Abstract:
An insulated picnic cooler having thermally isolated internal compartments separated by a dividing wall. A removable and adjustable shelf assembly can divide an internal compartment into thermally isolated storage pockets. The shelf assembly is spring loaded to remain in place and flush mounting “T”-shaped handles can retract the springs to enable the shelf to be removed or adjusted. Hot and cold food items as well as ice and beverages can be stored. A drain can be used to drain liquids from a storage compartment.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     There are currently no applications co-pending with the present application. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The presently disclosed subject matter is directed towards picnic coolers. More particularly, the present invention relates to picnic coolers having multiple thermally insulated compartments and storage compartments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Spending time in the outdoors is one of the most popular fair weather leisure time activities. Whether fishing, camping, picnicking, cooking out, tailgating, or just a simple party, a spending time outdoors is enjoyable. One (1) common way to increase that enjoyment is to bring along food and drink. In fact, a great deal of time is often spent preparing, packing, transporting, and consuming food and drink. 
     A very useful device for transporting food and drink is the picnic cooler. Prior art picnic coolers have proven to be very good at keeping beverages such as beer and soda cold by packing them in ice. Those prior art picnic coolers have proven to be less useful for keeping hot foods hot and for keeping other items such as paper products, bread, condiments, eating utensils, and the like separated and readily available for use. Such items are usually carried separately in another container or placed in the picnic cooler where they risk .becoming soggy or wet either by condensation or direct contact with melted ice. 
     The foregoing presents problems either because additional containers are required or contamination of food products or other items may occur. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved picnic cooler that can keep cold items cold, hot items hot, that enables other items to be readily available, and that enables everything to be carried as a single unit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The principles of the present invention provide picnic coolers that can keep cold items cold and hot items hot while enabling other items to be readily available and that enables everything to be carried as a single unit. Beneficially such picnic coolers would have two (2) main compartments, one to hold wet (iced) items and the other to hold dry (cold or hot) items. Preferably additional compartments could be formed if needed to retain small items such as paper products, bread, condiments, eating utensils and the like. Also beneficially such picnic coolers would have dimensions similar to or identical with existing picnic coolers (approximately fourteen inches (14 in.), thirty-six inches (36 in.) long, and fifteen inches (15 in.) deep). 
     A dual compartment cooler in accord with the principles of the present invention includes a substantially rectangular cooler assembly having a cooler body that is divided by an insulated interior dividing wall into a watertight first compartment with a first floor panel and a second compartment with a second floor panel. At least one (1) “U”-shaped carrying handle is attached to the cooler body. The second compartment can be selectively divided into a first partition and a second partition by an interior horizontal shelf assembly. The first compartment can be selectively covered by a first lid while the second compartment can be selectively covered by a second lid. 
     Beneficially, the second compartment includes a plurality of detents for retaining the horizontal shelf assembly within the second compartment. The horizontal shelf assembly can be released using a “T”-shaped release handle that controls at least two (2) pin features that selectively fit into detents. Preferably the pin features are on ends of a locking bar that is operatively connected to the “T”-shaped release handle. The locking bar and the “T”-shaped release handle are beneficially connected by a spring-loaded pivot connector. For convenience, “T”-shaped release handle fits into a recess in the horizontal shelf assembly. 
     A first hinge attaches the first lid to the cooler body. In practice, the first lid will have a molded-in lid handle. Both the cooler body and the first lid are beneficially comprised of hollow plastic filled with insulation. A fluid drain drains liquid from the first compartment through the cooler body and out of the dual compartment cooler. A tether-connected cap is included to selectively seal the fluid drain. Additionally, the first lid includes a lid sealing edge around its inner perimeter that mates with a compartment sealing edge around the top perimeter of the first compartment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like elements are identified with like symbols and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a dual compartment cooler that is in accord with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the dual compartment cooler illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a section view of the dual compartment cooler shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  taken along section line A-A of  FIG. 1 ; and, 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portable shelf assembly of the dual compartment cooler shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  dual compartment cooler 
               15  cooler assembly 
               16  cooler body 
               18  dividing wall 
               20  wet compartment 
               22  first floor panel 
               24  first lid 
               26   a  lid sealing edge 
               26   b  compartment sealing edge 
               28  lid handle 
               30  dry compartment 
               31  second floor panel 
               32  second lid 
               34  detent 
               36  carrying handle 
               37  insulation 
               38   a  first hinge 
               38   b  second hinge 
               40  shelf assembly 
               42  shelf panel 
               44  release handle 
               46  recess 
               48  pivot connector 
               50  spring 
               52  locking bar 
               54  pin feature 
               60  fluid drain 
               62  cap 
               64  tether strap 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 4 , and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention, and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     The principles of the present invention are embodied in a dual compartment cooler  10  that is especially useful to campers, hunters, fishermen, and boaters, and at tailgate or beach parties. The dual compartment cooler  10  provides a means for transporting hot and/or cold foodstuffs as well as all types of items associated with a picnic. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively front and rear views of the dual compartment cooler  10 , the dual compartment cooler  10  includes a cooler assembly  15  having two (2) compartments, a (first) wet compartment  20  (shown on the left side) and a (second) dry compartment  30  (shown on the right side). The compartments  20 ,  30  can be used to separate wet items, such as refrigerated foodstuffs and ice in the wet compartment  20  from dry items, which may be either hot or cold, in the dry compartment  30 . 
     The outer shape of the dual compartment cooler  10  is preferably similar to that of a conventional rectangular picnic cooler. That shape is provided by a picnic cooler assembly  15  having a cooler body  16  that is about fourteen inches (14 in.) high, thirty-six inches (36 in.) long, and fifteen inches (15 in.) deep. The interior of the cooler body  16  is divided into a wet compartment  20  having a first floor panel  22  and a dry compartment  30  having a second floor panel  31  by a dividing wall  18 . The interior of the cooler body  16  is configured such that the wet compartment  20  and the dry compartment  30  are watertight in that water cannot leak from the wet compartment  20  to the dry compartment  30 . Furthermore, the cooler body  16  and the dividing wall  18  as insulated. Preferably the wet compartment  20  is approximately twenty-one inches (21 in.) wide while the dry compartment  30  is approximately fifteen inches (15 in.) wide (dimensions include the thickness of the cooler body  16 ). However, it should be understood that the dividing wall  18  may be located to provide different dimensioned compartments  20 ,  30 . 
     The cooler body  16  further comprises a pair of pivoting “U”-shaped carrying handles  36  that are permanently affixed to opposing short sides of the cooler body  16  to enable easy transportation. 
     Typically the larger compartment, the wet compartment  20  will hold ice and beverages while the smaller compartment, the dry compartment  30  will hold either cold or hot foods such as potato salad, cooked meats, or the like, or associated picnic items such as paper products, condiments, eating utensils, and the like. However, the dry compartment  30  could be used to hold ice and beverages, thus the labels “wet” and “dry” are not limitations of use but are labels for convenience of explanation. In practice the dry compartment  30  will be provided with at least one (1) removable insulated interior horizontal shelf assembly  40  (best shown in  FIG. 4 ). The shelf assembly  40  is useful for thermally isolating items as well as helping retain items in place. 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the picnic cooler assembly  15  further includes a first lid  24  and a second lid  32 . The first lid  24  is used to selectively cover the wet compartment  20  while the second lid  32  is used to selectively cover the dry compartment  30 . Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the first lid  24  is affixed along the rear top edge of the cooler body  16  via a first hinge  38   a  while the second lid  32  is affixed along the rear top edge of the cooler body  16  via a second hinge  38   b . The first and second hinges  38   a ,  38   b  beneficially comprise in-line pairs of axial elements that can be molded into the cooler body  16  and the first and second lids  24 ,  32 , or they may also be affixed using fasteners. Each lid  24 ,  32  includes a molded-in recessed lid handle  28  that is located mid-way along its front edge. Each lid  24 ,  32  also has a lid sealing edge  26   a  around its inner perimeter that mates to corresponding compartment sealing edge  26   b  along the top edge of each compartment  20 ,  30  and on the cooler body  16 . The lid sealing edge  26   a  and the compartment sealing edge  26   b  beneficially comprise interlocking molded-in features that reduce thermal flow to and from the cooler body  16 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a section view of the dual compartment cooler  10  taken along line A-A of  FIG. 1 , the cooler body  16  and the lids  24 ,  32  are of a hollow plastic construction. They can be made using common manufacturing processes such as, but not limited to: blow-molding, compression-molding, injection-molding, rotational-molding, or the like. It is envisioned that the cooler body  16 , the lids  24 ,  32 , and the shelf assembly  40  (see  FIG. 4 ) are made of a rugged plastic material such as, but not limited to: polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or the like, and have any of a variety of attractive colors and patterns. It is envisioned that the inner volumes of the cooler body  16 , the lids  24 ,  32 , and the shelf assembly  40  are filled with insulation  37  such as polystyrene, fiberglass fibers, or the like. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 4  the dry compartment  30  includes a plurality of positioned detents  34  that are used to attach and support the shelf assembly  40  within the dry compartment  30 . The shelf assembly  40  engages with the detents  34  using (4) spring-loaded pin features  54  that can be manually extended or retracted by release handles  44  that are integrated into the shelf assembly  40  ( FIG. 4 ). The detents  34  comprise integrally-molded ovular recessed areas that are approximately one-half (½) inch wide and one-quarter (¼) inch high and that are located upon opposing interior left-hand and right-hand sides of the dry compartment  30 . The detents  34  are preferably arranged in equally-spaced vertical rows. 
     In use, the four (4) pin features  54  engage four (4) detents  34  being at a selected elevation. This secures the shelf assembly  40  in a horizontal position. Beneficially there are three (3) to six (6) rows of detents  34 . Securing the shelf assembly  40  above the second floor panel  31  forms two (2) variable height partitions in the dry compartment  30 . While the foregoing has described only a single shelf assembly  40 , in practice a dual compartment cooler  10  might include multiple shelf assemblies  40  which can form thermally isolated partitions within the dry compartment  30 . 
     Referring now again to  FIG. 3 , the picnic cooler assembly  15  further includes a fluid drain  60  that passes through the cooler body  16  and into the wet compartment  20 . The fluid drain  60  is located just above the first floor panel  22  (see  FIG. 1 ) and below a carrying handle  36 . The fluid drain  60  comprises a tube which horizontally extends from inside the wet compartment  20  to provide a means to conveniently drain fluids within the wet compartment  20 . Undesired drainage of fluids from the fluid drain  60  is prevented via a friction-fit or threaded plastic cap  62  that is affixed to the fluid drain  60  via an integrally-molded tether strap  64 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the shelf assembly  40  is dimensioned to fit snuggly between the vertical walls of the dry compartment  30 . This minimizes thermal flow between pockets in the dry compartment  30  that are formed by the shelf assembly  40 . The shelf assembly  40  comprises a hollow or solid plastic shelf panel  42  that is approximately one to two inches (1-2 in.) thick. As previously noted the four (4) pin features  54  of the shelf assembly  40  which provide secure attachment to the detents  34  are extended and retracted via “T”-shaped release handles  44 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the pin features  54  are the ends of two locking bars  52 . Each release handle  44  includes an integrally-molded pivot connector  48  at an end of its “T”, which in turn provides a connection to a compression spring  50 . Each release handle  44  fits into an associated recess  46  at the top of the shelf assembly  40  and each is spring-loaded against an associated locking bar  52  by the spring  50 . Each recess  46  is dimensioned to contain a release handle  44  flush with the top of the shelf assembly  40 . The “T” shape of the release handles  44  enable a user to readily grasp and pull the release handle  44  out of its recess  46  and toward the center of the shelf assembly  40 . This action causes the pin features  54  to retract. However, when a release handle is pushed back into its recess  46  the spring  50  outwardly biases the pin features  54 . 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration is shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the dual compartment cooler  10 , it would be used as indicated in  FIG. 1 . The method of using the dual compartment cooler  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a model of the dual compartment cooler  10  having a desired overall size and color; opening the first lid  24  to expose the wet compartment  20 ; loading ice, beverages, refrigerated items, and the like, into the wet compartment  20 ; closing the first lid  24  onto the cooler body  16 ; opening the second lid  32 ; loading cold or hot foods and/or associated picnic items into the dry compartment  30 ; installing a shelf assembly  40  into the dry compartment  30  by grasping and pulling both release handles  44  upwardly and outwardly to retract the pin features  54 ; inserting the shelf assembly  40  downwardly into the dry compartment  30  to a desired elevation; inserting the release handles  44  into respective recesses  46  to engage the pin features  54  with corresponding detents  34 ; loading additional cold or hot foods and/or associated picnic items into the dry compartment  30  as needed; closing the second lid  32  onto the cooler body  16 ; utilizing the carrying handle  36  to transport the dual compartment cooler  10  to a desired location; using the dual compartment cooler  10  to store and supply contained items; removing and replacing the shelf assembly  40  as required to access items stored within the dry compartment  30 ; draining any water or liquid residue from the wet compartment  20  after use by removing the cap  62  from the fluid drain  60  and disposing of fluids; and, benefiting from convenient thermally-isolated storage of hot and cold food items as well as associated picnic items afforded a user of the dual compartment cooler  10 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.