Patent ID: 8365944

Claim:
An expandable and collapsible cooler, comprising: (a) a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; (b) an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and (c) a collapsible cooler wall extending between and attached to said base and said upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler, the cooler wall comprising inner and outer flexible elastomeric membranes that each includes a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the cooler is transitional between an expanded configuration for use of the cooler, and a collapsed configuration during nonuse of the cooler, by bending along the hinge lines, each of the configurations corresponding to a stable configuration of the cooler; (d) wherein the upper rim comprises one or more handles for lifting of the cooler; (e) wherein, when the inner and outer flexible elastomeric membranes are in their respective expanded configurations, the outer flexible elastomeric membrane surrounds the inner elastomeric membrane such that the inner and outer elastomeric membranes define an intermediate space therebetween for insulating the interior storage space from an exterior of the cooler; (f) wherein the cooler further comprises one or more openings in the upper rim through which access is provided to the intermediate space defined between the inner and outer flexible elastomeric membranes, and which cause the intermediate space to be open to external air flow, when the one or more openings are uncovered; and (g) wherein each of the flexible elastomeric membranes is self supporting such that the cooler can remain in the expanded configuration even when the one or more openings in the upper rim are uncovered.