Reusable Waterproof Ice Storage Bag For Use Inside Of Coolers

Abstract

The present invention comprises a novel durable bag for storing ice within a cooler. The bag keeps ice and the subsequent melted ice water separate from the food and beverages within the cooler. The durable ice bag is easily filled and refilled with ice as necessary via the opening with a waterproof closure and is easily drained via a drain mechanism. The durable ice bag also facilitates the hygenic reuse of the melted ice water as a result of using potable water safe materials for its interior construction.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62 / 693,665 filed 2018 Jul. 3 by the present inventor.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to ice chest or cooler accessories, particularly systems for keeping the interior of a cooler at a safe temperature for foods and beverages. It also embodies elements of containment and reuse of the melted water from ice.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Millions of people use cubed ice or ice blocks to keep their coolers cold while camping, boating, tailgating, fishing, hunting, beachgoing, picnicking, or travelling. Commercially available ice is sold in thin (e.g. 1.5 mil) plastic bags. These bags often come with existing holes from which water can leak. Thin plastic ice bags can be easily torn inside of a cooler as they make contact with food storage or beverage containers. As ice melts in a cooler, it creates water that can seep into food containers and become contaminated. Many food or beverag...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a durable and reusable ice storage bag that can keep food and beverages cold, clean, and safe to consume. It is designed with a large opening at the top that makes it easy to fill with ice, and it has a waterproof closure to prevent any leakage. The bag can be easily emptied of its melt water without opening the top, and the interior surface and draining mechanism are all made of safe materials for reusing the melt water. The bag can be refilled with more ice as needed to keep the cooler at a safe and palatable temperature for food and beverages.

Problems solved by technology

These bags often come with existing holes from which water can leak.

As ice melts in a cooler, it creates water that can seep into food containers and become contaminated.

Many food or beverage storage containers themselves are not sealed or waterproof.

Thus, contaminated water from melting ice can create a mess.

If it has contacted uncooked meats or other bacteria-laden substances, the meltwater becomes a food safety hazard.

In addition, the melting ice inside of coolers would be unsuitable to be consumed or used in beverages once it has contacted food, hands or a less-than-hygienic cooler surface.

In so doing, hundreds of millions of gallons of water are wasted every year.

A further challenge to the current, common practice of purchasing cubed or block ice at grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and the like is the single use plastic bag packaging.

On multi-day travels or camping, trips users are not able to solve this problem by using reusable-style, gel-containing freezer packs.

On such trips, there are not readily available opportunities to refreeze these packs after they lose their cooling ability.

Further, these packs can take hours to refreeze.

Thus, while musable-style, gel-containing freezer packs solve the water-in-the-cooler problem, they create additional problems for anyone keeping food or beverages cold who (1) does not have access to a freezer or (2) does not want to wait for their reusable freezer packs to refreeze.

One additional drawback to gel-containing freezer packs is that these do not allow for consumable ice cubes as one would need for beverages.

These less robust disposable bags are constructed of a thin plastic material, which can suffer from the same abrasion tears and leakage issues of the original ice bag.

These baggies do not have a convenient manner to drain and reuse the melted ice water.

In these ways, using another type of thin plastic bag inside of a cooler does not solve the problems of the original commercially-available ice bag.

Thus, the design is not waterproof from the interior to the exterior.

Furthermore, they are no constructed of materials that are safe to come in contact with potable water.

Therefore, they do not facilitate the safe use of ice cubes front the bag nor the reuse of the potable ice melt water.

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