1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to insulated containers and coolers and more particularly, to a flexible insulated container which is constructed of a resilient, flexible sheet foam material that is capable of containing beverage bottles and cans, as well as food, in either a warm or cold condition. When empty, the insulated container is capable of being folded flat and easily stored in a small space, and when used, it operates to thermally insulate the contents. The flexible insulated container is characterized in a first preferred embodiment by a bottom, a pair of end panels and side panels which are glued or otherwise secured to the bottom and to each other, to form a box-like structure, with the upper portions of the side panels fitted with hand or finger openings and loop-pile fasteners for joining the extending edges of the side panels to define a handle. In a most preferred embodiment, a seal flap is provided between the side panels and is attached along one edge thereof to one of the side panels, for closing the top of the insulated container and more efficiently thermally insulating the contents. When the insulated container is not disposed in carrying configuration, but the contents are still to be thermally insulated, the extending portions of the side panels can be lapped upon each other on top of the seal flap and secured in this position by additional loop-pile fasteners to insulate the contents, with a high thermal insulating efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that beverage containers such as cans, bottles and the like are usually marketed in quantities of six by such expedients as plastic harnesses, paper cartons and like containers for securing the bottles or cans together. The grouping of six beverage containers is normally maintained with the selected packaging to facilitate shipping, storage, purchase and usage. These beverage containers are particularly popular for use in such outings as picnics, hiking, boating, sporting events and other outdoor activities. Under circumstances where it is desirable to keep such beverages cool or cold, an ice chest, cooler or other thermally insulating container must be utilized, wherein the beverage containers are normally placed in the ice chest or cooler and covered with ice. Furthermore, in cold weather, it is frequently necessary or desirable to keep food and beverages warm until they are consumed and a thermally insulating container is also useful for this purpose. One of the problems inherent in maintaining beverages or food in a cool or cold condition is that of supplying ice to the food or beverages on a periodic basis, in order to compensate for the ice which melts in the ice chest or cooler. Furthermore, large quantities of ice are heavy and under circumstances where many people are involved and a large quantity of beverage containers or food must be kept cool or cold during an outing, the cooling process is cumbersome and sometimes laborious.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,153, dated Dec. 1, 1981, to Gale E. Boulton, discloses an "Insulated Carrying Container for Beverage Containers". The thermally insulated carrying container detailed in this patent is designed to contain a plurality of beverage containers and is constructed entirely of a thin sheet of plastic foam material. The container includes side flaps which are normally located in an open position to facilitate access to the container interior and the side flaps can be moved to a closed position to facilitate cooling of the beverage container for a substantial period of time. A handle is provided to facilitate carrying of the container and a latching mechanism is provided to maintain the container in the closed configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,357, dated Apr. 13, 1982, to R. J. Murkowski, details a "Carton With Air Cushion End Structure". The carton disclosed in this patent is folded from a generally rectangular blank and includes at least one end structure characterized by inner and outer end walls which are disposed in spaced relationship, with an air cushion located between the end walls to cushion fragile articles packed in the container. A "Container" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,913, dated Jan. 6, 1970, to B. Rohrbach. The Rohrbach container is characterized by a pair of side walls defining an interior chamber for receiving an object to be shipped. An access opening to the chamber is defined between the side walls and pins project outwardly from the lateral edges of the side walls perpendicular to the access opening, to hold and guide a flexible closure band which extends about the side walls and opening. U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,456, dated July 19, 1966, to G. C. Sparks, covers a "Mailable Package and Method of Manufacture". The package detailed in this patent includes a one-piece cover sheet which is cut and folded to define a back wall, end walls, inwardly-turned tabs and side walls. Top parts extend inwardly over the tabs and holding flaps engage the top parts. An insert body lies within the cover sheet and includes a compressible pad having an opening on one face and a skin provided on at least one pad face, with an opening conforming to the pad opening. The openings combine to define a recess, with the boundary edge of the skin opening releasibly retaining a yieldable article in the pad opening.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved, flexible insulated container for thermally insulating beverages and food, which insulated container is characterized by a box-like structure constructed of a flexible foam material and provided with a bottom, end panels attached to the bottom and upward-standing side panels secured to the bottom and the end panels, with the extending upper portions of the side panels bendable inwardly at the top, where they are fitted with one or more openings to facilitate carrying the insulated container.
Another object of this invention is to provide a flexible, insulated container which is collapsible when empty and is constructed of a resilient, flexible foam material capable of thermally insulating the container contents, which insulated container is characterized by a bottom, a pair of end panels upward-standing from the bottom and a pair of side panels upward-standing from the bottom and connected to the end panels at the edges thereof, wherein a top segment of each of the side panels projects upwardly above the top edges of the end panels to facilitate inward folding and lapping of the side panels and closing the top of the insulated container to maintain the container contents in a thermally insulated configuration.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a flexible, collapsible, insulated container which includes a bottom, a pair of end panels upward-standing from the bottom in spaced, parallel, fixed relationship and a pair of side panels attached to the bottom and the end panels, with a portion of the side panels extending above the top edges of the end panels and hand openings provided in the extending portions of the side panels, for folding inwardly against each other and facilitating carrying the insulated container. In a preferred embodiment, a seal flap folds on the top edges of the end panels and closes the top of the insulated container and the extending portions of the side panels are foldable downwardly on each other and on the seal flap in lapped relationship, to further insulate the container contents.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved, flexible and collapsible insulated container which is constructed of a flexible, expanded foam rubber material and is characterized by a box-like structure defined by a flexible bottom, flexible end panels extending from the bottom, flexible side panels extending from the bottom and secured to the end panels, with upper segments of the flexible end panels projecting above the top edges of the flexible end panels and designed to fold inwardly and provided with a handle opening for carrying the insulated container, and further including a seal flap closing the insulated container at the top edges of the end panels, wherein the upper segments of the side panels can be alternatively folded downwardly in lapped relationship over the seal flap to further insulate the insulated container when the insulated container is in non-carrying configuration.