Patent ID: 8317046

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 cooler wall extending between the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler; (d) wherein the cooler wall comprises an inner collapsible wall that extends between and is attached to the base and the upper rim; (e) wherein the cooler wall comprises an outer collapsible wall that extends between and is attached to the base and the upper rim; (f) wherein each of the inner and outer collapsible walls comprises a flexible elastomeric membrane formed of silicone rubber that includes a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between a respective collapsed configuration and a respective expanded configuration, each hinge line of the plurality of the hinge lines being generally less thick than other portions of the membrane; (g) wherein the outer collapsible wall surrounds the inner collapsible wall such that the inner and outer collapsible walls define an intermediate space therebetween for insulating the interior storage space of the cooler from an exterior of the cooler; (h) 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 of the membranes of the inner and outer collapsible walls along the respective hinge lines, each of the configurations corresponding to a stable configuration of the cooler; (i) 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 collapsible walls, and which cause the intermediate space to be open to external air flow, when the one or more openings are uncovered; and (j) wherein the cooler includes a lid sized and dimensioned to extend over both a top of the interior storage space and each of the one or more upper rim openings.