Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INSULATED CONTAINER WITH FOOT-OPERATED LID
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Insulated containers, sometimes called "coolers" are quite popular, and are
used in
numerous activities. Large coolers are often seen at picnics and other social
gatherings,
and individual users utilize smaller coolers, such as to transport soup to
work or to
maintain a beverage at a cooler temperature during a sporting activity.
Typically, the walls of contemporary coolers include hard outer and inner
shells,
and an insulating central layer. The central layer is usually a product having
a high
insulation value, or R value, such as expanded polystyrene or polyurethane.
For most contemporary coolers, the outer and inner layers of the insulated
containers are each formed in separate vacuum, injection, or blow molding
machines.
Liquid polyurethane is then manually placed between the inner and outer
layers, and is
permitted to expand to fill the void between the two layers. Alternatively,
molded
polystyrene foam is manually placed in the void between the two layers. The
result is a
container having smooth, hard, outer and inner surfaces, and an insulating
central core.
The outer layer protects the container and central core, and provides an
attractive surface.
The inner layer separates the central core from the contents of the container,
and provides
an impermeable layer so that liquids may be stored in the container.
Other insulated containers may be made to have soft sides. For example, soft-
sided coolers may be formed from an insulating material, such as high density
polyurethane foam, that is surrounded by a flexible fabric, such as vinyl.
Such coolers
may be produced by covering one or more pieces of insulating material with a
flexible
material and stitching the pieces or portions of the pieces together so as to
form a
container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the
invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This
summary is not
an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify
key/critical elements
of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose
is to present
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some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the
more detailed
description of some embodiments that are presented later.
In accordance with an embodiment, a cooler is provided including a body and a
lid
and a foot-operated opening mechanism. The opening mechanism may include a
pedal,
the application of pressure to which causes the lid to open.
In accordance with another embodiment, the outside of a cooler includes a dry
erase board. The dry erase board may be, for example, on a body or a lid of
the cooler.
In accordance with another embodiment, a cooler includes a body and a lid, the
body or lid having an openable storage compartment. The storage compartment
may be
opened or closed by opening a door.
In accordance with another embodiment, a cooler includes a body, a lid, and an
access bin. The access bin may be a panel located on and hingedly attached to
a side of
the body. Opening the door allows access into the interior of the cooler. The
door may
have side portions extending perpendicularly from side edges of the panel into
the interior
of the cooler, to prevent items from falling out of the cooler when the panel
is open.
In accordance with another embodiment, the cooler includes a body, a lid, and
an
access panel. The access panel may be a panel hingedly attached to a side of
the cooler,
the opening of which allows access to the interior of the cooler. A membrane
may be
included that substantially prevents air flow between air interior to the
cooler and ambient
air when the access panel is open.
Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following
detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of a cooler in accordance with an
embodiment, the cooler shown in an open configuration;
FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the rear of the cooler of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a side perspective view of the cooler of FIG. 1 in a closed
configuration;
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the cooler of FIG. 1 showing details of
an
opening mechanism in accordance with an embodiment;
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FIG. 5 shows a side perspective view of a cooler in accordance with a second
embodiment, the cooler shown in an open configuration;
FIG. 6 shows the cooler of FIG. 5 in a closed configuration;
FIG. 7 shows a partial sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 5 taken along the
section lines 7-7 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 shows a cooler in accordance with a third embodiment, with the cooler
shown in an open configuration;
FIG. 9 shows the cooler of FIG. 8 in a closed configuration;
FIG. 10 shows a partial sectional view of the cooler of FIG. 8 taken along the
section lines 10-10, of FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 shows a side perspective view of a cooler in accordance with a fourth
embodiment;
FIG. 12 shows a front view of two of the coolers of FIG. 11 in a stacked
configuration.
FIG. 13 shows a side perspective view of a cooler in accordance with a fifth
embodiment; and
FIG. 14 shows a front view of two of the coolers of FIG. 13 in a stacked
configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention
will be
described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details
are set forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will
also be
apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced
without the
specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or
simplified in order
not to obscure the embodiment being described.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like
parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a cooler 10 in accordance
with an
embodiment. The cooler 10 includes a lid 12 and a body 14. The lid 12 is a
rectangular
piece of insulating material enclosed in a hard plastic shell. As shown in
FIG. 2, the lid 12
is connected to the body 14 along an edge by at least one hinge 16. As shown
in FIG. 3,
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the lid 12 may have features common to coolers such as beverage holders 18,
which are
disk-shaped indentations with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of
a common
beverage container, or a hand grip 20, which is an indentation in the edge of
the lid 12 that
facilitates gripping the lid 12.
The body 14 of the cooler 10 includes side walls 22, a front wall 24, a rear
wall 26,
and a bottom 28 which each have a rectangular shape and include one or more
layers of
insulating material and a hard outer shell. The side walls 22, front wall 24,
and rear wall
26 are rigidly connected together to surround a storage cavity 30 which has
the shape of a
box. In particular, one edge of each side wall 22 is connected to opposite
edges of the
bottom 28. Each remaining edge of the bottom 28 is connected to an edge of the
front
wall 24 and the rear wal126, respectively. In addition, opposite edges of each
side wall 22
are each connected to an edge of the front wall 24 and an edge of the rear
wall 26,
respectively. In this manner the side walls 22, front wall 24, rear wall 26,
and bottom 28
form a box-like shape, the interior of which is the storage cavity 30.
The side walls 22 may have features common to coolers such as handles 32, a
drain hole 34, and a plug 36. For example, the handles 32 may have a ring
shape and may
be hingedly connected to the side walls 22 on their exterior, as shown in FIG.
3. The drain
hole 34 is a hole fluidly connecting the storage cavity 30 to the exterior of
the cooler 10
which is on the opposite side of the side wa1122. The plug 36 is a piece of
material
configured to have the same shape as the interior drain hole 34 such that
insertion of the
plug 36 into the drain hole 34 prevents air and fluids from passing through
the drain hole
34. In general, drain holes, plugs, handles and other features are well known
to those in
the art.
The rear wall 26 has a rectangular shape approximately equal to that of the
front
wall 24 and includes a rear channe140. The rear channe140 is a recess of the
rear wall 26
extending substantially vertically and located approximately in the center of
the rear
wall 26. The rear channe140 may also be a passage extending through at least a
portion of
the rear wall 26. Similarly the bottom 28 has a bottom channel 50. Like the
rear
channel 40, the bottom channel 50 is a recess of material extending parallel
to the side
walls 22, the width of the bottom 28 and is located approximately in the
center of the
bottom 28. The bottom channel 50 may also be a passage extending through at
least a
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portion of the bottom 28. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear channel 40 and bottom
channel 50
connect at their ends where the rear wa1126 meets the bottom 28.
As shown in FIG. 4, the cooler 10 includes an opening mechanism 60. The
opening mechanism 60 includes a pedal 62, a shaft 66, a rod 68, and a plate
70. The
peda162 is a wedge shaped piece of material having a stepping surface 72 and
rotatable
connections 74. The rotatable connections 74 connect the front portion of the
peda162 to
the front wa1124 of the cooler 10. The shaft 66 is a Z-shaped piece of
material, such as
steel, having a lever 76 and a cam 78 separated by an axle 80. The lever 76 is
a portion of
the shaft 66 extending approximately perpendicularly from the end of the axle
80 and
connects to the peda162 at a location opposite the rotatable connection 74.
The end of the
lever 76 furthest from the axle 80 connects to the pedal 62 on the portion of
the peda162
opposite the rotatable connections 74. Similarly the cam 78 is a portion of
the shaft 66
extending perpendicularly from the end of the axle 80. As can be seen in FIG.
4, the
lever 76 and cam 78 extend from opposite ends of the axle 80 and in opposite
directions.
The axle 80 may also be secured to the bottom 28 by one or more brackets 82 or
other
suitable connectors.
The rod 68 is an elongated piece of material, such as steel, rotatably
connected to
the end of the cam furthest from the axle 80, extending vertically through the
rear
channe140, and terminating at a rotatable connection to the plate 70. The
plate 70 is a
piece of material such as an elongated steel disk and is rigidly mounted on
the underside
of the lid 12 of the cooler 10 slightly forward of the hinge 16.
To open the cooler 10 from the closed configuration shown in FIG. 3, downward
pressure is applied to the peda162, as indicated by the down arrow in FIG. 1.
This can be
accomplished, for example, by stepping on the peda162. Downward pressure on
the
peda162 causes the pedal 62 to rotate about the rotatable connections 74,
thereby forcing
the lever 76 to rotate downwards about the shaft 66. Because the cam 78
extends in the
opposite direction of the lever 76, and because the lever 76 and the cam 78
are rigidly
connected to the axle 80, when the lever 76 rotates downwards about the shaft
66, the
cam 78 simultaneously rotates upwards about the shaft 66. As the cam 78
rotates
upwards, the cam 78 pushes the rod 68 in an upward direction applying pressure
on the
plate 70. Because the plate is mounted to the underside of the lid 12 just
forward of the
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hinge 16, upward pressure on the plate causes the lid to rise as indicated by
the upward
arrow in FIG. 1 to an open position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
As with many coolers, the cooler 10 may also be opened by grasping the lid 12
at
any position forward of the hinge 16 and applying upward force.
To close the cooler 10, a user may simply remove pressure from the pedal 62
and
gravitational forces will cause the lid to fall to the closed position shown
in FIG. 3.
However, the cooler 10 may be configured so that the lid 12 remains in the
open position
unless some amount of force is applied to the lid 12 in order to put the lid
12 in a closed
position. As the lid 12 falls or is moved to the closed position, the plate 70
pushes against
the rod 68, which pushes against the cam 78 causing the cam 78 to rotate
downward about
the shaft 66. As the cam 78 rotates downward about the shaft 66, the lever 76
rotates
upward about the shaft 66 causing the pedal 62 to rotate upward about the
rotatable
connections 74.
Other foot-operated mechanisms may be incorporated into the cooler 10 for use
in
opening the lid 12. For example, mechanisms used to open garbage cans or other
containers can be incorporated into the cooler 10. Examples of such mechanisms
can be
found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,550, U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,323, U.S. Pat. No.
6,626,316, U.S.
Pat. No. 6,209,744, U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,348, U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,201, U.S.
Pat. No.
5,230,525, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,537, U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,174, U.S. Pat. No.
2,351,597, U.S.
Pat. No. 1,828,741, U.S. Pat. No. 1,251,984, and U.K. Pat. App. GB 2323019, as
examples.
FIG. 5 shows a cooler I 10 in accordance with an embodiment. Like the cooler
10,
the cooler 110 may include a lid 112 attached to a body 114 by a hinge 116. As
shown in
FIG. 6, the lid 112 may include common features such as cup holders 118 and
hand grips
130, and the body 114 may be formed similarly to the body 14 by having side
walls 122, a
front wall 124, a rear wall 126 and a bottom 128 all connected together to
form a storage
cavity 130, as shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the cooler 110 may also include
other features
such as handles 132, a drain hole 134 and a plug 136.
As shown in FIG. 5, the front wall 124 of the cooler 110 includes a recess 140
into
which a dry erase board 142, is situated. A dry erase board is a panel of
material, such as
enamel coated steel or porcelain or melamine, having a glossy surface.
Suitable materials
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for the dry erase board include Marsh UR-200-400-00K5/K8 Series sheet material
manufactured by Marsh Industries, Inc. The recess 140 may be a rectangular
depression
of the front wall 124 whose area occupies a substantial portion of the area of
the exterior
of the front wall 124. The recess 140 may have another shape, such as a circle
or oval,
and may be located on other exterior faces of the cooler 110, such as the lid
112. The dry
erase board is mounted inside the recess 140 with a glossy surface facing the
exterior of
the cooler. The dry erase board 142 may be mounted chemically with glue, or
mounted
mechanically with bolts, screws, or other fasteners. Alternatively, the front
wall 124 may
be configured to surround a portion of one or more edges of the dry erase
board, perhaps
by one or more ridges extending from the front wall 124 over the exterior
surface of the
dry erase board 142, so that the front wall 124 secures the dry erase board
142 in place.
The dry erase board 142 may also be a smooth area of an exterior face of the
cooler 110,
such as the front wall 124.
As shown in FIG. 7, the recess 140 of the front wall 124 may have a depth
approximately equal to the width of the dry erase board 142. This allows the
exterior of
the front wall 124 to transition smoothly to the exterior surface of the dry
erase board. Of
course, the dry erase board 142 may also be mounted deeper into the front wall
124 of the
cooler 110, or it may have a surface that protrudes from the front wall 124.
In the latter
case, a recess 140 is not necessary as the dry erase board 142 may be mounted
directly
onto the exterior face of the front wall 124.
Because the dry erase board 142 has a glossy surface, it may be written on
with a
marker having removable ink, such as markers produced under the brand name
EXPO, and
writing may be erased by wiping the surface of the dry erase board 142 with a
soft cloth.
This allows users of the cooler 110 to use the cooler 110 both for insulating
anything
stored in the storage cavity 130 and for writing messages or drawing. For
example, if two
such coolers 110 are used in a party, one may be marked "BEER" and the other
"SODAS."
In this manner, a user does not have to open the coolers 110 to know their
contents.
Other configurations of the cooler 110 are possible. For instance, the cooler
110
may have soft sides by including components made from insulating material,
such as high
density polyurethane foam, enclosed in a flexible material such as vinyl. With
this
configuration, a flexible material for the dry erase board 142 may be used.
For example, a
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flexible plastic sheet or other material, such as that produced under the
brand name OPTI-
RITE, may be attached to the side of the cooler 110. Also, other writable
surfaces, such as
chalk boards, may be used to provide a writeable surface of the cooler I 10.
Other features may be included into the cooler 110 as well. For instance, the
lid
112 or other part of the cooler 110 may incorporate a structure suitable for
storing markers
for easy access by users.
FIG. 8 shows a cooler 210 in accordance with an embodiment. Like the cooler
10,
the cooler 210 may include a lid 212 attached to a body 214 by a hinge 216. As
shown in
FIG. 9, the lid 212 may include common features such as cup holders 218 and
hand grips
230 and the body 214 may be formed similarly to the body 14 by having side
walls 222, a
front wa11224, a rear wall 226 and a bottom 228 all connected together to form
a storage
cavity 230, as shown in FIG. 8. In addition, the cooler 210 may also include
other features
such as handles 232, a drain hole 234 and a plug 236.
The cooler 210 includes a storage comparhnent 238 in accordance with an
embodiment. The storage compartment 238 includes a door 239, a storage cavity
240, a
door compartment 242, a bottom rail 244, and a top rail 246. The door 239 is a
thin
rectangular piece of material, such as plastic, and may include a knob 247,
which is a
piece of material protruding from a surface of the door 239. The door 239 also
has a
bottom 248 and a top 249, which are opposite edges of the door 239. The
storage cavity
240 may be a rectangular recess in the front wall 224 of the cooler 210 and
includes a
bottom edge 250 and a top edge 252. To form the storage cavity 240, the front
wa11224 is
formed with an enclosure. For example, the front wall 224 may have a section
where the
front wall 224 is thinner, perhaps by having a thinner layer of insulation or
a thinner outer
shell. The door compartment 242 is a rectangular cavity inside the front
wa11224 adjacent
to and fluidly connected with the storage cavity 240. Like the storage cavity
240, the door
compartment 242 has a bottom edge 260 and top edge 262.
Referring now to FIGS. 9-10, the bottom rail 244 is a channel extending along
and
connecting the bottom edge 250 of the storage cavity 240 and bottom edge 260
of the door
compartment 242. Likewise, the top rail 246 is a channel extending along and
connecting
the top edge 252 of the storage cavity 240 and the top edge 262 of the door
compartment
242. As can be seen in FIG. 10, the bottom rail 244 has a bottom 266 and the
top rail 246
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has a top 268, and both the bottom rail 244 and the top rail 246 have a width
slightly larger
than the width of the door 239. In accordance with an embodiment, the distance
between
the bottom 266 and top 268 is greater than or equal to the distance between
the bottom 248
and top 249 of the door 239 plus the depth of the bottom rail 244.
In accordance with an embodiment, the bottom rail 244 surrounds the bottom 248
of the door 239 and the top rai1246 surrounds the top 249 of the door 239. In
this manner,
the door 239 is secured to the storage compartment 238 and may slide along the
rails 244,
246 from a closed position, wherein the door 239 covers the storage cavity
240, to an open
position wherein a substantial portion of the door 239 is located inside the
door
compartment 242 and the storage cavity 240 is exposed.
To insert the door 239 into the rails 244, 246, the top 249 of the door 239 is
inserted fully into the top rail 246. The bottom 248 of the door 239 is then
brought over
and into the bottom rail 244. The storage compartment may then be used to
store items,
such as a fishing license, fishing tackle, writing utensils, playing cards,
markers such as
those described above, or any item that may fit inside the storage cavity 240.
The storage compartment 238 may also have other configurations. For example,
the storage cavity may be covered by a door (not shown) that is attached by a
hinge to the
front wall 224 and is configurable from an open configuration wherein the
storage cavity
240 is exposed to a closed configuration, wherein the door covers the storage
cavity 240.
In general, any configuration having an openable storage compartment that can
be
integrated into a wall or a lid of a cooler may be used.
FIG. 11 shows a cooler 310 in accordance with an embodiment. Like the
cooler 10, the cooler 310 may include a lid 312 and a body 314. As shown in
FIG. 11, the
lid 312 may include common features such as cup holders 318. The body 314 may
be
formed similarly to the body 14 by having side walls 322, a front wa11324, a
rear wall (not
shown) and a bottom (not shown) all connected together to form a storage
cavity 330. In
an embodiment, the front wall 324 includes a rectangular hole 331.
The cooler 310 also includes an access bin 332. The access bin 332 includes a
front panel 334, which may be a rectangular piece of insulating material
enclosed by
plastic and having a size and shape approximately equal to the size and shape
of the hole
331 in the front wall 324. In an embodiment, the front panel 334 has a handle
335, which
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is recessed into the front panel 334 and provides a grip to pull open the
access bin 332, as
further described below. The access bin 332 may include side portions 336,
which are
panels of material, such as plastic, extending perpendicularly in the same
direction from
the ends of the front panel 336. In an embodiment, the side portions 336 are
semicircularly shaped with a curved edge oriented upwards, although other
suitable shapes
may be used. The side portions may include one or more stops (not shown) which
are tabs
of a suitable material projecting outwardly on the end of the curved edge
opposite the front
panel 334. As shown in FIG. 11, a hinge 338 rotatably attaches a bottom edge
of the front
panel 334 to a bottom edge of the hole 331, with the side portions extending
into the
storage cavity 330.
The access bin 332 is configurable between a closed configuration, shown in
FIG.
12, and an open configuration shown in FIG. 11. In the closed configuration,
as shown in
FIG. 12, the outer face of the front panel 334 is substantially flush with the
outer face of
the front wall 324, and the side portions 336 project into the storage cavity
330.
To put the access bin 332 into the open configuration, the handle 335 is
gripped
and the front panel 334 is rotated about the hinge 338 away from the storage
cavity 330, in
the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 11. Because the side portions
336, have a
curved edge, the side portions 336 do not engage the top of the hole 331 in
the front wall
324. Stops on the side portions 336 may engage the inner side of the front
wall 324,
thereby preventing the access bin 332 from rotating further.
With the access bin 332 in the open configuration, contents inside the cooler
310
may be accessed without opening the lid 312. This configuration results in
less heat
transfer between the interior of the cooler 310 and ambient air. As shown in
FIG. 12, this
configuration also allows access to the storage cavity 330 of the cooler 310
even when
items are stacked on top of the cooler 310, such as another cooler 310. For
example, a
cooler 310, may be used to store drinks while another cooler, such as the
cooler 310, may
be placed on top of the cooler 310 and used to store food.
Variations of the cooler 310 are possible. For instance, feet (not shown) or
other
structures may be included on the bottom of a cooler 310 to prevent an upper
cooler 310 of
a stacked cooler combination, as shown in FIG. 12, from sliding relative to
the lower
cooler 310, perhaps by engaging the drink holders 318. In addition, while the
drawings
CA 02628435 2008-04-04
show the access bin 332 on the front side of the cooler, a similar access bin
may be
incorporated into one or more of the other sides of the cooler 310, such as
the sides 332,
the back, or the lid 312.
FIG. 13 shows a cooler 410 in accordance with an embodiment. Like the
cooler 10, the cooler 410 may include a lid 412 and a body 414. As shown in
FIG. 10, the
lid 412 may include common features such as cup holders 418. The body 414 may
be
formed similarly to the body 14 by having side walls 422, a front wall 424, a
rear wall (not
shown) and a bottom (not shown) all connected together to form a storage
cavity (not
shown, but similar to the storage cavity 330). In an embodiment, the front
wall 424
includes a rectangular hole 431.
The cooler 410 also includes an access panel 434 which may be a rectangular
piece
of insulating material enclosed by plastic and having a size and shape
approximately equal
to the size and shape of the hole 431 of the front wall 424. In an embodiment,
the front
panel 434 has a handle 435, which may be recessed in the front panel 434, and
which
provides a grip to pull the access bin 432, as further described below. The
handle 434 may
be provided as shown, or may be one or more knobs, tabs, or other structures
that may
serve the function of the handle 434. As shown in FIG. 13, a hinge 438
rotatably connects
the lower edge of the access panel 434 to the lower edge of the hole 431.
As shown in FIG. 13, the cooler 410 may have a membrane located on the
interior
side of the front panel 424 and covering the hole 431. The membrane 436 may be
a sheet
of a flexible material, such as rubber, and include a plurality of slits
forming a star-shaped
pattern.
The access panel 434 is configurable between an open configuration, shown in
FIG. 13, and a closed configuration, shown in FIG. 14. In the closed
configuration, the
access panel 434 is located inside the hole 431, with the outer surface of the
access panel
434 approximately flush with the outer surface of the front wall 424. The
front wall 424
and the access panel 434 may include a structure for retaining the access
panel 434 in the
open configuration. For example, the access panel may have a ridge (not
shown), on its
upper edge configured to sit in a groove (not shown) of the upper edge of the
hole 431.
Other structures, fasteners, or other mechanisms may also be used.
To put the access panel 434 in the open configuration, the handle 435 is
gripped
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and the access panel 434 is rotated outwardly about the hinge 438 in the
direction of the
arrow shown in FIG. 11. Similarly, to put the access panel 434 in the closed
configuration, the access pane1434 is rotated in the opposite direction about
the hinge 438
until the outer surface of the access panel 434 is approximately flush with
the outer surface
of the front wall 424.
To access an item inside the cooler 410 when the cooler 410 is in the open
configuration, a user simply reaches through the membrane 436, grasps a
desired item,
such as a drink, and pulls the item out through the membrane 436, through the
hole 431.
The slots in the membrane 438 allow portions of the membrane 438 to bend
thereby
allowing objects to pass through the membrane 438. When an object is not being
passed
through the membrane 438, the membrane 438 is substantially planar, as shown
in FIG.
13, thereby preventing heat exchange between air inside the cooler 410 and
ambient air.
As shown in FIG. 14, as with the cooler 310, items stored in the cooler 410
are
accessible even when an item is stacked on the lid 412. Moreover, variations
possible
with the cooler 310, such as the location of the access pane1434, are also
possible with the
cooler 410.
All of the coolers 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 may have additional features, many
of
which may be common to coolers. For example, any of the coolers 10, 110, 210
may
include additional features, such as fasteners to secure the lids 12, 112, 212
to the bodies
14, 114, 214, respectively. As another example, while much of the above
description
refers to hard-sided coolers, the above coolers 10, 110, 210 may be made to
have soft
sides. Also, features of one of the coolers 10, 110, 210 may be used with the
others.
Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while
the
invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative
constructions, a certain
illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has been described
above in
detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit
the invention to
the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to
cover all
modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the
spirit and scope
of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents,
cited herein
are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference
were
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r r CA 02628435 2008-04-04
individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and
were set forth
in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents in the
context of
describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims)
are to be
construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise
indicated herein or
clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having,"
"including," and
"containing" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning
"including, but not
limited to,") unless otherwise noted. The term "connected" is to be construed
as partly or
wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is
something
intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to
serve as a
shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling
within the range,
unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated
into the
specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described
herein can be
performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise
clearly
contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary
language (e.g.,
"such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate
embodiments of the
invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless
otherwise
claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating
any non-
claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the
best
mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of
those preferred
embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon
reading the
foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such
variations as
appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced
otherwise than as
specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all
modifications and
equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as
permitted by
applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in
all
possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise
indicated
herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
13
