Patent Application
20220111933
This application relates in general to an article of manufacture for providing physical support structures, and more specifically, to an article of manufacture providing a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles.
Usable floor space is typically at a premium when individuals use coolers to store food and drinks while using recreational vehicles including boats, atvs, utvs, tractors and golf carts. Most of the recreational vehicles and boats have multiple support members that allow towers, railings, ladders, and the like to located around the vehicles. These support members are typically of significant size and strength that they may support additional weight if needed. Providing easy access to the coolers while getting them out of the way when not being accessed would improve the user experiences while enjoying the use of recreational vehicles and boats.
Therefore, a need exists for an article of manufacture for providing a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles. The present invention attempts to address the limitations and deficiencies of prior art solutions according the principles and example embodiments disclosed herein.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing an article of manufacture providing a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles according to the principles and example embodiments disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, the present invention is an article of manufacture for providing a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles. An article of manufacture for providing a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles is disclosed. The cooler mount includes a back support member, having a front side and a back side, coupled to a base support surface along a bottom edge of the back support member. A sliding attachment support is attached to the back of the back support member to retain a sliding support arm. A protruding member coupled to the sliding support arm that extends outward to couple to a second c-clamp used to secure the cooler mount to a vehicle or boat. An attachment tab is located on one side of a first c-clamp that engages the pair of extended members of the pivoting support arm. The first c-clamp also attaches to a vehicle and boat. A pivoting support arm coupled to the back side of the back support, the pivoting support having a pair of extended members out from its base, A sliding attachment support is c-shaped creating a slot that accepts a sliding support arm, the sliding support arm configured to engage a retaining slot in the sliding attachment support, A protruding member coupled to the sliding support arm that extends outward from the back support member when the sliding support arm is within the slot in the sliding attachment support, the protruding member having a through hole passing the protruding member in an orientation parallel to the slot in the sliding attachment support when installed. The second c-clamp having an installation tab extending outward from the second c-clamp and oriented to engage the protruding member using an attachment pin passing through the attachment tab and the protruding member. Removal of the attachment pin detaches the attachment tab and the protruding member to permit the cooler mount to pivot about the first c-clamp as coupled to the pivoting support arm.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features that are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only, and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
This application relates in general an article of manufacture providing physical support structures, and more specifically, to an article of manufacture providing a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles according to the present invention.
Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
In describing embodiments of the present invention, the following terminology will be used. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a needle” includes reference to one or more of such needles and “etching” includes one or more of such steps. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
It further will be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and “including” specify the presence of stated features, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps or components. It also should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions and acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality and acts involved.
As used herein, the term “about” means that dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill. Further, unless otherwise stated, the term “about” shall expressly include “exactly.”
The terms “customer,” and “user” refer to an entity, e.g. a human, using a space-saving cooler mount for use on recreational vehicles associated with the invention. The term user herein refers to one or more users.
The term “invention” or “present invention” refers to the invention being applied for via the patent application with the title “Space Saver Cooler Mount.” Invention may be used interchangeably with cooler mount.
In general, the present disclosure relates to an article of manufacture for providing a physical support structure. To better understand the present invention,
The attachment devices 112a-c, 111a-c may comprise threaded bolts, screws, and the like that either engage bolts or the rear side of the back member 101 or directly engage threaded holes on attachment supports to be coupled to the back member 101. These attachment devices 111a-c, 112a-c pass through the back member 101 through holes located therein. These attachment devices also may include one or more washers, bushings or similar hardware items that assist in coupling the back member 101 to the attachment supports as shown in
A center portion of the back member 101 may be adorned with a logo or artwork as desired. The logo may reference the source of the box cooler mount 100 or may provide advertising for products related to a cooler or the food and drinks that may be stored therein. The logo may comprise text, graphics or a combination of both.
The back member 101 has a length of 24″ from end to end in a preferred embodiment. The back member 101 is made of aluminum or steel in a preferred embodiment and is 0.5 inch thick and 8 inches high but will vary with cooler size. The support shelf 102 has a length of 19.719″ and is 0.5 inches thick. The support shelf 102 extends 8 inches out from the back member 101 and is 0.5 inches thick to provide a platform to rest a cooler.
A pivoting support arm 225 also attaches to the back side of the back support 101. The pivoting support arm 225 couples to the back support member 101 using a base support member 202 and attachment devices 212a-c that engage mating attachment devices 111a-c on the front side of the back support 101 as shown in
The pivoting support arm 225 has a circular base having a diameter of 3.5″ inches. The extended members 226a-b has a height of 3.75″ inches. The pivoting support arm 225 has a pair of opposing attachment slots 228a-b that attach to the back support member 101.
The sliding support arm 221 being coupled to a protruding member 222 is sized and is shaped to engage a retaining slot 204 in the sliding attachment support 201. The sliding support arm 221 may be positioned anywhere along the retaining slot 204 in order to allow the cooler mount 100 to be attached to railings or similar support members when installed on a recreational vehicle or boat. A through hole 223 passes through the protruding member 222 to provide a mechanism to couple the sliding support arm 221, and thus the cooler mount 100, to a vehicle or boat.
The sliding support arm 221 has a circular base having a diameter of 2.5 inches to engage the slot 203 in the sliding attachment support 201. The protruding member 222 has a height of 3.5 inches and a through hole 223.
The pivoting support arm 501 comprises a pair of extended support arms 503a-b extending outward in a parallel orientation from the back support 101. The parallel orientation of the pair of extended support arms 503a-b creates an engagement space that accepts insertion of an attachment tab 506 located on one side of a c-clamp 504. The c-clamp 504 may be attached around a railing, support tower or similar location on the recreational vehicle or boat to install the cooler mount 100. The c-clamp 504 is tightened into place using an installation bolt 505 that engages the c-clamp between its open ends. A threaded attachment device such as a bolt or a nut and bolt combination may be used. Tightening of the installation bolt 505 pulls the two open ends of the c-clamp 504 together generating a tight grip around a railing or other installation location.
A threaded shaft 510 has one end coupled to a tightening handle 511 in which the threaded shaft extends downward through the upper extended support arm 503a and the attachment tab 506 located on one side of a c-clamp 504 to engage the lower extended support arm 503b of the two extended support arms 503a-b. The threaded shaft 510 may pass completely through the lower extended support arm 503b to engage a nut, not shown. The threaded shaft also may engage a threaded hole in the lower extended support arm 503b in an alternate embodiment. In both embodiments, turning the tightening handle 511 tightens or loosens the threaded shaft 510.
When tightened, the threaded shaft 510 and the tightening handle 510 pull the pair of extended support arms 503a-b together around the attachment tab 506 of the c-clamp 504 to hold the pivoting support arm in place in a fixed orientation. When loosened, the pair of extended support arms 503a-b separate enough to allow the attachment tab 506 of the c-clamp 504 to pivot around the threaded shaft 510. When the attachment tab 506 of the c-clamp 504 pivots, the entire cooler mount 100 may rotate about the threaded shaft 510.
The installation pin 603 passes through the through hole 223 that passes through the protruding member 222 to engage an installation tab 602 of a second c-clamp 600. The installation pin 603 holds the installation tab 602 to the sliding support arm 221, thus holding the cooler mount 100 to the second c-clamp 600 when the sliding support arm 221 is within the retaining slot 204 of the sliding attachment support 201. The second c-clamp 600 may be installed onto a second railing or tower support in a similar manner described above in reference to
When the installation pin 603 is pulled out to the through hole 223 that passes through the protruding member 222, the entire side of the cooler mount 100 is detached from the railing of the vehicle or boat. If the installation pin 603 is removed when the tightening handle 511 and threaded shaft 510 are in a loosened position, the sliding attachment support 201 and the corresponding side of the back support 101 may pivot about the threaded shaft 510 as discussed above in reference to
Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the present application, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the invention. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in this application. In other words, any of the features mentioned in this application may be included to this new invention in any combination or combinations to allow the functionality required for the desired operations.
No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
