U.S. patent application number 15/648291 was filed with the patent office on 2018-01-18 for modular cooler assembly with lid having integral drawer.
The applicant listed for this patent is Daniel Valencia. Invention is credited to Daniel Valencia.
Application Number | 20180016068 15/648291 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60942030 |
Filed Date | 2018-01-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180016068 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Valencia; Daniel |
January 18, 2018 |
MODULAR COOLER ASSEMBLY WITH LID HAVING INTEGRAL DRAWER
Abstract
A modular cooler assembly that includes: a cooler base, where
the cooler base defines an insulated housing; a lid, where the lid
covers the cooler base; and a carrying case. The insulated housing
defines a receptacle with a closed bottom, closed sides and an open
top, wherein the lid defines a planar body sized to cover the open
top of the insulated housing to form an enclosure. The lid is
hingedly attached to the insulated housing, adapted to hinge
between an enclosure position and a flipped position. The lid may
further include a pull out drawer, a pair of flip drawer locks and
a drawer handle.
Inventors: |
Valencia; Daniel;
(Hillsboro, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Valencia; Daniel |
Hillsboro |
OR |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
60942030 |
Appl. No.: |
15/648291 |
Filed: |
July 12, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62361017 |
Jul 12, 2016 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3813 20130101;
B65D 51/28 20130101; F25D 3/08 20130101; F25D 2331/801 20130101;
F25D 2303/0843 20130101; F25D 3/06 20130101; B65D 25/2867 20130101;
B65D 43/163 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/28 20060101
B65D051/28; B65D 25/28 20060101 B65D025/28; B65D 43/16 20060101
B65D043/16; B65D 81/38 20060101 B65D081/38 |
Claims
1. A modular cooler assembly comprising: a. a cooler base, where
the cooler base defines an insulated housing; b. a lid, where the
lid covers the cooler base; and c. a carrying case.
2. The modular cooler assembly according to claim 1, where the
insulated housing defines a receptacle with a closed bottom, closed
sides and an open top, wherein the lid defines a planar body sized
to cover the open top of the insulated housing to form an
enclosure.
3. The modular cooler assembly according to claim 1, where the lid
is hingedly attached to the insulated housing, adapted to hinge
between an enclosure position and a flipped position.
4. The modular cooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein the
lid includes a pull out drawer, a pair of flip drawer locks and a
drawer handle.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/361,017 filed on Jul. 12, 2016.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to food storage containers
and, more particularly, to an insulated storage container with
cooling dividers and a lid with drawers.
Description of the Prior Art
[0003] The use and design of coolers conventional, generally
defined as insulated receptacles used to keep food or drink cool,
is well established. In many instances, a conventional coolers is
embodied as an insulated, waterproof box which can be partially
filled with ice or ice packs. A problem which still exists,
however, is that many conventional coolers lack a plurality of
insulated compartments and non-insulated compartments which allow
items to be selectively stored in a cool environment or ambient
environment. Thus, there remains a need for a modular cooler
assembly which includes a plurality of cooled compartments and
ambient compartments. It would be helpful if such a modular cooler
assembly included a lid having a pull out drawer. It would be
additionally desirable for such a modular cooler assembly to
include a carrying case which included a plurality of storage
pockets.
[0004] The Applicant's invention described herein provides for a
modular cooler assembly adapted to allow a user to store items in
either a cooled environment or an ambient environment. The primary
components in Applicant's modular cooler assembly are an insulated
housing, a lid, and a carrying case. When in operation, the modular
cooler assembly enables more effective and efficient storage of
food and drink in various temperature environments. As a result,
many of the limitations imposed by prior art structures are
removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention relates to a modular cooler assembly
that includes: a cooler base, where the cooler base defines an
insulated housing; a lid, where the lid covers the cooler base; and
a carrying case. The insulated housing defines a receptacle with a
closed bottom, closed sides and an open top, wherein the lid
defines a planar body sized to cover the open top of the insulated
housing to form an enclosure. The lid is hingedly attached to the
insulated housing, adapted to hinge between an enclosure position
and a flipped position. The lid may further include a pull out
drawer, a pair of flip drawer locks and a drawer handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a carrying case of a
modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present
invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a cooler base of a
modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present
invention with the lid in an enclosure position and the drawer in
the open position.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a cooler base of a
modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present
invention with the lid in an enclosure position and the drawer in
the closed position.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a cooler base of a
modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present
invention shown with the lid in a flipped position.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an insulated housing of a
modular cooler assembly built in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5, a modular cooler assembly is shown as a cooler base
100 and a carrying case 101. The cooler base 100 defines an
insulated housing 110 having a lid 120 integral therewith. In the
preferred embodiment, the insulated housing 110 defines a
receptacle with a closed bottom, closed sides and an open top while
the lid 120 defines a planar body sized to cover the open top of
the insulated housing 110 so as to form an enclosure. Similar to
conventional coolers, the closed bottom and closed sides are
comprised of an interior and exterior shell of plastic with hard
foam in between.
[0012] In one embodiment, the lid 120 is hingedly attached to the
insulated housing 110 so as to be hinged between an enclosure
position, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a flipped position,
as illustrated in FIG. 4. The bottom surface of the lid 120 is
constructed of a polystyrene foam in the preferred embodiment so
that each wall of the cooler base enclosure is insulated.
[0013] The lid 120 includes a pull out drawer 121, a pair of flip
drawer locks 122, a drawer handle 123. It is contemplated that the
drawer locks 122 are operative to selectively fix the drawer 121 in
the closed position and the lid 120 in the enclosure position while
the drawer handle 123 provides a grasping member which allows the
drawer 121 to be slid out of the lid 120 (when unlocked). Because
the bottom surface of the lid 120 is insulated, it is contemplated
that the drawer 121 maintains an ambient temperature even when the
housing 110 is being cooled by some cooling aspect.
[0014] Internally, the housing 110 includes a plurality of divider
tracks 112 and removable dividers 113 which may be selectively
positioned in the tracks 112. In the preferred embodiment, the
dividers 113 define conventional rigid ice packs, which either
contain the melting water inside or have a gel sealed inside, so as
to allow for the placement of a cooling aspect into the housing 110
which also serves to divide the space inside the housing 110. It is
contemplated that in some embodiments, the dividers 113 may each be
identically sized and the tracks 112 may be positioned so that the
dividers 113 can be placed in a parallel or perpendicular
orientation relative to one another.
[0015] In one embodiment, the housing 110 includes a plurality of
specially designed stackable inserts 111, each of which include a
handle that allows for easy placement of the inserts 111 in and
removal of the inserts 111 from the housing 110 when the dividers
113 are in place therein.
[0016] It is appreciated that the carrying case 101 is sized to
receive the cooler base 100 such that the cooler base 100 may be
enclosed inside the case 101. In the preferred embodiment, the
carrying case additionally includes a plurality of pockets 102 for
additional ambient temperature storage and straps 103 for carrying
by hand or over the shoulder.
[0017] The instant invention has been shown and described herein in
what is considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made
therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious
modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.
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