U.S. patent application number 12/340459 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-24 for cargo-carrying ice chest attachment.
Invention is credited to Michael B. Murphy.
Application Number | 20100155349 12/340459 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42264520 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100155349 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Murphy; Michael B. |
June 24, 2010 |
Cargo-carrying ice chest attachment
Abstract
A boxed caddy or pallet suitable for quick installation and
removal on top of a rolling ice chest or similar hexahedral
appliance, into to which goods can be piled for transportation to a
beach or picnic site. The caddy folds flat for convenient storing
into a car trunk. The multi-railed sides of the caddy are
telescopically adjustable. Brackets projecting downwardly from the
lower edges of the sides come to rest against the walls of the
appliance, thus providing bi-directional horizontal stability.
Adjustable stabilization straps can conveniently be secured between
the caddy and appliance. The caddy has a removable top cover and
can double as a small table.
Inventors: |
Murphy; Michael B.; (Newbury
Park, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARMASSON, BUCHACA & LEACH, LLP
2635 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 102
SAN DIEGO
CA
92108
US
|
Family ID: |
42264520 |
Appl. No.: |
12/340459 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/86.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62B 2204/04 20130101;
B62B 2202/52 20130101; B62B 3/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/86.01 |
International
Class: |
A47F 5/01 20060101
A47F005/01 |
Claims
1. A caddy for mounting on the top of a hexahedral structure such
as an ice chest having two pairs of opposite sidewalls, said caddy
comprising: a pair of first opposite, vertical, substantially
symmetrical sides; a pair of second opposite, vertical,
substantially symmetrical sides, each of said second sides being
connected to said first sides; a least one post extending
substantially downwardly from each one of said pair of sides; and,
said sides and post being shaped and dimensioned to place said post
in contact with one of said sidewalls when said caddy is mounted on
said structure.
2. The caddy of claim 1, wherein at least one of said pairs of
sides is horizontally extendable.
3. The caddy of claim 2, which further comprises means for locking
said extendable sides into a fixed dimension.
4. The caddy of claim 1, wherein each of said sides is hingedly
connected at opposite ends to two other sides.
5. The caddy of claim 2, wherein each of at least one of said pairs
of sides comprises at least two spaced apart horizontal rods.
6. The caddy of claim 5, wherein each of said rods in each of said
extendable sides comprises a first tubular portion and a second
portion telescopically engaged into said first portion.
7. The caddy of claim 1, wherein at least one of said pairs of
sides comprises an upper and a lower horizontal rod; each of said
post comprises a L-Shaped member having an horizontal section
connected to one of said lower rails and a second section
perpendicular to said horizontal section.
8. The caddy of claim 7, wherein said horizontal section is
rotatively connected to said lower rod to allow said second section
to be moved from an horizontal to a vertical position.
9. The caddy of claim 8, wherein said horizontal section is
slidingly connected to said lower rod.
10. The caddy of claim 9, wherein each of said L-shaped members
projects outwardly from one of said sides.
11. The caddy of claim 10, which further comprises means for
locking said members against sliding and rotating movements.
12. The caddy of claim 1, which further comprises at least one
adjustable strap securing said caddy to said structure.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to small caddies and cargo
carriers, and more particularly to cargo-carrying attachments for
rolling ice chests and similar hexahedral structures.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Wheeled ice chests and coolers are commonly used to carry
foods and beverages on beaches and picnic grounds. Their users need
also to transport items such as folding chairs, blankets,
umbrellas, pillows, suntan lotion, books and games. All that
equipment may require several trips between a vehicle and the
recreational site. The multitude and odd shapes of these additional
articles often cannot be conveniently carried in a handbag. It
would be preferable to group these articles and package them
together within a hand-carried or rolling ice chest so that they
can all be brought to the recreational site in a single trip.
[0003] The invention results from an attempt to provide a device to
fulfill that need.
SUMMARY
[0004] The invention provides a caddy in the shape of a box pallet
suitable for quick installation and removal from the top of an ice
chest. The sides of the caddy are hingedly connected to allow a
parallelepiped folding for convenient storage and transportation in
the trunk of a vehicle.
[0005] The sides of the caddy are extendable in order to
conveniently match the dimensions of the supporting structure.
[0006] In some embodiments, such a caddy for mounting on the top of
a hexahedral structure such as an ice chest having two pairs of
opposite sidewalls comprises: a pair of first opposite, vertical,
substantially symmetrical sides; a pair of second opposite,
vertical, substantially symmetrical sides, each of said second side
being connected to said first sides; a least one post extending
substantially downwardly from each one of said pair of sides; said
sides and post being shaped and dimensioned to place said post in
contact with one of said sidewalls when said caddy is mounted on
said structure.
[0007] In some embodiments, at least one of said pairs of sides is
horizontally extendable.
[0008] In some embodiments the caddy further comprises means for
locking said extendable sides into a fixed dimension. In some
embodiments each of said sides is hingedly connected at opposite
ends to two other sides. In some embodiments each of at least one
of said pairs of sides comprises at least two spaced apart
horizontal rods. In some embodiments each of said rods in each of
said extendable sides comprises a first tubular portion and a
second portion telescopically engaged into said first portion. In
some embodiments at least one of said pairs of sides comprises an
upper and a lower horizontal rod; and each of said post comprises a
L-Shaped member having an horizontal section connected to one of
said lower rails and a second section perpendicular to said
horizontal section. In some embodiments, the horizontal section is
rotatively connected to said lower rod to allow said second section
to be moved from an horizontal to a vertical position, said
horizontal section is slidingly connected to said lower rod, and
each of said L-Shaped members projects outwardly from one of said
sides. In some embodiments the caddy further comprises means for
locking said members against sliding and rotating movements. In
some embodiments the caddy further comprises at least one
adjustable strap securing said caddy to said structure at
convenient attachment points.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a caddy according to the
invention attached to a wheeled ice chest;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a retaining bracket;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the caddy used as a table;
and
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of caddy in a table
configuration on sloped ground.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Referring now to the drawing there is shown in FIG. 1 a
caddy or a cargo-carrier 11 in the shape of a box pallet,
detachably and adjustably mounted on top of a wheeled ice chest 12
in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The
caddy is made of tubing and various compatible fittings. It should
be understood that the caddy can be made alternately of aluminum,
copper, steel or other metal, or be made of standard gauge PVC
tubing and fittings.
[0014] The caddy comprises a pair of first opposite, vertical and
substantially symmetrical longitudinal sides 13, 14 and a pair of
second, opposite, vertical and substantially symmetrical lateral
sides 15, 16 hingedly connected to one another in order to
conveniently allow folding of the caddy into a flat structure.
[0015] Each side of the caddy comprises at least a pair of upper 17
and lower 18 spaced-apart rods which define the upper and lower
edges of their respective side. Each rod comprises a first tubular
portion 19 and a second tubular portion 20 of a lesser
cross-diameter telescopically engaged into the first portion, which
makes each wall horizontally extendable. The outer end of each
portion is welded to a tubular T-fitting loosely engaged by one of
four vertical corner posts 22. Accordingly, the sides can be
extendably adjusted to place the foot 23 of each corner post near
one of the corners 24 of the top surface of the chest.
[0016] A plurality of retaining L-Shaped members 25 extend
outwardly from the lower edge of each side. More specifically, each
L-Shaped member is connected to a lower rod as illustrated in FIG.
2. Each member has a horizontal section 26 slidingly and rotatively
engaged into a bearing 27 welded to a portion 28 of a lower rod.
The second section 29 of the member perpendicular to the first
section can thus be moved from a vertical position as illustrated
in FIGS. 1 and 2 to a horizontal position as illustrated in FIG. 3.
A thumb operated snapping lock mechanism 30 is used to immobilize
the member into a desired position.
[0017] The second section 29 of each member is dimensioned to
extend below the plane of the feet 23 and may be adjusted to
contact the vertical wall of the chest 12 or its cover 31 where it
can be conveniently locked into place in order to stabilize the
caddy against longitudinal or lateral sliding over the top of the
chest.
[0018] A similar locking mechanism 30 may be used to lock the
telescopic portions of the rods 19, 20. Other substantially
equivalent locking mechanism such as cinching rings, spring backed
nib and holes devices, ring clamps and thumb screws can also be
used.
[0019] A board 32 acting as a table-top may be clipped to one or
more of the upper rods 17 and the L-Shaped members 25 rotated out
of the way to form a picnic table as illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0020] It should be noted that the L-shaped members can be oriented
according to the type of surface upon which the caddy is placed to
provide greater longitudinal and lateral stabilization in the table
configuration. For example, all of the L-shaped members can be
placed horizontally when the caddy is placed on a level, hard, flat
surface. Or, as shown in FIG. 4, some members 25 can be left in the
vertical orientation, or partially rotated and the degree of
telescoping adjusted to provide a leveling contact on a sloped,
hard, flat surface 39. Further, the members can be left in the
vertical, downwardly extending orientation in order to penetrate
sandy surfaces and further stabilize the caddy.
[0021] A net or a cardboard box (not shown in the drawing) may be
inserted in the caddy to retain small objects alternately or in
addition to a net vertical rods may be welded between the upper and
lower rods.
[0022] It should be noted that in some embodiments the sides of the
caddy may not be made extendable. In other embodiments of the caddy
having extendable sides, the L-Shape retaining members 25 may be
dispensed with and the side of the caddy extended until the feet
drop below the edges of the chest cover in order to provide
longitudinal and lateral stabilization. It should be further noted
that in some embodiments the components of the caddy such as the
L-shaped members or the rods can be similarly dimensioned and thus
more efficiently manufactured in bulk.
[0023] The caddy can be further secured to the top of the ice chest
by means of adjustable stabilization straps 33 equipped at their
upper end 37 to secure to convenient attachment points 38 on the
caddy and/or chest, and at their lower end with a hook 34 which
grabs the upper ledge 35 of a handle depression 36, a U-shaped
handle, or a loop provided in some brands of ice chests to attach
an elastic cord or similar fastener. Anchoring straps may also be
stretched across the top of the cooler 31 to which the adjustable
straps 33 can be attached.
[0024] While an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been
described, modifications can be made and other embodiments may be
devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the
scope of the appended claims.
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