Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
- 1 -
SOFT-SIDED INSULATED CONTAINER
WITH LID FITTING
This application claims the benefit of the priority of USSN 14/955,790 filed
December 1,
2015.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of insulated portable containers.
Background of the Invention
Portable, soft-sided insulated containers may be used to transport 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 also used to carry liquids, whether hot liquids, such as
soup containers,
coffee or tea, or cold liquids such as beer, soft drinks, or other carbonated
beverages, juices and
milk. The containers are typically made in a generally cube-like shape,
whether of sides are of
equal length or not, having a base, four upstanding walls, and a top. The top
wall is often a lid
which opens to permit articles to be placed in, or retrieved from, the
container. In soft-sided
coolers, the main closure of the lid has tended to depend on the closing of a
zipper, often a zipper
running around three sides of a rectangle, with the fourth side being hinged.
It may be that some people would prefer not to have the sometimes cumbersome
bother
of opening the main closure, particularly if it requires the use of two hands,
and if the process is
awkward. They may prefer the use of a closure member that can be used with one
hand, such as
a zipperless closure member. Further, while opening the main closure member to
fill the
insulated container may be appropriate, and may occur in the kitchen or at
another loading
location where full access is desired and convenient, it may also be that when
the unit is being
used, opening the full main closure member may lead to more rapid heat loss
(or gain, as may
be) than if a smaller, auxiliary, closure member were used.
Furthermore, when an object is removed from the cooler, it may be that it
would be
convenient to have some place to rest that object temporarily. It may be that
one wishes to put
down a drink in a glass while reaching for a can of ginger ale or cola to
freshen a drink, or to
have a place where a lemon or lime can be sliced suitably. For whatever
reason, it may be
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 2 -
desirable to have a place for resting objects, even if merely to free one's
hand to close the cooler.
It may also be convenient for that resting place to be adjacent to the easily
accessed opening; for
that resting place to be firm, such that objects placed upon it may be less
prone to wobble or tip,
and for that resting place to be washable such that it may be wiped clean with
a cloth should
drinks or other objects be spilled on it. Further still, it may be convenient
for that resting place
to be such as may discourage, or limit, the extent to which objects may slide
if the surface is not
precisely level, as may be the case at a picnic, at a sporting venue, or at
the beach.
In the event that the insulated container is a collapsible insulated container
that may be
collapsed or folded to a collapsed position when not in use, it may be that a
rigid working
surface, or table top, however it may be called, may be mounted in such a way
as not to obstruct
movement of the assembly to the folded or collapsed, or storage condition.
Alternatively, the
rigidity of the work surface may define a frame, or stiffening member, that,
when in place, may
tend to encourage the assembly to maintain its shape when in use.
Summary of the Invention
In an aspect of the invention there is a soft-sided insulated container, or
container
assembly,
In another aspect of the invention there is any combination of any of the
features of any
one of embodiments shown or described herein, in combination with the features
of any other
embodiment shown or described herein, except to the extent those features are
mutually
exclusive. In another aspect of the invention, there is any apparatus
substantially as shown or
described herein, in whole or in part.
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 shows a perspective view taken from in front, above, and to the
right, of an
embodiment of a soft-sided container assembly according to an aspect of the
present invention, the assembly being shown in an expanded condition and with
its auxiliary closure member open;
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 3 -
Figure lb shows the container assembly of Figure la in a perspective view
taken from
above on the opposite diagonal to that of the perspective view of Figure la
and
with the auxiliary closure member closed;
Figure lc shows a top view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure id shows a bottom view of the container of Figure la;
Figure le is a front view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure lf is a rear view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure lg is a left hand view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure lh is a right hand view of the container assembly of Figure la;
Figure 2a shows a perspective view taken from in front, above, and to the
right, the
container assembly of Figure la in a collapsed, or folded, condition;
Figure 2b shows the folded container assembly of Figure 2a in a perspective
view taken
from below, in front, and to the left;
Figure 2c shows the folded container assembly of Figure 2a in a perspective
view taken
from above, behind, and to the right on the opposite diagonal to Figure 2b;
Figure 2d is a front view of the container assembly of Figure 2a;
Figure 2e is a rear view of the container assembly of Figure 2a;
Figure 2f shows a top view of the container assembly of Figure 2a;
Figure 2g shows a bottom view of the container of Figure 2a;
Figure 2h is a left hand view of the container assembly of Figure 2a;
Figure 21 is a right hand view of the container assembly of Figure 2a;
Figure 3a shows an isometric view of the container assembly of Figure la,
showing an
auxiliary closure member of the top panel in an open condition, and showing a
front auxiliary compaitment closure member in an open position;
Figure 3b shows atop view of the container assembly of Figure 3a from above
with its
auxiliary closure member in an open position;
Figure 3c shows the container assembly of Figure 3a from above and to the left
with the
main closure member thereof in a fully open condition;
Figure 3d is a cross-sectional view of the container assembly of Figure la;
taken on
section '3d ¨ 3d' of Figure lc;
Figure 4a is a top view of a substantially rigid member of the container of
Figure la;
Figure 4b is a view on a lengthwise cross-section of the member of Figure 4a
taken on
section `4b ¨ 4b';
Figure 4c is a view on a lengthwise cross-section of the member of Figure 4a
taken on
section '4c ¨ 4c';
Figure 4d is a view on a lengthwise cross-section of the member of Figure 4a
taken on
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 4 -
section '4d ¨ 4d';
Figure 5a is a perspective view of an alternate arrangement of soft-sided
insulated
container assembly to that of Figure la shown in an expanded condition;
Figure 5b is a perspective view of the soft-sided cooler assembly of Figure 5a
in a
collapsed, retracted, or storage position or configuration;
Figure 5c is an end, view of the soft-sided insulated container assembly of
Figure 5b;
Figure 5d is a front view of the soft-sided container assembly of Figure 5b;
Figure 5e is a top view of the soft-sided insulated container assembly of
Figure 5b;
Figure 6a shows a perspective view of an alternate soft-sided container
assembly to that
of Figure la with a movable work surface member in an extended position;
Figure 6b is a top view of the container assembly of Figure 6a with the work
surface in a
stored or retracted position;
Figure 6c is a front view of the container assembly of Figure 6b;
Figure 6d is an exploded view of a three-part work surface sandwich assembly
used in
the container assembly of Figure 6a;
Figure 6e shows the assembled members of with work surface assembly of Figure
6d in
an extended condition;
Figure 6f shows a top view of the assembly of Figure 6e in a closed or
retracted position;
Figure 7a is a perspective view from the front right hand corner of a further
soft-sided
insulated container assembly to that of Figure la, having an extending shelf
assembly mounted to a rear wall thereof;
Figure 7b is a top view of the container assembly of Figure 7a;
Figure 7c is a front view of the container assembly of Figure 7a;
Figure 7d is a developed, that is, unfolded, view of the shelf assembly of the
container
assembly of Figure 7a;
Figure 7e is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7d in a
collapsed or
folded position;
Figure 7f is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7e in a
partially unfolded
position;
Figure 7g Figure 7f is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7e
in a partially
unfolded position;
Figure 7h is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7e in a
partially unfolded
position;
Figure 7i is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7e in a
partially unfolded
position;
Figure 7j is a side view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7e in a fully folded
position or
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 5 -
condition as in Figure 7e;
Figure 7k is a side view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7j in a partially
unfolded
position;
Figure 71 is a side view of the shelf assembly of Figure 7j in a fully
expanded and
deployed position or condition;
Figure 7m is a scrap perspective view of an alternative shelf assembly to that
of Figure
7j with a drop leaf as opened; and
Figure 7n is a cross-section of the shelf assembly of Figure 7m in a closed,
retracted, or
storage, position.
Figure 8a shows an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of collapsible,
soft-sided
insulated container to that of Figure la in a deployed or expanded condition;
Figure 8b is a right hand side view of the container of Figure 8a;
Figure 8c is a left hand side view of the container of Figure 8a;
Figure 8d is a front view of the container of Figure 8a;
Figure 8e is a rear view of the container of Figure 8a;
Figure 8f is a top view of the container of Figure 8a;
Figure 8g is a bottom view of the container of Figure 8a;
Figure 8h is a cross-sectional view of the container assembly of Figure 8a
taken on the
centerline plane of symmetry;
Figure 9a shows an isometric view of the collapsible, soft-sided insulated
container of
Figure 8a in s retracted, storage, or collapsed condition;
Figure 9b is a front view of the container of Figure 9a;
Figure 9c is a rear view of the container of Figure 9a;
Figure 9d is a right hand side view of the container of Figure 9a;
Figure 9e is a left hand side view of the container of Figure 9a;
Figure 9f is a top view of the container of Figure 9a;
Figure 9g is a bottom view of the container of Figure 9a;
Figure 10a is a perspective view of a hard fitting for the lid of the
container of Figure 8a;
Figure 10b is a top view of the hard fitting of Figure 10a;
Figure 10c is a front view of the hard fitting of Figure 10a;
Figure 10d is a right hand side view of the hard fitting of Figure 10a,
Figure 10e is a left hand side view of the hard fitting of Figure 10a;
Figure ha is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of soft-sided
collapsible
insulated container to that of Figure 8a, as mounted on a wheeled cart;
Figure lib is a top view of the alternate embodiment of Figure 11a;
Figure 11c is a front view of the alternate embodiment of Figure ha;
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 6 -
Figure lid is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of soft-sided
collapsible
insulated container to that of Figure 11a;
Figure lie is an isometric view of a further alternate embodiment of soft-
sided
collapsible insulated container to that of Figure 11a; and
Figure 11f is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of soft-sided
collapsible
insulated container to that of Figure 11a;
Figure 12a is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of soft-sided
collapsible
insulated container to that of Figure 8a having a mid-level reinforced member;
Figure 12b is an isometric view of a hard reinforcement member of the
alternate
embodiment of Figure 11a;
Figure 12c is a top view of the reinforcement of Figure 12b;
Figure 12d is a detail of the connection of the reinforcement of Figure 12b to
the main
structure of the embodiment of Figure 12a;
Figure 13a is an isometric view of an alternate reinforcement to that of
Figure 12b;
Figure 13b is a top view of the reinforcement of Figure 13a;
Figure 13c is a sectional view of the reinforcement of Figure 13a taken on
'13c ¨ 13c';
Figure 14a is an isometric view of an alternate reinforcement to that of
Figure 12b;
Figure 14b is a top view of the reinforcement of Figure 14a;
Figure 14c is a sectional view of the reinforcement of Figure 14a taken on
'14c ¨ 14c';
Figure 15a is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment to that of Figure
12a;
Figure 15b is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of hard member to
that of
the reinforcement of Figure 12b;
Figure 15c is a top view of the alternate embodiment of Figure 15a; and
Figure 15d is a cross-section of the hard member of Figure 15c taken on '15d ¨
15d'.
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 may be understood to be to scale and in proportion unless otherwise
noted. Figure 3d
is not drawn to scale for example. The wording used herein is intended to
include both singular
and plural where such would be understood, and to include synonyms or
analogous terminology
to the terminology used, and to include equivalents thereof in English or in
any language into
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 7 -
which this specification many be translated, without being limited to specific
words or phrases.
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. When the container assembly is
sitting on its bottom
panel, the largest predominantly upstanding panels may be designated
arbitrarily as the front and
rear sides, faces, or portions of the container. Similarly, the closure
member, or opening, of the
bag 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
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 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. Unless noted otherwise, the
terms "inside" and
"outside", "inwardly" and "outwardly", refer to location or orientation
relative to the enclosed
spaces of the container assembly, as may be.
In this specification reference is made to insulated containers. The adjective
"insulated" is
intended to be given its customary and ordinary 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. In this
description, when an item, or structure, or wall, is indicated as being
insulated, such term is
understood to mean that the wall has a layer of insulation, as distinct from
merely being a layer
of plastic or canvas, or paper or cardboard, or webbing in and of itself by
virtue of its own
resistance to heat transfer. For example, an insulated wall may have an outer
surface or skin, or
covering, which, in the context of soft-sided insulated containers may be a
layer of nylon, which
may be a woven or textured nylon. The wall may have an inner surface or skin,
or covering,
such as a vinyl liner or sheet. A layer of insulating material which may
typically be a closed-cell
or open cell foam, may be captured between the inner and outer skins. This
commentary is
provided to supplant any dictionary definition, and to prevent interpretation
in any Patent Office
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 8 -
that strays from the customary and ordinary meaning of the term "insulated" as
provided herein.
Similarly, this description may tend to discuss various embodiments of 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
(typically a molded shell, e.g., of ABS or polyethylene, or other common types
of molded
plastic). Rather, as noted, a soft-sided insulated container wall may tend to
have, for example, 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.
A soft-sided container may still be a soft-sided container where, as described
herein, it
may include one or more substantially rigid internal liners that seat within
the soft-sided wall
structure, or it may include one or more battens (which may be of a relatively
hard plastic)
concealed within the soft sided wall structure more generally, or where hard,
moulded, fittings
may be used whether at a container rim or lip, or to provide a base or a
mounting point for
wheels, but where the outside of the assembly is predominantly of soft-sided
panels. Again, this
definition is intended to forestall interpretation by any patent office of the
term "soft-sided" in a
manner 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 explained herein.
Further, in this description, when an object is indicated as being
collapsible, the meaning
is of being intentionally collapsible, or foldable, as opposed to being
something the will crush if
subject to sufficient force. A collapsible container is one that moves between
a known, collapsed
position, and a known deployed, or expanded, position.
Referring to the Figures, and by way of a general overview, a soft-sided
insulated
container assembly is indicated generally as 20. Container assembly 20 has a
first, or main,
portion, or body, 22, and a second part or portion, 24, that co-operates with
first portion 22.
Typically, the main portion or body 22 has a wall structure, or outer casing,
26 that defines an
internal volume, or cavity, receptacle, or chamber, 28, however it may be
termed, for receiving
objects such as may be desired to be kept cool or warm, a variety of such
objects being indicated
in Figure la as 'A' and 'W. Outer casing 26 may be in the nature of a soft-
sided, insulated wall
structure 34, as described below. Second portion 24 may be, or include, a top
wall or top panel
that defines a closure member, or lid, 32, movable between open and closed
positions to govern
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 9 -
access to the interior of main body 22. Lid 32 may define a first main or
primary closure
member of container assembly. Where it is desired to contain liquids,
container assembly 22 may
include a liner 30 for use within wall structure 26. To the extent that main
body, or portion, 22
includes an internal liner 30, in one embodiment that liner 30 may be made by
folding a
monolithic plastic sheet, typically a clear plastic vinyl sheet, with the
corners folded as shown
and described in US Patent 6,582,124 issued June 24, 2003. Liner 30 may have
an upper
margin, and may be releasably secured at that upper margin by a tracked
fastener, or by hook-
and-eye fabric strip fasteners, or a combination thereof, such that liner 30
is watertight, and is
removable from within wall structure 28, and of container assembly 20 more
generally, for
example to facilitate washing or replacement thereof.
Outer casing 26 may be made of an insulative material 37 for thermally
insulating
chamber 28. The insulative material 37 may be located between an outer
covering 36 and an
inner surface sheet 38. The insulative material inhibits heat transfer between
chamber 28 and the
surroundings of container assembly 20. This may tend to help to maintain a
temperature of
items such as food products stored within the receptacle, i.e., chamber 28,
whether cooler or
warmer, as may be. When lid 32 is in a closed position, heat transfer may be
inhibited to a
greater extent. Insulative material 37 may additionally be soft, such as a
resilient foam, whether
closed cell or open cell, so that the container may tend not to damage, or be
damaged by, objects
with which it may come into contact. If a suitable plastic or other material
or stain resistant
surface coating or surface treatment is used, then outer casing 26 may also be
readily cleaned to
remove dirt and other debris acquired through use.
Outer casing 26 may have an insulated bottom panel 40, and insulated wall
panels,
namely a front panel 42, a rear panel 44, and a pair of left-hand and right-
hand end panels, or
side panels, 46 and 48. The choice of front and rear, left and right, is
arbitrary. However, for the
purposes of this description rear panel 44 may be understood as the panel
having an upper
margin to which lid 24 is attached, and front panel 42 is the panel opposed to
rear panel 64 and
distant therefrom. Although other embodiments can be made, typically, the
front and rear panels
may lie predominantly in x-z planes; the end or side panels may lie
predominantly in y-z planes,
and the bottom panel may lie predominantly, in an x-y plane, the various wall
panels co-
operating to define five sides of a box, with an internal cavity, or volume,
for receiving objects to
be kept warm or cool as may be, identified as chamber 28. Each panel 40, 42,
44, 46 and 48 may
be located at substantially right angles to two adjacent wall panels. For
example, panel 44 is
located adjacent panel 46 at one end, and adjacent panel 48 at an opposite
end. The bottom
panel may be attached to all four panels 42, 44, 46 and 48, along edges
thereof. Bottom panel 40
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 10 -
and panels 42, 44, 46 and 48, may typically be rectangular, with respective
opposite panels 42
and 44, and 46 and 48. In this configuration, chamber 28 is a generally cube-
like. Panels 42, 44,
46 and 48, and bottom panel 40 may be fastened to one another by sewing,
gluing or some other
suitable fastening means. The front, left hand side and right hand side panels
42,46 and 48, may
be made from a single piece of insulated material. Lid 32, rear panel 44 and
bottom panel 40
may also be formed from a single piece of material. For example, rear panel 44
and lid 32 may
be formed from a single piece of material having a fold therein, as at hinge
62, to define rear
panel 44 and lid 32. It may be noted that lid 32 may thusly be connected to
the upper margin of
rear panel 44 by a flexible fabric hinge.
In alternative embodiments, outer casing 26 may have either less than four, or
more than
four, predominantly upright panels (not shown). For example, outer casing 26
may be
configured to have one continuous panel defining a round wall, thereby forming
a right cylinder,
or some other generally rounded shape.
Chamber 28 may have a lip or rim, 50, which may define the main or primary
opening 60
through which objects may be introduced into or withdrawn from chamber 28 of
container
assembly 20. Panels 42,44, 46 and 48 may each have an upper, or distal, edge
or margin 52, 54,
56 and 58, respectively, which in the case of edges or margins 52, 56 and 58
is also a free edge.
Margin 54 may be, or may terminate at, a hinge 62, which may be a fabric or
web hinge. The
four margins 52, 54, 56 and 58 co-operate to define a periphery bounding main
container
opening 60. Lid 32 is hingedly, or pivotally attached to rear panel margin 54,
as indicated at
hinge 62, and is movable pivotally about its rearward hinged edge between the
closed, or sealed
position, and an open, and unsealed, position, thereby governing access the
interior of the
assembly, namely to chamber 28 and thereby to permit or obstruct the
introduction or withdrawal
of objects to be received in the container. In the closed position, lid 32 may
be secured in place
by a tracked closure member, such as the zipper shown in the illustrations.
Outer casing 26 may
have a lifting member, such as a shoulder strap 64 attached thereto, for
example, at side panels
46 and 48.
Figure 3d, in which thicknesses may have been exaggerated as the purpose of
illustration
shows the general structure of a cross-section of any of the insulated wall
panels, revealing the
layers of construction. With the exception of auxiliary pouch 24, this section
is typical not only
of front panel 42 but also, generally, of rear panel 44, side panels 46 and
48, bottom panel 40.
The outer layer, or facing, or covering, 36, of the panel (be it 42, 44, 46 or
48) is an outer skin
which in the nature of a nylon, woven nylon, canvas or other covering layer 68
, which may tend
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 11 -
to be abrasion resistant. It overlays an intermediate thermal insulation
medium, such as may be
in the nature of closed cell foam insulation layer 37 for impeding, which is
to say discouraging,
heat transfer between the interior of container assembly 20 and external
ambient. The inner face
of the insulated wall panel, namely inner surface sheet 38, may be an inner
skin which may be in
the nature of a flexible sheet, whether of vinyl (t.m.) or of plasticised
metallic foil sheeting that is
shiny and reflective. The metallic foil sheeting material may be the type sold
under the name
Therma-Flect (t.m.). This same general structural arrangement prevails in
bottom panel 40,
although outer covering layer 66 may be a rather thicker, scuff-resistant
material than the outer
skin of the upwardly extending side walls.
Container assembly 20 may include a further, or secondary, wall panel, or wall
panel
assembly 68 that may be mounted to the front face of front panel 42 to define
a secondary
enclosure, chamber, pocket, pouch, receptacle or compartment, however it may
be named,
indicated at 70. Although the embodiment of wall panel assembly 68 shown is
insulated, in
other embodiments this insulation may be optional. Wall panel assembly may
extend across
substantially the entire width of front panel 42, or only a portion thereof,
and may extend over
substantially the full height of wall panel 42, or a lesser portion thereof.
Some embodiments of
container assembly 20 may not include wall panel assembly 68. Wall panel
assembly 68 may
include a closure member, and that closure member may include a tracked
fastener, such as a
zipper, or such other fastening fitting or fittings as may be appropriate,
indicated as 72. The
lower portion of wall panel assembly 68, or if no such wall panel 68 is used,
then the lower
portion of front panel 42, may have securement fittings, such as indicated at
74.
To the extent that a liner 30 is employed, it may be a folded vinyl liner,
which may be a
clear vinyl liner, and liner 30 may be removable and washable. Liner 30 may
have the same
generally box-shaped form as chamber 28, and may fit therewithin accordingly.
The top side of
liner 30 is typically open, corresponding to opening 60, and the upper edge or
periphery of liner
may typically be sewn into a seam. It may have a zipper half 55 sewn along the
edges of
three sides, those three sides mating with the opposing zipper half of zipper
55 mounted to the
30
three free edges, at respective upper margins 52, 56 and 58, of casing 26. The
upper edge,
margin 54, of the rear wall of liner 30 may include a hook-and-eye fabric
fastening strip (e.g.,
Velcro (t.m.)) as at 76 for mating with a corresponding hook-and-eye fabric
fastening strip 78
mounted to the upper margin of the inside face of rear panel 44.
Turning now to the top panel of container assembly 20, namely that panel
defining lid 32,
as noted it is movable between first and second positions, one position being
relatively more
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 12 -
obstructive of opening 60 than the other. The top panel, or lid, 32 may be
sized generally to fit
opening 60. That is, to the extent that opening 60 can be said to have a shape
and size, which
may be taken as a projection in the z-direction such as may give a footprint
of that opening, lid
32 may have a corresponding shape and size or footprint. In some embodiments
the footprint of
opening 60, and lid 32, may correspond also to the footprint of bottom panel
40.
Lid 32 may have a first portion, 82, and a second portion 84. Taking the
juncture of
hinge 62 at the upper margin 54 of rear panel 44 as a reference datum, first
portion 82 may be
referred to as a proximal portion, and second portion 84 may be referred to as
a distal portion.
From outside to inside, proximal portion 82 may include an outer surface layer
86, a flexible
reinforcement or batten 88, a layer of insulation, 90, and an inner surface
layer 92. Outer surface
layer 86 may be a flexible fabric web, or plastic sheet, which may be a woven
fabric. The
flexible reinforcement, 88, which may be employed in some embodiments, may
tend to function
to protect the layer of insulation, and also to function as a spring. Flexible
reinforcement 88,
when used, may be placed either inside or outside layer of insulation 90 and
functions to provide
a higher resistance to bending than merely insulation layer 90 by itself, such
that first portion 82
is more resistant to bending than the soft-sided wall structure generally, and
may tend to form a
curve, or curl, rather than a crease, when bent. It may be noted that while
reinforcement 88 is
soft, or springy, or complaint, in bending out-of-plane, namely-out-of-the-x-y
plane, (as when lid
32 is folded about the other panels in the collapsed and secured configuration
shown in Figures
2a, 2b, 2c, 2h and 2i, reinforcement 88 is relatively stiff in resisting in-
plane (i.e., in the x-y
plane) shear in the x-direction (i.e., as when a shear force in the ¨x
direction is placed upon the
proximal margin of reinforcement 88 at hinge 62, and a reaction shear force in
the +x direction is
placed upon the corresponding distal margin of reinforcement 88).
In some embodiments container assembly 20 may be collapsible. That is, in
those
embodiments container assembly 20 is movable between a first position, which
may be
identified as the expanded or deployed condition or position shown in the
first series of Figures
la to lh, and a second position, which may be identified as a collapsed or
retracted or folded, or
storage position, whatever terminology may be used, as shown in the second
series of Figures 2a
¨ 2i. Those first and second positions are pre-determined, deliberate,
repeatable configurations
of container assembly 20. Container assembly 20 may include securements, or
securement
fittings 94, which may be hook-and-eye fabric strips, that are engaged by
mating fasteners such
as found at the end of retaining straps 96, whereby the container assembly 20
is secured in the
collapsed position or condition. The distal margin of lid 32 may similarly
have lid underside
securement fittings 98 for engagement in the collapsed position with
securement fittings 74. It
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 13 -
may be noted that in the folded position front panel 42 maintains, or
substantially maintains, a
generally planar and parallel orientation relative to rear panel 44 (keeping
in mind the general
flexibility of the structure, the extent to which the panels are either planar
or precisely parallel is
approximate). In collapsing, however, side panels 46 and 48, and bottom panel
40, fold as seen
in Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 2g, 2h and 2i. As folded, the spacing of the front face
of front panel 42
from the front face of rear panel 44 is then a function of the double-folded
thickness of the side
panels 46, 48 plus the thickness of front panel 42.
In the expanded or deployed position, container assembly may be in its
accustomed form
of a generally cube-like squarish or rectangular box. In this position or
condition, lid 32 pivots
between open and closed positions on hinge 62, and may have a generally flat
condition. By
contrast, in the collapsed or folded position the distance in the y-direction
from the front face of
rear panel 44 to the front face of front panel 42 is non-trivial. However, in
this condition
proximal portion 82 functions, in effect, as a large extended hinge that
curves or curls over or
reaches about, the other elements of container assembly 20, the reach of
proximal portion 82
being sufficient to permit distal portion 84 to seat against, front panel 42,
and to be secured
thereto by the engagement of lid underside securement fittings 98 with
securement fittings 74.
Second portion 84 may define or include a substantially rigid member 100,
having a
work surface. That work surface may be referred to for convenience as a table
top, 110. In some
embodiments, second portion 84 (and hence table top 110), may amount to all,
or nearly all, of
lid 32 from hinge 62 to the most distant extremity of lid 32 (that is, there
may be little or no "first
portion"). Alternatively, the relative proportions of first portion 82 to
second portion 84, in
terms of respective lengths in the x-direction, L82 and L84, may be in the
range of 0 <L82 /L84 <
'A, and perhaps 1/5 <L82 /L84 <2/5, and perhaps more narrowly, 1/4 < L82 /L84
< 1/5., it being
understood that the length of lid 32 in the y-direction may generally be the
sum of L82 and L84.
Similarly, in some embodiments, as in the collapsible embodiment noted above,
main
body 22 may have a height in the z-direction, that height being the distance
from the bottom
surface of bottom panel 40 to rim 50, and being substantially the same (if not
identical to) the z-
direction extent of front panel 42, such that it may be identified as 1142. In
the embodiment of
Figure la, the length of second portion 84 may be less than or equal to the
height of front panel
42, that is, L82 < h42, such that in the collapsed condition second portion 84
may lie against, or
generally adjacent to, from panel 44 in a compact, folded position, without
interfering with or
obstructing, the ability of body 22 more generally to be folded.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 14 -
Second portion 84 may include a first region, 102, and a second region 104.
First region
102 may include table top 110. Second region 104 may include a second, or
secondary, or
auxiliary, or alternate, closure member (or closure member assembly) 106 that
provides access to
chamber 28 through a second, or secondary, opening 108.
Substantially rigid member 100 is, or underlies, or defines first region 102,
including
table top 110. In some embodiments it may be that substantially rigid member
100 is of such an
extent that a portion thereof also underlies, or extends about, or defines,
second region 104,
although this need not necessarily be so. In some embodiment the auxiliary
closure member
need not necessarily be reinforced with a rigid member, but may be formed in a
soft-sided,
unreinforced wall panel structure, instead.
Member 100 may have a generally rectangular periphery 112, which lies,
generally in a
first x-y plane P112. Periphery 112 may include a rearward, or proximal,
margin 113 closest to
hinge 62, and adjoining first portion 82 of lid 32; and a distal margin 114
opposite thereto most
distant from hinge 62. Margins 113 and 114 may run generally parallel to hinge
62 in the x-
direction. Periphery 112 may also include a left hand margin 115 and a right
hand margin 116,
those left and right hand margins being space apart and opposed. When the
cooler is expanded
and lid 32 is closes, margins 115 and 116 may run in the y-direction.
It may be that margin 113 adjoins first portion 82, or, in embodiments in
which there is
no first portion 82, then adjoining hinge 62. It may also be that margin 114
extends along the
distal-most edge of lid 32 farthest from hinge 62 such that member extends the
full length of
second portion 84 in the radial direction relative to hinge 62, which may also
be expressed as the
full length of second portion 84 in they-direction when lid 32 is closed. In
such instance, when
lid 32 is closed, and the main closure securement, be it a zipper or other
tracked fastener is in
place in a mating, closed, configuration, margin 114 may be adjacent to, and
to run along part or
all of, upper margin 52 of front panel 42.
Similarly, when lid 32 is closed, it may be that left hand margin 115 runs
along the left-
most edge of lid 32, and, for part or all of its run in they-direction it may
run along upper margin
56 of left hand end panel 46, and right hand margin 116 may run along the
right-most edge of lid
32, and, for part or all of its run in they-direction it may run along upper
margin 58 or right hand
end panel 48. Where margins 115 and 116 run along the left-most and right-most
margins of lid,
then member 100 spans the full width of lid 32, or, expressed differently,
member 100 extends
the full length of lid 32 in the x-direction.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 15 -
Where the margins of member 100 run along the edges of lid 32, overlying the
upper
margins of panels 42, 46 and 48, to such extent as may be, member 100 may tend
locally to
stiffen those upper margins and fix their position. Where the margins of
member 100 run along
any two of them, or are mated to the distal margin of reinforcement member 88,
reinforcement
member 100 may tend to stabilize that upper margin, to stabilize the relative
positions of the
upper margins so linked, and to function as a substantially rigid shear panel
between those wall
panels, thereby tending to maintain (if not to establish) the side wall panels
in rectangular
relation relative to each other, and to maintain the generally rectangular
plan form of container
assembly 20 in the expanded position more generally. When viewed on a
projection in the z-
direction, (with lid 32 closed on rim 50), member 100 may have the same, or
substantially the
same, extent, or footprint, as second portion 84, e.g., in the lengthwise and
widthwise directions.
In other embodiments, table top 100 may be smaller than second portion 84.
Periphery 112 may have a profiled of recessed leg or toe 118 at the outermost
extremity.
The downward step or recess, indicated at 108, may be such that it provides a
seat for fabric
materials that may be sewn or otherwise fastened to it, whereby the fabric may
be flush.
Substantially rigid member 100 presents a work surface 120 upon which objects,
such as
a can, a bottle, or a glass, cup, or tumbler, may be placed. Work surface 112
is oriented to face
away from chamber 28, and may present a cutting board surface upon which an
apple, a lemon
or a lime (or other fruit, or vegetable, or cheese), or a sandwich may be
sliced. It may be made
of, or surfaced with, any suitable rigid material, even such materials as
wood, metal or ceramic.
It may most typically be made of a formed plastic member, such as may be made
from a high
density plastic such as polyurethane sheet, nylon sheet, UHMW plastics, and so
on. The sheet
stock from which table top 100 is moulded or formed may have a nominal
thickness in the range
of perhaps 1/32" to 1/8", but may typically be if the order of 1/16" to 3/32"
thick.
Considering the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4a to 4d, first region 102
and second
region 104 lie to either side of an intermediate member 122, which, in the
embodiment shown,
runs in the y-direction across member 100 between margin 113 and margin 114.
First region 102 has a depressed central portion, or central web 124 that is
surrounded at
its various edges by margins 113, 114, 115 and intermediate member 122.
Central portion or
web 124 may be substantially flat and planar, and may lie in a plane P124 that
is substantially
parallel to, and offset from, plane P112. In each case depressed central
portion 124 is adjoined by
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 16 -
a web or wall 126 that stands predominantly in the z-directi on joining
central portion or web 124
to margins 113, 114, 115 and member 122, whereby the effect is to define
flanges 130 around a
flat central portion. The upper, or outwardly facing surface 128 of central
web 124 defines the
work surface of the table top, or it may be faced with a surface member or
surface treatment, as
may be appropriate, e.g., such as form making a cutting-board surface, or for
having a no-slip
roughened surface to discourage sliding. The peripheral flange also defined a
retainer, or
peripheral wall, that may tend to discourage the sliding of objects there-off
in the event that
cooler assembly 20 is placed on a surface that it not precisely level, and the
may tend to some
extent to retain spills until they can be cleaned up.
It is not necessary that table top 120 defined by surface 128 be square or
rectangular. It
could, for example, be circular, or elliptic, or oblong, as may be. A square
or rectangular surface
of substantial area may be desirable, where the maximum y-direction width
corresponds to 1142,
or roughly so. The x-direction extent may be comparable, and in some
embodiments may be
greater, even to the extent of the x-dimension length of lid 32.
Second region 104 may also have a depressed potion 132, which itself may be
substantially planar in an x-y plane P132 offset from plane P112 by some
distance in the z-
direction. This offset distance may be less than, equal to or greater than the
offset distance of
plane P124 from plane P112. Depressed portion 132 is surrounded by part or all
of margins 113,
114, 116 and intermediate member 122, such that, again, the effect is to form
a continuous,
flanged periphery. (In the embodiment illustrated, member 122 effectively
becomes a channel-
section or rib defining a divider between regions 102 and104.) Web 132 has a
central cut-out, or
opening 134. In plan-view, the profile of web 132 may be square, or
rectangular, as may be, or
may have the shape shown, in which one side (at the staff) is straight and
relatively short, and the
distant (or distaff) side is relatively longer, with the remaining two edges
following a widening
or splaying shape, so that the overall outline is that of a trapezoid, with
two sharp corners and
two corners formed on relatively large radii. As assembled, a closure member
136 is mounted
with a fixed edge along one side (the short side), defining a hinge 138.
Closure member may
have the form of a flap movable between open and closed positions to govern
access to chamber
28 through opening 108. A zipperless securement, such as mating hook-and-eye
fabric fastening
strips 140, 142 may be provided to permit the user to operate closure member
136 with one
hand. Although it is not necessary, it may be convenient for the distaff (or
distal) edge of closure
member 106 to be oriented toward, or amidst, table top 120, such that when
closure member 106
is open, the flap hangs over the outboard edge of lid 32, tending thereby not
to impede the
convenient removal of objects from chamber 28, and the placement of those
objects, without
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 17 -
obstruction, on table top 120. In some embodiments, the underside, or inside,
of first portion 82
of lid 32 may be lined with an insulating layer 144, and the inner skin of
layer 144 may be a
reflective skin. Similarly, the underside of portion 84 may have an insulation
layer 146, which
may have a reflective inner skin. The underside of the flap of auxiliary
closure member 106 may
likewise have an insulation layer, or blanket, as at 148.
In the embodiment of Figures la to lh, the first and second regions of distal
portion 84
are located side-by-side in a left-hand and right-hand orientation, with the
opening of auxiliary
closure member 106 facing toward table top 110. Alternate embodiments are
possible. For
example, closure member 106 could face the front of the unit, i.e., toward
margin 114, or such
other direction as may be appropriate. The arrangement need not be left-hand-
right hand. For
example, in the embodiment of Figure 5a - 5d, soft-sided insulated container
assembly 150 has a
top wall defining a lid portion, or lid, 152 that includes a rigid member 154
that is substantially
co-extensive with lid portion 152 (and of the footprint of the base of
assembly 150 more
generally. Rigid member 154 may include a first portion 156 defining a work
surface, or table
top, 158, and a second portion 160 that defines a zipperless auxiliary closure
member 162.
Closure member 162 has an hinged margin 164 that is located adjacent to the
hinged margin 166
of lid portion 152 more generally. Closure member 162 opens toward table top
158, i.e., toward
the center or centroid thereof, but in this instance is mounted along the rear
margin of lid 152,
and is in an intermediate position in the left-to-right width direction. That
position may be on
the centerline of the unit. Rigid member 154 may be a moulding of relatively
deep section, and
may include peripheral retaining features such as a continuous peripheral lip
168 or raised
corners 170, or both. As seen most clearly in Figure Sc, working surface 172
of table top
portion, or work surface, 158 is a textured surface with non-slip features.
As shown in the illustrations, the work surface 158 of lid 152 may span the
entire width
of the surface in the x-direction, and may also span the entire depth of the
surface from the rear
edge to the front edge in the y-direction (when the assembly is in the
expanded condition). As
above, it may also form a rigid frame to maintain the general box shape of the
assembly when
deployed. In this configuration, the lower margin of formed rigid member 154
may have a
securement, such as a tracked fastener 155 (e.g., a zipper) by which it is
joined to the lower
portion, or body, 153 of assembly 150 more generally when the assembly is in
the expanded
position and lid 152 is in the closed position relative thereto. When tracked
fastener 155 is
released, lid 152 may be moved to an open position, analogous to that shown in
for assembly 20
in Figure 3c, thereby permitting, for example, loading of container assembly
152 generally.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 18 -
When assembly 150 is moved to the collapsed position or condition, an internal
flexible
hinge, or web member, 174, which may be made of nylon (t.m.) or other cloth,
or of an
elasticized, or somewhat elasticized, or "stretchy", material, in whole or in
part, permits the rear
margin of lid 152 to separate from the upper margin of the rear wall of body
153, the extended
length of member 174 permitting lid 152 to be folded over the front of the
unit as collapsed, with
member 174 being curved over the collapsed sidewalls in a manner similar to
the curvature of
portion 82 of assembly 20 in the collapsed condition. When assembly 150 is in
the expanded
position, member 174 hangs inside the main internal enclosure of assembly 150,
analogous to
chamber 28 of assembly 20.
The secondary members of the structure of assembly 150 may differ from
assembly 20,
as indicated by external pockets 176 and netting 178. In other respects, the
construction of
insulated container assembly 150 is substantially the same as container
assembly 20. The
insulated wall structure construction is the same, and assembly 150 may
include a removable
liner, also as described above. Assembly 150 is a collapsible soft-sided
insulated container
assembly, as shown in Figure 5d. As with container assembly 20, the
substantially rigid member
is of similar length and width to the front face of container assembly 150
more generally, such
that when collapsed as in Figure 5d, the collapsed container sections nest
against, and have
substantially the same projected profile as, rigid member 154.
In another alternate embodiment, Figures 6a ¨ 6h show a soft-sided insulated
container
assembly 180. It has a first portion 182 and a second portion 184. First
portion 182 defines the
lower portion of the container body, and may be taken as being substantially
the same in
construction as main body 22 of container assembly 20, with the exception of
front auxiliary
container compartments 183 and 185 in place of secondary wall panel assembly
68.
Second portion 184 may be taken as being the same as lid portion 32 of
container
assembly 20, having a first portion 186 substantially the same as first
portion 82, differing
therefrom to the extent that second portion 188 of lid portion 184 has an
extendible table top
structure or assembly, identified as substantially rigid assembly 190 in place
of substantially
rigid member 100. To that extent the description of lid portion 32 is not
repeated.
In place of substantially rigid member 100, assembly 190 has a three piece
sandwich
assembly that includes a movable member as described hereinbelow. The first
piece of the three
piece assembly is a base member or base frame, identified as first
substantially rigid member
192, which has the same arrangement of margins and footprint as member 100,
and is sewn to
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 19 -
the underlying fabric and insulation elements of second portion 184 in the
same manner. Rigid
member 192 has a substantially planar central web portion 194 which spans
second portion 188
in the x and y directions, and which is bounded on three sides of its
periphery by out-of-plane
reinforcement members, or flanges, identified as first (or left hand), second
(or front), and third
(or right hand) flanges 196, 197, and 198 respectively that stand in the z
direction out of the x-y
plane of central web portion 194. These reinforcements may also function as
retainers or
retaining walls for guiding or inhibiting motion. While out-of-plane
reinforcements may have
many shapes, in the embodiment shown items 196, 197 and 198 have the form of
top-hat, or
channel, sections moulded into member 192. The outer leg 199 of the top hat
section may be co-
planar (or substantially co-planar) with central web portion 194, though it
may be of thinner
section. The resultant U-shaped wall (as seen from above) terminates at its
rearward margin at
left and right hand, turned-in abutments, or stops, indicated as 200, 202.
Other than stops 200,
202, the rearward margin of member 192 may be substantially clear and planar.
Rigid member 192 has a depressed, or stepped-down flanged portion 204 which
has
defined therein an auxiliary opening 206. An auxiliary or secondary closure
member, 210 may
be mounted to flanged portion 204 in substantially the same manner as
auxiliary closure member
136 is mounted to depressed portion 132. The clear, unimpeded, flat central
portion of
substantially rigid member 192, indicated as 208, defines a first region 212
of member 192, and
depressed flanged portion 204 defines a second region 214 of member 190. First
region, 212,
when exposed defines a first work surface 216 upon which objects may be
placed.
Assembly 190 also includes a second rigid member, 220. Member 220 has a
substantially planar central web portion 222 bounded on three sides of its
periphery by out-of-
plane reinforcement members, or flanges, identified as first (or left hand),
second (or rear), and
third (or right hand) flanges 224, 225, and 226 respectively that form a
continuous three-sided
wall. The rearward reinforcement section may be asymmetric, having a longer
outboard
depending leg. The other reinforcements may also have the form of channel
sections, and may
function as retainers or retaining walls. While out-of-plane reinforcements
may have many
shapes, in the embodiment shown items 224, 225 and 226 have the form of a
channel, sections
moulded into the respective peripheral edges of member 220. A further flange,
in the form of a
channel section 230, may be formed along the front margin of web portion 222
and define a
reinforced edge, or flange thereof. At the front-ward corners of the left and
right hand margins
are shown outwardly protruding abutments, or stops 232,234 respectively.
Second member 220,
or the central web portion thereof may be made of a see-through, i.e.,
transparent material. The
central web portion of second member 220 defines another work surface 228.
Work surface 228
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 20 -
is a movable work surface that may translate between a first, retracted or
storage position
entirely or predominantly overlying first member 192, and a second, extended
or deployed
position or condition less predominantly overlying member 192, and in which
second position
member 192 may be predominantly or entirely exposed, and member 220, or a
substantial
portion thereof may be moved to a cantilevered position overhanging portion
182, and having a
free edge extending therebeyond. Work surface 228 may be a cutting-board
surface, or a
textured non-slip surface, or a plain smooth surface, as may be, that working
surface being
bounded by a retainer in each direction.
Assembly 190 further includes a third member 240, which is a retainer, or cap
plate, or
closing member which mounts to the backs of the top hat sections of the three-
sided U-shaped
wall of member 192, entrapping member 220 vertically in a sandwich
arrangement. Third
member 240 may have the general shape of a picture-frame, or bezel, or
peripheral strip that
extends about the perimeter of second region 188, with an open central region
248 that may be
predominantly rectangular, and that exposes the upper surface of the
underlying member, be it
first member 192 or second member 220, through that generally rectangular
opening (it need not
be rectangular, but could be some other appropriate shape). The relationship
of second member
220 to first member 190 and third member 240 is such that there is a single
degree of freedom of
motion, in this case translation in the y-direction parallel to the planes of
the respective central
webs of both first member 190 and second member 220. The mutual engagement or
co-
operation of the respective left and right hand side flanges of first member
190 and second
member 210 define guides for each other and for their respective stops, second
member 210
being nested within the side flanges of first member 190. Motion in the
forward direction is
limited by engagement of the leading edge of flange 230 of member 220 against
the rear or
inward wall of the front flange 197 of member 192, and sliding motion in the
opposite direction
being bounded, or limited, or arrested, by the mutual engagement of the stops
200 and 202 of
stationary member 192 with stops 232, 234 of movable member 220.
Member 240 may fit closely upon and have substantially the same footprint when
seem
from above as the U-shaped three sided reinforcement wall of item 190, the
width of member
240 inwardly along the left and right hand edges being at least partially to
overlap, and therefore
capture in the vertical direction, the left and right hand side flanges of
member 220, such that the
cooperative relationship of the left and right hand side portions 236, 238 of
member 240 and the
vertical space of the top hat sections of the side reinforcements of member
190 function as a
guideway, or pathway, or track, for the slidingly mutually engaged side edge
reinforcements of
member 220. On its rearward margin, or run, or edge 242 member 240 has a
forwardly deviating
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 21 -
relief, or dog-leg, as at 244, which co-operates with a corresponding
rearwardly deviating dog-
leg portion 246 in the rearward edge of member 220 to give access to the
handle thereby defined
by portion 246 of rear margin flange 226 of member 224 exposed when member 220
is in the
closed or retracted position shown in Figure 6e. When in the closed position,
member 220
covers, and conceals, auxiliary closure member 210. When access is desired,
member 220 is
moved to its extended position as shown in Figure 6d.
In the extended position shown in Figures 6a and 6e, member 220 forms a
cantilever. It
may extend over portion 186 to (or, indeed, past) hinge 62. Portion 186 may
support member
220, to the point of hinge 62 functioning as a fulcrum, or reaction, of the
cantilever. A reaction
moment is provided by the engagement of the front edge flange 230 of member
220 with the rear
marginal spanning edge portion 242 of member 240. Member 240 may have
substantially
rectangular opening 248 defined therein such as to permit access to auxiliary
opening 206, and
also to the upwardly facing working surface 212 of member 192 when member 240
is in the
extended position. Further, opening 248 gives access to work surface 228 when
member 220 is
in the closed, retracted, or storage position of Figure 2e. Thus in the
expanded position the total
area of work surface available includes both region 212 and work surface 228,
and in the closed
position, work surface 228. This combined table top may provide a suitably
sized area for
preparing foods or drinks, or for eating while on a picnic or other outing.
In a further alternative, shown in Figures 7a ¨ 71, an extended, or
extendable, work
surface assembly 260 may be mounted to the rear wall panel of a container
assembly 258, which
may be substantially similar to a body such as body 22 of soft-sided insulated
container
assembly 20. Working surface assembly 260 may be a folding assembly made of
rigid members
262, 264, 266, 268,270 and 272. A storage position or condition retainer
element is identified as
274. Item 274 may have the form of an elasticized band or strip or cord having
first and second
ends mounted in appropriately convenient locations such as the nether (i.e.,
lower) regions of the
container end walls 46, 48 of body 22, perhaps at or near the junction with
the insulated rear
wall. Left and right hand securement fittings, are identified as clamps 276
and 278, respectively.
Clamps 276 and 278 are movable from a locked position, as shown in Figures 7e
and 7j, to an
unlocked position by lifting on the slightly raised thumb tabs, or end levers,
277, 279, causing
them to pivot on their pivots 275 to a raised, disengaged position, allowing
motion of the various
other members. When assembly 260 has been moved to its open, or deployed
position, clamps
276, 278 are pivoted in the other direction and returned to their securing, or
locking position.
When assembly 260 is folded, the procedure is reversed.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 22 -
In one embodiment, with the exception of retaining hardware such as clamps
276, 278
and retainer element 274, working surface assembly 260 may be manufactured
from a single,
monolithic sheet, 276, with folds, and a cut out or aperture 278, as indicated
in Figure 7d. The
single fold between items 262 and 264 is indicated as hinge 263; the double
fold between items
264 and 266 is indicated as hinge 265; the double fold between items 262 and
268 is indicated as
hinge 267; the double fold between items 268 and 270 is indicated as hinge
269; and the double
fold between items 270 and 272 is indicated as hinge 271.
As can be seen in Figures 7a and 7j, in the collapsed, or folded condition,
the tray, or
table-top work surface extension, in the form of a rigid member 264, lies
adjacent to its various
strut members adjacent and substantially parallel to the back panel 256 of
assembly 258, and is
secured in that position by clamps 276, 278 and retainer 274. When a work
surface is desired,
the retainer and the clamps are released from the securement position shown in
Figure 7e, such
that member 264 may be lifted upwardly and outwardly in a curving path as
suggested in Figure
7f, and that member 262 may pivot upwardly and outwardly on hinge 263 while
this happens.
As it does so, first strut member 266 is released, and falls or slides
downwardly, with aperture
278 sliding down strut portion 270, which itself can swings or flex outwardly
somewhat on hinge
279 until members 266 and 270 are locked against each other and can rotate no
further outward,
with the distal end of member 266 seating adjacent hinge 269, thus defining a
strut supporting
the distal edge of member 264. Rigid base panel 268 maintains the spacing
between hinge 267
and hinge 269 to which member 262 is attached. In the last position, of Figure
7g, panel 264 has
rotated to a right angle relative to panel 262, which now sits flat parallel
to members 268, 270,
and 272. Inasmuch as the working surface of member 264 is exposed even when in
the closed
position, retaining walls or flanges can be formed in the lateral margins
thereof if desired without
interfering with the function of the apparatus, and a retaining wall, or lip
may be mounted across
the distal end of member 264 adjacent to hinge 265. In the position of Figure
71 clamps 276,278
may be rotated laterally inwardly and downwardly on their pivots pins 282, to
hold member 262,
and thus the proximal end of member 264 close to the wall. Pivot pins 282 may
pass through
apertures 284 in member 268, and protrude to act as stops for the back side of
member 262. In
the reverse process, when the clamps are released, member 266 can be squeezed
toward member
264, and the structure will fold, with slots 286 being clearance slots for
pins 282.
There are other ways of constructing a collapsible or extendable shelf
structure. An
alternate is shown in Figures 7m and 7n. A collapsible, folding shelf assembly
is indicated
generally as 290. It includes a substantially rigid member 292 that defines a
work surface, not
unlike member 220 in construction, having a hinge 294 at the proximal edge,
and flange margins
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 23 -
around the three other sides to enhance stiffness. Although Figure 7m is a
partially cut-away
view, the full extent of rigid member 292 is indicated by the intermittent
dashed line. Rigid
member 292 is a drop leaf. Assembly 290 also includes two movable wings, or
arms, or
supports, 296,298 that swing outwardly to support member 292 in its deployed
or open position,
and swing inwardly to lie flat against the rear wall of the insulated
structure, nesting inside the
profile of member 292 when the drop-leaf is in its lowered or closed position.
It may be that a
soft-sided collapsible insulated container assembly may include both the
substantially rigid lid
assembly of container assembly 20 and an auxiliary shelf assembly, such as
folding shelf
assembly 260. In such circumstances, in the collapsed condition the
substantially rigid lid
portion may lie against the front wall of the folded assembly, and the rigid
folded shelf assembly
may lie substantially flat against the rear wall. Other collapsible shelf
arrangements are possible,
whether using telescoping members or over-center arms or other means.
In the embodiments of Figures 7a¨ 71 and 7m¨ 7n, the working surface can be
deployed
or retracted without obstructing access to the auxiliary closure member of lid
32. By contrast, in
Figures 6a ¨ 6h, when member 220 is in the closed position, the auxiliary
closure member 210 is
obstructed. Thus the embodiments of Figures 7a ¨ 7n provide a temporary,
collapsible, working
surface that may provide a substantially flat and level place on which to rest
objects, without
impeding access to the secondary closure member, i.e., the secondary closure
member remains
free of obstruction whether the working surface is deployed or not.
In the embodiment of Figures 8a- 8h, there is a collapsible soft-sided
insulated container,
or container assembly, 300, that is substantially similar to the container
assembly 20 of Figure
lb, and may be taken as being the same in terms of basic soft-sided insulated
container
construction and features unless otherwise noted.
Container, or container assembly, 300 includes a first portion 302 and a
second portion
304. First portion 302 may be termed the base or body portion, and may have an
upstanding
soft-sided insulated wall structure 306 that defines a chamber 310
therewithin, in which to
receive objects that one may wish to keep cool or warm. As usual, the soft-
sided insulated wall
structure 306 may include a base or bottom panel or bottom wall 308 which may
quite typically
be rectangular. Respective front, rear, left hand side and right hand side
panels may be mounted
about the respective edges of the bottom panel and stand upwardly therefrom,
the bottom and the
various side panels defining a five-sided box.
Second portion 304 may include, or may be, a closure member, or top, or lid,
312 such as
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 24 -
may be connected by a hinge 318 to the first or main body portion 302. As
before, when
container assembly 300 is in the expanded position, lid 312 is movable between
an open position
and a closed position, and governs access to chamber 310. As with assembly 20,
lid 312 of
assembly 300 has a first portion, identified as a proximal portion 314 and a
second portion,
identified as distal portion 316. Proximal portion 314 is hingedly connected
to the upper margin
of the rear panel of the upstanding wall structure. Distal portion 316 is
distant from the hinge
connection as at 318, and is therefore distant from the rearward portions of
container assembly
300. A tracked fastener, such as a zipper, may run around the remaining edges
of lid 312 to
permit it to be releasably secured to the right hand side, front, and left
hand side portions of the
upper rim of main body portion 302.
In the collapsed position, or condition, or configuration, the front panel
moves toward the
rear panel, and the lid wraps over the collapsed lower body portion. To that
end, proximal
portion 314 is flexible, or foldable, or bendable, to curve over main body
portion 302 such that
distal portion 316 then lies in front to the front wall of the unit.
Securement fittings in the nature
of straps 308, such as may be provided with appropriate hook-and-eye fabric
fasteners may then
secure the unit in the folded or collapsed or storage configuration.
Lid 312 may have a length L312 as measured from the back wall panel to the
front wall
panel. The proximal portion of the lid assembly may have a back-to-front
length indicated as
L314. The distal portion may have a back to front length indicated as L316.
Whereas the proximal
portion of the lid of assembly 20 was of relatively limited size, length L314
of proximal portion
314 may be greater than half of length L312, and in one embodiment may be
greater than 3/4 of
L312.
Distal portion 316 includes a hard fitting 320. Hard fitting 320 may extend
along the
forward, or most distant edge from the hinge connection. In contrast to the
table top hard panels
described above, in which there may be a desire to obtain as large a working
surface as possible,
hard fitting 320 may extend less than 1/3 of the length L312 of lid 312. Hard
fitting 320 may
have a land or mounting array, or peripheral flange 322 by which hard fitting
320 is secured, as
by sticking or bonding, to adjacent fabric materials. As installed, flange 322
may be taken as
lying in the dominant place of the lid more generally.
Hard fitting 320 may have a first accommodation 324, which may be a rigid
molded
drink pocket, or socket, 326. Socket 326 may include a well 328 that extends
downwardly into
hard fitting 320 to a bottom or base wall 330 positioned at a level that is
below, or shy of, the
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 25 -
level of flange 322, such that an object placed in well 328 may tend to have a
sunken, or partially
sunken position relative to lid 312 more generally. Socket 326 may have a
round and cylindrical
sidewall 332, or may have a taper, or draft angle, opening upward, and may
have a diameter
comparable to that of a beverage can, be it 2-3/4" diameter, 3" diameter, or
some other.
Expressed differently, when container 320 is in its expanded condition and lid
312 is in place,
the bottom of the well depends from the level of the lid more generally, and
extends inwardly
into chamber 310. Accommodation 324 may have a continuous membrane or wall
defining the
base or inner wall of the socket, that does not leak or drip or drain into
chamber 310.
Accommodation 324 may also have an outwardly standing retainer, which may be
an
outwardly standing wall, and which may be an outwardly or upwardly continuing
extension 346
of the sidewall of socket 326. Extension 346 may stand upwardly or outwardly
proud of the
level of flange 322, and of the general level of the main panel or surface of
lid 312 more
generally. In that way, accommodation 324 extends both inwardly to the inside
of flange 322
and outwardly outside and away from flange 322.
Hard fitting 320 may run along the front edge of lid 312 distant from the
hinge.
Accommodation 324 may be a drink pocket fitting located at one end of hard
fitting 320, that
accommodation being located generally in a corner of lid 312. Hard fitting 320
may have a
second accommodation 334 located at the distant end, which may be at the other
corner of lid
312. There may be a medial portion 336 that extends between the first and
second
accommodations. Front and rear walls or rims, or channels, or flanges may
bound medial
portion 336 on either side to front and back, as at 338, 340, defining the
edges of fitting 320.
These channels or flanges 338,340 give hard fitting 320 a depth of section
tending to make hard
fitting 320 function as a beam giving the forward margin of lid 320 a
stiffness against bending,
and a lateral rigidity. Hard fitting 320 has an abnormally large through-
thickness extent.
Channels or flanges 338, 340 may be spaced apart a distance corresponding
roughly to the
diameter of the sockets of first accommodation 324 and second accommodation
334, and may
generally tend to be tangential to, or to fit on a smooth curve into, the
circular upwardly
extending retainer portions of sockets 324 and 334.
Proximal portion 314 may have an access opening 340 defined therein. Access
opening
342 may be a zipperless access opening. Access opening 342 may include a
movable closure
panel, or door, or flap, 344 such as may be movable between closed and open
positions to permit
a user to reach inside chamber 310 and retrieve, for example, a beverage. The
beverage may be
opened, and then placed in one of accommodations 324, 334 along the front wall
of the cooler,
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 26 -
more generally. Closure panel 344 may be of generally the same, or similar,
insulated soft-sided
construction as that of proximal portion 314 of lid 312 or of the side and
rear panel walls of main
body portion 302 generally. Closure panel 344 may be pliable or bendable such
that when lid
312 is moved to the collapsed position or condition or configuration, and
wraps over collapsed
main body portion 302, panel 344 bends with lid 312.
Closure panel 344 may be generally rectangular, and may occupy a majority of
the area
of proximal portion 314. Closure panel 344 may be hingedly attached to
proximal portion 314.
The hinge attachment may be at, or adjacent to the rear margin of lid 312.
Closure panel 344
may be centered along the rear margin. Closure panel 344 may open toward hard
fitting 320,
i.e., the free edge of closure panel 344 is closest toward, or adjacent to, or
next to, the rearward
margin of hard fitting 320.
Container assembly 320 may have an auxiliary container assembly, compaitment,
or
enclosure, or wall structure 350 mounted to the front wall of the front panel
320. Auxiliary
container assembly 350 may be insulated or non-insulated. Auxiliary container
assembly 350
may be expandable or collapsible, seen in the in-use, deployed, or expanded
condition in Figure
8a, and in the collapsed or retracted position behind the wrapped-over distal
portion 316 of lid
312 in Figure 8b. Container assembly 320 may also have a securement 352, such
as may be a
latch or strap, or releasable fastener, mounted to the rear wall thereof.
Securement 352 may then
be used releasably to fasten, or otherwise mount, the back or rear panel of
the container to the
telescoping trailing handle of a wheeled cart or other frame.
In the embodiment of Figures 11a, 11b, and 11c there is another collapsible
insulated
container, or container assembly, 360, that is similar to collapsible
insulated container assembly
300. It may be noted that container assembly 360 is provided in combination
with a rolling cart
370, to which a container such as container assembly 320 might be mounted,
with the bottom
panel or wall of the container assembly sitting on a base or foot of the cart,
and the back panel or
wall attached by securement 352 to the upright handle shafts of the
telescoping towing handle.
Assembly 360 differs from assembly 320 insofar as lid 362 has a proximal
region or
portion 364, and a distal portion 366. Lid 362 is releasably securable in
place by a releasable
closure securement member 368, which may be a zipper. In this instance, lid
362 is, bodily, the
primary closure member or access member, of assembly 360. There is also a
secondary closure
member or access member, identified as inset panel 372, which, as before, is
hingedly mounted
along the rearward margin of lid 362, and opens toward distal portion 366. In
this instance,
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 27 -
distal portion 366 has a rigid member, or hard fitting, 374. As may be noted,
hard fitting 374 has
two accommodations 376, 378 as before, spaced apart and located at opposite
front corners of lid
362. However, they are linked by a single, generally central channel or hat
section 380, rather
than the two spaced apart channel sections with a medial receptacle such as in
assembly 300 in
which to place snacks or other objects. Furthermore, the leading edge or
margin 382 of distal
portion 364 is curved, and the trailing edge or margin 384 of distal portion
366 (and of hard
fitting 374) is similarly curved generally to conform to the leading edge of
inset access panel 372
the larger curved opening.
The alternate embodiments of Figure 11d, 11c and lie may be understood to have
substantially the same, or the same, construction as the embodiment of Figure
11a, except as
otherwise noted. In each case, the soft-sided container assembly is
collapsible, and may be such
as to be suitable for mounting to cart 370.
Container assembly 400 of Figure lid is provided with both a top panel hard
fitting 402,
and a mid-height hard fitting 404 mounted to front wall auxiliary or secondary
wall structure
406. Hard fitting 404 and secondary wall structure 406 may be substantially as
shown and
described in the mid-height retainer fitting of co-pending US Patent
Application 14 / 793,063
filed July 7, 2015. That is, wall structure 406 may be collapsible to move
hard fitting 404 to a
retracted or collapsed condition. Hard fitting 404 may be as shown therein, or
may be similar
to, or substantially the same as either hard fitting 320 or 374 shown and
described herein. It may
include receptacles, or accommodations or sockets, or drink holders, 410, 412.
Hard fitting 404
may include a medial portion or web or base, or bottom panel or portion, 414
extending between
accommodations 410, 412, and may have a front retainer, or retaining wall, or
member, or rib, or
lip, or rim, or channel, or flange, 416 such as may tend to discourage objects
from slipping off
portion 414. In that way, a lodgment, or working surface or niche may be
formed, as may be
suitable for holding condiments, cutlery, a paring knife, a bottle opener, and
so on. Hard fitting
404 may also have a rear retainer or wall or rib or channel or flange, etc.,
identified as 418.
Items 418 and 416 may be substantially the same, and may be symmetrically
arranged, both left-
to-right-and back-to-front. Either or both may function as ribs or
reinforcements or stiffeners,
as may be. Hard fitting 404 may have a somewhat smaller front-to-rear
dimension as compared
to hard fitting 402, as auxiliary wall structure 406 may have less depth than
that of hard fitting
402.
In the alternate embodiment of Figure lie, a container assembly 420 is
substantially the
same as assemblies 320 and 400, but differs from assembly 400 in having a mid-
height, or lower,
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 28 -
hard fitting, 404, but, in place of the upper fitting assembly 420 may have a
substantially flat
work surface, indicated as hard fitting 422. Fitting 422 may have a peripheral
retainer or wall, or
rim, or lip, as may be, indicated as rim 424. In one embodiment, rim 424 may
be relatively low,
as compared to the retainer wall or rim or lip of flange 416. In one
embodiment it may be half
the height or less. As before, however, the longitudinal distance of the hard
fitting 422 in the top
or lid panel 426 is, as in assemblies 320 and 400, less than half the distance
from the rear hinge
to the front wall. That is, the majority of the lid retains the soft-sided
insulated construction of
the bag generally, and may, accordingly, be flexible to roll or fold about the
lower body of the
assembly in the collapsed condition. In one embodiment, the fore-and-aft depth
may correspond
to the width of a slice of bread, being approximately 6 mm to 15 mm or 'A inch
to 5/8 of an inch
and typically about 1/2 of an inch or 10-12 mm. However, hard fitting 422 may
still provide a
relatively flat surface, a working surface, on which to place objects or on
which to cut or slice
objects, whether fruit, or cheese, or cold cuts, for example.
In the further alternative of Figure 1 lf, a container assembly 430 is
substantially the same
as assemblies 320 and 400, but has the reverse arrangement to that of assembly
420 of Figure
lie in the sense of having a hard or reinforced member in the lid for holding
beverages, and a
hard or reinforced member without beverage sockets, or drink pockets, in the
medial height tray.
That is, the mid-height hard fitting 432 defines accommodation or central tray
area, or region, or
portion, which may be bounded either partially or entirely by a peripheral
wall or rim or lip 434.
The tray may protrude into the underlying enclosure, as in the manner of well
328. It may have a
flat bottom, and, depending on the height of the surrounding wall, may provide
a cutting surface.
In another embodiment, the peripheral wall may be relatively high, perhaps
half an inch or more,
to form a holder for cut vegetables, such as carrots or celery, or for lemon,
lime or other slices.
It may also be used as a tray for condiments or cutlery, for example.
In the embodiment of Figure 12a there is a soft-sided cooler assembly 440 such
as may
be understood to be the same, or substantially the same, as found in USSN
14/793,063 filed July
7,2015. Unless stated otherwise, assembly 440 may be understood to have the
same features of
construction as previously described therein. Container assembly 440 may be
manufactured in
various configurations including a reinforced member in the lid, as previously
described, or at
mid-level, as shown and as previously described, or both. Assembly 440 may
include a
reinforced member or working surface member 442 as shown in Figures 12b, 12c
and 12d. As
can be seen member 442 includes first and second ends 444, 446 at which there
are wells or
sockets, or beverage retainers, or drink pockets 448, 450 respectively,
connected by a medial
web portion 452. Medial web portion 452 may be substantially planar and may
define a working
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 29 -
surface intermediate the beverage retainers. Web portion 452 may lie in the
same, or
substantially the same, plane P452 as peripheral mounting or attachment flange
454. As seen,
member 442 has a raised peripheral wall 456 that stands outwardly of plane
P452, the outward
distance being indicated as dimension or height ham. Raised peripheral wall
456 may be of
hollow section, that is, it may be a top hat or channel section. Pockets 448,
450 have well
bottoms 458 that stand inwardly in a sunken or depressed relationship relative
to web portion
452, the inward distance being shown as kass. As may be noted the inward
portion of the well
has a full circumferential wall 460 that defines a retainer that discourages
motion in all directions
in the plane of web portion 452. By contrast, the raised outer peripheral wall
extends around the
outer semi-circle but not around the inner semi-circle. The manner of
securement to the main
structure is shown in Figure 12d, in which the fabric attachment 464 is sewn
through the
external, outwardly extending flange, and also sewn to, for example, the front
wall of the
upstanding insulated wall structure of the main body of container assembly
440. Member 442
could also be mounted in the lid 468 in a manner the same as or analogous to
that indicated
above.
In the embodiment of Figures 13a, 13b and 13c there is a reinforcement member
470 that
is substantially similar to member 442. However, in addition to the outer
peripheral wall 456,
member 470 also has a spaced inner wall 472 running along, in a spaced apart,
parallel manner
relative to the forward, or outermost sector 474 of wall 456, such that a
well, socket, seat, shelf,
ledge, retainer, footing, step, or accommodation 476 is formed in which to
receive, for example,
the lower margin of a portable electronic communications device, such as an
kpad (t.m.). The
accommodation may itself have an internal step, ledge, or index 478, such that
accommodation
476 has a wide measure or seat 480, for receiving relatively wider devices,
and also a narrow
measure, or seat, 482 for receiving relatively narrower devices. The rearward
or inner wall 484
may be slanted, as shown, such that a device seated therein may have a slant,
or backward slope,
or lean, such that the device is tilted or canted backward somewhat. The depth
of
accommodation 476 may extend inwardly beyond the plane of the reinforcement
mounting
flanges more generally, and may extend the same distance as the drink retainer
wells.
In the embodiment of Figures 14a, 14b and 14c, a reinforcement member 490 is
the same
as, or substantially similar to, member 470, but rather than employing channel
sections,
peripheral wall 492 and retainer wall 494 are single webs.
In the embodiment of Figures 15a, 15b, 15c and 15d, there is a soft-sided
insulated
container assembly 500 that is substantially the same as container assembly
300 or assembly
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
- 30 -
440, except that rather than having a full width reinforcement or work surface
member, assembly
500 employs one or more hard fittings 502 such as may be located at the mid-
level expansion lid
corners, as shown in Figure 15a, or at the corners of the main lid, analogous
to Figure 8a. The
left hand corner fitting 504 may be made the same as the right hand corner
fitting 506, such that
only a single mold need be used. Each corner fitting has a main flange 510
that lies in the plane
of the adjacent web, be it of the mid-level lid or the main lid, as may be, a
raised peripheral
retaining wall 512 the stands outwardly (i.e., typically upwardly) proud of
flange 510 a distance
h512, and a well and well bottom 514, 516 that lie inwardly sunken, or shy of,
the plane Psio of
flange 510 a distance h514. As with the other embodiments, the inward distance
of the well of the
beverage retainer may correspond to, or be slightly deeper than, the thickness
of the underlying
insulated fabric wall, or if there is no underlying wall, the thickness of the
wall insulation of the
vertical sidewalls. The height of the upstanding retainer wall is typically
greater than the depth
of the sunken well, such that most of the retaining depth lies above, or
outwardly of, the plane of
the flange.
Flange 510 provides a stitching attachment interface, as above, by which the
respective
corner fitting may be secured to the fabric of the cover or to the corner or
edge seam or beading.
At least one edge or region or portion 518 of flange 510 may be radiused to
follow, or to set, the
curvature of the corner of the panel, and of that portion of the container. In
one embodiment two
opposed curved portions 518 may be used such that the fitting has two
diagonally opposed
pointed corners. Although the embodiment of container assembly 500 lacks a
fully extending
lateral hard plastic web, the use of hardened corner fitting may still tend to
stiffen the structure to
some extent nonetheless.
In summary, the insulated container assembly may have a hard fitting that has
accommodations or pockets, or sockets, such as for beverages, or the hard
fitting may have a flat
working surface, or may define a tray or catchment with a raised peripheral
wall. The lid may
have a hard fitting with any of these. The container assembly may have a
single hard fitting,
such as may run along the forward or distal margin of the lid. Alternatively,
the assembly may
have both a hard fitting in the lid and a mid-height hard fitting in the
forward secondary or
auxiliary container structure mounted to the front face of the unit. One of
the hard fittings may
be a drink pocket fitting, with a single drink pocket or more than one drink
pockets.
Each of the embodiments may also have a rearward deployable table or work
surface
such as may be used by itself or in conjunction with a lid-top work surface or
drink pockets.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
-31 -
The embodiments illustrated and described above illustrate individual non-
limiting
examples in which the principles of the present invention are employed. It is
possible to make
other embodiments that employ the principles of the invention and that fall
within the following
claims. To the extent that the features of those examples are not mutually
exclusive of each
other, the features of the various embodiments may be mixed-and-matched, i.e.,
combined, in
such manner as may be appropriate, without having to resort to repetitive
description of those
features in respect of each possible combination or permutation. The invention
is not limited to
the specific examples or details which are given by way of illustration
herein, but only by the
claims, as mandated by law. The claims are to be given the benefit of
purposive interpretation to
include equivalents under the doctrine of equivalents.
Although the various embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,
the
principles of the present invention are not limited to these specific examples
which are given by
way of illustration.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-01
