US20120137637A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20120137637A1
Application number: US13/270,129
Authority: US
Inventors: Brenda Gillis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-10-12
Filing date: 2011-10-10
Publication date: 2012-06-07

Abstract

A reusable insulated flexible cooler bag comprising: a front wall having a first inner layer, at least one first insulating layer, and a first outer layer of plastic material; a rear wall having a second inner layer, at least one second insulating layer, and a second outer layer of plastic material; and a closure element. The front wall and the rear wall are joined together at their peripheral edges so as to create a pocket-like configuration with an inner volume. The closure element is able to close the pocket-like configuration to substantially ensure an airtight and watertight seal of the inner volume of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag and is located adjacent a top side of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag in order to provide access to contents of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 61/392,087, filed Oct. 12, 2010 which application is incorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of portable insulating containers and more specifically relates to an airtight and watertight sealable cooler bag for keeping perishable items cool while storing or transporting them.

2. Description of the Related Art

A portable ice chest or cooler box is most commonly an insulated box used to keep food or drinks cool. Unfortunately, cooler boxes often are quite bulky and not easy to transport or it is difficult to place them into a car, etc. On the other hand, smaller more compact cooler boxes tend to be too small for larger food or drink items, such as large bottles or plates. There are many items that individuals wish to keep cold, but are unable to find a suitable way to store and transport them in a convenient manner.

Therefore a need exist for a flexible cooler bag which may be used for various differently sized and shaped items, which is not bulky, but rather lean and flexible and easy to transport and store. A need exists for a reusable flexible cooler bag which may be used to keep a variety of items cold during outdoor activities, such as sporting events, picnics, camping and fishing, or during long drives.

Ice cubes are most commonly placed in cooler boxes to help the items inside stay cool. Therefore, another problem which is often encountered when it comes to storing items in cooler boxes is that the food and the ice are often stored in the same compartment. The melting ice may come into contact with the food when the food is not properly sealed and may contaminate the food and/or make the food soggy. Some of the food items may thus be rendered inedible if they happen to get wet. Therefore, a more efficient and hygienic method to store items inside a cooler box is needed. A need exists for an effective method for keeping food and drink items stored in a cooler box, while at the same time effectively isolating the food and drink items from the surrounding ice via a water- and air-impermeable sealable bag.

Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,371,643, 5,988,879, 2008/0066491 A1, 5,265,960, 5,078,508, and 6,874,938. This prior art is representative of portable insulating containers. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.

Ideally, an airtight and watertight sealable cooler bag for keeping perishable items cool during storage or transportation should be easy to use, could be used in combination with or without a cooler box, should operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable airtight and watertight sealable cooler bag for keeping perishable items cool while storing or transporting them, to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known portable insulating containers art, the present invention provides a novel airtight and watertight sealable cooler bag. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an airtight and watertight sealable cooler bag for keeping perishable items cool while storing or transporting them.

A reusable insulated flexible cooler bag is disclosed herein comprising: a front wall having a first inner layer, at least one first insulating layer, and a first outer layer of plastic material; a rear wall having a second inner layer, at least one second insulating layer, and a second outer layer of plastic material; and a closure element. The front wall and the rear wall are joined together at their peripheral edges at a left side, a right side, and a bottom of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag so as to create a pocket-like configuration with an inner volume.

The first inner layer, the first insulating layer and the first outer layer of plastic material are attached to each other. The second inner layer, the second insulating layer and the second outer layer of plastic material are attached to each other. The closure element is able to close the pocket-like configuration to substantially ensure an airtight and watertight seal of the inner volume of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag and is located adjacent a top side of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag in order to provide access to contents of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag, the contents being insulated and stored within confines of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag.

A kit is also described herein including various reusable insulated flexible cooler bags in various shapes, sizes, and colors with various closure elements.

A preferred method of using a reusable insulated flexible cooler bag is further disclosed herein comprising the following steps: providing a reusable insulated flexible cooler bag comprising a front wall, a rear wall, and a closure element; opening the closure element of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag; placing contents into the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag; closing the closure element of the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag and thereby forming an airtight, watertight and insulated inner volume for use in insulating and storing contents; placing the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag into an ice/water filled cooler box and thereby preventing the contents placed into the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag from becoming wet and contaminated by the ice situated in the cooler box.

The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a reusable insulated flexible cooler bag. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, Cool Bags Systems, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a side view illustrating a reusable insulated flexible cooler bag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag in an in-use condition according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag in an in-use condition according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of using the reusable insulated flexible cooler bag according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a portable insulating container and more particularly to an airtight and watertight sealable cooler bag for keeping perishable items cool while storing or transporting them.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown inFIG. 1, a side view illustrating reusable insulatedflexible cooler bag110 according to an embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 3, a side view illustrating reusable insulatedflexible cooler bag110 in an in-use condition350.

Reusable insulatedflexible cooler bag110 preferably comprisesfront wall120 having firstinner layer130, firstinsulating layer140, and first outer layer ofplastic material150,rear wall160 having secondinner layer170, secondinsulating layer180, and second outer layer of plastic material190, andclosure element200.

Firstinner layer130 and secondinner layer170 preferably comprise flexible, waterproof, air-impermeable plastic material permitting easy cleaning ofinner volume260 of reusable insulatedflexible cooler bag110. Firstinner layer130 and secondinner layer170 may preferably be made of a thin flexible sheet of waterproof plastic material, such as polyethylene, vinyl, or nylon. Plastic is easy to clean and leak proof and therefore provides a preferable material and surface for firstinner layer130 and secondinner layer170 which surroundinner volume260 and therefore come into contact with food items that have been placed into reusable insulatedflexible cooler bag110. Firstinner layer130 and secondinner layer170 preferably have a thickness of no more than 0.3-1.0 mm

First insulatinglayer140 and second insulatinglayer180 comprise at least one material having low thermal conductivity, such as an insulating foam sheet. First insulatinglayer140 and second insulatinglayer180 preferably comprise a polyethylene foam sheet. However, first insulatinglayer140 and second insulatinglayer180 may comprise any material having low thermal conductivity, such as polyethylene foam, polyurethane foam, open-cell foam, closed-cell foam, foam in combination with foil reflectors, etc. First insulatinglayer140 and second insulatinglayer180 may further comprise a multitude of sheets or layers, such as a foam layer encapsulated by plastic material, or a foam layer in combination with an aluminum layer, etc. First insulatinglayer140 and second insulatinglayer180 preferably have a thickness of no more than 1.0-5.0 mm

First outer layer ofplastic material150 and second outer layer of plastic material190 preferably comprise durable, puncture-proof, waterproof, air-impermeable and flexible plastic material, such as such as polyethylene or vinyl. However, first outer layer ofplastic material150 and second outer layer of plastic material190 may comprise any suitable, durable and puncture proof plastic material. First outer layer ofplastic material150 and second outer layer of plastic material190 may be variably colored or may bear decorative indicia. First outer layer ofplastic material150 and second outer layer of plastic material190 preferably have a thickness of no more than 1.0-3.0 mm

Firstinner layer130, first insulatinglayer140, and first outer layer ofplastic material150 comprise the same length and the same width and are welded or otherwise joined to each other and thereby formfront wall120. Secondinner layer170, second insulatinglayer180, and second outer layer of plastic material190 comprise the same length and width and are welded or otherwise joined to each other and thereby formrear wall160.

Front wall

120 andrear wall160 thereby preferably each have a thickness of no more than 9.0 mm

Front wall

120 andrear wall160 are joined together at theirperipheral edges210 atleft side220,right side230 andbottom240 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 so as to create pocket-like configuration250 withinner volume260.Front wall120 andrear wall160 may be joined together by heat-welding. Sincefront wall120 andrear wall160 preferably each have a thickness of no more than 9.0 mm and are made of thin, bendable sheets of material,front wall120 andrear wall160 are flexible to accommodate insertion of different shaped products intoinner volume260 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110.

Front wall

120 andrear wall160 preferably compriserectangular shape330 orsquare shape340 so as to facilitate filling reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 with items, or to make it easy foruser310 to place and stabilize reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 inside a cooler box. Sincefront wall120 andrear wall160 are joined together so as to form reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110,inner volume260 is surrounded byfront wall120 andrear wall160 and varies with the condition of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110. When reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 is empty,inner volume260 is zero or close to zero, and when reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 contains items it may tend to take on a shape so as to best accommodate objects placed withininner volume260.

Closure element

200 is located attop side270 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 in order to provide access tocontents280 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110.Contents280 are insulated and stored within confines of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110.Front wall120 andrear wall160 in combination withclosure element200 form an airtight, watertight and insulated inner space comprisinginner volume260.Inner volume260 may thus be filled with food and drink items as to keep them cool.

Referring now toFIG. 2, a top view illustrating reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

Closure element

200 may close pocket-like configuration250 to substantially ensure an airtight and watertight seal ofinner volume260 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110.Closure element200 is located attop side270 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 so as to provide access tocontents280 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110.Closure element200 is welded to, or otherwise attached along, the length oftop side270 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110.Closure element200 preferably comprisesplastic sliding zipper300. Alternativelyclosure element200 may comprise a continuous mating plastic tongue and groove which may be manually pressed against each other so as to seal reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 in a watertight and airtight manner.

Referring now toFIG. 4, a perspective view illustrating reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 in an in-use condition350 according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

Closure element

200 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 may be opened andcontents280 may be placed into reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110. Subsequentlyclosure element200 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 may be closed and airtight, watertight and insulatedinner volume260 is created. Reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 may be placed into an ice/water filledcooler box320 andcontents280 placed into reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 are thereby prevented from becoming wet and contaminated by the ice located withincooler box320. Alternatively, Reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 may be used withoutcooler box320.

Carryingstraps290 may be attached to first outer layer ofplastic material150 and second outer layer of plastic material190. Carryingstraps290 may preferably be made of plastic material and may be welded to the upper region of the outside surface of first outer layer ofplastic material150 and second outer layer of plastic material190

Cool Bags Systems

100 may be sold askit400 comprising the following parts: various reusable insulated flexiblecooler bags110 in various shapes, sizes, and colors withvarious closure elements200, and at least one set of user instructions.Cool Bags Systems100 may be manufactured and provided for sale in a wide variety of sizes and shapes for a wide assortment of applications. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other kit contents or arrangements such as, for example, including more or less components, customized parts, different color combinations, parts may be sold separately, etc., may be sufficient.

Referring now toFIG. 5, aflowchart550

illustrating method

500 of using reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 according to an embodiment of the present invention ofFIG. 1.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention a preferred method ofuse500 is disclosed herein comprising: step one501 providing reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 comprisingfront wall120,rear wall160, andclosure element200; step two502

opening closure element

200 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110; step three503 placingcontents280 into reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110; step four504

closing closure element

200 of reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 and thereby forming airtight, watertight and insulatedinner volume260 for use in insulating and storingcontents280; step five505 placing reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 into an ice/water filledcooler box320 and thereby; step six506 preventingcontents280 placed into reusable insulated flexiblecooler bag110 from becoming wet and contaminated by ice situated withincooler box320.

It should be noted that step five505 and step six506 are optional steps and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps ofmethod500 are illustrated using dotted lines inFIG. 5 so as to distinguish them from the other steps ofmethod500.

It should be noted that the steps described in the method ofuse500 can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.

Claims

1. A reusable insulated flexible cooler bag comprising:

a front wall having a first inner layer, at least one first insulating layer, and a first outer layer of plastic material;

a rear wall having a second inner layer, at least one second insulating layer, and a second outer layer of plastic material; and

a closure element;

wherein said front wall and said rear wall are joined together at their peripheral edges at a left side, a right side and a bottom of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag so as to create a pocket-like configuration with an inner volume;

wherein said first inner layer, said first insulating layer and said first outer layer of plastic material are attached to each other;

wherein said second inner layer, said second insulating layer and said second outer layer of plastic material are attached to each other;

wherein said closure element is able to close said pocket-like configuration to substantially ensure an airtight and watertight seal of said inner volume of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag; and

wherein said closure element is located adjacent a top side of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag in order to provide access to contents of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag, said contents being insulated and stored within confines of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag.

2. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said first and said second inner layer comprise flexible, waterproof, air-impermeable plastic material permitting easy cleaning of said inner volume of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag.

3. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said first and said second insulating layer comprise at least one material having low thermal conductivity.

4. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 3 wherein said material having low thermal conductivity comprises an insulating foam.

5. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 4 wherein said insulating foam comprises a polyethylene foam sheet.

6. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said front wall and said rear wall are flexible to accommodate insertion of different shaped products into said inner volume of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag.

7. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said first and said second outer layer of plastic material comprise carrying straps.

8. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said first and said second outer layer of plastic material comprise durable, puncture-proof, waterproof, air-impermeable and flexible plastic material.

9. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said first and said second outer layer of plastic material are colored.

10. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said front wall and said rear wall comprise a square shape.

11. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said front wall and said rear wall comprise a rectangular shape.

12. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said closure element comprises a plastic sliding zipper.

13. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said closure element comprises a continuous mating plastic tongue and groove.

14. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 1 wherein said front wall and said rear wall in combination with said closure element form an airtight, watertight and insulated inner space comprising said inner volume.

15. A reusable insulated flexible cooler bag comprising:

a rear wall having a second inner layer, at least one second insulating layer, and a second outer layer of plastic material;

said front wall and said rear wall being joined together at their peripheral edges at a left side, a right side and a bottom of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag so as to create a pocket-like configuration with an inner volume, said front wall and said rear wall being flexible to accommodate insertion of different shaped products into said inner volume of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag, said first inner layer, said first insulating layer and said first outer layer of plastic material being attached to each other, said second inner layer, said second insulating layer and said second outer layer of plastic material being attached to each other, said first and said second inner layer comprising flexible, waterproof, air-impermeable plastic material permitting easy cleaning of said inner volume of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag, and said first and said second outer layer of plastic material comprising durable, puncture-proof, waterproof, air-impermeable and flexible plastic material; and

a closure element;

said closure element comprising a plastic sliding zipper and being able to close said pocket-like configuration to substantially ensure an airtight and watertight seal of said inner volume of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag, said closure element being located adjacent a top side of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag in order to provide access to contents of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag, said contents being insulated and stored within confines of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag;

wherein said front wall and said rear wall in combination with said plastic sliding zipper form an airtight, watertight and insulated inner space comprising said inner volume.

16. The reusable insulated flexible cooler bag ofclaim 15 further comprising a kit comprising various reusable insulated flexible cooler bags in various shapes, sizes, and colors with various said closure elements.

17. A method of using a reusable insulated flexible cooler bag comprising the steps of:

providing a reusable insulated flexible cooler bag comprising a front wall, a rear wall, and a closure element;

opening said closure element of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag;

placing contents into said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag; and

closing said closure element of said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag and thereby forming said airtight, watertight and insulated inner volume for use in insulating and storing contents.

18. The method ofclaim 17 further comprising the steps of:

placing said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag into an ice/water filled cooler box and thereby;

preventing said contents placed into said reusable insulated flexible cooler bag from becoming wet and contaminated by said ice situated in said cooler box.