Patent Publication Number: US-9884753-B1

Title: Multi-compartment beverage cooler

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of camping and sporting goods, more specifically, a beverage cooler configured to separately hold multiple beverages. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The multi-compartment beverage cooler is a portable insulated beverage cooler that is divided into a plurality of beverage chambers each of which is capable of containing separate beverages and keeping them cool. The multi-compartment beverage cooler is comprised of a body, a divider structure, a plurality of dispensing spouts, and a removable lid. 
     These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the multi-compartment beverage cooler will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the multi-compartment beverage cooler in detail, it is to be understood that the multi-compartment beverage cooler is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the multi-compartment beverage cooler. 
     It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the multi-compartment beverage cooler. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the multi-compartment beverage cooler. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the interior of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  show a partial cut-away view of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows another perspective view of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 , the multi-compartment beverage cooler (hereinafter invention  100 ) is comprised of a body  101 , a divider structure  105 , a plurality of dispensing spouts  103 , a removable lid  102 , and an optional customizable outer sleeve  107 . 
     The body  101  is essentially formed in the shape of a cylinder which is comprised of a body sidewall  108  forming a curved outer surface, a top  125 , a bottom  124 , a length  126 , and a diameter  127 . The top  125  of the body  101  is open. When in use, the invention  100  is placed so that the bottom  124  is substantially in contact with a resting surface. The bottom  124  and body sidewall  108  provide for the exterior containment of the beverages within the invention  100 . The body sidewall  108  and bottom  124  are each made of a hard inner plastic shell  128 , a hard outer plastic shell  129 , and core insulating material  130 , which is sandwiched within the hard inner plastic shell  127  and hard outer plastic shell  128 . 
     The divider structure  105  is used to divide the interior volume of the body  101  to form a plurality of beverage chambers  104 . Each individual beverage chamber  104  is adapted to store a beverage therein. Moreover, each of the plurality of beverage chambers are independent of one another, and keep the various beverages separated from one another. 
     The divider structure  105  is comprised of a plurality of panels  134 . The width of each of the plurality of panels  134  spans a radius or half of the diameter  127  of the invention  100 . The length of each of the plurality of panels  134  runs in the direction of the length  126  of the invention  100 . The individual length of each of the plurality of panels  134  is less than or equal to the overall length  126  of the invention  100 . Any two adjacent panels from the plurality of panels  134  will provide the inner containment for each individual beverage chamber  104 . 
     In a first illustrative embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , the divider structure  105  is used to segregate the interior volume of the body  101  into a first beverage chamber  110 , a second beverage chamber  111  and a third beverage chamber  112 . The divider structure  105  is comprised of a first panel  131 , a second panel  132  and a third panel  133 . In this embodiment, the first panel  131  and third panel  112  combine to form the inner walls of the first beverage chamber  110 , the first panel  131  and second panel  132  combine to form the inner walls of the second beverage chamber  111 , and the second panel  132  and third panel  133  combine to form the inner walls of the third beverage chamber  112 . 
     The divider structure  105  is made of a hard plastic shell filled with a core insulating material  130 . Each panel of the divider structure  105  is attached to the sidewall  108  and the bottom of the invention  124 . In a second illustrative embodiment, the divider structure  105  and hard inner plastic shell  128  are formed as a single piece of molded plastic and the hard outer plastic shell  129  is formed as a separate piece of molded plastic. In this second embodiment, the hard inner plastic shell  128 /divider structure  105  combination is attached to the hard outer plastic shell  129 . The core insulating material  130  is then injected into the space created between the hard inner plastic shell  128 /divider structure  105  combination and the hard outer plastic shell  129 . An example of a suitable material for the hard outer plastic shell  129  would be high density polyethylene. An example of suitable material for the divider structure  105  and the hard inner plastic shell  129  would be food grade polypropylene. An example of suitable material for the core insulating material would be polystyrene or urethane foam. 
     A plurality of dispensing spouts  103  is provided with the invention  100 . Specifically, each of the plurality of beverage chambers  104  is provided with one of the plurality of dispensing spouts  103 . The plurality of dispensing spouts is adapted to enable removal of the beverage from the respective beverage chamber  104 . Each individual dispensing spout  103 , which can be, but is not limited to, a faucet, tap or stopcock, is mounted through the body sidewall  108  and controls the flow of liquid from each individual beverage container  104  into an external container. 
     As shown in the first illustrative embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , a first dispensing spout  120  controls the flow of liquid from the first beverage chamber  110 , a second dispensing spout  121  controls the flow of liquid from the second beverage chamber  111 , and a third dispensing spout  122  controls the flow of liquid from the third beverage chamber  112 . The plurality of dispensing spouts  103  can be made of molded plastic. An example of suitable material for a dispensing spout  103  is food grade polypropylene. 
     The invention  100  is provided with a removable lid  102 . The removable lid  102  is sized and designed for the purpose of sealing and insulating the open top  125  of the body  101 . The removable lid  102  is designed to enclose the open top  125  of the body  101  with a plurality of beverage chamber seals  135  nested within. 
     As shown in the first illustrative embodiment represented in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , a first beverage chamber seal  136  will fit securely in the first beverage chamber  110 , a second beverage chamber seal  137  will fit securely in the second beverage chamber  111 , and a third beverage chamber seal  138  will fit securely in the third beverage chamber  112 . The plurality of beverage chamber seals  135  comprises the first beverage chamber seal  136 , the second beverage chamber seal  137 , and the third beverage chamber seal  138 . 
     The removable lid  102  can be made from a third piece molded plastic with a hollow space in the center. The removable lid  102  may be further defined with an internal threading  130  provided within a lip  179  of the removable lid  102 . The internal threading  130  of the lip  179  of the removable lid  102  corresponds with external threading  180  provided at the top  125  of the body  101 . An example of suitable material for the third piece of molded plastic would be food grade polypropylene. 
     Optionally, the body  101  can be fitted with a plurality of handgrips  106 . The plurality of handgrips  106  are provided adjacent to and below the external threading  180  at the top  125  of the body  101 . As shown in the first illustrative embodiment represented in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the plurality of handgrips  106  is further defined as a first handgrip  115  and a second handgrip  116  are provided. Both the first handgrip  115  and the second handgrip  116  attach to the body  101  via a handgrip bracket  181 . The handgrip bracket  181  enables either the first handgrip  115  or the second handgrip  116  to rotate with respect to the body  101 . 
     The invention  100  can also be fitted with an optional customizable outer sleeve  107 . The purpose of the customizable outer sleeve  107  is to provide additional insulation and to allow the user to apply customized art to the exterior of the invention  100 . The customizable outer sleeve  107  is sized to fit over the body  101  of the invention  100 . The customizable outer sleeve  107  is formed with a plurality of handgrip cutouts to accommodate handgrips  117 , and a plurality of spout cutouts  123  to accommodate the plurality of dispensing spouts  103 . 
     As shown in the first illustrative embodiment represented in  FIG. 5 , access through the customizable outer sleeve  107  to the first handgrip  115  and second handgrip  116  is provided through the first handgrip cutout  118  and the second handgrip cutout  119 . Similarly, access through the customizable outer sleeve  107  to the first dispensing spout  120  is accommodated through an individual dispensing spout cutout  123 . 
     The body  101  may include a volume-indicating window  177 . The volume indicating window  177  is vertically oriented, made of a translucent material that enables a visible confirmation of a level of volume of fluid contained within the body  101 . The outer sleeve  107  includes a window cutout  178  that corresponds with the volume-indicating window  177  of the body  101 . The window cutout  178  enables visible confirmation as to the level of volume of fluid contained within the body  101  while having the outer sleeve  107  positioned on the body  101 . 
     The invention  100  may also include a removable strap  182 . The removable strap  182  is of an undefined length, and is used to secure to the plurality of handgrips  106  as an alternative measure for carrying the invention  100 . The removable strap  182  is further defined with a first strap end  183  and a second strap end  184 . Both the first strap end  183  and the second strap end  184  include a fastener  185  that is used to form a loop around one of the plurality of handgrips  106 . Ideally, the fastener  185  is a snap button, or a button and hole combination, a hook and grommet, etc. 
     To use the invention  100 , each of the individual beverage chambers  104  would be filled with a beverage of the user&#39;s choice. The selected beverages can be different in each individual beverage chamber  104 . The removable lid  102  is then fitted to the top  125  of the invention  100 . When desired, a user can then operate one of the plurality of dispensing spouts  103  to dispense the selected beverage into a container. 
     With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationship for the various components of the invention described above and in  FIGS. 1-5 , include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the invention. 
     Is shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.