Abstract:
An improved insulated cooler has accessory holders detachably secured to its outer wall. An exemplary holder is provided for containerized drinks. The holder is made of a rigid plastic upper ring at the top and may have flexible fabric or mesh lower portion at the bottom such that the holders can be nested into receptacles in the top surface of the lid for convenient storage. This arrangement provides the benefit of permitting the user to access conveniently the contents of the ice chest without having to remove drinks that otherwise would be sitting on the lid of the ice chest. There also may be one or more connections on the ice chest that permit a fishing rod holder, an umbrella holder, or other accessory holder to be affixed to the cooler.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to insulated ice chests or coolers and, more particularly, to an insulated ice chest having beverage and other accessory holders detachably secured thereto.  
         [0002]     Insulated ice chests and coolers (hereinafter generically referred to as “coolers”) are regularly used to transport food and beverages on recreational outings such as to the beach, to sporting events and on picnics. Insulated coolers are used not only to transport food and beverages to remote locations, but also to maintain the food and beverages at a reduced temperature, often with the aid of ice cubes or ice packs.  
         [0003]     In many environments it is advantageous to provide receptacles in the cooler structure so that as the beverages are consumed over time, they need not be placed on the ground where they are more likely to be knocked over or become soiled. Thus, many insulated coolers have been provided with beverage receptacles. Typically, the beverage receptacles are included in the cooler lid or as permanent receptacles on a side or front face of the cooler. A problem with the providing beverage receptacles in the lid, however, is that the beverages must be removed each time the interior of the cooler is accessed. A disadvantage of incorporating beverage receptacles on a front or side wall of the cooler is that such receptacles may not always be required, but add to the dimensions of the unit whether or not they are used.  
         [0004]     There are other articles which may from time to time be used by the consumer in conjunction with a cooler. For example, coolers are often taken along when fishing. Therefore, it would be advantageous to associate a fishing rod receptacle with the cooler to hold the fishing rod while the fisherman waits for the fish to bite, or takes a break for a snack. Insulated coolers are also taken to the beach where the customer may wish to use a beach umbrella. It is often desirable to brace the beach umbrella against the side of the cooler and, therefore, an umbrella holder accessory would be another advantageous accessory for association with an insulated cooler.  
         [0005]     The present invention provides beverage and other accessory holders which may be selectively detachably secured to an outer wall of an insulated cooler. Because the accessory holders may be removed and stored, they do not contribute to the cooler dimensions during periods of non-use. Detachably secured holders also allow the consumer to selectively add or remove accessory holders on a portion of the cooler where it is convenient and in a number and at a location suitable to the customer&#39;s immediate needs.  
         [0006]     As will be appreciated, a variety of accessory holders may be provided in accordance with the invention and selectively detachably secured to the insulated cooler. By way of example, an accessory holding ring, which may be used for example to hold beverage bottles, cans, or cups, is provided. Also provided as an exemplary embodiment is an elongated accessory holder which may be used, for example, to receive a fishing rod.  
         [0007]     Thus, the invention may be embodied in an insulated cooler comprising upstanding insulating front, rear and side walls, a bottom wall and a lid, the walls and lid together defining an insulated enclosed space; at least one accessory holder having a first coupling portion; at least one second coupling portion complimentary to said first coupling portion provided on one of said front, rear and side walls for selectively coupling said accessory holder to said respective wall; wherein said accessory holder comprises a frame defining a perimeter of an accessory receiving space having an upwardly open mouth and wherein said first coupling portion is provided on an outer periphery of said frame. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more completely understood and appreciated by careful study of the following more detailed description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an insulated cooler having accessory holders coupled thereto in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  with a fishing rod and cup holder exploded away from the cooler to illustrated the respective coupling portions;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary accessory holder and coupling assembly;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an accessory holder embodying the invention, taken from above;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an accessory holder embodying the invention, taken from below; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a fishing rod holder, from behind, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     As will be appreciated from the description provided hereinbelow, a variety of accessory holders may be provided in accordance with the invention.  FIG. 1  illustrates by way of example an insulated cooler  10  having various accessory holders  12 , 14  detachably secured thereto to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention.  
         [0016]     The insulated cooler  10  is comprised of upstanding insulating front  16 , rear  18 , and side  20 ,  22  walls; a bottom wall  24 ; and a lid  26 . The walls and lid together define an insulated enclosed space. Each accessory holder  12 ,  14  has a first coupling portion  28 ,  30 . Second coupling portions  32 ,  34  complimentary to the first coupling portions  28 ,  30  are provided on the front  16 , rear  18 , and/or side  20 ,  22  wall(s) for selectively coupling the accessory holder  12 ,  14  to the cooler.  
         [0017]     In the illustrated embodiment, accessory holder  12  is comprised of a truncated holder frame  36  defining a perimeter of an accessory receiving space  38  having an upwardly open mouth. As shown, the first coupling portion  28  is provided on an outer periphery of the frame  36 . The holder frame  36  preferably defines a closed perimeter to fully encircle the accessory receiving space  38 . However, the holder frame may be generally c-shaped, that is circumscribing more than one half and preferably about ¾ of the accessory receiving space  38 , if deemed necessary or desirable to accommodate the accessory, as described in greater detail hereinbelow. The holder frame  36  is illustrated as being generally circular in cross-section since in an exemplary embodiment it is used to receive a beverage container, which is typically also circular in cross-section. It is to be understood, however, that a holder frame provided in another, e.g., straight-sided shape, such as a square or hexagon could be used without departing from the invention.  
         [0018]     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the holder frame  36  is used to receive a beverage container such as a bottle, can or glass (not shown). To support the beverage container from below, a bag like receptacle  40  is provided to extend downwardly from the holder frame  36  so that the holder is well suited to beverage containers of any of the variety of sizes and shapes. Such a receptacle  40  may be omitted, however, where the holder frame&#39;s shape and size generally correspond to that of the beverage container and the beverage container has a flared or enlarged top end or has a tapered outer wall that is larger adjacent its upper portion, to engage and be held by the frame on insertion.  
         [0019]     As mentioned above, the holder frame  36  is secured to the outer wall of the cooler  10  by providing complimentary coupling portions  28 ,  32  on the frame and on the cooler outer wall. In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling portion  32  provided on the cooler outer wall defines a generally dovetail shaped receptacle having first and second inclined walls  42 ,  44  and a bottom wall  46  to limit the displacement of the holder with respect to the receptacle. The holder frame  36  likewise includes a pair of outwardly flared walls  48 ,  50  for laterally locking the holder frame  36  with respect to the coupling portion  32 . Stop walls  52 ,  54  are defined adjacent the upper end of the flared walls  48 ,  50  to limit downward displacement of the frame  36  with respect to the coupling portion  32  provided on the cooler. Thus, when the holder is attached to the cooler, the inclined/flared walls  42 ,  44 ,  48 ,  50  limits or precludes lateral displacement of the holder away from the cooler and the stop walls  52 ,  54  and bottom wall  46  respectively limit the downward displacement of the holder. However, the holder can be readily removed from the cooler by lifting as shown by the exploded view of  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
         [0020]     Although radially projecting legs to define a dovetail like projection  28  and a dovetail like receptacle  32  are respectively provided to secure holder  12  and cooler  10  in the illustrated embodiment, it is to be understood that other complimentary coupling structures, such as a solid dove-tail projection or a T-shaped projection and corresponding slot or groove, may be provided without departing from the invention. Moreover, it is to be appreciated that the inverse of the connector arrangement shown could be provided so that the protrusion is defined on the cooler and the receptacle on the holder.  
         [0021]     When the holder frame is not in use, advantageously it may be seated in the lid  26  of the cooler  10  in a respective receptacle  56  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Advantageously, when provided, the container receptacle  40  can be collapsed into a lower part  58  of the two-tiered holder receptacle  56 . The frame  36  of the holder  36  is then seated on the ledge  60  defined by the larger portion  62  of the two-tiered receptacle  56 . A cutout  64  is provided to accommodate the flared walls  48 ,  50  of the holder. It is further seen in  FIG. 1  that a at least one locking projection  66  is defined on an inner wall of the larger portion  62  of receptacle  56 . Furthermore, at least one projecting lip  68  is provided on the holder frame  36 . In the illustrated embodiment, primarily for aesthetic reasons, the projecting lip  68  of the holder  36  extends substantially about the entire periphery. However, spaced projecting lip segments may be provided at spaced locations about the holder frame. Thus, when the holder frame is not in use, it may be snap-locked into position in the larger portion  62  of the two-tiered receptacle  56 , with the receptacle portion  40  of the holder  12  seated, e.g., collapsed, in the lower part  58 . When it is desired to remove the holder frame from its respective receptacle, the consumer can reach under the holder frame  36  into the finger accommodating space  70  defined in the lower part  58  of receptacle  56  and snap the holder  36  out of its storage position. Because the container receptacle or bag  40  (if provided) is flexible, it does not serve as an impediment to the unlocking motion described above.  
         [0022]     While in the illustrated embodiment a bag-like container receptacle  40  is provided to receive the bottom portion of the beverage container, it is to be understood that a rigid, partially rigid, and/or telescopically collapsible container receptacle can be provided integral with or attached to the frame  36  in lieu of a flexible bag or net.  
         [0023]     Reference will now be made to the elongated frame  72  defining the accessory holder  14 , illustrated in particular in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  6 , which may be used to receive and hold, e.g., a fishing rod handle. The frame  72  defines an accessory receiving area  74  having and an upwardly open mouth. This holder includes first connector portion  30  for engaging complimentary second connector portion  34  provided on an outer wall of the insulated cooler  10 . Because holder  14  is vertically elongated, the first and second connector portions are similarly elongated to support the holder body securely with respect to the cooler.  
         [0024]     In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second connector portions  30 ,  34  are respectively defined by a generally dovetail projection or protrusion and a corresponding generally dovetail receptacle. The dovetail protrusion  30  in this embodiment is provided on the outer wall of the frame or housing  72  of the elongated holder  14  and the dovetail receptacle  34  is defined on the cooler wall. It is to be appreciated that the protrusion may be provided on the cooler and the receptacle on the holder, albeit inverted to support the holder. The coupling receptacle may be the same or similar to the complimentary couplings provided for cup dispensers provided, e.g., on conventional 5 and 10 gallon plastic beverage coolers manufactured by Igloo Products Corporation. Thus, the second coupling portion  34  includes first and second walls  76 ,  78 , joined by base  77 . Walls  76 ,  78  are inclined towards one another to define the generally dovetail receptacle. Coupling walls  80 ,  82  project from the elongated holder frame or housing  72 . In the illustrated embodiment, the legs project generally radially and receptacle engaging walls  84 ,  86  having inclined edges are provided for being slidably and lockingly disposed in the dovetail receptacle. Upper walls  88 ,  90  are also provided for limiting the displacement the elongated holder  14  with respect to the second coupling portion  34 . It is to be understood that rather than providing wedge walls  84 ,  86 , the radial walls  80 ,  82  may be flared outwardly to engage the inclined walls of the receptacle. In the illustrated embodiment, the elongated frame or housing  72  includes a generally cylindrical side wall  92  and a slot  94  for accommodating the reel mounted to the fishing rod. Thus it may be said that the frame or housing  72  is substantially circular in cross-section. It is to be understood, however, that the frame may have, e.g., a straight-sided shape, such as a square or hexagon, without departing from the invention. Moreover, as illustrated, the generally cylindrical side wall  92  and the receptacle defined thereby can be flared towards the upper open end thereof, so that the fishing rod holder is narrowest adjacent its closed bottom wall  96 .  
         [0025]     While the bottom of the holder  14  may be open, it is preferred that a bottom wall  96  be provided on which, e.g., the fishing rod handle can rest so that the weight of the fishing rod is not borne by the reel attachment structure engaging the slot  94 . Although the holder  14  has been characterized as particularly suitable for a fishing rod, it is to be understood that an elongated holder may be provided to accommodate other accessories such as a flashlight, utensils, or other elongated tool(s) or device(s).  
         [0026]     As mentioned above, coolers are often transported onto the beach and braced against a beach umbrella to not only be shaded, but also to help hold the umbrella shaft in position. In accordance with a further advantageous characteristic of the invention, an accessory holder embodying the invention such as a holder frame  36  having no container receptacle  40  can be used to engage a beach umbrella shaft. For example, such a holder frame  36  can be slipped over the insertion end of the umbrella shaft before the umbrella is planted into the ground. Then, after the umbrella shaft is planted, the holder frame can be displaced along the shaft to align with the complementary coupling portion  32  provided on the ice chest, thereby defining a support ring to aid in the support of the umbrella. In the alternative, a holder frame embodying the invention defined as a part circumferential or c-shaped holder may be provided that can be engaged with the umbrella after planting and then coupled to the ice chest.  
         [0027]     By way of example, holder frames which may be used as a beverage holder, a fishing rod holder, and/or and umbrella holder have been illustrated and described as detachably secured to an insulated cooler. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate from the disclosure provided that these are merely examples of a variety of holders which may be detachably secured to an insulated cooler using the principles of the invention. Likewise, the holders described may be used to receive and hold a variety of devices, components, and accessories, not just beverage containers, fishing rods, and umbrellas. Therefore, the specification is not to be limited to the particular holder types and accessories described herein. Indeed, while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.