U.S. patent application number 15/361696 was filed with the patent office on 2017-06-08 for cooler with raised rack.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ronald Bodnar. Invention is credited to Ronald Bodnar.
Application Number | 20170159989 15/361696 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58799727 |
Filed Date | 2017-06-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170159989 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bodnar; Ronald |
June 8, 2017 |
Cooler with Raised Rack
Abstract
A cooler with a raised rack. The cooler with raised rack is a
cooler having a base, sidewalls and a pivotally attached lid,
forming an interior volume. A raised ledge is placed on the base
and around a perimeter of the interior volume, forming a reservoir.
A rack rests on an upper surface of the ledge. The rack is designed
to support items, such as packages of food and ice, while allowing
liquid to pass through openings in the rack, toward the reservoir
below. This allows for food and other items to be in contact with
cubes of ice while separating them from the melted water, keeping
the contents of the cooler both cold and dry.
Inventors: |
Bodnar; Ronald; (Cumberland,
RI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bodnar; Ronald |
Cumberland |
RI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
58799727 |
Appl. No.: |
15/361696 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62261946 |
Dec 2, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 21/14 20130101;
F25D 2201/10 20130101; F25D 3/08 20130101; F25D 3/06 20130101; A63B
60/14 20151001; F25D 2303/0841 20130101; F25D 23/026 20130101; F25D
25/02 20130101; A45C 11/20 20130101; F25D 2331/806 20130101; F25D
2325/023 20130101; F25D 2201/126 20130101; A63B 59/50 20151001;
F25D 2303/081 20130101; A63B 60/12 20151001 |
International
Class: |
F25D 3/06 20060101
F25D003/06; F25D 25/02 20060101 F25D025/02; F25D 23/02 20060101
F25D023/02 |
Claims
1) A cooler with raised rack, comprising: a housing having a base
and a sidewall forming an interior volume with an open upper end; a
lid pivotally secured to a top end of a sidewall and configured
rotate between an open position and closed position; a raised ledge
disposed within the interior volume of the housing and along an
interior perimeter thereof; a rack having a frame with an outer
perimeter dimensioned to fit within the interior volume to a close
tolerance and rest on the raised ledge.
2) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, wherein the housing is
rectangular in shape.
3) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, wherein the housing and
lid comprise an insulating material having low heat
conductance.
4) The cooler with raised rack of claim 3, wherein the insulating
material of the housing and the lid comprises a shell having an
outer layer and an inner layer and insulating material disposed
therebetween;
5) The cooler with raised rack of claim 4, wherein the insulting
material comprises air.
6) The cooler with raised rack of claim 4, wherein the insulating
material comprises foam.
7) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, the lid further
comprising a protruding rim running along an outer border thereof,
the protruding rim configured to fit within the upper end of the
housing to a close tolerance when the lid is in the closed
position.
8) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, further comprising
handles disposed on an exterior surface of the housing.
9) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, further comprising a
latch disposed on the sidewall and the lid configured secure the
lid in the closed position.
10) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, further comprising an
aperture disposed on a bottom end of a sidewall, wherein the
aperture opens into the interior volume and is configured to drain
liquids therefrom.
11) The cooler with raised rack of claim 10, further comprising a
plug configured to fit within the aperture to a close tolerance,
sealing the aperture shut.
12) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, wherein the rack
further comprises a plurality of rods configured to support solid
items while allowing liquid to drain therethrough.
13) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, wherein the raised
ledge comprises a frame of insulating material.
14) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, wherein the raised
ledge is removable.
15) The cooler with raised rack of claim 1, wherein the raised
ledge is integral to the interior of the sidewall of the housing
and protrudes therefrom.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/261,946 filed on Dec. 2, 2015. The above
identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference
in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to coolers. More specifically,
the present invention relates to a cooler with a raised rack to
separate food stored within the cooler from water formed by melted
ice.
[0003] Coolers have long provided a convenient way of maintaining
cold temperatures for food without refrigeration. Coolers can be
used not only for food, but also for medications and other
temperature sensitive items. A cooler is particularly convenient
when spending time outdoors in a warm environment because the
cooler provides a portable and long lasting cold storage space for
food.
[0004] A common method of maintaining a low temperature within a
cooler involves placing the desired contents within the cooler,
such as food or drinks, and filling the remainder of the cooler
with cubes of ice. However, this can lead to an accumulation of
water within the cooler as a result of melting ice. The food items
become submerged in the ice and water mixture. While this poses
little concern and mild inconvenience for sealed and waterproof
items that can be easily dried, it can ruin many other items. For
example, sandwiches and baked goods disposed in a pool of water
makes them soggy and unappetizing. This concern holds true even if
such items are packaged because bags and alternate wrapping methods
can leak. Accordingly, a device that keeps the contents of a cooler
cold while separating the contents from the water produced from
melting ice is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of coolers now present in the prior art, the present
invention provides a cooler wherein the same can be utilized for
providing convenience for the user when keeping contents of a
cooler cold while separating the contents from water produced by
melting ice. The present system comprises a housing having a base
and sidewalls forming an interior volume with an open upper end. A
lid is pivotally attached to the container and configured to rotate
between a closed and open position. A raise ledge is disposed on
the base and around an internal perimeter of the interior volume,
allowing for a rack to rest thereon. The rack in designed to
support solid items, such as packages of food and cubes of ice,
creating a reservoir below for melted water to pool. This allows
for food and other items to be supported along with the ice, while
water passes through openings in the rack, keeping the contents of
the cooler cold while still allowing for them to be dry.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Although the characteristic features of this invention will
be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and
manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood
after a review of the following description, taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are
provided throughout.
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the
cooler with raised rack with the lid open.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of the interior volume
of the housing of the cooler with raised rack.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the
interior of the cooler with raised rack, showing the raised
ledge.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the interior of the
cooler with raised rack in use.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the interior of an
alternative embodiment of the cooler with an integral ledge.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like
reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like
or similar elements of the cooler with raised rack. The figures are
intended for representative purposes only and should not be
considered to be limiting in any respect.
[0013] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown perspective
and side views of one embodiment of the cooler with raised rack
with the lid open. The cooler with raised rack 10 comprises a
housing 13 having a base 11 and one or more sidewalls 12 forming an
interior volume 18 with an open upper end 19. In some embodiments
of the cooler with raised rack 10, the housing 13 is substantially
rectangular. A lid 14 is disposed adjacent to the open upper end 19
and is secured to a top end of a sidewall 12 via one or more hinges
16. The lid 14 is configured to pivot between an open position and
a closed position, wherein the closed position seals the housing 13
shut. In the closed position, the lid is parallel to the base and
rests flush against the upper end of the housing. In the open
position, the lid is substantially perpendicular to the base so as
to allow access into the interior volume 18. Additionally, a handle
22 is secured to the housing 13 to provide a means for easy
carrying during transportation. In one embodiment, there are two
handles 22 disposed on an exterior surface of the sidewalls 12 on
opposing sides of the housing 13.
[0014] The housing 13 and lid 14 are made from material having high
insulation properties and low heat conductance. In some
embodiments, the housing 13 and lid 14 each comprise a shell with
an outer layer and an inner layer, with air or a vacuum in between
the two layers. Alternatively, foam, such as those made from
hydrofluorocarbons, may be placed in between the outer layer and
inner layer, insulating the interior volume 18 of the cooler with
raised rack 10. This allows for maintaining an interior temperature
of the housing 13 for extended periods of time, even if the
temperature outside of the housing 13 is significantly higher or
lower. An alternate embodiment comprises the housing 13 and lid 14
formed from a singular insulating material, such as a harden form
of foam, wherein the housing 13 and lid are integral to one
another.
[0015] In one embodiment of the cooler with raised rack 10, the lid
14 further comprises a protruding rim 42 running along an outer
border of the lid 14. The protruding rim 42 is configured to fit
within an upper edge 17 of the sidewalls 12 to a close tolerance.
This ensures a tight seal allowing the cooler with raised rack 10
to maintain a desired temperature within the interior volume 18.
Additionally, a latch mechanism 47 may be disposed on both a
sidewall 12 and the lid 14 to secure the lid 14 in a closed
position. This is safeguards against the lid 14 inadvertently
opening during transportation.
[0016] An aperture 20 is disposed on a bottom end of a sidewall 12,
the aperture 20 opening directly into the interior volume 18 of the
cooler with raised rack 10. The aperture 20 acts as an outlet to
drain water from the interior volume 18. A plug 23 is adapted to be
placed within the aperture 20 to seal it shut, preventing any
undesired spilling of liquid stored within the housing.
[0017] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view
of one embodiment of the interior of the cooler with raised rack,
showing the raised ledge. A raised ledge 28 is disposed on the base
11 and runs along the perimeter of the bottom of the interior
volume 18. In one embodiment of the cooler with raised rack 10, the
ledge 28 is removable and comprises insulating material. For
example, the ledge 28 may comprise a foam frame removably placed
within the interior volume 18. In the shown embodiment, there is a
notch 21 in the ledge 28 adjacent to the aperture 20, to allow
water to drain easily when so desired. The ledge 28 is configured
to receive a rack 24 along the upper surface thereof. In this way,
the rack 24 is raised above the base 11 a distance equivalent to
the vertical thickness 30 of the ledge 28. In embodiments having a
removable ledge 28, ledges 28 having varying vertical thicknesses
30 may be provided, allowing a user choose how high the rack 24 is
to be placed above of the base 11.
[0018] The rack 24 comprises a substantially flat frame with
dimensions such that an outer perimeter of the rack 24 fits within
an inner perimeter of the interior volume 18 to a close tolerance.
A plurality of rods 26 are disposed within the frame 24, adapted to
support solid items placed thereon while allowing liquid to pass
through and drain out below. In one embodiment of the cooler with
raised rack 10, the rods 26 run parallel to each other and are
spaced apart at regular intervals. In an alternative embodiment,
there are two sets of rods 26 disposed within the rack 24, a first
set of rods running perpendicular to a second set of rods, wherein
both sets of rods sit within one plane, creating a lattice.
[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there are shown cross
sectional views of the cooler. The rack 24 is placed on top of the
ledge 28 and contents 36, such as food, beverages, or medications,
can be placed on the rack 24. The contents 36 are elevated from the
base via the ledge 28, creating a reservoir 38 underneath the rack
24. The contents can then be covered with ice 39. As the ice 39
melts, water drips down through the rack 24 into the reservoir
below, while the ice 39 is supported together with the stored
contents 36 by the rack 24. The contents remain in contact with the
solid ice without having to sit in water that accumulates as the
ice melts. For example, the thickness of the ledge 28 may be three
inches, allowing for the pooling of melted water three inches deep
while keeping the food cold and dry. Water can then be drained via
the aperture 20 by releasing the plug 23 if so desired. In an
alternative embodiment, the raised ledge 28 is molded from and
integral to the interior of the sidewalls 12 of the housing and
protrudes therefrom, wherein the ledge 28 and the sidewalls 12
comprise a singular piece. The rack 24 can be placed directly on
the integral ledge 28.
[0020] It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has
been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized,
however, that departures may be made within the scope of the
invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person
skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it
is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for
the parts of the invention, to include variations in size,
materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly
and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in
the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in
the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be
encompassed by the present invention.
[0021] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *