Covered Ice Bucket

Abstract

A cover has two segments one of which is affixed to a container in the area of its rim. A hinge hingedly affixes the segments to each other in a manner whereby the other of the segments is freely pivotable about the one of the segments from a position in which the container is closed by the cover to a position at an obtuse angle with the one of the segments in which the container is open to a maximum.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a covered ice bucket.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved covered ice bucket of simple structure which is inexpensive in manufacture.

An object of the invention is to provide a covered ice bucket having a cover hingedly affixed thereto in a simple, but inexpensive, efficient, effective and reliable manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a covered ice bucket having a cover hingedly affixed thereto in a sturdy fashion.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the covered ice bucket of the invention, with the cover closing the container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bucket of FIG. 1 with the cover in a partially open position;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the cover of the bucket of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines IV -- IV of FIG. 3.

In the FIGS., the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.

A container or ice bucket 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) has a rim 2 and a lining 3 of thermally insulating material such as, for example, fibre glass, polystyrene foam, or the like (FIG. 2). A handle 4 (FIG. 1) may be pivotally affixed to the container 1 by any suitable means such as, for example, pins, one of which 5, is shown in FIG. 1.

A cover 6 comprises a substantially planar disc-like plate having two segments of a circle. One of the segments 7, which preferably has a surface area smaller than one-quarter of the surface area of the other segment 8, is affixed to the container 1 in the area of its rim 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

A hinge 9 hingedly affixes the circular segments 7 and 8 of the cover 6 to each other in a manner whereby the segment 8 is freely pivotable about the segment 7, as shown in FIG. 2. The cover segment 8 is pivotable about the cover segment 7 from a position substantially planar with the cover segment 7, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, in which the container 1 is closed by the cover 6, to a position at an obtuse angle with the segment 7 in which the container is open to a maximum extent. The maximum open position of the cover 6 is not shown in the FIGS. The cover 6 is open to a selected intermediate extent in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the circular segments 7 and 8 are substantially planar and have upper and lower surfaces. A sheet 11 of upper plastic material is affixed to and covers the upper surfaces of both segments 7 and 8 of the cover 6. A sheet 12 of lower plastic material is affixed to and covers the lower surfaces of both segments 7 and 8 of the cover 6. Each of the sheets 11 and 12 of plastic material extend between the segments 7 and 8 and are affixed to each other in the area between said segments to form the hinge 9.

A handle 13 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is affixed to the cover segment 8, by any suitable means, to facilitate the selective opening of the cover 6 by a user of the ice bucket. The plastic sheets 11 and 12 preferably extend beyond the circular segment 7 in a fringe area 14 (FIG. 4) and are affixed to the container 1 thereby fastening said circular segment to said container.

The circular segments 7 and 8 may comprise any suitable material such as, for example, polystyrene foam, cardboard, or the like. The handle 4 and the handle 13 may comprise any suitable material such as, for example, heavy plastic material, wood, metal, or the like.

Although the cover 6 has been described as a circular disc, it may be of any suitable geometric configuration. Although the container 1 is illustrated as a hollow cylinder, it may be of any suitable geometric configuration.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific example and in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A covered receptacle, comprising

a container having a rim;

a cover having two segments one of which is affixed to the container in the area of its rim; and

hinge means hingedly affixing the segments of the cover to each other in a manner whereby the other of the segments is freely pivotable about the one of the segments from a position substantially planar with the one of the segments in which the container is closed by the cover to a position at an obtuse angle with the one of the segments in which the container is open to a maximum extent, the hinge means comprising plastic material affixed to both segments and extending therebetween and therebeyond in a fringe area, and the fringe area being affixed to the container.

2. A covered receptacle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the segments of the cover are substantially planar plates having upper and lower surfaces and the hinge means comprises an upper sheet of plastic material affixed to the upper surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and a lower sheet of plastic material affixed to the lower surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween, both sheets of plastic material extending beyond the plates in a fringe area, and the fringe area being affixed to the container.

3. A covered receptacle, comprising

a container having a rim;

a cover having two segments, one of which is affixed to the container in the area of its rim, the segments of the cover comprising substantially planar plates having upper and lower surfaces; and

hinge means hingedly affixing the segments of the cover to each other in a manner whereby the other of the segments is freely pivotable about the one of the segments from a position substantially planar with the one of the segments in which the container is closed by the cover to a position at an obtuse angle with the one of the segments in which the container is open to a maximum extent, the hinge means comprising an upper sheet of plastic material affixed to the upper surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and a lower sheet of plastic material affixed to the lower surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween.

4. A covered receptacle, comprising

a container having a rim;

a cover having two segments one of which is affixed to the container in the area of its rim, the segments of the conver comprising substantially planar plates having upper and lower surfaces; and

hinge means hingedly affixing the segments of the cover to each other in a manner whereby the other of the segments is freely pivotable about the one of the segments from a position substantially planar with the one of the segments in which the container is closed by the cover to a position at an obtuse angle with the one of the segments in which the container is open to a maximum extent, the hinge means comprising an upper sheet of plastic material affixed to and covering the upper surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and a lower sheet of plastic material affixed to and covering the lower surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and affixed to the upper sheet of plastic material in the area between the segments.

5. A covered receptacle, comprising

a container having a rim;

a cover having two segments, one of which is affixed to the container in the area of its rim, the cover comprising a disc-like plate and the segments of the cover comprising segments of a circle having upper and lower surfaces; and

hinge means hingedly affixing the segments of the cover to each other in a manner whereby the other of the segments is freely pivotable about the one of the segments from a position substantially planar with the one of the segments in which the container is closed by the cover to a position at an obtuse angle with the one of the segments in which the container is open to a maximum extent, the hinge means comprising an upper sheet of plastic material affixed to the upper surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and a lower sheet of plastic material affixed to the lower surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and affixed to the upper sheet of plastic material in the area between the segments, the one of the segments having a surface area smaller than one quarter of the surface area of the cover.

6. A covered receptacle, comprising

an ice bucket having a lining of thermally insulating material and a rim;

a cover having two segments one of which is affixed to the ice bucket in the area of its rim;

hinge means hingedly affixing the segments of the cover to each other in a manner whereby the other of the segments is freely pivotable about the one of the segments from a position substantially planar with the one of the segments in which the ice bucket is closed by the cover to a position at an obtuse angle with the one of the segments in which the ice bucket is open to a maximum extent; and

a handle affixed to the other of the segments of the cover.

7. A covered receptacle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hinge means comprises plastic material affixed to both segments and extending therebetween.

8. A covered receptacle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the segments of the cover are substantially planar plates having upper and lower surfaces and the hinge means comprises an upper sheet of plastic material affixed to the upper surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween and a lower sheet of plastic material affixed to the lower surfaces of both segments and extending therebetween.

9. A covered receptacle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the upper plastic material covers the upper surfaces of both segments and the lower sheet of plastic material covers the lower surfaces of both segments and is affixed to the upper plastic material in the area between the segments.

10. A covered receptacle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cover is a disc-like plate and the segments of the cover are segments of a circle and the one of the segments has a surface area smaller than one quarter of the surface area of the cover.