Sportsman's box portable cooler

Abstract

The sportsman box is a wheeled cooler with a lid and cover to that lid forming a compartment for containing a tackle box or a dry storage box or a condiment container with a cutting board and built in ruler. The cooler has a handle for pushing or pulling. In some models, the cooler has a split cover which allows the user to gain access to the cold section of the cooler for inserting or removing items such as food, beverages, and the like without requiring the user to remove all items from the other side of the lid. The cooler may be made in a variety of sizes and colors to suit the wishes of the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/311,850, filed 9 Mar. 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to consumer goods, and more particularly, relating to cooler boxes used by persons fishing, hunting, picnicking, and by others who use coolers for food and beverages and where there is a benefit to having a cooler box which also has compartments for fishing tackle, condiments, or other items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People who fish, who hunt, who attend sporting events, who picnic, and many others use cooler boxes to store and keep beverages and food cool as well as, when desired, storing freshly-caught fish or game to prevent spoilage. These people often have needs for additional storage for such items as fishing tackle, hunting items, condiments, licenses, and the like. At present, carrying these additional items means bringing additional storage boxes or containers. Further, in some cases, the user needs a cutting board for associated purposes, for example, filleting fish or trimming meat or preparing food. For those who fish, laws often prohibit taking fish under or over a certain size. These people need a means for measuring fish. Thus, a person might need a cooler chest, a tackle box, a cutting board, and a measuring scale (also called a “ruler”). That could be a lot of items to carry.

Some people attempt to put the items into bags or containers which are placed into the cooler box along with beverages and food and among the cooling medium, usually ice. The result is often condensation on the items, waste of cooler box space, or difficulty in locating particular items as the ice melts and items shift. Some food is more palatable at room temperature and should not be chilled. Mayonnaise, for example, will separate if it becomes too cold. It is not desirable to put mayonnaise in ice for long periods.

Users often need to have the cooler box in locations a distance from their home or car or other means of travel. For those fishing, that can mean a lake or stream a distance from a road or parking area. Carrying a fully-loaded cooler box can be difficult for some and nearly -impossible for other persons. Thus, it is convenient for a cooler box to be equipped with wheels and a handle.

Accordingly, there is a need for a cooler box with separate compartment for dry storage of fishing tackle, hunting items. condiments, and such. Further, there is a need for a cooler box with a cutting board, a ruler, a handle, and wheels so a person so inclined may easily bring beverages and food to a remote site and there enjoy fishing, hunting, or dining without necessity of having to bring a large number of containers.

Another of the shortcomings of the present art solved by this invention concerns the situation of a user who wishes to access the lower section of the cooler. In such situation, there are often items on the lid. These items must be moved and place elsewhere. Often, the only place to put these items is on the ground. Dirt in one's food is not appetizing. One model of this invention includes a multi-part lid. Under one part of the lid, the invention teaches an access hatch. A user may leave the food or other items on the other part of the lid, the part with the cutting board. The user may then reach into the lower section to pull out items or place items therein.

The present art discloses cooler boxes with some of the features of the instant invention but none provides all the features in the combination disclosed herein. These features and the inclusive combination thereof show the convenience and utility of this invention.

There are many types of insulated coolers and many have additional features. The present invention teaches some features found on prior art but no prior art teaches the precise combination of features the present invention teaches.

As disclosed below, the present invention teaches an insulated cooler with wheels and a handle for pulling said insulated cooler. Said insulated cooler includes a lid, which may be hinged or removable. In said lid are compartments for fishing tackle, condiments, or whatever else the user might wish to put therein. Further, the present invention contains a cutting board, a kuler, and an access hatch so the user may retrieve from or place items into the lower portion. None of the prior art teaches this combination of features. There are coolers with wheels and a handle for pulling said cooler. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,076,298, 4,976,448, 5,259,438, and D528,368. There are coolers with tackle boxes consisting of drawers built into the cooler. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,864,981, 7,415,794, and 20060236589. There are coolers with rulers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,305,544 and 6,185,860. There are coolers with access hatches. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,415,794 and 4,667,484. There are coolers with tackle boxes built into the lid. U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,287. There are simple combination tackle boxes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,762,674 and 6,460,287. There are insulated coolers where the cooling medium is placed in bags wrapped outside the cooler. These insulated coolers have soft outsides and are found on numerous websites. One example is the Plano Chill Tackle Box found at the present Cabella's online catalog. While there are many combinations of features, none has all the features of the present invention. The present invention thus satisfies the need for this particular combination of features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the following and throughout, the term “lid” refers to that part of the insulated cooler which fits on top of the bottom compartment. The term “cover” refers to that part of the lid which is situated, by whatever means, on top of the lid and which covers the compartments in the lid. A cooler box is composed of a bottom and sides or walls. It may have a top or be open. Within the bottom and walls is an area for holding or storing items.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention addresses this need by providing an insulated cooler with wheels and a handle for pulling or pushing said cooler in addition to having a lid for said cooler, said lid containing a cutting board, a ruler, one or more compartments which can be used for storing fishing tackle, condiments, or other items as well as an access hatch permitting a user to gain access to the lower portion of the insulated cooler.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention also provide an easy means for the user to transport the invention from place to place due to the inclusion of wheels and a handle.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention further provide means for the user to store fishing tackle, condiments, or whatever else the user might wish to store where said storage is easily accessed.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention further provide means for the user to have a cutting board surface on which said user can cut fish or other items without having to lug along a separate cutting board.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention further provide means for the user to obtain access to the lower portion of the insulated cooler whether to add or remove food items or to add caught fish. This access is obtained through use of an access hatch where said hatch has the added benefit of allowing the user such access without having to raise the entire lid. In the case of a lid which is hinged, without the access hatch, it would be necessary to remove all items from the top of the insulated cooler to prevent said items from spilling onto the ground or other surface.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are included to provide further understanding of the invention for the purpose of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the embodiments in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used to indicate a similar feature of a feature with similar functionality. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end view of the insulated cooler constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the insulated cooler.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the insulated cooler.

FIG. 4 is a view of the insulated cooler with the lid raised.

FIG. 5 is a view of the insulated cooler, showing or illustrating the cover raised but the lid not raised. The body is not shown.

FIG. 6 is a front view of an optional embodiment of the insulated cooler, showing or illustrating the access hatch. The lid over the access hatch is not shown.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of an optional embodiment of the insulated cooler showing or illustrating the access hatch. The lid over the access hatch is not shown.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the optional embodiment of the insulated cooler showing or illustrating the split cover _99_— and lid _99_— over the access hatch 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As a preliminary matter, it should be noted that in this document (including the clams), directional terms, such as, “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, etc. are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings. Additionally, it is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention described herein may be utilized in various orientation, such as, inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., without departing from the principles of the invention.

In this description, references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”, mean that the featuring being referred to is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Moreoover, separate references to “one embodiment” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Illustrated embodiments are not mutually exclusive, unless so stated and except as will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the invention may include any variety of combinations and integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Insulated coolers are well-known in the art and no claims are being made to those features which are so well-known. Insulated coolers can be constructed of plastic, metal, or other substances. They can be insulated in a variety of ways. Insulated coolers may be round, square, rectangular, or any shape that the designer chooses. Insulated coolers may be designed with the cooling medium on the outside or on the inside. Insulated coolers may be made in any color or combination of colors.

Wheels and handles are commonplace items. They have been attached to coolers and luggage for many years. Depending on the size of the cooler and the weight the cooler is expected to bear, there could be none, one, two, three, four, or more wheels. Small coolers of a few quarts capacity could have no wheels. Large coolers of sixty or more gallons capacity could have four or more wheels. The number of wheels could also depend on the sizes of the wheels. Handles and coolers can be so designed as to make the handle a part of a means for latching the top to the body of the cooler. Such latching handles are well-known in the art and take many forms.

Rulers are commonplace items. They can be made with raised figures or imprinted on a surface. Cutting boards are usually made of plastic or wood but could be made of any hard surface. Cutting boards also are commonplace. As stated repeatedly herein, it is the disclosed combination of features that is claimed, not the individual components.

With reference now to the drawings, and, in particular, FIGS. 1 through 8 thereof, preferred embodiments of the insulated cooler disclosed herein will be described.

FIG. 1 is an end view of the insulated cooler constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In said FIG. 1, part 2 is a handle used for pulling the insulated cooler. This handle is in the down or stored position. Part 3 is the lower portion or body of the cooler. This lower portion is for storing the items therein, It is common for users to place ice or other cooling media and to keep food, beverages, or other items which are best kept cool. Part 4 is the upper portion which serves as the lid to the lower portion. The lid 4 fits snugly into the body 3. Parts 5 are hinges which are part of an optional embodiment. Part 8 is the cover of the lid. This cover contains a cutting board 9 and a ruler 10. This cover can be removed to obtain access to the compartment beneath same. The cover 8 may be connected to the lid by hinges 5 or may be snug-fitting. Said compartment may be used for storing fishing tackle, condiments, or whatever the user wishes to store. The body 3 is so constructed as to hold ice or other cooling medium. Given that ice melts, the body 3 will contain liquids without leaking. There may be a means to drain the liquids, which drain is not claimed as part of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the insulated cooler, showing or illustrating, in addition to the parts in FIG. 1, part 1, one of the wheels. There may be none or a multiplicity of wheels depending on the size and use of the insulated cooler.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the insulated cooler, showing or illustrating the cutting board at 9, the ruler at 10, and latches at 7 to hold the lid in place. These latches are part of the embodiment in which the lid is connected to the body by hinges.

FIG. 4 is a view of the insulated cooler with the lid 4 raised, showing or illustrating that the interior of the body 3 is empty.

FIG. 5 is a view of the insulated cooler, showing or illustrating the cover 8 raised but the lid 4 not raised. The body 3 is not shown. This is to show the interior of the cover 8 wherein tackle box, condiments, or other items can be stored.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the optional embodiment of the insulated cooler, showing or illustrating the access hatch at 6. The lid over the access hatch is not shown.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the optional embodiment of the insulated cooler showing or illustrating the access hatch at 6. The lid over the access hatch is not shown. In this illustration, at 5 are optional hinges.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the optional embodiment of the insulated cooler showing or illustrating the split cover_99_— and lid_99_— over the access hatch 6. This cover

The cooler may be made in a variety of sizes and colors to suit the needs and wishes of the user. The number of wheels may vary from none to however many suit the size of the cooler.

A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A portable cooler comprising:

a body having a bottom and walls and an open interior between the walls;

said walls being insulated;

said body capable of containing liquids without leaking;

said cooler having a lid fitting snugly onto the body;

said lid comprising a bottom and walls;

said lid having an open interior between the walls of said lid;

said lid bottom and lid walls being insulated;

said lid having a cover over the open interior;

said cover having thereupon a cutting board;

said cover having thereupon a ruler;

said cooler having one or more wheels attached to the bottom of the cooler as a means for rolling the cooler; and

a handle attached to one or more of the outside surface of the walls of the body, said handle being a means for a user to pull or push the cooler.

2. The cooler of claim 1 wherein the lid is attached to the body by hinges as a means for connecting said lid to one wall of the body.

3. The cooler of claim 1 wherein the cover is attached to the lid by hinges as a means for connecting said cover to one wall of the lid.

4. The cooler of claim 1 further comprising a latching mechanism as a means for latching the lid to the body.

5. The cooler of claim 1 further comprising a latching mechanism as a means for latching the cover to the lid.

6. The cooler of claim 1 wherein said wheels are removable.

7. The cooler of claim 1 wherein there are no wheels.

8. The cooler of claim 1 wherein said handle further functions to latch the lid and cover to the body.

9. The cooler of claim 1 wherein said ruler is a raised letter calibrated ruler.

10. The cooler of claim 1 wherein said ruler is imprinted on the cooler.

11. The cooler of claim 1 wherein said lid is divided into sections, one section of which contains an access hatch as a means for inserting or removing items from the cooler body without requiring the user to raise the entire lid.

12. The cooler of claim 9 further comprising a cover to snugly fit over the access hatch.