CONFIGURABLE INSULATED STORAGE CONTAINER

• US 20180335241A1
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Published: 11/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: LI, SHANSHAN, GUERDRUM, JONATHAN H., KEMPEL, DOUGLAS A., RAYESKI, JONATHAN B., FANNING, KYLE M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/06 adapted to be fitted in two or more alternative positions
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3816 formed of foam material
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/081 using ice cubes or crushed ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0832 the liquid is disposed in an accumulator pack locked in a closable wall forming part of the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0843 on the side of the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0844 above the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/804 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally

Abstract

A portable insulated storage container includes an insulated body, an insulated lid, and a retainer. The insulated body has an internal cavity for storing one or more items. The internal cavity is selectively and reversibly configurable into two or more storage areas. The insulated lid engages the insulated body to close the internal cavity. The insulated lid includes receptacles each configured for receiving a cold pack or other thermal device. Each of the receptacles aligns with a respective one of the storage areas when the insulated lid engages the body. The retainer removably retains the cold pack in one of the receptacles.

Claims

1. A configurable insulated storage container comprising:

one or more dividers;

an insulated body having an internal cavity configured for storing items, the internal cavity at least partially bounded by a bottom and a plurality of walls, the internal cavity selectively configurable into two or more storage areas separated by the one or more dividers;

an insulated lid configured to engage the insulated body to close the internal cavity, the insulated lid including two or more receptacles each configured for receiving a cold pack, each of the two or more receptacles aligning with a respective one of the two or more storage areas of the insulated body when the insulated lid engages the body; and

two or more retainers, each retainer configured for engaging the insulated lid proximate a respective one of the two or more receptacles for removably retaining the respective cold pack in the respective receptacle.

2. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein internal surfaces of at least some of the plurality of the walls of the insulated body include grooves configured for receiving the one or more dividers.

3. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein an internal surface of the bottom of the insulated body includes one or more grooves configured for receiving the one or more dividers.

4. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein an internal surface of the insulated lid includes one or more grooves configured for receiving the one or more dividers.

5. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more dividers is insulated.

6. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein each of the two or more retainers includes an aperture configured for permitting airflow from one side of the retainer to another side of the retainer, an opening size of the aperture being adjustable.

7. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more dividers includes an adjustable baffle configured for selectively controlling an amount of airflow from one side of the divider to another side of the divider.

8. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 further comprising a breather valve extending between the internal cavity and an area outside the configurable insulated storage container.

9. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 8 wherein the breather valve is a one-way valve.

10. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 1 wherein the insulated body includes one or more replaceable insulation panels.

11. A configurable cooler system comprising:

a removable divider;

an insulated container including;

an insulated storage portion having an internal cavity bounded at least in part by walls and a bottom, the internal cavity configured for storing items and being reversibly configurable into at least two storage areas by the removable divider; and

an insulated lid portion configured to engage the insulated storage portion to selectively close the internal cavity; and

two retainers, each retainer configured for engaging a respective receptacle in the insulated container, each receptacle configured for removably retaining one or more temperature maintenance devices in the receptacle.

12. The configurable cooler system of claim 11 further comprising a gasket configured for forming a liquid resistant seal between the insulated storage portion and the insulated lid portion.

13. The configurable cooler system of claim 11 wherein each temperature maintenance device comprises one of an ice pack, a hot pack, and dry ice.

14. The configurable cooler system of claim 11 wherein opposing walls of the insulated storage portion include grooves configured for receiving the removable divider.

15. The configurable cooler system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the bottom of the insulated storage portion and the insulated lid includes an additional groove configured for receiving the removable divider.

16. The configurable cooler system of claim 11 wherein the removable divider is insulated and includes an adjustable baffle configured for controlling a quantity of airflow from one of the storage areas to another of the storage areas when the removable divider is installed in the insulated storage portion and the lid is in a closed position.

17. The configurable cooler system of claim 11 wherein the walls of the insulated storage portion taper outward from the bottom such that another instance of the insulated storage portion may at least partially nest within the internal cavity when the insulated lid is not present.

18. A configurable insulated storage container comprising:

an insulated body having an internal cavity adapted for storing items, the internal cavity at least partially bounded by a bottom and a plurality of walls, the internal cavity selectively and reversibly configurable into two or more storage areas;

an insulated lid adapted to engage the insulated body to close the internal cavity when the insulated lid is in a closed position; and

a drawer adapted to slide out from one of the plurality of the walls of the insulated body, the drawer adapted to be slidable to an open position for receiving one or more cold packs from an area outside the insulated body and slidable to a closed position adapted for positioning the one or more received cold packs proximate the internal cavity of the insulated body.

19. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 18 further comprising a vented shelf in the insulated body, wherein the drawer is proximate the bottom of the insulated body and the vented shelf is adapted for holding the stored items above the drawer in the insulated body.

20. The configurable insulated storage container of claim 18 wherein the drawer includes two or more compartments, each compartment associated with and proximate a respective one of the two or more storage areas when the drawer is in the closed position.