direction)×9 inches deep (i.e., in the y-direction) and 10 inches tall (i.e., in the vertical or z-direction). Typically these coolers are slightly taller than deep, and slightly wider than tall. In some cases, the height dimension is the largest dimension. Clearly, such a cooler may be made larger such as to come in a 30-can or larger size, for example, in which the height may generally be greater than either the width or the depth. However coolers may also come in smaller sizes. In particular they may be sized as children's lunch boxes for taking to school. In those circumstances not only is the cooler smaller, but, additionally, it is of a substantially different aspect ratio., in which the height is the smallest dimension, usually about ½ of the breadth or depth or less; and ⅓ of the width of the lunch box. In a typical lunch box the height of the main compartment may be about 3 inches, the breadth or depth may be about 8 inches, and the width may be about 10 inches.

In that context, whereas drink cans (when full) have substantial resistance to being crushed, the same may not be true of a sandwich, or fruit such as a banana. Accordingly, a cuff, such as cuff 250 does have substantial crush resistance such as may protect a sandwich from being crushed, at least to some extent. That minimum crush resistance depth will be established by the height of cuff 210, indicated as h₂₁₀in FIG. 11e. It may be that a different, or greater, minimum crush depth is suitable. Accordingly, in FIG. 11d the depending leg or tail 422 of rim 390 may be extended to that the overall crush depth of rim 390 is greater than the crush depth of the cuff. That is, leg or tail 422 extends beyond the bottom of the cuff. This is indicated by showing the crush depth h₄₂₂in FIG. 4d, as compared to depth h₄₁₀(illustrated for comparison in FIG. 4e). Inasmuch as the container assembly in these examples does not have a rigid tub, and the length of depending leg or tail 422 is less deep than the overall sidewall depth, it may also be suitable to include one or more reinforcements, or battens 424 in the floor panel of the container. In a large container, there may be two or more battens 424 in a bi-folding configuration, such as may be appropriate for a container that folds for storage. In a lunch box a single batten that tend to keep the panel generally flat may provide some protection for sandwiches, while still allowing the floor to float to some extent relative to the crush depth. In FIG. 4e, depending leg 426 is provided with flange, or bead, or stop, or foot 428, at its lowermost edge so that the bearing area of the edge when the container is being crushed is slightly larger, and may present a more rounded edge tending not to damage the softer elements of the structure. In the examples of FIGS. 11d and 11e, while the context and depth maybe be that of the protection of a sandwich or a banana, which may typically be about 1-½ to 2 inches, it may also be that of a cardboard drink box, or plastic drink container, or even the diameter of a soda can.

Although the embodiments illustrated and described above are preferred, the principles of the present invention are not limited to this specific example which is given by way of illustration. It is possible to make other embodiments that employ the principles of the invention and that fall within its spirit and scope as defined by the following claims.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	18399540	Dec 2023	US
Child	19001258		US
Parent	18512858	Nov 2023	US
Child	18399540		US

SOFT-SIDED INSULATED CONTAINER WITH RIM

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Continuation in Parts (2)