Patent ID: 7543828

Claim:
A portable cooler assembly comprising: (a) a base; (b) a rigid handle attached to said base at a first location and generally extending upwardly from said base when attached to said base at said first location; and (c) a collapsible container subassembly including collapsible walls; (d) wherein said base defines a container receiving recess within which a bottom portion of said collapsible container subassembly is received for coupling said collapsible container subassembly to said base; (e) wherein said handle is removably attached to said base such that said handle is detachable and removable from said base; and (f) wherein said base is configured to receive and retain said handle at a second location when said handle is detached from said base at said first location, said handle generally extending horizontally relative to said base when attached at said second location; (g) wherein, (i) when the portable cooler assembly is in a first configuration, said collapsible walls extend outwardly from the container receiving recess; and (ii) when the portable cooler assembly is in a second configuration, said collapsible walls are completely received within the container receiving recess in a collapsed condition; and (h) wherein said base includes a peripheral wall that at least partially defines the container receiving recess, and wherein at least a portion of said peripheral wall extends above said collapsible container subassembly when the portable cooler assembly is in the second configuration.