Cooler Accessory Bracket and Methods of Use
A removably attachable accessory bracket for a cooler, comprising: an upper portion configured with a low profile to fit wholly within a recess located on an upper rim of the cooler; a pin connected to the upper portion configured as an insertable counterpart to a cooler tie down slot located on the upper rim of the cooler; an offset bracket with a tie down slot connected to the upper portion and configured for passing a tie down strap therethrough; and, at least one accessory connected to the bracket.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC § 119(e) of U.S. Patent Application No. 61/876,724 filed Sep. 19, 2013 and under 35 USC § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/490,914 filed Sep. 19, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to coolers and/or ice chests and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a bracket for use with coolers.
Various attempts have been made to provide brackets and/or interchangeable accessories to coolers.
United States Pat. App. Pub. No. 20120132657 to Seiders, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a latching mechanism/device is provided, as well as a method of maintaining a closed position between opposing first and second portions of a container. The latching mechanism includes a latch attached to the first portion and a latch keeper integrally molded to the second portion. The latch keeper includes an elongated keeper slot and a recessed pocket formed in the keeper slot, such that when at least a portion of the latch is received within the recessed pocket, the container is closed and/or sealed.
United States Pat. App. Pub. No. 20110056233 to Flaker, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a recreational cooler with a hollow accessory shaft. The hollow shaft extends completely through the cooler from top to bottom. The hollowed area of the shaft is completely independent from the product receiving area of the cooler allowing for insertion of recreational cooler accessories. Recreational cooler accessories may include: umbrellas, fishing poles, radios, tables, cooking stands, seats, chairs, beverage bottles, cans, cups, basketball standards, and/or racks for drying beach towels. Two coolers may also be used to support each side of a volleyball net, badminton net, or tennis net.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,033 to Skeels, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a portable accessory including a plurality of platforms having substantially planar upper surfaces for supporting the foodstuff thereon. Each platform is provided with baffled slots such that melted ice can drain downwardly therethrough. In an alternate embodiment, a plurality of spaced racks are slidably positionable within a cooler body such that the racks become spaced apart adjacent to opposed ends of a cooler body. Such racks are offset at an oblique angle so that melted ice is directed downwardly and away from the top surfaces of the platforms. In a further embodiment, a specially designed cooler is provided with slots for receiving the racks therein such that the platforms can be simultaneously employed with the racks.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,602 to Ward, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a cooler having an integrated seat assembly, including a cooler body which can have one or more compartments. The cooler body is coupled with a seat assembly bracket by a coupling means, such as a hinge. Seat backs are integrally formed in one sidewall of the cooler body and seat bottoms are formed on the bracket, such that when the bracket is opened, it forms a seat with the seat backs. The bracket can be folded up flat against the cooler in a closed and locked position, for easy storage or transportation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,584,847 to Purvis, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes interchangeable portions of a cooler or container, having a sports logo thereon, allowing a single cooler body or container body to have a first logo at one particular time, and a second logo at another time, upon replacement of interchangeable the portions. Preferably, the portions comprise a plurality of cooler tops, each having a different sports logo, each mating directly or through interchangeable hinge portions with the same cooler body, or being secured to a planar portion of the cooler or container. Alternatives for securing the attachment to the cooler planar portion are disclosed and include adhesive, VELCRO brand fasteners, guide members, or elastomeric attaching members.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,507 to Maldonado, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an improved insulated cooler having accessory holders detachably secured to its outer wall. An exemplary holder is provided for containerized drinks. The holder is made of a rigid plastic upper ring at the top and may have flexible fabric or mesh lower portion at the bottom such that the holders can be nested into receptacles in the top surface of the lid for convenient storage. This arrangement provides the benefit of permitting the user to access conveniently the contents of the ice chest without having to remove drinks that otherwise would be sitting on the lid of the ice chest. There also may be one or more connections on the ice chest that permit a fishing rod holder, an umbrella holder, or other accessory holder to be affixed to the cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,753 to Purvis, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes interchangeable portions of a cooler or container, having a sports logo thereon, allowing a single cooler body or container body to have a first logo at one particular time, and a second logo at another time, upon replacement of interchangeable the portions. Preferably, the portions comprise a plurality of cooler tops, each having a different sports logo, each mating directly or through interchangeable hinge portions with the same cooler body, or being secured to a planar portion of the cooler or container. Alternatives for securing the attachment to the cooler planar portion are disclosed and include adhesive, VELCRO brand fasteners, guide members, or elastomeric attaching members.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,860 to Thibodeaux, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a fisherman's cooler including a box-shaped container having a pivotable lid for covering a substantially open top portion. The lid includes an indented portion on its upper surface having measuring indicia therein for assisting a fisherman in measuring a fish. The top portion of the container includes a plurality of fishing rod holders, the diameter of which may be varied to support varying diameter fishing rods. An accessory shelf is hingedly attached to the front wall of the container for supporting various accessory items thereon. The accessory shelf may be locked in a horizontal position with a locking mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,182 to Junkas, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a fishing box which incorporates the following built-in features: tackle box, seat, life preserver, fishing rod carrier, cooler, worm and minnow bait compartment, fish compartment, lid-table tray, a flip-out side table, a ruler for measuring the lengths of fish, a fish net holder, towel rack, and an accessory attachment for supporting an accessory such as a portable radio.
PCT Pub. No. WO2006009537 to Schmidt, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes insulated ice chest coolers having accessory holders detachably secured to their outer walls or edges between their outer walls are disclosed. An exemplary holder is provided for containerized drinks. The holder can be made of a rigid plastic upper ring at the top and can have flexible fabric or mesh lower portion at the bottom such that the holders can be nested into receptacles in the top surface of the lid for convenient storage. This arrangement provides the benefit of permitting the user to access conveniently the contents of the ice chest without having to remove drinks that otherwise would be sitting on the lid of the ice chest. There also can be one or more connections on the ice chest that permit a fishing rod holder, an umbrella holder, or other accessory holder to be affixed to the cooler.
The YETI® Cooler Casting Platform article posted on flatoutfishwear.com (http://www.flatoutfishwear.com/yeti-cooler-casting-platform/) describes a YETI® cooler modified to include rod holders mounted to the sides of the cooler using stainless steel screws and adhesive sealant.
The YETI® Tie-Down Kit found for sale on the official YETI® website (store.yeticoolers.com/tie-down-kit/) describes using tie down slots in conjunction with the Tie-Down Kit to secure the cooler to a deck plate.
The YETI® Locking Bracket found for sale on the official YETI® website (store.yeticoolers.com/products/locking-bracket) describes using a locking bracket inserted through an integrated tie-down slot in order to lock the cooler to something, for example using a chain.
The Engel Tie-Down Strap Kit found for sale on the official Engel website (www.engel-usa.com/products/deepblue-accessories/engel-tie-down-strap-kit) describes using tie down slots in conjunction with the Tie-Down Strap Kit to secure the cooler to a deck plate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to coolers and/or ice chests and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a bracket for use with coolers.
There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a removably attachable accessory bracket for a cooler, comprising: an upper portion configured with a low profile to fit wholly within a recess located on an upper rim of the cooler; a pin connected to the upper portion configured as an insertable counterpart to a cooler tie down slot located on the upper rim of the cooler; a supplemental tie down slot integrated with the upper portion and configured for passing a tie down strap therethrough; and, at least one accessory connected to the bracket.
In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one accessory is removably connected to the bracket.
In an embodiment of the invention, the accessory is at least one of a rod holder, a cup holders, an ammunition holders, a boga grip holder, a fly rod holder, a camera attachment point, a grab rail, a shelf, a table, a seat, electronics, or a light.
In an embodiment of the invention, the upper portion is configured to rest on a large recess of the upper rim of the cooler.
In an embodiment of the invention, the upper portion is configured to rest on a small recess of the upper rim of the cooler.
In an embodiment of the invention, the pin between ⅛″ and 4″ wide and ⅛″ and 10″ long.
In an embodiment of the invention, the space between the pin and a face of the bracket is between ⅛″ and 4″.
In an embodiment of the invention, the pin is inserted into the cooler tie down slot using at least one of a compression fit, a mechanical fit and gravity.
In an embodiment of the invention, the bracket further comprises a locking mechanism connecting the pin to an offset bracket, enclosing a portion of the upper rim of the cooler therebetween.
In an embodiment of the invention, the low profile is 0.5″ or less.
In an embodiment of the invention, the low profile is 0.25″ or less.
In an embodiment of the invention, the low profile is 0.125″ or less.
In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of the upper portion and offset bracket are curved.
There is further provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an accessory bracket for a cooler, comprising: a pin insertable into a tie down slot located on the cooler to secure the bracket to the cooler; a supplemental tie down slot configured for passage of a tie down strap therethrough; and, at least one accessory connected to the bracket.
There is further provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for inserting a bracket into a cooler, comprising: opening the cooler lid; lining up a pin of the bracket with a tie down slot of the cooler; and, inserting the pin into the tie down slot of the cooler so that the pin is positioned within the tie down slot and the bracket rests on an upper rim of the cooler such that the lid fully closes.
In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises threading a tie down strap through a supplemental tie down slot located on the face of the bracket to secure the cooler in place.
In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises attaching an accessory to the bracket.
In an embodiment of the invention, the accessory is removably attached to the bracket.
Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example, are not necessarily to scale, and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.
In the drawings:
The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to coolers and/or ice chests and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a bracket for use with coolers.
For purposes of better understanding some embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components and/or methods set forth in the following description and/or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways.
Referring now to the drawings,
Provided to the bracket 200, in an embodiment of the invention, is an offset bracket 204 on which a supplemental tie down slot 206 is located to enable the use of commercially available tie-down kits to be used with the cooler 100 and bracket 200 combination. Optionally, the supplemental tie down slot 206 is located on the bracket 200 itself.
In some embodiments of the invention, the bracket 200 and pin 300 are formed from right angles 302 with respect to each other. Alternatively, at least one of the angles 302 is not 90°. In an embodiment of the invention, the space 304 between the bracket 200 and the pin 300 is configured so that the portion of the cooler 100 between the slot 102 and the exterior of the cooler 100 fits snugly between the bracket 200 and the pin 300, when the bracket 200 is installed on the cooler 100 (such as shown and described in more detail with respect to
In an embodiment of the invention, an upper portion of the bracket 200 is sized to fit within the recess 106a and/or 106b without interfering with the operation of the lid 108 closing and/or sealing the cooler 100 (i.e. the bracket 200 is “low-profile”). For example, the upper portion of the bracket 200 has a low enough profile (in height as measured from the top of the cooler at the recess 106a or 106b to the bottom of the lid 108 when the lid 108 is closed completely) and/or is narrow enough (in width as measured from the front of the cooler to the back) and/or is short enough (in length as measured from one side of the cooler to the other side of the cooler) so that the lid 108 closes completely onto the chest 104 of the cooler 100. The low-profile nature of the upper portion of the bracket is shown in more detail in
It should also be noted that the bracket 200, when installed on the cooler 100, does not interfere with the use of the cooler handles 602 or with the use of a drain plug (not shown).
In an embodiment of the invention, a locking mechanism (not shown) connects the pin 300 to the offset bracket 204, around the exterior wall 702. The locking mechanism can be, for example a removably attachable chain or additional bracket piece.
In an embodiment of the invention, no tools are needed to install and/or remove the bracket 200 from the cooler.
A central portion of an exemplary bracket 900 (i.e. without accessories or accessory attachment points) is shown in
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “having” and their conjugates mean “including but not limited to”.
The term “consisting of” means “including and limited to”.
The term “consisting essentially of” means that the composition, method or structure may include additional ingredients, steps and/or parts, but only if the additional ingredients, steps and/or parts do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, method or structure.
As used herein, the singular form “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term “a compound” or “at least one compound” may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.
Throughout this application, various embodiments of this invention may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.
Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant to include any cited numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases “ranging/ranges between” a first indicate number and a second indicate number and “ranging/ranges from” a first indicate number “to” a second indicate number are used herein interchangeably and are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the fractional and integral numerals therebetween.
It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting.
Claims
1. A removably attachable accessory bracket for a cooler, comprising:
- an upper portion configured with a low profile to fit wholly within a recess located on an upper rim of the cooler;
- a pin connected to the upper portion configured as an insertable counterpart to a cooler tie down slot located on the upper rim of the cooler;
- a tie down slot integrated with a face of the removably attachable accessory bracket configured for passing a tie down strap therethrough; and,
- at least one accessory connected to the removably attachable accessory bracket.
2. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the at least one accessory is removably connected to the removably attachable accessory bracket.
3. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the accessory is at least one of a rod holder, a cup holders, an ammunition holders, a boga grip holder, a fly rod holder, a camera attachment point, a grab rail, a shelf, a table, a seat, electronics, or a light.
4. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the upper portion is configured to rest on a large recess of the upper rim of the cooler.
5. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the upper portion is configured to rest on a small recess of the upper rim of the cooler.
6. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the pin between ⅛″ and 4″ wide and ⅛″ and 10″ long.
7. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the space between the pin and a face of the bracket is between ⅛″ and 4″.
8. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where the pin is inserted into the cooler tie down slot using at least one of a compression fit, a mechanical fit and gravity.
9. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism connecting the pin to an offset bracket, enclosing a portion of the upper rim of the cooler therebetween.
10. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where a low profile is 0.5″ or less.
11. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where a low profile is 0.25″ or less.
12. An accessory bracket according to claim 1, where a low profile is 0.125″ or less.
13. An accessory bracket according to claim 9, where at least one of the upper portion and offset bracket are curved.
14. An accessory bracket for a cooler, comprising:
- a pin insertable into a tie down slot located on the cooler to secure the bracket to the cooler;
- a supplemental tie down slot configured for passage of a tie down strap therethrough; and,
- at least one accessory connected to the bracket.
15. A method for inserting a bracket into a cooler, comprising:
- opening the cooler lid;
- lining up a pin of the bracket with a tie down slot of the cooler; and,
- inserting the pin into the tie down slot of the cooler so that the pin is positioned within the tie down slot and the bracket rests on an upper rim of the cooler such that the lid fully closes.
16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising threading a tie down strap through a supplemental tie down slot located on the face of the bracket to secure the cooler in place.
17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising attaching an accessory to the bracket.
18. A method according to claim 17, where the accessory is removably attached to the bracket.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 30, 2018
Publication Date: Jun 7, 2018
Inventor: Christopher Michael Stokes (Spartanburg, SC)
Application Number: 15/883,326