Thermal Container Assembly

Abstract

A hexagonal-shaped container having an upright wall formed with inside upright recesses for positioning a plurality of cans or bottles around a member for holding a solid or fluid, as water or heat sink material. A cover, located over the member, closes the top of the container.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Containers, buckets, pails and like items are commonly used to carry beverage cans, bottles and other objects. These containers are usually general utility items which have either circular or rectangular side walls. The side walls are not particularly designed for accommodating additional structure for locating cans or bottles in the container. While a plurality of cans or bottles can be carried in these containers, there are no provisions for using a second container, pail or bucket for holding the cans or bottles in a position contiguous with heat sink material or fluid.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention is broadly related to a thermal container for holding a plurality of objects, as beverage cans or bottles. The container has a body with circuitous upright side walls integrally joined with a bottom wall to form a chamber for accommodating both the objects and a heat sink retaining member. The side wall has spaced upright recesses for accommodating portions of the objects to position the objects in the chamber. The top of the body is closed with a cover. The cover is provided with a bottom recess to accommodate the top portion of the member holding the heat sink material or fluid.

In one form of the invention, the side wall has a generally hexagonal shape with six generally upright recesses located at the inside corners of the side wall. The outside corners of the side wall are generally rounded and have arcuate configurations to provide the body with the generally hexagonal shape.

In another form of the invention, a plurality of cans can be located around the central member. When the central member is removed, an additional number of cans can be placed in the container.

IN THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the container assembly of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the body of the container assembly with the center member removed.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a modified container assembly.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the container assembly of the invention, indicated generally at 10, for carrying a plurality of objects 11, as beverage cans and bottles, in conjunction with a hollow member, indicated generally at 12, for holding fluid, solids or objects.

Container 10 has a generally bucket or pail-shaped body 13 with an upwardly directed circuitous side wall 14 and a bottom wall 16 providing a chamber 17 for both the objects 11 and the fluid holding member 12. As shown in FIG. 3, side wall 14 has an inside face 18 with six upright recesses or corners 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. The inside face 18 extends upwardly and slightly outwardly from the bottom wall 16 whereby the open top of the body 13 is slightly larger than the bottom of the body. The side wall 14 has a generally hexagonal or six-sided shape with rounded or arcuate corners opposite the recesses 19 to 24.

The bottom wall 16 has a top surface 26 for supporting the objects and the fluid holding member 12 in the chamber 17. The surface 26 has a plurality of circular cavities 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 in radial alignment with the recesses 19 to 24. Each cavity has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a beverage can or bottle so that they function to position the can or bottle in the body. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface 26 tapers upwardly and inwardly toward the center so that the cans 11, when positioned in the body, have a slight outward angle. This locates the sides of the cans 11 in the recesses 19 to 24 and close to the inside face 18.

The member 12 comprises a fluid holding pail or body 33 carrying a removable cap 34. The body has a chamber 35 for carrying a liquid 36, as water, gelatin or the like. The bottom wall 26 of the body 14 has a circular recess 37 for accommodating the bottom of the pail 33. Recess 37 is open to recesses 27 to 32. The side walls of the pail 33 taper upwardly and outwardly so as to serve as a blocking or holding surface for retaining the cans in the recesses 19 to 24. The pail 33 can be used to hold water for supporting minnows or other fish bait. Alternatively, the pail 33 can be emptied to accommodate other provisions or objects. Other liquids, semi-solids, ice or frozen material can be carried in the pail to serve as a heat sink to cool chamber 17.

The chamber 17 is closed with a cover 38 which rests on the top portion of the side wall 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, cover 38 is a circular disc having a lower peripheral groove 39 which fits into the top of the body 14. The portions of the body 14 between the recesses 19 to 24 have a step 41 for accommodating the cover 38. The relationship between the groove 39 of the cover 38 and the step 41 of the body 14 is shown in FIG. 4. The central portion of the top of the cover 38 has a cavity 42 bisected with a diametrical rib 43 which serves as a grip or handle to remove the cover from the body. Located on the inside of the cover 38 is an upwardly directed recess 44 providing space for the cap 34 of the member 12. The cover 38, when placed on the body 14, serves as a means for holding the cap 34 in assembled relation with the body 33. The upper portions of the side wall 14 are provided with holes 45 and 46 for accommodating a carrying cord 47. Opposite ends of the cord 47 are provided with knots to retain the cord in assembled relation with the side wall. Other types of handles or carrying structure can be used to transport the container.

The body 13 and the cover 38 are preferably made of thermal insulative plastic material, as expanded polystyrene. Other moldable, strong, lightweight plastic, cardboard, paper, wood, coated metal or similar heat insulative materials can be used to form both the body and the cover. The fluid holding member 12 can be metal or plastic.

The following description is an example of the size of the body 13 for holding 6 12-ounce cans. The side wall 14 has an inside height of 5 and 1/2 inches. The chamber 17 has a minor diameter of 8 inches and a major diameter of 9 inches. The pail 12 has a diameter of 3 and 1/2 inches and a height of 5 and 1/4 inches.

Referring to FIG. 5, the side wall 49 has a generally upright inside face 52 having a plurality of corners or upright recesses 53 to 58. The body has a generally hexagonal shape and a chamber to accommodate twelve objects, as beverage cans or bottles. Alternatively, the chamber can accommodate six objects and a large fluid holding member or pail in a manner as shown in FIG. 2. The bottom wall 51 has a plurality of spaced recesses 59 adjacent the recesses 53 to 58. Positioned inwardly from the recesses 59 are circular recesses 61 for accommodating the bottoms of the inner tier of cans. The center portion of the bottom wall 51 has a central recess 62 for an additional can, bottle or fluid holding member. The top of body 48 can be closed with a cover similar to the cover 38 shown in FIG. 2.

In use, the container 10 can be used as a combination beverage holding and bait retaining assembly. The beverage cans 11 can be located around the fluid holding member 12. The bait, as minnows, can be placed in the fluid holding member 12. One or more of the cans 11 can contain frozen gelatin or other refrigerant material which serves to keep both the beverage cans and the bait holding member cool. The cover 38, closing the top of the body, preserves the refrigerant character of the chamber 17.

The fluid holding member 12 can contain the refrigerant, as ice or frozen gelatin. The fluid holding member 12, being located in the central portion of the container, serves to equally cool the beverage containers located around the member.

Referring to FIG. 5, the use of a central refrigerant member serves to cool the twelve objects, as cans or bottles and containers placed around the refrigerant member. One or more of the cans of frozen refrigerant material can replace beverage cans. Also, a large pail can be located in the center area of the body in lieu of the inner tier of cans. This combination of the inner pail 12 and outer cans 11 is shown in FIG. 2.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other shapes, sizes and uses may be made without departing from the invention. For example, the inner face of the body may have a generally rectangular shape with upright recesses at each corner and between the corners. The body may be a five- or eight-sided object. The inner pail 12 can have a six-sided body. Each size can have a concave shape to accommodate the curvature of a can or bottle.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A container assembly for holding objects comprising: body means having a circuitous upright side wall and bottom wall attached to the lower portion of the side wall, said side wall having a hexagonal shape and an inside face surrounding a chamber, said face having six upright recesses located generally at the inside corners of the side wall for accommodating portions of the objects to position the objects in the chamber, a generally cylindrical hollow member located in the center portion of the chamber, and a cover positionable on said side wall to close said chamber, said cover having a bottom recess to accommodate the top portion of the hollow member.

2. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: the bottom wall has a cavity to accommodate a bottom portion of the hollow member.

3. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: said hollow member has a chamber for holding heat sink means.

4. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: said cover has a bottom portion extended into the top of said chamber, said bottom portion having an outer peripheral edge located adjacent an upper portion of the inside face of the side wall.

5. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: said bottom wall has a plurality of upwardly open cavities to accommodate bottom portions of the objects.

6. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: the objects are cylindrical beverage containers, said recesses in the face having arcuate configurations engageable with arcuate portions of the containers.

7. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: the hollow member has a generally upright side wall, said objects when positioned in the container engageable with the side wall of the hollow member and the face of the side wall body.

8. The container assembly of claim 7 wherein: said bottom wall has a cavity for the bottom portion of the hollow member.

9. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: said chamber surrounded by the side wall is of a size to accommodate at least 12 beverage containers.

10. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: said bottom wall has a plurality of upwardly open cavities to accommodate bottom portions of the objects, each cavity being in general redial alignment with a recess in the inside face of the side wall.

11. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: the cover is a generally circular disc having a groove around the lower outer peripheral portion thereof, said lower outer peripheral portion projected into the chamber when the cover closes said chamber and having an outer peripheral edge located adjacent an upper portion of the inside face of the side wall.

12. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: the cover has a circular portion around the lower outer peripheral section thereof; said side wall having a circular recess in the upper portion thereof to accommodate the circular portion of the cover.

13. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: the cover has a top, said top having a cavity bisected with a rib providing a hand grip.

14. The container assembly of claim 1 wherein: said hollow member has a body defining a chamber and a cap removably mounted on said body to close the chamber.

15. A container assembly for holding objects comprising: body means having a circuitous upright side wall and a bottom wall attached to the lower portion of the side wall, said side wall having an inside face surrounding a chamber, said face having corners and an upright recess in each corner for accommodating a portion of an object to position the object in the chamber; an upright hollow member located in the center portion of the chamber; and a cover positionable on said side wall to close said chamber, said cover having a recess in the lower side thereof to accommodate the top portion of the hollow member.

16. The container assembly of claim 15 wherein: said cover has a bottom portion extended into the top of said chamber, said bottom portion having an outer peripheral edge located adjacent an upper portion of the inside face of the side wall.

17. The container assembly of claim 15 wherein: said bottom wall has a plurality of upwardly open cavities to accommodate bottom portions of the objects.

18. The container assembly of claim 15 wherein: said bottom wall has a plurality of upwardly open cavities to accommodate bottom portions of the objects, each cavity being in general radial alignment with a recess in the inside face of the side wall.

19. The container assembly of claim 15 wherein: the cover is a generally circular disc having a groove around the lower outer peripheral portion thereof, said lower outer peripheral portion projected into the chamber when the cover closes said chamber and having an outer peripheral edge located adjacent an upper portion of the inside face of the side wall.

20. The container assembly of claim 15 wherein: said hollow member has a body defining a chamber and a cap removably mounted on said body to close the chamber.

21. The container assembly of claim 15 wherein: the cover has a circular portion around the lower outer peripheral section thereof, said side wall having a circular recess in the upper portion thereof to accommodate the circular portion of the cover.