Collapsible coolers
First Claim
1. An expandable and collapsible cooler, comprising:
- (a) a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler;
(b) an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and
(c) a collapsible and expandable cooler wall extending between and attached to the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler, the cooler wall comprising inner and outer collapsible and expandable walls that are tapered and self-supporting, each of the inner and outer walls comprising a flexible elastomeric membrane that includes a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the inner and outer collapsible and expandable walls not requiring an intermediate space to be filled with pressurized air for support;
(d) wherein the cooler is transitionable between an expanded configuration for use of the cooler, and a collapsed configuration during nonuse of the cooler, by bending of each membrane of the cooler wall along the hinge lines, each of the configurations being a stable configuration of the cooler;
(e) wherein the collapsible cooler wall comprises perimeter portions thereof that nest within each other when the collapsible cooler wall is fully collapsed;
(f) wherein the collapsible cooler wall tapers in extending from the upper rim; and
(g) wherein each membrane is formed of silicone rubber that has a softness of about 25 on the Shore A scale.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable and collapsible cooler includes: a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and a collapsible cooler wall extending between and attached to the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler. The cooler wall includes a flexible elastomeric membrane that includes a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The cooler is transitional between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration by bending of the membrane along the hinge lines. Each configuration is a stable configuration of the cooler. The collapsible cooler wall includes peripheral portions thereof that nest within each other when the collapsible cooler wall is fully collapsed. The collapsible cooler wall tapers in extending from the upper rim.
141 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An expandable and collapsible cooler, comprising:
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(a) a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; (b) an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and (c) a collapsible and expandable cooler wall extending between and attached to the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler, the cooler wall comprising inner and outer collapsible and expandable walls that are tapered and self-supporting, each of the inner and outer walls comprising a flexible elastomeric membrane that includes a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the inner and outer collapsible and expandable walls not requiring an intermediate space to be filled with pressurized air for support; (d) wherein the cooler is transitionable between an expanded configuration for use of the cooler, and a collapsed configuration during nonuse of the cooler, by bending of each membrane of the cooler wall along the hinge lines, each of the configurations being a stable configuration of the cooler; (e) wherein the collapsible cooler wall comprises perimeter portions thereof that nest within each other when the collapsible cooler wall is fully collapsed; (f) wherein the collapsible cooler wall tapers in extending from the upper rim; and (g) wherein each membrane is formed of silicone rubber that has a softness of about 25 on the Shore A scale. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An expandable and collapsible cooler, comprising:
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(a) a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; (b) an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and (c) a collapsible and expandable cooler wall extending between and attached to the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler, the cooler wall comprising inner and outer collapsible and expandable walls that are tapered and self-supporting, each of the inner and outer walls comprising a flexible elastomeric membrane that includes a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the inner and outer collapsible and expandable walls not requiring an intermediate space to be filled with pressurized air for support; (d) wherein the cooler is transitionable between an expanded configuration for use of the cooler, and a collapsed configuration during nonuse of the cooler, by bending of each membrane of the cooler wall along the hinge lines, each of the configurations being a stable configuration of the cooler; (e) wherein the collapsible cooler wall comprises perimeter portions thereof that nest within each other when the collapsible cooler wall is fully collapsed; (f) wherein the collapsible cooler wall tapers in extending from the upper rim; (g) wherein each hinge line has upper and lower hinge faces associated therewith; and (h) wherein upper and lower hinge faces associated with a particular hinge line are configured to generally abut one another when the membrane it is defined in is folded about the particular hinge line. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An expandable and collapsible cooler, comprising:
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(a) a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; (b) an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and (c) a collapsible cooler wall extending between and attached to the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler, the cooler wall comprising inner and outer flexible elastomeric membranes formed of silicone rubber that each include a plurality of hinge lines at which each membrane is configured to bend such that each membrane is transitionable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, each hinge line of the plurality of hinge lines of each membrane being generally less thick than other portions of that membrane; (e) wherein the cooler is transitionable between an expanded configuration for use of the cooler, and a collapsed configuration during nonuse of the cooler, by bending of the membranes along the respective hinge lines, each of the configurations corresponding to a stable configuration of the cooler; (f) wherein the collapsible cooler wall comprises perimeter portions thereof that nest within each other when the collapsible cooler wall is fully collapsed; (g) wherein the collapsible cooler wall tapers in extending from the upper rim; (h) wherein the cooler further comprises one or more openings in the upper portion through which access is provided to an intermediate space defined between the inner and outer flexible elastomeric membranes, and which cause the intermediate space to be open to external air flow, when the one or more openings are uncovered; and (i) wherein each of the flexible elastomeric membranes is self supporting such that the cooler can remain in the expanded configuration even when the one or more openings in the upper portion are uncovered. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An expandable and collapsible cooler, comprising:
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(a) a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; (b) an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and (c) a collapsible cooler wall extending between and attached to the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler, the cooler wall comprising inner and outer flexible elastomeric membranes that each include a plurality of hinge lines at which each membrane is configured to bend such that each membrane is transitionable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration; (d) wherein the cooler is transitionable between different configurations by bending of the membranes of the cooler wall along the hinge lines, the configurations corresponding to different stable configurations of the cooler and comprising, (i) an expanded configuration of the cooler wall for use of the cooler, (ii) a collapsed configuration of the cooler wall during nonuse of the cooler, (iii) a first partially expanded configuration of the cooler wall for use of the cooler, the interior storage space of the cooler when the cooler wall is in the first partially expanded configuration being greater than the interior storage space of the cooler when the cooler wall is in the collapsed configuration, but being less than the interior storage space of the cooler when the cooler wall is in the expanded configuration, and (iv) a second partially expanded configuration of the cooler wall for use of the cooler, the interior storage space of the cooler when the cooler wall is in the second partially expanded configuration being greater than the interior storage space of the cooler when the cooler wall is in the first partially expanded configuration, but being less than the interior storage space of the cooler when the cooler wall is in the expanded configuration; (e) wherein the collapsible cooler wall comprises perimeter portions thereof that nest within each other when the cooler wall is fully collapsed; (f) wherein the collapsible cooler wall tapers in extending from the upper rim; and (g) wherein the cooler further comprises one or more openings in the upper rim through which access is provided to an intermediate space defined between the inner and outer membranes, and a lid that extends over both a top of the interior storage space and each of the one or more upper rim openings. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification