Abstract:
An invertible portable cooler having a lid, an insulated interior to receive and retain ice and ice water, a can receptacle member to receive and retain a plurality of beverage cans, and an ice trap to receive and retain ice drained of excess water, wherein the beverage cans and ice retained by the ice trap are accessible by opening the lid of the cooler. The cooler may be provided with one or two spigots for dispensing the ice water without removing the cooler lid. The cooler may have a second lid opposite from the first lid. A cooler stand may be provided that accommodates inversion of the cooler.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/276,165, filed Sep. 9, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to the field of portable coolers used to cool foods and beverages or to hold iced liquids, and more particularly to portable coolers that have separate compartments for iced liquids and beverage cans. 
         [0003]    Portable insulated coolers for cooling and transporting food and/or beverages are well known. One common type of cooler is a generally rectangular chest having a hinged lid. Another common type of cooler is a cylindrical, barrel-shaped body with a removable lid. The coolers may have an externally mounted spigot that communicates with the interior of the chest or body such that liquid can be dispensed into a cup, glass or other container without opening the lid. To chill canned beverages such as soda or beer, the cans are typically placed into the cooler and a large quantity of ice is poured on top of the cans. 
         [0004]    A problem encountered with these coolers is that over time the ice will melt and removal of a can requires the uncomfortable immersion of one&#39;s hand into the frigid ice water. Likewise, removal of any ice also requires immersion of a person&#39;s hand, a cup, a ladle, etc., and obtaining ice without any accompanying water is difficult. This immersion is very unsanitary where it is also desirable that the ice water be available for drinking, since any dirt, germs, etc. on the person&#39;s hand or scooping device will be rinsed into the drinking water. 
         [0005]    It is an object of this invention to provide an improved cooler that allows the beverage cans to be cooled by the ice and ice water, and which provides a means to separate the cans from the ice and ice water such that one does not need to reach into the ice water to retrieve a can. It is a further object to provide such a cooler having an ice trap such that ice drained of excess water is also readily accessible. It is a further object to provide such a cooler optionally having a pair of spigots mounted toward opposing ends such that liquid may be dispensed from the cooler no matter which end of the cooler is disposed downward. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The invention in its main embodiment is an invertible portable cooler comprising a lid, an insulated interior to receive and retain ice and ice water, a can receptacle body member to receive and retain a plurality of beverage cans, and an ice trap to receive and retain ice drained of excess water, wherein the beverage cans and ice retained by the ice trap are accessible by opening the lid of the cooler. The cooler may be provided with one or two spigots for dispensing the ice water without removing the cooler lid. The cooler may have a second lid opposite from the first lid. A cooler stand having pivoting means may be provided to accommodate easy inversion of the cooler. The can receptacle body may be incorporated into a segment of the cooler wall or suspended within the cooler. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the cooler shown in an initial upright position with ice and beverage cans loaded prior to cooling. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the cooler of  FIG. 1  wherein the cooler has been inverted into the can cooling position such that the ice and ice water has entered the ice trap mechanism and the beverage cans are immersed within the ice and ice water. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the cooler of  FIGS. 1 and 2  wherein the cooler has been reverted to the initial upright position such that a portion of the ice has been trapped within the ice trap mechanism but the majority of ice and ice water is again disposed in the bottom of the cooler. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an external view of an alternative embodiment of the cooler, herein shown with two lids and with two spigots for dispensing ice water, such that ice water may be dispensed from the cooler in either the upright or the inverted position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing an alternative embodiment of the cooler, wherein the can receptacle body is suspended within the cooler body. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    With reference to the drawings, the invention will now be described in detail with regard for the best mode and preferred embodiment. In general, the invention is an invertible insulated cooler for beverage containers, such as for example beer or soda cans or bottles, the cooler adapted to receive ice and/ice water such that the ice and/or ice water contacts and cools the beverage cans. The embodiment shown in the drawings consists of a cylindrical or barrel-shaped cooler, but it is to be understood that it is contemplated that a chest cooler configuration would also be suitable. It is also to be understood that in this disclosure the term “can” shall be used and taken as a general term to include cans, bottles, juice boxes or other individual drink containers. 
         [0013]    A first embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . The cooler comprises a cooler side wall  11  and a cooler bottom  12 , which in combination define a cooler interior  13  adapted in known manner to receive and retain ice, ice melt water or other liquid to be chilled. With the cooler positioned in the first or upright position, as seen in  FIG. 1 , a quantity of ice  99 , which over time melts to create a combination of ice and melt water, is placed into and retained within the cooler interior  13 . Once the ice  99  has been loaded, the can receptacle body member  30  is joined onto the cooler wall  11  using can receptacle attachment means  34  for removably attaching the can receptacle body member  30  to the cooler wall  11 , which as shown in this embodiment comprises cooperating threading  35  disposed adjacent the top of cooler wall  11  and adjacent the bottom of can receptacle body member  30 . Other types of known attachment means  34  may be utilized, such as a press, fit seal, locking clamps or the like, so long as the can receptacle attachment means  34  provides a liquid impermeable seal. 
         [0014]    The can receptacle body member  30  comprises an insulated tubular wall  31  and an internal base member  32  that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal central axis of the tubular wall  31 . The internal base member  32  is provided with a plurality of apertures  33 , such as holes, slots, gaps in a screen or the like, preferably of relatively small size such that water may pass through the apertures  33  but any piece of ice  99  of significant size will be precluded from passing through. 
         [0015]    A lid member  21  is removably joined to the top of the tubular can receptacle body member  30  using lid attachment means  22 , which as shown in this embodiment comprises cooperating threading  23  disposed adjacent the top of the can receptacle wall  31  and beneath lid  21 . Other types of known lid attachment means  22  may be utilized, such as a press-fit seal, locking clamps or the like, so long as a liquid impermeable seal is created. Preferably the lid attachment means  22  and the can receptacle attachment means  34  are equivalent such that the lid  21  may be directly joined to the cooler side wall  11  if the cooler is to be used without the can receptacle body member  30  comprising the can receptacle wall  31 . 
         [0016]    The can receptacle body member  30  further comprises an ice trap member or mechanism  41 , preferably centrally and axially disposed as shown, although this location is not required. The ice trap member  41  comprises a separation wall  42 , preferably tubular, that is provided with apertures  44 , such as holes, slots, gaps in a screen or the like, preferably of relatively small size such that water may pass through the apertures  44  but any piece of ice  99  of significant size will be precluded from passing through. The ice trap member  41  further comprises a uni-directional hinged gate member  43  that is positioned toward or at the bottom of the tubular separation wall  42  and near or at the internal base member  32 . The gate member  43  is structured such that it can only open in one direction, i.e., into the interior of the ice trap member  41 . Gate member  43  may comprise a single member ( FIG. 5 ) or plural members ( FIGS. 1-3 ). 
         [0017]    With the cooler in the first upright position of  FIG. 1 , ice  99  loaded into the cooler interior  13 , and the can receptacle body member  30  joined to the cooler wall  11 , beverage cans  92  are now placed into the can receptacle body member  30 , the cans  92  being supported by the apertured internal base member  32  and surrounding the ice trap member  41 . The lid  21  is then joined to the upper end of the can receptacle wall  31 . 
         [0018]    To chill the beverage cans  92  and to load ice into the ice trap member  41 , the cooler is inverted into the second or inverted position, as shown in  FIG. 2 , such that the lid  21  is now lowermost. The ice  99  now rests above the beverage cans  92 , held in place by the internal base member  32 . With the cooler inverted, a portion of the ice  99  pushes down onto the hinged gate member  43 , forcing open the gate member  43  such that a quantity of ice enters the ice trap member  41 . The beverage cans  92  are now cooled due to the proximity of the ice  99 , and as the ice  99  melts the melt water passes through the apertures  33  and  44  to even more quickly cool the cans  92 . 
         [0019]    After a sufficient period of time has passed to chill the cans  92 , the cooler is reverted back into the upright position, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Ice water that had been in contact with the cans  92  now drains through the apertures  33  and  44  back into the cooler interior  13 . The hinged gate members  43  are now pushed backed into the closed position by the weight of the ice  99  which is now trapped in the ice trap member  41 . Melt water will also drain from the trapped ice  99 . In this manner, the lid  21  may now be removed for easy removal of the beverage cans  92  without the need to reach into the ice  99  and melt water retained in the cooler interior  13 . Likewise, ice  99  now retained in the ice trap member  41  may be easily removed without having to reach into the main body of ice  99  and melt water retained in the cooler interior  13 . After the cans  92  and ice  99  have been removed, new cans  92  may be placed into the can receptacle body member  30  and the cooler again inverted to chill the cans  92  and trap more ice  99 . 
         [0020]    In an alternative embodiment of the cooler shown in  FIG. 4 , shown in the upright position, the cooler comprises a main tubular body  51  that is open on both ends. A sealing first lid  52  and a sealing second lid  53  are removably joined to each end in known manner, such as described above. An apertured can receptacle separation wall and an ice trap member (both not shown) structured as set forth above is positioned within the interior of the cooler body  51 . In this embodiment, the ice  99  is loaded by inverting the cooler and removing the second lid  53 , which is replaced prior to inversion of the cooler into the upright position. The first lid  52  is then removed for placement of the beverage cans  92 . With the first lid  52  replaced, the cooler is then inverted as described above to cool the cans  92  and to trap ice  99  in the ice trap member  41 . 
         [0021]    It is preferred that the cooler in all embodiments be provided with a mechanism for dispensing iced liquid from the cooler, and such spigot devices are well known. It is most preferred that the cooler be provided with a first spigot  61  and a second spigot  62 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , with the first spigot  61  located adjacent one end of the cooler and the second spigot  62  located adjacent the other end. In this manner, ice water may be removed from the cooler in both the upright and the inverted positions. 
         [0022]    The cooler may be provided with a cooler pivot stand  71 , which as shown may comprise leg members  72  provided with feet members  73 . Pivot mounts  74  are attached to the leg members  72  and to the exterior of the cooler, whereby the cooler may more easily be inverted and reverted. 
         [0023]    In still another alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the can receptacle body  30  is suspended within or on the cooler side wall  11 . The can receptacle attachment means  34  here comprises suspension means  36  for suspending the can receptacle body  30  within the cooler. The suspension means  36  may comprise a plurality of individual members or may be formed as an annular member, the suspension means  36  as shown in the drawing having an annular flange or lip that rests on the shoulder defined by threading  35 . With this construction, the can receptacle body  30  may be utilized with coolers of standard construction. Alternative means to support the can receptacle body  30  within the cooler, such as through the use of leg members, are also possible. 
         [0024]    It is understood that equivalents and substitutions for elements described above may be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and therefore the true scope and definition of the invention is to be as set forth in the claims below.