PORTABLE COOLER CONTAINER WITH SHELF ASSEMBLY
A portable cooler container that includes a thermally insulated cooler base and a shelf upon which objects may rest externally of the cooler without interfering with opening and closing of the cooler. The shelf may be stationary or movable between stowed and extended positions with respect to the cooler container. The shelf may also be adjustable so as to adjust its angle relative to a ground surface.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/018,819 filed Jun. 30, 2014 entitled “Cooler Caddy,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates in general to a portable cooler container with a shelf upon which objects may rest externally of the cooler without interfering with opening and closing of the cooler lid/door. There is a natural tendency to place foodstuffs, beverages and other objects atop an upwardly opening lid of a cooler container for easy access and to prevent such objects from touching the ground where they might become soiled and fall prey to insects and other pests. However, when placed on the cooler lid such objects interfere with access to the cooler. Thus, they have to be removed from the top of the cooler before one can gain access to the interior of the cooler to fetch food and beverages from the cooler.
Further, the present invention relates e.g., to the field of coolers and more specifically relates to a line of portable ice chests with an incorporated shelf/cutting board on the side of the unit to provide outdoor enthusiasts with a more convenient alternative to standard food and beverage coolers that permits non-cumbersome storage and work space. The foregoing eliminates the use of the cooler lid for storage and work space, giving the user easy access to opening the cooler lid without having to remove anything from it.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with a first preferred embodiment the present invention provides a portable cooler container comprising a thermally insulated cooler base including a bottom wall, side walls extending from the bottom wall, a rear wall extending from the bottom wall, a first front wall extending from the bottom wall, a top wall extending from the first front wall, and a second front wall extending from the top wall forming an opening with the side walls and the rear wall. The cooler container further includes a lid connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for covering the opening.
In accordance with a second preferred embodiment the present invention provides a portable cooler container and shelf assembly comprising a thermally insulated cooler base having an interior space for retaining food and beverage items, a lid connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for enclosing the interior space, and a shelf assembly. The shelf assembly includes a shelf connectable to the thermally insulated cooler base and movable between an extended position and a stowed position, a hinge connected to an upper portion of the thermally insulated cooler base connecting a proximal end of the shelf to the thermally insulated cooler base, and an extendable bracket e.g., a foldable knee bracket, connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for supporting the shelf in the extended position.
In accordance with a third preferred embodiment the present invention provides a portable cooler container and shelf assembly comprising a thermally insulated cooler base having an interior space for retaining food and beverage items and a retractable handle assembly mounted to an exterior of the thermally insulated cooler base. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly further includes a shelf movable between a stowed position and a use position. The shelf includes a planar body having a detent for releasably mounting to the retractable handle in the use position. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly additionally includes a lid connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for enclosing the interior space. The lid includes a recess for receiving the shelf in the stowed position and a receiving detent for releasably securing the shelf within the recess.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like features. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. In reference to the disclosure herein, for purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, above, below and diagonal, are used with respect to the accompanying drawings. The term “proximal” shall mean towards the center of the cooler. The term “distal” shall mean away from the center of the cooler. Such directional terms used in conjunction with the following description of the drawings should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner not explicitly set forth.
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right,” “left,” “lower” and “upper” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the identified element and designated parts thereof. Additionally, the term “a,” as used in the specification, means “at least one.” The terminology includes the words noted above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
In accordance with a first preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a portable cooler container 10 as configured in
The bottom wall is preferably rectangular in shape, but can alternatively be configured as any other suitable shape e.g., square, round, octagon, trapezoidal and the like. When the bottom wall is configured to have a shape other than a square or rectangular shape, e.g., round, octagonal or trapezoidal, the other walls of the cooler base are correspondingly configured to form the cooler base. However, in each configuration, the cooler base is configured with an opening formed by the walls which is to be covered by an openable lid, and a top wall similar to top wall 24 that is substantially parallel with the bottom wall.
As shown in
The portable cooler container further includes lid 30 connected to the thermally insulated cooler base 12 for covering the opening 28. The lid is preferably attached to the cooler base along its rear wall. Moreover, the lid is positioned rearwardly of the top wall 24 and rearwardly of the first front wall 22. That is, the entire lid is spaced from the first front wall.
The side walls 16, 18, rear wall 20 and first front wall 22 circumscribe the bottom wall and define a first interior volume of the cooler. A second interior volume is defined by the side walls and rear wall in combination with the second front wall 26. The second interior volume is smaller than the first interior volume and, collectively, the first and second interior volumes combine to form the overall interior volume of the cooler base.
In accordance with an aspect of the present embodiment, the portable cooler container 10 further includes a shelf 32 mounted to the top wall 24 which projects from the second front wall 26. The shelf can be used as a storage space or work space, such as a cutting board. The shelf 32 can optionally include an upwardly directed lip 34 extending along a perimeter of the shelf for preventing foodstuffs, beverages and other objects from falling or sliding from the shelf.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present embodiment, as shown in
Referring to
According to a second preferred embodiment shown in
The shelf assembly includes a shelf 132 connectable to the thermally insulated cooler base and movable between an operative extended position (
The shelf 132 preferably includes a main body portion 132a having a width larger than a width of the thermally insulated cooler base 112, and lateral extensions 132b extending from the main body portion defining a space therebetween for receiving the thermally insulated cooler base such that the lateral extensions 132b extend along the lateral sides of the cooler base.
In accordance with an aspect of the present embodiment, as shown in
As depicted in
A lid 230 is connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for enclosing the interior space of the cooler base and storing a shelf 232 when the shelf is in a stowed position, as further described below. Referring to
The cooler container 210 also includes a retractable handle assembly 242 mounted to an exterior of the thermally insulated cooler base 212 to facilitate a user pulling or traveling with the cooler container. Referring to
The shelf 232 is movable between a stowed position and a use position. As shown in
Referring to
Conversely, when it is desired to place the shelf 232 into its extended operative position, handle 250 is pulled away from the cooler base 212 to expose the elongated cylindrical members 252. The cooler lid 230 is then raised and the shelf 232 is pulled free of detent(s) 248. Thereafter, the detents 244 of the shelf 232 are brought into alignment with the exposed elongated cylindrical members 252. Once detents 244 are aligned with members 252, downward force is applied to the upper surface of the shelf in order to snap the detents 244 into position surrounding the members 252. The legs of the anti-tipping support 254 may then be swung downwardly to provide stability to the laterally-extended shelf 232.
Additionally, the cooler base 212 may be provided with optional wheels 256 (
The removable shelf 332 can also be configured in size and shape similar to shelf 232 so as to be releasably stowed underneath lid 330. In this aspect, the lid 330 is also similarly configured to lid 230 so as to receive the removable shelf 332.
The mounting support 338B can optionally be adjustably attached to the cooler container so as to be adjustable relative to the wall of the cooler container. For example, the mounting support can be configured with an adjustment member 338C for adjusting an angle in which the shelf 332 is attached to the cooler wall. In this manner, the angle of the shelf 332 can be adjusted accordingly in case the cooler container 310 is placed on a ground surface that is not completely horizontal. In other words, the shelf can be adjusted so as to be horizontal or more level even when the cooler container is laid down on an uneven surface.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A portable cooler container comprising:
- a thermally insulated cooler base that includes: a bottom wall, side walls extending from the bottom wall, a rear wall extending from the bottom wall, a first front wall extending from the bottom wall, a top wall extending from the first front wall, and a second front wall extending from the top wall forming an opening with the side walls and the rear wall; and
- a lid connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for covering the opening.
2. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the side walls, rear wall and first front wall circumscribe and define a first interior volume and the side walls, rear wall and second front wall circumscribe and define a second interior volume smaller than the first interior volume.
3. The portable cooler container of claim 1, further comprising a shelf mounted to the top wall.
4. The portable cooler container of claim 3, wherein the shelf includes a lip extending along a perimeter of the shelf.
5. The portable cooler container of claim 3, wherein the shelf is pivotably mounted to the thermally insulated cooler base.
6. The portable cooler container of claim 5, further comprising an adjustment member for adjusting a position of the shelf relative to the top wall.
7. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the top wall extends rearwardly from the first front wall substantially parallel to the bottom wall.
8. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the top wall extends between the side walls.
9. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the second front wall is positioned above and rearwardly of the first front wall.
10. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the lid is positioned rearwardly of the top wall.
11. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the lid is positioned rearwardly of the first front wall.
12. A portable cooler container and shelf assembly comprising:
- a thermally insulated cooler base having an interior space for retaining food and beverage items;
- a lid connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for enclosing the interior space; and
- a shelf assembly that includes: a shelf connectable to the thermally insulated cooler base and movable between an extended position and a stowed position, a hinge connected to an upper portion of the thermally insulated cooler base connecting a proximal end of the shelf to the thermally insulated cooler base; and an extendable bracket connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for supporting the shelf in the extended position.
13. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 12, wherein the shelf assembly includes a pair of foldable knee brackets connected to respective side walls of the thermally insulated cooler base.
14. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 12, wherein the shelf assembly further includes a retractable anti-tipping support.
15. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 12, wherein the shelf includes a main body portion having a width larger than a width of the thermally insulated cooler base, and lateral extensions extending from the main body portion defining a space therebetween for receiving the thermally insulated cooler base.
16. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 12, wherein extendable bracket is an adjustable extendable bracket.
17. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 16, wherein adjustable extendable bracket adjusts the position of the shelf relative to the lid between first, second and third positions.
18. A portable cooler container and shelf assembly comprising:
- a thermally insulated cooler base having an interior space for retaining food and beverage items;
- a retractable handle assembly mounted to an exterior of the thermally insulated cooler base; and
- a shelf movable between a stowed position and a use position, the shelf including a planar body having a detent for releasably mounting to the retractable handle assembly in the use position; and
- a lid connected to the thermally insulated cooler base for enclosing the interior space, the lid including a recess for receiving the shelf in the stowed position and a receiving detent for releasably securing the shelf within the recess.
19. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 18, wherein the handle assembly comprises a handle having a pair of elongated cylindrical members, and wherein the shelf includes a pair of detents for releasably engaging the pair of elongated cylindrical members.
20. The portable cooler container and shelf assembly of claim 18, wherein the handle assembly comprises an anti-tipping support for use when the handle assembly is in an extended position.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 26, 2015
Publication Date: Dec 31, 2015
Inventors: George Brian Lee (Mt. Laurel, NJ), George Casey Lee (Mt. Laurel, NJ)
Application Number: 14/751,564