Patent Publication Number: US-2007108248-A1

Title: Recreational combination device and associated methods

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to the field of recreational devices, and, more particularly, to chairs, insulated containers, and backpacks used for recreational activities, and related methods.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      When engaging in recreational activities, such as going to the beach, for example, it may be necessary to carry a plurality of different devices for use during the recreational activity. For example, when traveling to the beach, a user may require a plurality of folding chairs, a cooler, and a bag for carrying miscellaneous items. Of course, carrying these items individually may become cumbersome.  
      The prior art has attempted to address this issue. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,291 to Lamb et al. discloses a combination chair and backpack including a removable and reversible headrest and storage compartment. The combination chair and backpack includes sleeves positioned along various areas of the chair for holding an umbrella and a fishing rod. This combination chair and backpack, however, may require extensive time for a user to set up. Further, the combination chair and backpack of the Lamb et al. &#39;291 patent may also be cumbersome for a user to carry.  
      A combination cooler, chair, and backpack is offered by Flowlab, and is sold under the tradename Pack-n-Chair. The Pack-n-Chair provides a folding chair and a backpack that may be connected to a folding chair. Again, a user may find it difficult, or cumbersome, to transport the Pack-n-Chair.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,429 to Kennedy discloses a cooler seat storage transporting device including backpack straps so that the cooler seat storage device may be carried on a user&#39;s back. The device also includes a removable seat back that engages a portion of the cooler. A user may find it cumbersome to transport the cooler seat storage device disclosed in the Kennedy &#39;429 patent.  
      U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0140103 by Marchant et al. discloses a carrying bag for a folding chair. The carrying bag includes a telescoping handle positioned along a side portion thereof, a strap connected along a side portion thereof, and wheels positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the carrying bag.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recreational combination device that is easily transportable by a user. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a recreational combination device that provides a user ample storage space for various items.  
      These and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a recreational combination device comprising a container member having a bottom, sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom, and a top overlying the sidewalls. The recreational combination device may also comprise chair holding members detachably connected to the container member. Each of chair holding member preferably has a bottom, sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom, and an opened top.  
      The recreational combination device further preferably includes a wheel member connected to the bottom of each of the chair holding members, and a handle member moveably connected to the container member. The container member preferably includes a first compartment that is insulated, and a second compartment adjacent the first compartment. The first and second compartments are connected to and separated from one another by a common wall.  
      The chair holding members are preferably detachably connected to opposing sidewalls of the container member. Accordingly, a user may advantageously, and selectively, detach the chair holding members from the container member to enhance transportability of the recreational combination device. The chair holding members may be detachably connected to the container member using a hook and loop connector, a zipper connector, or a snap connector, for example.  
      The wheel member may advantageously be a caster that is rotatably connected to the bottom of each chair holding member. Such a wheel member advantageously provides the recreational combination device with multi-directional maneuverability.  
      In one embodiment of the recreational combination device, the chair holding members may be hard sided chair holding members. In this embodiment, the chair holding members are preferably collapsible to advantageously minimize the space necessary for storage of the chair holding members when not in use.  
      The handle member is preferably a telescoping handle member. Accordingly, the handle member may advantageously be moved to a hidden, or collapsed, position to enhance transportability of the recreational combination device.  
      The recreational combination device may also include a backpack strap connected to one of the sidewalls of the container member. The backpack strap advantageously provides a user another way to transport the recreational combination device. The recreational combination device may also advantageously include opposing fastening members connected to and extending outwardly from the bottom of the container member. The opposing fastening members may advantageously be used to fasten additional recreational items to the container member.  
      A method aspect of the present invention is for using a recreational combination device. The method may comprise connecting a chair holding member to a container member, inserting a chair into the chair holding member, and using a handle member moveably connected to the container member to roll the recreational combination device on a wheel member connected to the chair holding member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a front prospective view of a recreational combination device according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a front prospective view of the recreational combination device illustrated in  FIG. 1  showing a handle in an extended position and being pulled by a user.  
       FIG. 3  is a rear prospective view of the recreational combination device illustrated in  FIG. 1  positioned to receive a collapsible chair.  
       FIG. 4  is a front prospective view of a recreational combination device according to the present invention and showing a zipper connection between the container member and the chair holding member.  
       FIG. 5  is a partial prospective view of the recreational combination device according to the present invention and showing a hook and loop fastener connection between the container member and the chair holding member.  
       FIG. 6  is a partial prospective view of the recreational combination device according to the present invention and showing a snap connection between the container member and the chair holding member.  
       FIG. 7  is a front prospective view of the recreational combination device illustrated in  FIG. 1  and showing the handle in the extended position.  
       FIG. 8  is a front prospective view of another embodiment of the recreational combination device showing a soft sided container member and soft sided chair holding members.  
       FIG. 9  is a prospective view of the recreational combination device according to the present invention and showing collapsible chair holding members.  
       FIG. 10  is a prospective view of the recreational combination device according to the present invention and showing the chair holding members being connected to the container member to provide a table. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime and multiple prime notations are used to indicate similar elements in alternate embodiments.  
      Referring initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a recreational combination device  10  in accordance with the present invention is now described in greater detail. The recreational combination device  10  illustratively includes a container member  20  and a pair of chair holding members  30  detachably connected to the container member.  
      More specifically, the container member  20  has a bottom  22 , sidewalls  24  extending upwardly from the bottom, and a top  26  overlying the sidewalls. The container member  20  preferably has a polygonal shape, i.e., rectangular, for example. Those skilled in the art, however, will appreciate that the container member  20  may have any other shape as well.  
      The chair holding members  30  preferably have a bottom  32 , sidewalls  34  extending upwardly from the bottom, and an opened top. The chair holding members  30  preferably have a cylindrical shape suitable for receiving a collapsible chair  50 , as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,450 to Miyagi and U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,348 to Wu, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the chair holding members  30  may have any other shape as well.  
      The recreational combination device  10  also illustratively includes a wheel member  40  connected to the bottom  32  of each of the chair holding members  30 . The recreational combination device  10  further illustratively includes a handle member  42  moveably connected to the container member  20 . The container member  20  preferably includes a handle member receiving passageway  27  formed therein. The sidewalls  24  of the container member  20  are preferably defined by a front sidewall  24   a , a rear sidewall  24   b , a left sidewall  24   c , and a right sidewall  24   d . The handle member receiving passageway  27  is preferably formed in the rear sidewall  24   b  of the container member  20 . Accordingly, the handle member  42  may be moved into and out of the handle member receiving passageway  27  so that the handle member may be moved between a retracted position and an extended position.  
      The container member  20  preferably includes a first compartment  12  and a second compartment  14  adjacent the first compartment. The first compartment  12  may be an insulated compartment. Further, the first compartment  12  and the second compartment  14  are preferably connected to one another, but separated by at least one common wall  16 . The container member  20  of the recreational combination device  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  shows the first insulated compartment  12  positioned beneath the second compartment  14 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the insulated compartment may be positioned to overlie a compartment that is not insulated as illustrated, for example, in  FIG. 7 .  
      The container member  20  also illustratively includes an insulated compartment fastening member  21  positioned adjacent the common wall  16  separating the first insulated compartment  12  from the second compartment  14 . The insulated compartment fastening member  21  advantageously allows the first insulated compartment  12  of the container member  20  to have an enhanced seal. More particularly, the insulated compartment fastening member  21  may be a buckle type fastener that allows for the top, or lid, of the first insulated compartment  12  to be locked, thereby advantageously preventing leaks from within the first insulated compartment.  
      Access to the second compartment  14  of the container member  20  is preferably provided along with front sidewall  24   a  of the container member. The access may be in the form of a foldable, or moveable flap, for example. The container member  20  of the recreational combination device  10  also illustratively includes a zipper member  23  carried by the front sidewall  24   a  for allowing the flap to be opened and closed. More specifically, the zipper member  23  is positioned adjacent the front sidewall  24   a  of the second compartment  14  of the container member  20 . Accordingly, access to an interior portion of the second compartment  14  of the container member  20  may advantageously be provided by opening the flap using the zipper member  23 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the second compartment  14  of the container member  20  is preferably used to store items that do not need to be positioned in the first insulated compartment  12 . Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that any type of passageway may be formed in any of the sidewalls  24  of the second compartment  14  to provide access to the second compartment, and that the passageway may be opened and closed using any type of fastening member.  
      Referring now additionally to  FIGS. 4-6 , additional aspects of the recreational combination device  10  are now described in greater detail. The chair holding members  30  are preferably detachably connected to the sidewalls  24  of the container member  20 . More specifically, one chair holding member  30  is preferably detachably connected to a left sidewall  24   c  of the container member  20 , and another chair holding member is preferably detachably connected to the right sidewall  24   d  of the container member.  
      As perhaps best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the connector  36  between the chair holding member  30  and the container member  20  is preferably a zipper connector. Referring now more specifically to  FIG. 5 , another embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′ is now described in greater detail. More particularly, in this embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′, the connector  36 ′ between the chair holding member  30 ′ and the container member  20 ′ is illustratively a hook and loop connector. Accordingly, a user may readily detach the chair holding member  30 ′ from the container member  20 ′ by simply disengaging the straps having the hook and loop fasteners from one another. The other elements of this embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′ are similar to those of the first embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 , are labelled with prime notation, and require no further discussion herein.  
      Referring now additionally to  FIG. 6 , another embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ″ is now described in greater detail. In this embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ″, the connector  36 ″ between the chair holding member  30 ″ and the container member  20 ″ is preferably provided by a snap connector. Accordingly, a user may readily detach the chair holding members  30 ″ from the container member  20 ″ by simply releasing the snap members from one another. The other elements of the third embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ″ are similar to those of the first embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 , are labelled with double prime notation, and require no further discussion herein.  
      The wheel member  40  is preferably provided by a multi-directional wheel, such as a caster, for example. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the wheel member  40  may be provided by any other multi-directional wheel. The wheel member  40  is preferably rotatably connected to the bottom of each chair holding member  30 . Although the illustrations of the recreational combination device  10  show one wheel member  40  being connected to the bottom  32  of the chair holding members  30 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of wheel members may be connected to the bottom of the chair holding members.  
      The handle member  42  of the recreational combination device  10  is preferably a telescoping handle member. More specifically, and as briefly discussed above, the handle member  42  may be moved between an extended and a retracted position. When in the extended position, the handle member  42  may be grasped by a user so that the user may readily pull the recreational combination device  10 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the handle member  42  may include a plurality of locks to lock the position of the handle member at various places when being moved between the extended and retracted positions. Accordingly, the height of the handle member  42  may be readily adjusted to accommodate different users.  
      As also discussed above, the handle member  42  may be retracted into the handle member receiving passageway  27  formed in the container member  20 . When in the retracted position, a top portion of the handle member  42  is preferably flush with the top  26  of the container member  20 .  
      Referring now additionally to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , additional features of the recreational combination device  10  are now discussed. More particularly, the recreational combination device  10  illustrated in  FIG. 7  includes a hard sided container member  20 , and hard sided chair holding members  30 . Further, each chair holding member  30  of the recreational combination device  10  may illustratively include a top  38  to be positioned over the sidewalls  34  of the chair holding members. A recreational combination device  10  having a hard sided container member  20  and hard sided chair holding members  30  advantageously enhances the strength and durability of the recreational combination device.  
      Another embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′″ is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . In this embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′″, the container member  20 ′″ and the chair holding members  30 ′″ are preferably soft sided. Accordingly, a recreational combination device  10 ′″ having a soft sided container member  20 ′″ and soft sided chair holding members  30 ′″ is advantageously lighter in weight. The chair holding members  30 ′″ of this embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′″ includes a drawstring closure adjacent the open top of the chair holding members. Further, the insulated first compartment  12 ′″ of the container member  20 ′″ may be sealed using a zipper fastener, or any other fastener as understood by those skilled in the art. The other elements of this embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 ′″ are similar to those of the first embodiment of the recreational combination device  10 , are labelled with triple prime notation and require no further discussion herein.  
      The recreational combination device  10  also illustratively comprises backpack straps  44  connected to one of the sidewalls  24  of the container member  20 . More particularly, the backpack straps  44  are preferably connected to the rear sidewall  24   b  of the container member  20 . The backpack straps  44  are preferably padded backpack straps to advantageously enhance comfort when carrying the recreational combination device  10 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although a pair of backpack straps  44  are illustrated, any number of backpack straps may be used to accomplish the goals of the present invention.  
      The recreational combination device  10  further illustratively comprises fastening members  46  connected to and extending outwardly from the bottom  22  of the container member  20 . The fastening members  46  are preferably straps that may be used to fasten an additional recreational device, e.g., a beach blanket, a beach towel, or a sleeping bag. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the fastening members  46  may be tied around the recreational device to be secured to the bottom  22  of the container member  20 . Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the fastening members  46  may be manipulated in any number of ways to secure the additional recreational device to the bottom  22  of the container member  20 . Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that additional recreational devices may be fastened to the bottom  22  of the container member  20  using any other type of fastening member  46 , such as netting, for example, or another similar fastening member suitable for securing additional recreational devices to the container member. Of course, fastening members  46  may be used to fasten additional recreational devices anywhere on the container member  20 , i.e., not restricted to fastening additional recreational devices along the bottom  22  of the container member.  
      Referring now additionally to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , still another aspect of the recreational combination device  10  is now described in greater detail. More specifically, the chair holding members  30  are preferably collapsible. Further, the sidewalls  34  of the chair holding members  30  are preferably nesting sidewalls so that when detached from the container member  20 , they may be easily compacted for more simplified storage.  
      After the chair holding members  30  of the recreational combination device  10  are detached from the container member  20 , they may be rotated  90  degrees and reconnected to the sidewalls  24  of the container member, as perhaps best illustrated in  FIG. 10 . This advantageously allows for the recreational combination device  10  to be used as a table. More particularly, upon detachment from the container member  20 , portions of the chair holding members  30  may be separated from one another to thereby provide four legs, as is necessary to form a table when reconnected to the sidewalls  24  of the container member.  
      A methods aspect of the present invention is for using a recreational combination device  10 . The method may include connecting the chair holding member  30  to the container member  20 . The method may also include inserting a chair  50  into the chair holding member  30 . The chair  50  is preferably a collapsible chair similar to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,450 to Miyagi and U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,348 to Wu, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The method may also include using a handle member  42  that is moveably connected to the container member  20  to roll the recreational combination device  10  on at least one wheel member  40  connected to the chair holding member  30 .  
      Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.