Soft-sided insulated container with inflatable wall structure

Abstract

A soft-sided insulated container assembly is made of a flexible wall structure that is movable between a collapsed position and a deployed position. In one variation of the deployed position it resembles a tote-bag; in another variation of folding the deployed position corresponds to a generally box-like shape. The container includes a self-inflating wall structure that has an inner layer or skin, an outer layer or skin, the two skins being welded together, and a resilient, open-cell insulating layer trapped between the two skins. A valve governs the ability to take in or to expel air. The outer layer may be thicker and more robust that the inner layer, the better to resist abrasion or punctures. The inner layer may be reflective. The assembly includes collapsible bottles that, when filled, are predominantly flat and are seated in predominantly flat pockets in the side walls to function as ice packs. When the bottles are empty, they and the container can be rolled up together into a single roll.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62 / 473,046, filed Mar. 17, 2017, the specification and drawings thereof being incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to the field of insulated containers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Insulated containers have become popular for carrying either articles that may best be served cool, such as beverages or salads or warm, such as appetizers, hot dogs, and so on. Such containers are frequently used to carry liquids, whether hot liquids, such as soup containers, coffee or tea, or cold liquids, such as beer, soft drinks, or other carbonated beverages, juices and milk. Sometimes these containers may be used to carry lunches, which may include a sandwich, fruit, carrot and celery sticks, a drink, cookies, and so on.[0004]Portable insulated containers tend to be of two types: hard-sided insulated containers or soft-sided insulated ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a soft-sided insulated container with an inflatable wall structure and an auxiliary container that can be collapsed within the soft-sided container for easy storage. The soft-sided insulated container has a soft-sided wall structure that is collapsible when empty and can be rolled up or folded up for easy storage. The soft-sided insulated container is waterproof and includes a securement system for easy deployment. The soft-sided insulated container is lightweight and can be inflated with a valve. The inflatable wall structure forms a peripheral wall that can hold objects and is self-inflating. The soft-sided insulated container has a washable liner and can be used as a tote-shaped container or a cubic container.

Problems solved by technology

Hard-sided coolers, by their nature, may tend to be bulky, and, even when provided with a handle on top or handles at the ends may tend not to be particularly convenient to carry.

A user's perception of the convenience of their portability may diminish with each additional step.