Abstract:
This invention provides an easy to use device used to store a hose compatible with a standard garden hose faucet connection upon an insulated drink cooler.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,136 filed on May 4, 2011 entitled Water Hose Cooler which claims the benefit of provisional U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 61/343,776 filed on May 4,2010 entitled Minute Mat, Memory Jack, Stick It Memory Gate Adjustable Eye Ball, Offset Adjustable Eyeball herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to water coolers and water cooler lids. More specifically, this application relates water cooler lids with integrated storage for a hose. 
         [0003]    Water coolers provide drinking water at locations that normally do not have potable drinking water. Large coolers, however, can be difficult to fill up. The large size of a water cooler and its bulkiness does not make it easy to fill it up under a faucet. Using a hose makes filling the cooler easier, but a hose is not always available, and when it is, it likely contains contaminants, chemicals and heavy metals that can be toxic to the human body. 
         [0004]    A need exists for a simple, robust, inexpensive lid for a water cooler that securely stores a drinking water safe hose. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention provides a means to store a hose compatible with a standard garden hose faucet connection upon an insulated drink cooler. The invention contains a groove in which the hose is wrapped. In the first embodiment one end of the hose is secured to the lid by inserting the hose into a hole in the lid, while the other end of the hose is secured with an elastic cord or bungee. In a second embodiment, the hose is secured within a groove in the wall of the cooler itself. The groove is slightly narrower than the hose, allowing the hose to be retained by an interference fit with the walls of the groove. The hose allows the cooler to be washed rinsed or filled from a water faucet that may be otherwise too low to the ground to allow direct filling of the cooler. Having the hose removably attached to the cooler ensures that a drinking safe water hose is always available to use with the cooler. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the water cooler lid. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the water hose. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the water cooler lid. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the elastic cord hose end retainer. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention having a hose removably attached to the body of the cooler 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the invention with the hose partially detached. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the water cooler body being filled with water with the attachable hose. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a cross section of the water cooler body taken on line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The drawings illustrate an invention that enables an individual to easily store a hose upon the lid of a drinking water cooler. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  front view of the invention  1  sitting atop a drinking water cooler  2 . The lid  11  securely fastens to the drink cooler body  2  and provides a recessed groove  28  in which a hose  70  can be wound. A bungee  30  having a hook on one end may be attached at the other end to the hose  70  to secure one end of the hose to the lid  11 . The other end of the hose  70  may be secured by inserting it into an aperture  24  in the lid  11 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the lid  11  showing the upper surface of the upper lid hose guide  23  and outer side corner  15  of cooler insulated lid  11 . The outer surface  13  of the recessed groove  28  is shown in broken line. The outer surface  13  of the recessed groove  28  defines the outside surface of a vertical cylindrical wall  31  which lies between the outside surface  13  of the recessed groove and the inner wall surface  33 . A notch  16  is formed in the upper lid hose guide  23  to allow the bungee cord to recess inward holding the water hose tighter and closer to the center of the lid when pulled tight. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the hose  70  having a female end  78  and a male end  77 . The hose tubing  70  is constructed from drinking water safe materials. 
         [0021]    The housing threads  16  engage the water jet mounting plate threads  26  to secure the nozzle  24  to the housing  10 . A connecting pipe can be inserted into the connecting pipe coupling  12 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the water cooler lid. 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is perspective view of the elastic cord hose end retainer. 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is perspective view of the invention  1 . The hose  19  is wound around the outer body support wall  3 . The hose  19  has a first end  17  and a second end  18 . In the present embodiment, the first end  17  possesses a standard male garden hose fitting. It should be understood, however, that this first end may be left bare because it is used for filling up the water cooler. The second hose end  18  possesses a standard female garden hose fitting for attaching to a water faucet. In addition to the hose  19  being used for filling the water cooler  1 , the hose  19  may also be used for rinsing or washing the cooler body  2  or lid  11 . 
         [0025]    To store the hose, the first end  17  is inserted into a hole  24  adapted to receive it. The second end  18  is secured with a bungee  41  having a first end wrapped around the female end  18  of the hose  19 . The second end of the bungee  41  possesses a hook that is inserted into a hole in the top of the upper lid hose guide  13 . A notch  16  is formed in the edge of the upper lid hose guide  13  to allow the bungee cord to recess inward, thereby holding the water hose tighter and closer to the center of the lid when pulled tight. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  shows a second embodiment of the invention  101  where the hose  119  is secured within a groove  131  formed in the outside surface  103  of the cooler body  102 . The hose  119  is retained within the groove  131  by having a slightly larger diameter than the narrowest portion of the groove  131 .  FIG. 7  shows the hose  119  in a stored position. The hose  119  is nearly flush with the outside surface  103  of the cooler. The groove  131  has a slightly enlarged portion  133  at one end to allow the threaded fitting  118  to fit within. 
         [0027]      FIG. 8  shows the second embodiment of the invention  101  where the hose  119  is partially removed from the groove  131 . The groove  131  continues around the cooler&#39;s circumference. 
         [0028]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of the second embodiment of the invention  101 . The cooler body  102  is being filled with water  181  from a wall mounted water faucet  171 . Often, such faucets are positioned too low upon the structure to which they are attached, such as a house or other building, to allow direct filling of the cooler  101 . Hoses commonly used with such outdoor faucets  171  are intended for watering plants, and generally contain high levels of plasticizers and other toxic chemicals, including lead, which make them unsuitable for potable water. The hose  119  attachable to the cooler  101 , is constructed from a drinking water safe material and allows the cooler to be filled from a faucet  171  positioned lower than the top of the cooler. 
         [0029]      FIG. 10  shows a cross section of the cooler  101  being filled from a water faucet  171  mounted to a wall  173 . The cooler body  102  inner vertical wall  107  and outer vertical wall  109  may be constructed from an impact resistant plastic forming an interior void  161 . The groove  131  has a depth extending towards the inner vertical wall and is sufficiently deep to receive the hose  119 . In the preferred embodiment, the groove extends toward the inner wall  107 , but does not touch the inner wall  107 , allowing insulating space between the inner wall and the groove. Alternatively, the groove and inner wall may touch in at least one point along the groove  131 . The void  161  may be filled with an insulating material  163  such as foam, or air. The spiral shape of the groove  131  allows ample space for expanding foam to fill the cavity if injected into the void  161 . In the preferred embodiment he groove  131  narrows along the upper outer edge  137  and lower outer edge  135  to allow it to better grip the hose  119 .