Portable cooler with disguised valuables compartment
A portable cooler of the kind used to store food and beverages and used to keep ice has a hidden compartment for safekeeping valuables. A disguised or camouflaged access door is provided in the outer wall of the cooler which permits entry to the hidden compartment. Thermal conductivity is provided between the hidden compartment and main interior compartment to allow perishable items such as medications to be kept cooler than the usual ambient temperature outside the cooler. In a preferred embodiment, an internal drawer is provided within the hidden compartment for holding valuables such as keys, cell phones or medications. Optional locking means and an additional barrier or flap is provided to prevent unauthorized removal of items.
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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIXNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe activities associated with beach going, swimming or playing sports are often at odds with the safekeeping of valuables. An obvious reason is that fewer clothes are worn by people participating in athletic or recreational activity so there are fewer places to store items like keys, cell phones or medications. There are also instances when these items may be left unattended in a vehicle. The fear that these items may be lost or stolen fosters a need for a method of safely stowing them when they can't be carried or watched. As such it is useful to have a safe place to keep important items thereby allaying the owners' anxiety and enhancing the value of their recreational experience.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to portable safes and more particularly to transportable coolers for food and beverages used for picnicking or tailgating or for other recreational activities in which the cooler is equipped with a provision for storing valuables.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTNumerous devices have been invented to manage this problem. For example, a beach locker described by Wood (U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,389 B1) (1987) comprises a container for valuables having an anchoring screw extending downward from the underside of the container. The screw is rotated into the sand making it difficult for a thief to carry off the container.
A patent issued to Boyce, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,157) (2000), comprises the combination of a round lockable container and a beach umbrella. The container is attached to the vertical shaft of the beach umbrella which is inserted into the sand anchoring the combined assembly.
Another approach described by Shaw (U.S. Pat No. 7,401,482 B1) (2008) discloses a portable locker combined with a beverage tray and a carrying bag. The locker may be used to carry food, beverages or other items to job sites, work sites or “fun sites” and features a hinged top with a combination dial for a door lock.
The present invention is an improvement over the most pertinent prior art because it uses disguise or unobtrusiveness to safeguard the stored valuables. The idea of a disguised safe has been the basis of many prior art inventions such as a patent issued to Dyer (U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,018) (1937) for a refrigerator safe in which a hidden compartment is located in an ordinary refrigerator.
Clark (U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,034) (2000) teaches the use of a trash can as a safe as it contains a hidden compartment in a false bottom.
A more elaborate disguised safe is described in a patent issued to Cline (U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,946) (2006) in which a device which appears to be a water heater or water softener apparatus is actually a safe.
Perhaps the most familiar example of this type of concealment device is described by Cleveland (U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,635) (1985) in which a plastic article resembling a rock or other natural object is used to store keys or similar items.
Most of the foregoing prior art devices are unsuitable for use at a beach or swim club. Those devices that have been developed specifically for use in those venues have disadvantages which are readily overcome by the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention comprises a novel portable cooler of the kind used to store food and beverages and used to keep ice. Conventional coolers like these are frequently taken to a beach or swim club or to some other site of recreational activity. A good example of this type of cooler is Model no. 6200A748 manufactured by The Coleman Company, Inc., of Wichita, Kans. At times the portable cooler may remain in a vehicle and at other times it may be brought closer to the recreational activity.
The present invention discloses a portable cooler having a hidden compartment for safekeeping valuables contained within the cooler. A disguised flap or access door is provided in the outer shell of the cooler which permits entry to the hidden compartment. In a preferred embodiment, an internal drawer is provided within the hidden compartment for holding valuables such as keys, cell phones or medications. When the flap door is opened, the internal drawer can be slid out enabling access to the contents. Optional locking means is provided to prevent unauthorized removal of items.
Another aspect of the invention permits thermal conductivity between the hidden secondary compartment and the interior primary compartment of the cooler which allows items placed in the hidden compartment, such as medications, to be kept cooler than the outside ambient temperature in most situations.
Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to
A rectangular top lid 12 is attached to the main container housing 18 by a hinge 20 running lengthwise along the top edge 21 of the container housing 18. The cooler is also supplied with a latch 36 and locking mechanism 37 (not shown in detail) at the center of the top edge of the main or primary container housing 18 on the side opposite the hinge 20. Handles 32 are normally provided at opposite ends on the outside of the container housing to make it easier to carry. A drain port and stopper (not shown) are often supplied with this type of cooler and are usually located near the floor of an end wall.
As shown in the foreground of
With reference to
The outer wall of cooler 10 in
A slidable, open top drawer 65 in
While the invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment in the form of a generally rectangular cooler, it is understood that this is but one example of the invention and should not be construed or viewed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims:
Claims
1. A portable cooler comprising:
- A container housing having at least two separate compartments of which one is primary and larger in volume, and the other secondary and smaller in volume, said compartments sharing a common partition, a top lid member connected to the container housing by hinge means permitting the lid member to be opened or closed allowing selective access to the primary compartment,
- And a door located in the wall, adjacent the primary compartment of the container housing, said door allowing selective access to the secondary compartment though not to the primary compartment.
2. The portable cooler of claim 1. in which the common partition is thermally conductive.
3. The portable cooler of claim 2. in which the door in closed position is substantially perpendicular to the top lid member.
4. The portable cooler of claim 1. in which the outer surface of the container housing is visually patterned to disguise the presence of the door in closed position.
5. The portable cooler of claim 4. in which the secondary compartment contains a slidable drawer capable of receiving objects such as cell phones, keys and medications.
6. The portable cooler of claim 5. in which a lockable latch means is mounted on the front of the slidable drawer.
7. The portable cooler of claim 5. in which a lockable latch means is mounted on the interior side of the wall of the container housing in a position to selectively inhibit access to the contents of a slidable drawer located within the secondary compartment.
8. The portable cooler of claim 5. in which the container housing contains an aperture for accepting a latch means within said wall of the container housing in position to inhibit access to the contents of a slidable drawer located therein.
9. The portable cooler of claim 6. in which the lockable latch means incorporates a combination type lock.
10. The portable cooler of claim 7. in which the lockable latch means incorporates a combination type lock.
11. The portable cooler of claim 4 in which a lockable flap is located behind the access door to the secondary compartment capable of restricting access to the compartment when the access door is opened.
Type: Application
Filed: May 4, 2009
Publication Date: Nov 4, 2010
Inventor: Angela Klettner (Danbury, CT)
Application Number: 12/387,530
International Classification: F25D 3/08 (20060101); B65D 45/16 (20060101);