Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02640943 2008-10-10
SOFT-SIDED INSULATED CONTAINER WITH
THERMAL STORAGE MEMBER
Field of Invention
This invention relates to the field of soft sided insulated containers. In
particular it
relates to soft sided insulated containers having removable impermeable liners
for
discouraging or preventing the leakage of liquids.
Backeround of Invention
Soft sided insulated containers have become popular for carrying either
articles that
may best be served cool, such as beverages or salads, or warm, such as
appetizers, hot dogs,
and so on. Such containers are frequently used to carry liquids, whether hot
liquids, such as
soup containers, coffee or tea, or cold liquids such as beer pop, juices and
milk. Where
cooling is desired, such as for canned beverages, the cooler may tend also to
carry ice. The
containers are typically made in a generally cube like shape, whether of sides
of equal length
or not, having a base, four upstanding walls, and a top. The top is generally
a lid which opens
to permit articles to be placed in, or retrieved from, the container.
By the nature of their use, it is advantageous for the containers to be water
tight. That
is, whether to hold melted run-off from ice cubes or to hold spilled liquids,
the container
must be sufficiently liquid tight that it does not leave a trail of drips, or
become moist or
sticky to the touch of a person carrying the container.
The use of loose ice within the container may be problematic. It may be
desirable to
employ a thermal energy storage member, such as an ice pack or a heating pack.
It may be
desirable to employ a pack that is easily inserted or removed, and yet that is
retained in an
unobtrusive location.
Summary of Invention
In an aspect of the invention there is a collapsible, soft-sided insulated
container
assembly. It has a soft sided insulated wall structure that includes a
plurality of sides
mutually connected along vertices. The wall structure has folds along which
the wall
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structure may be moved between a first position, that first position being a
folded
position, and a second position, that second position being an expanded
position in which the
wall structure defines an insulated chamber of the container into which object
may be placed.
The wall structure includes a closure member movable between open and closed
conditions
to govern access to the insulated chamber. The wall structure includes a first
fabric wall
portion has a width, a breadth, and a thickness, the thickness being less than
half of either the
width or the breadth. The first fabric wall portion includes an inner skin, an
outer skin, and a
layer of insulation located between the inner skin and the outer skin. There
is a substantially
rigid thermal storage member; and a substantially rigid thermal storage member
seat. The
thermal storage member seat includes a land conforming to the first fabric
wall portion of the
wall structure. It is mounted adjacent to the inner skin thereof such that the
thermal storage
member seat is, in use, oriented inwardly relative to the insulated chamber.
The thermal
storage member seat includes a guide, the guide being mounted proud of the
inner skin of the
fabric wall portion. The thermal storage member is slidingly engageable with
the guide in a
direction predominantly cross-wise to the first fabric wall portion.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention, the first fabric wall portion is
oriented
such that when the closure member is in the open condition the thermal storage
member is
exposed and slidably disengageable from the guide array. In another feature,
the first fabric
wall portion defines a lid panel of the container assembly. In still another
feature, the thermal
storage member seat includes a pair of guide members defining a track, and the
thermal
storage member has mating fittings operable to engage and run along the track.
In still
another feature, the first fabric wall portion remains substantially flat when
the assembly is
moved to the first position.
In a further feature, the first fabric wall portion is a sub-portion of a
larger wall panel.
In still another feature, the first fabric wall portion is substantially
planar and defines a top
wall of the assembly, the top wall being hingedly movable to define the
closure member.
The seat is substantially planar. The seat is mounted to, and is substantially
parallel to, the
top wall. The thermal storage member is movable substantially sideways
relative to the top
wall to engage and disengage the seat.
In yet another further the first fabric wall portion is substantially planar
and defines a
top wall of the assembly, the top wall being hingedly movable to define the
closure member;
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the seat being substantially planar. The seat is mounted to, and is
substantially parallel to,
the top wall. The thermal storage member being movable substantially sideways
relative to
the top wall to engage and disengage the seat.
Brief Description of the Drawings
These aspects and other features of the invention can be understood with the
aid of
the following illustrations of a number of exemplary, and non-limiting,
embodiments of the
principles of the invention in which:
Figure la is a general arrangement perspective view taken from in front, above
and to
the right side of a collapsible insulated container assembly according to an
aspect of the present invention;
Figure lb is a perspective view of the assembly of Figure la, taken from
behind,
below, and to the left side thereof;
Figure lc is a front view of the insulated container assembly of Figure la;
Figure ld is a rear view of the insulated container assembly of Figure la;
Figure le is a top view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure lf is a bottom view of the container assembly of Figure 1a;
Figure lg is a right hand side view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure lh is a left hand side view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure 2a is a front view of the insulated container assembly of Figure la; in
a
collapsed or folded condition;
Figure 2b is a rear view of the folded insulated container assembly of Figure
2a;
Figure 2c is a top view of the folded insulated container assembly of Figure
2a;
Figure 2d is a bottom view of the doled insulated container assembly of Figure
2a;
Figure 2c is a right hand side view of the insulated container assembly of
Figure 2a;
Figure 2f is a left hand side view of the insulated container assembly of
Figure 2a;
Figure 3a shows the insulated container assembly of Figure la in an expanded,
open
condition;
Figure 3b is a plan view of the top panel of the assembly of Figure 3a taken
from
inside with a thermal storage member in place;
Figure 3c is another plan view of the top panel of the assembly of Figure 3a
with the
thermal storage member in a partially disengaged condition;
Figure 3d is still another plan view of the top panel of Figure 3a with the
thermal
storage member fully disengaged;
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Figure 3e shows an end view of the thermal storage member and a sectional view
of
the top panel of Figure 3b;
Figure 3f is an enlarged plan view detail of the top panel of Figure 3b;
Figure 3g is a perspective view of the thermal storage member of Figure 3e;
Figure 4a is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of collapsible, or
foldable
insulated container assembly to that of Figure 1 a, in a folded condition;
Figure 4b is a front view of the foldable insulated container assembly of
Figure 4a;
Figure 4c is a perspective view of the foldable insulated container assembly
of Figure
4a in an expanded condition with a closure member open to show a thermal
storage member;
Figure 4d shows the thermal storage member of Figure 4c in a partially engaged
(or
partially disengaged) condition;
Figure 4f shows the thermal storage member in a fully disengaged condition;
and
Figure 4g shows an enlarge perspective detail view of the closure member of
Figure
4c showing the seat, or carrier for the thermal storage member.
Detailed Description
The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are
provided by
way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of
the principles of
the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of
explanation, and not
of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description,
like parts are
marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective
reference
numerals. The drawings are substantially to scale, except where noted
otherwise, such as in
those instances in which proportions may have been exaggerated in order more
clearly to
depict certain features of the invention.
For the purposes of this description, it may be that a Cartesian frame of
reference may
be employed. In such a frame of reference, the long, or largest dimension of
an object may
be considered to extend in the direction of the x-axis; the base of the
article, where
substantially planar, may be considered to extend in an x-y plane; and the
height of the article
may be measured in the vertical, or z-direction. The largest panels of the
containers
described herein may be designated arbitrarily as the front and rear sides, or
top and bottom
sides, faces, or portions of the container. Similarly, the closure member, or
opening is
arbitrarily designated as being at the top, and the base panel is designated
as being at the
bottom, as these terms may be appropriate for the customary orientation in
which the objects
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may usually be found, sold, or employed, notwithstanding that the objects may
be picked up
and placed on one side or another from time to time at the user's choice. It
should also be
understood that, within the normal range of temperatures to which human food
and human
touch is accustomed, although the term cooler, or cooler container, or cooler
bag, may be
5 used, such insulated structures may generally also be used to keep food,
beverages, or other
objects either warm or hot as well as cool, cold, or frozen.
In this specification reference is made to insulated containers. The adjective
"insulated" is intended to be given its usual and normal meaning as understood
by persons
skilled in the art. It is not intended to encompass single layers, or skins,
of conventional
webbing materials, such as Nylon (t.m.), woven polyester, canvas, cotton,
burlap, leather,
paper and so on, that are not otherwise indicated as having, or being relied
upon to have,
particular properties as effective thermal insulators other than in the
context of being
provided with heat transfer resistant materials or features beyond that of the
ordinary sheet
materials in and of themselves. Following from Phillips v. AWH Corp., this
definition
provided in the specification is intended to supplant any dictionary
definition, and to prevent
interpretation in the US Patent Office (or in any other Patent Office) that
strays from the
customary and ordinary meaning of the term "insulated" as provided herein. The
Applicant
also explicitly excludes cellophane, waxed paper, tin foil, paper, or other
single use
disposable (i.e., not intended to be re-used) materials from the definition of
"washable".
Similarly, this description may tend to discuss various embodiments soft-sided
containers, as opposed to hard shell containers. In the jargon of the trade, a
soft-sided cooler,
or bag, or container, is one that does not have a substantially rigid, high
density exoskeleton.
A typical example of a container having a hard exoskeleton is on having a
molded shell, e.g.,
of ABS or polyethylene, or other common types of molded plastic. Rather, a
soft-sided
container may tend not to be substantially rigid, but may rather have a skin
that is flexible, or
crushable, or sometimes foldable. By way of an example, which is not intended
to be either
exhaustive, comprehensive, exclusive or limiting, a soft-sided cooler may have
an outer skin,
a layer of insulation, and an internal skin, both the internal and external
skins being of some
kind of webbing, be it a woven fabric, a nylon sheet, or some other membrane.
The layer of
insulation, which may be a sandwich of various components, is typically a
flexible or
resilient layer, perhaps of a relatively soft and flexible foam. In some
examples, a soft-sided
container may still be a soft-sided container where, as described herein, it
may include a
substantially rigid liner; may include one or more battens (which may be of a
relatively hard
plastic) concealed within the soft sided wall structure more generally; or may
have hard
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molded fittings used either at a container rim or lip; or to provided a base
or a mounting point
for wheels, but where the outside of the assembly is predominantly of soft-
sided panels.
Once again, this commentary is intended to forestall the adoption by the US
Patent Office,
(or any other Patent Office), of an interpretation of the term "soft-sided"
that diverges from
the ordinary and customary meaning of the term as understood by persons of
ordinary skill in
the art in the industry, and as used herein.
The description may also refer to collapsible or foldable insulated
containers. In the
context of this specification, collapsible means intentionally collapsible,
as, for example,
being foldable along predetermined fold lines along which the container may,
for example,
be folded and unfolded several times. It is not intended to refer to something
that is crushed,
e.g., in a ball, in an arbitrary or indeterminate manner.
Referring to the general arrangement illustrations of Figures 1a - lh and 2a -
2f, an
example of an embodiment of a collapsible or foldable insulated container
assembly is
indicated generally as 20. The structure, and folding ability of this
insulated container is
substantially as shown and described in US Patent 6,238,091 of Mogil, issued
May 29, 2001,
which is incorporated herein by reference. The collapsible cooler assembly may
or may not
include the seamless folded liner shown and described in US Patent 6,238,091.
Container
assembly 20 has an insulated soft-sided wall structure 22 that defines an
enclosure having an
internal space, or volume, or chamber, or receptacle 24 into which objects may
be placed
with the objective of remaining cool (or warm) rather longer than might be the
case if left
exposed to outside ambient conditions. In this example, wall structure 22 may
have the
general form of a many sided box, such as a six-sided box, and those sides may
be
substantially rectangular to yield a box having a width W20 in the x-
direction, height H20 in
the z-direction, and a depth D20 in the y-direction. The wall structure may
then be considered
as having walls or panels, those panels including a front pane126, a rear
pane128, a top panel
30, a bottom panel 32, a right hand (or first end) panel 34, and a left hand
(or second end)
panel 36. The margins or edges, or vertices of the various panels meet such
that the panels
co-operate to define the overall enclosure structure. These panels may be
substantially
planar. Each panel may itself be considered to be a fabric, or web, structure,
and may have
an outer skin 40, an inner skin 42, and a layer of soft (i.e., readily
flexible) insulating foam
41 sandwiched between skins 40, 42. The outer skin may be a woven material,
such as
woven nylon. The inner skin may be a substantially continuous layer of plastic
sheet, and
may tend therefore to yield an ability to contain liquid within the chamber to
at least to some
extent.
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Assembly 20 includes a main closure 44 that is movable between open and closed
positions to govern access to the inside of receptacle 24. In this instance,
the upper panel,
namely top panel 30 may include of define a movable lid, hingedly attached to
the upper
margin of rear panel 28, and releasably attached to the upper margins of front
panel 26 and
end panels 34 and 36, as for example, by employment of a tracked fastener, or
zipper 46 that
extends around those three sides.
Assembly 20 may include such other features as a lifting member, such at may
have
the form of a strap 48, which may, in one example be secured to either end
wall 34, 36 at ring
fittings. Strap 48 may include a load spreading pad 50. It may also include a
secondary wall
structure 52 (which may or may not be insulated) defining an external chamber
or pocket, or
pouch, and another, external closure member 54. Further, it may include an
external
securement, such as an elasticised strap, or bungee cord. It may also include
temporary
attachment members in the nature of left and right straps 56 with hook and eye
fabric fastener
pad or strips (i.e., such as sold under the brand name "Velcro") having a root
in the distal
marginal portion of the lid and a free end for mating which pads 58 on rear
panel 28.
In assembly 20, bottom panel 32 and end wall panels 34, 36 fold upward and
inward
respectively to permit front panel 26 and rear panel 28 to be brought closer
together, and to
permit top panel 30 to lie across the front face of front panel 26, as shown
in the collapsed
condition or position in Figures 2a - 2f. In this condition, top panel 30, or
a significant
portion of top panel 30, remains in a generally flat or substantially planar
condition. In this
embodiment, panels 32, 34 and 36 may be considered folding panels, whereas
panels 26, 28
and 30 are substantially not folded, but remain generally flat, in an
approximate way, i.e., it
may be a somewhat lumpy flatness.
In this embodiment, the lid defined by top wall 30 has an extent (i.e., a
footprint)
substantially equal to that of bottom panel 32. This need not be the case. Lid
26 could be a
small opening set in a larger top panel, or could be an opening of half, or
some other portion
of the panel. The opening need not extend fully along three sides of lid 26,
but could extend
along part of one or two sides as may be found suitable in a particular use.
Typical sizes for assembly 20 may be 12 can, 20 can, or 30 cans. A reference
size of
can is roughly 341 ml (roughly 12 oz.) and having a diameter of 66mm and a
height of 125
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mm., typically being a beverage can for soft drinks, this being a common size
of drink can in
North America. Larger, or smaller, embodiments are possible.
Turning now to Figures 3a - 3g, there is a thermal storage member 60 located
in a
frame, or carrier, or seat, 62, that is in turn mounted on the inside (i.e.,
the side facing
inwardly toward the interior of the cooler when the lid is closed) of top
panel 30. In this
embodiment, top panel 30 may not otherwise include (i.e., may be free of) any
other
stiffening member.
Thermal storage member 60 may be an hollow vessel that contains a charge of a
thermal storage medium. The thermal storage medium may be water, and the
thermal storage
may be obtained through a phase change i.e., from liquid to solid, and solid
back to liquid.
Other media could be used. Water may be relatively safe and convenient.
Thermal storage
member 60 may include a port and closure 66 by which to introduce or remove
the thermal
storage medium. Thermal storage member 60 may also include seat engagement
fittings
which may be in the nature of protruding flanges, rails, or slide members 68.
Permanently
sealed thermal storage members may also be used.
Seat 62 may be a monolithic molded platic member. Seat 62 may be a
substantially
planar member, in which the through thickness, t62, is small relative to both
the length, L62
and the width W62. Seat 62 may tend to have a shape corresponding in size and
plan form to
top panel 30, though smaller, such that there is an inset from the periphery
of the top panel to
seat 62. As in the instance illustrated, that plan form may be four-sided, and
may be
rectangular, having a pair of opposed long sides and a pair of opposed short
sides, or
margins. Seat 62 has a substantially planar spanning or central portion 70, a
step 72, and a
peripheral flange or margin 74. Central spanning portion 70 is a relatively
thin membrane.
Seat 62 has a first, or inward facing surface, 76, and a second, or outward
facing surface 78.
Flange 74 may be of a thickness to permit it to be sewn to inner skin 42. That
is, it is either
thin enough to be sewn through, or is provided with apertures for that
purpose. The surface
of central portion 70 may be bounded on three sides by members defining a seat
80 standing
outwardly proud of spanning central portion 70, the boundaries of seat 80
being defined by a
set of retention fittings or guides, which may also be termed a retainer, or
retainers, indicated
generally as 82. The retainer fittings 82 may include a three sided horseshoe-
shaped
peripheral retaining wa1182 having first and second parallel side edge
portions 84, 86, and an
end wall portion 88. Capture members in the nature of flanges or flange
portions 90, 92 and
94 may extend from the distal or top edge of the edge portions inwardly to
form a three sided
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channel or slot, or track, or guideway 96. It may be noted that one end of
this peripheral wall
is left open, as indicated at 98. It may also be noted that the plane of the
guideway is
completely separate from, and does not interfere with, the plane or zone, of
the peripheral
flange 74 for mating with inner skin 42. Notably, step 72 serves not only as a
peripheral
stiffening flange, but also as a stand-off, or pedestal by which central
portion 70, and
therefore guideway 96, are located somewhat more distantly proud of skin 42,
such that
insertion of slide members 68 is facilitated. That is, the plane (or planes)
of action of base 62
of thermal storage member 60 and its guides or slides mat be substantially
parallel to the
plane of panel 30 more generally, but spaced proud thereof to facilitate
sliding entry without
obstruction or interference. Further, while this commentary is made in the
context of planar
panels, the panels need not be planar, but could be, for example, cylindrical
as formed on a
body of revolution, the point being that the relationship of the panel surface
and the thermal
storage member is such as to permits sliding engagement of the ways an a
direction
predominantly across, or cross-wise relative to the panel surface. In the
specific example the
motion occurs in planes or surfaces to which the normal vector of the panel is
also normal.
In some embodiments, the mouth of the guideway 96 may have a flare, or taper,
or chamfer,
to facilitate introduction of the thermal storage member rails.
The predominantly cross-wise or parallel motion may be considered in light of
the
assembly shown in US Patent 7,162,890 of Mogil. In that assembly, the
direction of
engagement is predominantly, if not precisely, normal to the plane of the lid
panel. Most
typically the user engages the nubbins or studs or blisters of one end of the
thermal storage
member in the associated indents of one end of the bezel. (The bezel is, by
definition, a rigid
peripheral frame or setting array, such as for holding a gem stone, a display
panel or
computer screen cover, and so on.) The other end of the thermal storage member
is then
pivoted to mate the blisters at the other end with their associated detents in
a snap fit.
However, this may require a certain manual dexterity, and may be easier for
some than
others, particularly after the consumption of some beverages is well advanced.
Further, the
freezing of water in the thermal storage member vessel may tend slightly to
alter the
geometric relationship of the blisters and detents, which may increase the
difficulty of
installing and removing the unit. By contrast, a lateral, or cross-wise, or
sideways, sliding
motion may be comparatively advantageous. It may also be advantageous for the
seat to be
free of a snap fit element that may otherwise be more strongly prone to mis-
fit.
In the embodiment shown, the thermal storage member is mounted on the inside
of
the lid of top pane130 of the unit. This may be advantageous for a number of
reasons. First,
CA 02640943 2008-10-10
to the extent that thermal storage unit 60 is used for cooling, a position
above the objects to
be cooled may be advantageous. Further, where lid 30 is held in place by a
friction fit or by
Velcro (t.m.), the weight of thermal storage member 60 (when filled with the
thermal storage
medium) may assist in keeping lid 30 closed. Lid 30 may also be the most
convenient
5 position for permitting a change of the thermal storage member 60 without
having to repack
the objects to be cooled. However, it is not necessary that this be so. Seat
62 could be
mounted on one of side panels 26, 28, 34, 36, permitting a vertical insertion
and extraction
(or, more generally, an extraction in a direction generally along the
direction of introduction
and extraction of objects into or out of the insulated internal chamber space
generally). Also,
10 the placement of seat 62 and thermal storage member 60 in one of the non-
folding panels
(namely the front panel, the rear panel, and the greater portion of the top
panel) does not
detract from or otherwise significantly impair, the collapsibility or
foldability function.
In the embodiment of Figures 4a to 4f, we see a container assembly 120 that is
substantially the same as container assembly 20, but differs therefrom insofar
as it includes a
top panel, or lid, 122 that has both a main closure, such as may be secured on
one side at the
hinge between the rear panel and the top panel, and on the other three
marginal edges of the
top panel by a tracked fastener, namely a zipper. It also has a secondary or
auxiliary closure
member 130. Secondary closure member 130 may be formed within, or as a portion
of lid
122, and may have the form of a flap, which may be a generally rectangular
flap, such as flap
132. The underside of the distal margin of flap 132 may have a releasable
securement fitting,
be it a snap, or such other means as a fabric hook-and-eye fastening strip
(i.e., Velcro (t.m.)).
As seen in the successive views of Figures 4d, 4e and 4f, a carrier, or seat
assembly
134 is mounted to the inside skin 136 of flap 132 in substantially the same
manner (e.g., by
sewing) as described above in the context of seat 62. A thermal storage member
138 engages
the seat as shown, in the same manner as described above. In this instance,
the flap, or
movable closure member, is still movable between a first or closed position or
condition as
shown in Figures 4a, 4b, and 4c; and a second or open position or condition as
shown in
Figures 4d, 4e, and 4f. This closure is a zipperless closure, and the weight
of the thermal
storage element (when charged with the thermal storage medium) may tend to
assist in
maintaining the zipperless closure in its closed position. The thermal storage
element is thus
deployed in an easily accessible location for replacement, as may be desired
from time to
time, with the outward sliding direction being away from the hinge of the
flap, and the
sliding motion being unobstructed by the lip of the flap.
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In the embodiments shown, the host panel to which the thermal storage member
carrier, i.e., seat 62, is mounted is not otherwise reinforced or stiffened,
and the collapsible
container assembly does not include (i.e., is free of) other rigid supporting
structure. Thus
the benefit of having a lid mounted cooling block, as achieved in US P
7,162,890 is also
achieved in these embodiments, while still retaining the foldability function
that is lost when
a rigid liner is used as in US P 7,162,890.
Embodiments incorporating the various aspects and features of the invention
have
been described in detail and a number of alternatives have been considered. As
changes in or
additions to the above described embodiments may be made without departing
from the
nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is not to be limited
by or to those
details, but only by the appended claims.
