Abstract:
A chest cooler accessory for maintaining food items above a level of ice and water within the chest cooler that includes a rectangular elastic net that is maintained around three sides to the undersurface of the chest cooler lid to be open along the elastic net side that is adjacent to the lid latching side to pass food items into the elastic net that flexes to support them above the water and ice level during transport, and which elastic net attachment to the lid undersurface is with fasteners that do not effect the lid internal integrity.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to accessory items for inclusion with portable ice chest coolers as a person will carry with them in the wilderness, to a sporting event, or in a vehicle, where ice is poured into the cooler to keep items, such as drinks, cold and to chill food items, such as sandwiches, cheese, and the like, with the accessory item for maintaining such food items above the ice and water level, protecting them from water contamination. 
         [0003]    2. Prior Art 
         [0004]    Heretofore, where an owner has wished to carry both drinks and food items in their ice chest for a distance, or over time, they have attempted to separate such food items as by placing non-food items, such as trays, dishes or the like above the ice level with such food items there above, or have packed the food items in separate containers, or the like. In practice, where the chest has been exposed to movement during travel, as the ice melts water has sloshed over the food items, making them undesirable for consumption. The invention, to protect such food items, employs an elastic net arrangement fixed to the undersurface of the ice chest lid, apart from the level of ice and water within the chest, for carrying the perishable food items away the melting ice while still keeping those food items cool and dry. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is a principal object of the present invention is to provide an elastic net for mounting to the undersurface of a conventional ice chest cooler to maintain food items above the level or ice and water within the chest during transport and over time. 
         [0006]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an elastic net arrangement of crossing elastic straps mounted on three sides to a fabric frame that push to lock fasteners are fitted through and are press fitted into holes formed in the undersurface of an ice chest cooler lid, securing the elastic net thereto, above a level of ice and water within the chest, for receiving food items passed across the open elastic net side and holding such food items above and out of the ice and water. 
         [0007]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide an elastic net arrangement that is easily and permanently mounted to an undersurface of an ice chest cooler lid to receive and protect food items fitted therein from water damage during movement of the ice chest where the installation of the elastic net will not effect the insulating characteristics of the chest lid. 
         [0008]    The invention is an accessory item for a conventional ice chest cooler that is in an elastic net arranged for mounting to an undersurface of the chest lid and includes a flexible strap frame connected to three sides of the elastic net that receives press to lock fasteners installed at intervals around the three side of the strap frame that are push fitted into holes formed through the chest lid undersurface to lock within the lid with the unconnected side of the elastic net adjacent to the lid latch edge left open to receive food items fitted there across and held place by the net, supported above a level of ice and water in the cooler. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in which the invention is described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation perspective view of the invention in a chest cooler accessory where the chest cooler is shown a containing ice with canned drinks therein and shows the chest lid as having been raised, exposing the chest cooler accessory as including an elastic strap net and flexible fabric frame mounted to the underside of the chest lid that is shown as containing food items; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the elastic strap net attached on three sides to the flexible fabric frame adjacent to the lid latch side of  FIG. 1 , and shows press to lock fasteners aligned with each of spaced holes formed through the flexible fabric frame; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a front elevation section of the chest lid of  FIG. 1  showing an operators hand turning a hand drill, forming spaced holes in the undersurface of the chest lid that are to receive the press to lock fasteners shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows the flexible fabric frame whereto is connected the elastic strap net that has space holes formed therethrough that are aligned with the holes formed in the chest lid of  FIG. 3 , and shows the press to lock fasteners of  FIGS. 2 and 3  aligned for fitting through which aligned flexible fabric frame and lid holes; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows the flexible fabric frame and elastic strap net of the invention fitted to the undersurface of the chest lid, with the open elastic net side adjacent to the chest lid latch edge; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5  of the chest lid, showing an end section of the chest lid as being filled with insulation, and showing push to lock fasteners, that have teeth that slope towards their head end, to hold the fasteners in the lid interior without damage thereto; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a side elevation sectional view of the top portion of the chest cooler and cooler lid showing the chest cooler as containing a level of ice and showing food items supported within the elastic strap net; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation sectional view of the top portion of the chest cooler and cooler lid, with the lid closed over the chest cooler top portion, showing the elastic strap net supported above the level of ice and water in the chest cooler. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    The invention, as is hereinafter described, is in chest cooler accessory as shown in the Figs., and  FIG. 1  shows a front elevation view of such chest cooler  10  that includes a rectangular box  11  with a lid  12  that is connected along hinge  13  that is pivoted to close over the open top of the rectangular box, as shown in  FIGS. 8 . The rectangular box  11  includes an inner shell  11   a  for fitting into the box  11 , and is spaced apart therefrom to provide an air space therebetween, or to receive an insulation material  11   c  installed therein, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Which  FIGS. 7 and 8  also show the lid  12  as including an inner lid  12   a  that is also spaced apart from the lid  12  to provide an air space therebetween, or which space can receive an insulation material  12   b  installed therein. 
         [0019]    Shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  7  and  8 , the chest cooler  10  rectangular box  11  is filled with a layer of ice  14  that a number of canned drinks  15  are shown immersed in. Over time and during travel that ice will melt and turn to water that, of course, will not effect the containerized drinks  15  or food items that are maintained in their own containers. However, for perishable food items  16 , such as wrapped sandwiches, cheese in plastic wraps or loose wraps, fruit, or the like, when exposed to the water and ice mixture, may become uneatable. Even when the perishable food items  16  are separated from the ice and water, they may be exposed or immersed when the chest cooler is moved or tilted. 
         [0020]    The invention is in a chest cooler accessory to overcome the problem of separation of food items  16  from the ice and water mixture by providing a simple and effective elastic net arrangement secured to the lid  12  inner surface  12   a  to maintain such food items  16  above the level of ice and water  14 . Shown in the Figs. The accessory for a chest cooler  10  is in a food item support  20  that in shown in  FIG. 2  as including an elastic net  2   l  that is formed from elastic cloth straps  22  that cross at right angles, forming the rectangular elastic net  21 . Which elastic cloth straps  22  crossings  23  are preferably formed by weaving the straps over and under one another, as shown best in  FIGS. 1 ,  7  and  8 , and which crossings of the elastic cloth straps  22  are secured together, as by sewing, or by application of an adhesive thereto, or the like. So arranged, the elastic net  21  will stretch to receive food items  16  fitted therein, supporting those food items, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  7  and  8 , above the ice and water level, and will return to its un stretched attitude when the food items  16  are removed. 
         [0021]    Further to the assembly of the rectangular net  21 ,  FIG. 2  shows the elastic cloth straps  22  as receiving a support border  24 , that has a U shape and is formed from straight sections of flexible cloth straps  25  that are secured at their corners to one another at right angles, where the border support  24  is to fit to three sides of the elastic net  21 , over the elastic cloth straps  22  ends, and is secured thereto as by sewing, or with an adhesive, maintaining the support border  24  around three of the four elastic net  21  sides, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  4  and  5 ,  7  and  8 , with, the elastic net  21  left open on the side away from the lid hinge  13 . 
         [0022]    Shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , the net  21 , attached to the support border  24 , forms the food item support  20 , when the support border  24  is mounted to the chest cooler  10  lid undersurface  12   a.  Shown in  FIG. 3 , to receive the food item support  20 , the lid  12  inner surface  12   a  has holes  18  formed, as with a hand drill  17 , or other tool, into the lid inner surface  12   a  that will align with holes  26  that are formed through the support border  24 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0023]    To install the food item support  20  to the lid under surface  12   a,  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the support border  24  holes  26  and  20  lid undersurface holes  18  are aligned and receive locking fasteners  27  press fitted through the respective holes  26  and  18 , that travel into the space between the top of the lid  12  and lid undersurface  12   a,  that, as shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 , that may be filled with an insulation material  12   b,  but, within the scope of this invention, may be an open space. 
         [0024]    The locking fasteners  27 , as shown best in  FIG. 6 , preferably each include a broad head  28  and shaft  29  where around threads  30  formed there around, and preferably has a shaft pointed end  29   a.  Which individual threads  30  each preferably slopes towards the head  28 . So arranged, to install the locking fasteners  27  through the lid undersurface holes  18 , an operator pushes, as with their thumb or finger on the head  28 , urging the shaft  29  through the aligned holes support border holes  26  and lid undersurface holes  18 , and into the insulation material  12   b,  or into a void, with the locking fastener  27  threads  30  flexing towards the shaft  29  as they pass through the lid undersurface  12   a  holes  18 , and then flex outwardly within the insulation material  12   b,  or void, such the threads outer ends will bind on the lid undersurface holes  18  edges, prohibiting withdrawal, and locking the food item support  20  support border  24  to the lid  12  undersurface  12   a,  as shown in FIGS.  1 , 5 ,  7  and  8 . 
         [0025]    While the locking fastener  27  as set out above is preferred for securely fastening the food item support  20  support boarder  24  onto the lid  12  undersurface  12   a,  it should be understood that other fasteners having like capabilities could be so used within the scope of this disclosure. With the food item support  20  in place, food items  16 , as shown in  FIGS. 1. 7  and  8 , can be passed through the opening between the lid  12  undersurface  12   a  and rectangular net  21  top elastic strap  22  such the elastic net  21  flexes outwardly, urging the elastic straps  22  away from the lid  12  undersurface  12   a,  holding the food items  16  safely in place above the level of ice and water  14 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , during movement of the ice chest  10 . 
         [0026]    Hereinabove has been set out a description of a preferred embodiment of the chest cooler accessory of the invention. It should however, be understood that the present invention can be varied within the scope of this disclosure without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.