AU730298B2 - Storage device - Google Patents

Description

rEIVuIJ I Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: STORAGE DEVICE Applicant: JOSEPHINE HAWKINS the best method of performing it known to me: C:%WIN(VO0ROULONAWORK'MMHCV477678.DOC -2- STORAGE DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a storage device for the storage and/or transport of food, drink, medication and/or other goods which are required to be kept at or close to a desired temperature or within a temperature range. The invention is particularly concerned with portable storage devices for food and/or drink, especially those for keeping the food or drink at a temperature below the ambient temperature, commonly known as "coolers". While the following description concentrates on coolers, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are a number of portable coolers for the storage and transport of food and drink presently commercially available. The most common type of cooler is of the form comprising a moulded plastics box with insulated walls and base and a detachable top-opening lid. An example of such a cooler is that sold 20 under the trademark ESKY (Nylex Corporation Limited). This type of cooler is useful principally in the portable storage and/or transport of drinks in bottles or S. cans and of some food items. However, because the cooler is top-opening, it is often necessary to stack all drink and food items on top of each other in order to accommodate all items in a single cooler. This can be undesirable as it can lead 25 to the food and/or drink items at the bottom of the cooler being deformed, damaged or squashed by the weight of food and/or drink items on top.

Alternatively, a cooler may need to be dedicated to a single food or drink item, (such as a cake) in order to avoid damage from other overlying items. However, this solution is also disadvantageous, because a large portion of the space inside the cooler cannot be utilised. There is accordingly a need for a cooler which overcomes, or at least alleviates, one or more of the above disadvantages.

LG C:AWMWvOROLISAWORKlPO4731. OC SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a portable storage device, able to be carried by hand or across the shoulder using a shoulder strap, for storage of items at, or close to, a predetermined temperature or within a predetermined temperature range said temperature or temperature range being effected non-mechanically, including: S a housing having a chamber for storing said items therein and including one or more insulated walls; a closeable opening in said housing through which said items are receivable; and means inside said chamber for accommodating one or more support members, each support member comprising a shelf wherein the means for accommodating the or each shelf comprises a pair of channels provided in opposing side walls of said chamber and respective lateral edges of said shelf 15 are slidably receivable in said channels; wherein the or each support member includes at least one hollow flat S*container for receiving therein a coolant or a heated fluid by which said predetermined temperature or temperature range is effected.

.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferably, the walls of the housing are insulated so as to assist in maintaining the interior temperature at or close to the desired value or range.

While the principle function of the storage device of the invention is, as a cooler, i.e. to maintain a low interior temperature below ambient), clearly it can also be used to maintain a high interior temperature. Such a function would be 25 desirable in the storage and/or transport of hot food items for example the o• delivering of pizzas, hot pies or other hot foods or drinks.

The housing is typically substantially box-shaped with the top, base and sides being of a double-walled construction and having insulating material between the two walls. Typically, the housing comprises a moulded plastics casing, such as a casing made from polyethylene and/or polypropylene. Where the storage device is intended for storage of food and/or drink at least the interior of the housing should preferably be constructed from food-grade plastics material. The insulation material between the two walls may comprise -A polyurethane.

W:\mary\MMHNODEL\52678-98.doc 3a The storage device of course must include an opening through which the goods to be stored therein can be received. Typically, the opening is provided by the absence of one wall of the housing, preferably a side wall. The opening is closeable by any suitable closing means. Preferably, the opening is closed by a panel or a hinged door. Preferably, the closing means can be secured in its shut position to enable safe transport of the goods inside the storage device.

The e *o o -4detachable panel or hinged door may also be constructed from moulded plastics material. Desirably, the panel or door may be of double-walled construction with insulation between the two walls. This minimises transfer of heat across the door or panel and thereby assists in maintaining the desired temperature inside the cooler.

Inside the storage device of the invention there is typically one or more support members for supporting food, drink or other items in a raised position above the base of the chamber. Preferably, the one or more support members comprises shelves adapted for engagement with one or more side walls of the chamber. Preferably the respective lateral edges of a shelf are slidably receivable in channels provided in opposing chamber walls. More preferably, opposite side walls of the chamber are provided with a plurality of pairs of channels, each pair located at a different vertical height, so that the height of the shelf or shelves can be adjusted.

*•15 Accordingly, the inventive cooler includes means within the chamber for accommodation of one or more support members, such as shelves above the bottom of the chamber. This feature enables the interior space above a food or drink item provided on the bottom wall of the chamber to be efficiently used, by placing any additional food or drink item/s on the support member.

The fact that the support members can be removed from the interior of the chamber enhances the versatility of the storage device making available the )entire interior space of the cooler in order to accommodate larger items.

In a preferred embodiment of the storage device the support members are hollow flat containers for receiving a coolant. The coolant is typically a cooling 25 fluid which can simply be water introduced into the container through a sealable opening in the container wall. Alternatively, the coolant may comprise a cooling fluid other than water, such as cooling gels or liquids sold under the trade marks REFREEZE ICE (Nylex Corporation Limited) or FREEZER BRICK (Willow). The coolant containing support members can be stored in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator before use, then inserted as shelves in the cooler of the invention. The coolant containing shelves therefore assist in keeping the interior of the cooler at the desired low temperature. This is advantageous in that the LG C:WINWORDOLtSAWORKPO4731.DOC coolant containing shelves obviate the need for ice or other cooling means which in turn ensures that the space available for food or drink items is maximised.

Preferably each coolant containing shelf is foldable, collapsible or otherwise manipulable into one or more smaller components of a more convenient or practical size to be accommodated in a freezer or elsewhere. The shelf may consist of two or more adjacent coolant containing containers hinged together.

With the shelf removed from the cooler, the shelf can be folded at the hinges to give a more compact size for freezing.

In an alternative embodiment of the storage device, the support members provide heat or assist in retaining heat in the chamber. This can be done by making the support members from a heat retentive material, such as ceramic material, and possibly also preheating the support members prior to use.

Alternatively, the support members may be hollow containers which can be filled 15 with hot water or some other heated fluid prior to use.

a In a further embodiment, the support members contain a fluid or gel such as the gel in cold/hot packs sold under the name LEUKO and manufactured by Cramer Products Inc. for Beiersdorf Australia Ltd. Support members containing that gel can be either heated, such as by immersion in hot water, or cooled, such 20 as by refrigeration, prior to use in the storagedevice.

"The cooler also preferably includes one or more handles and/or shoulder straps to assist in its transport. The shoulder strap may pass over the outside of the closing member, thereby assisting in securing the closing member in its shut position. Typically, a shoulder strap is employed on relatively small storage devices, as it can be impractical to attempt to carry a large storage device on one's shoulder. Relatively larger storage devices normally have one or more carry handles located on the top and/or side walls of the storage device.

The storage device is preferably side-opening instead of top-opening in order to allow easier access to food and/or drink items on the various shelves in the cooler. Clearly, a side opening cooler enables selective placement on or removal from shelves which would not be possible in a top opening cooler.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooler is designed to be useable in a top-opening orientation as well as a side-opening orientation. This LG C:%WNWORD LISAWORKPO4731.DOC -6feature further enhances the versatility of the cooler, as it enables the cooler to function as a conventional cooler, which may be required, for example, when efficient usage of vertical space is not an issue and/or access from above to items contained in the cooler is required. When used in the top-opening orientation, the shelves can be removed. Alternatively, the shelves may be retained as vertical partitions to separate items in the cooler, and may contain temperature regulating fluid in order to keep the items in the cooler at the required temperature. In this embodiment, it may be desirable to have two handles and/or carry straps: one for each of the top-opening or side opening orientation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention can be more readily understood, non-limiting embodiments thereof now are described with reference to the accompanying 0015 drawings, in which: :°00oo Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cooler according to the present invention; 0. .Figure 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a shelf for use in the cooler shown in Figure 1.

0 .0 Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken across II1-111I of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cooler according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a shelf for use in the cooler shown in Figure 4.

25 In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Figure 1 shows a storage device comprising a cooler indicated generally at including a housing 12 having insulated side walls 14a, 14b and 14c, insulated top wall 16 and insulated base wall 18, together defining an inner chamber The cooler 10 has a front opening 22 which is closeable by a door 24. The door 24 is detachably hinged to the housing 12 at the front edge 26 of the base wall 18. On the inner surface 28 of the door 24 is provided a sealing means comprising a sealing gasket 32. When the door 24 is closed, the sealing gasket 32 is pressed against the peripheral surface 34 of the housing 12 surrounding the LG C:WINWOfDLISAVWORIPO4731.0O -7front opening 22, thereby providing a seal between the inner chamber 20 and exterior atmosphere. The sealing gasket 32 therefore assists in maintaining the temperature of the inner chamber 20 at or close to the desired value or range.

With the door 24 in its open position (shown), and either attached or detached from the housing 12, the inner surface 28 of the door 24 may be used as a serving tray or plate. In such a case, the sealing gasket 32 acts as a barrier to retain food or drink on the surface 28 of the door 24.

Provided inside said inner chamber 20 are means 36 for accommodating one or more support members 38. The support member accommodating means 36 comprise a plurality of opposing pairs of laterally extending C-shaped channels or tracks 40 provided on the inner surface of opposing side walls 14a and 14b.

The tracks 40 have a cross sectional shape adapted to receive and retain the lateral edges 42a and 42b of the support members 38.

Each support member 38 functions as a shelf 39 comprising two flat, 15 rectangular hollow containers 44 and 46 (Figure 2) which are hinged together along two adjacent edges 44a and 46a thereof. Along each distal edge 44b and 46b of the respective containers 44 and 46 is provided the flanges 42a, 42b :•.•:shaped and sized to be slidably received in one of an opposing pair of tracks When not in use as a shelf 39, the support member 38 can be removed from the 20 housing 12 and may be folded about or disassembled at the two adjacent edges 44a and 46a, to produce more conveniently sized container(s) for storage.

Figure 3 shows a partial cross-section of the housing 12 taken along Il-Ill1 of Figure 1. In Figure 3, details of the internal construction of the housing walls, represented by side wall 14a, and of the support member 38 are given.

25 The internal construction of all housing walls, represented in Figure 3 by the side wall 14a is of a double walled type with inner wall 50 separated from outer wall 52 by a layer of thermal insulation 54. At least the inner wall 50 should be constructed from a food grade plastics material such as food-grade polyethylene or polypropylene. The thermal insulation 54 comprises polyurethane.

Moulded into the inner wall 50 of the housing 12 are a number of C-shaped channels 40 which act as tracks for slidably receiving and retaining lateral flanges 42a of the support members 38. As shown in phantom in Figure 3, the fact that there are a number of channels 40 provided at different levels in the inner wall LG C:WhNWOROULtSA WORKWPO4731.DOC -8enables the height of support member 38 to be adjustable to accommodate food and/or drink items of varying sizes.

Figure 3 also shows the cross-sectional detail of the rectangular, flat, hollow container 44. The container 44 may be constructed from any food grade material, such as a food-grade plastics material. It may be filled with any suitable fluid of an appropriate temperature in order to assist in maintaining the desired temperature range inside the chamber 20. One or each of the containers 44, 46 can include a sealable inlet (not shown) through which water can be introduced.

The water containing container 44 can then be placed in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator in order to freeze the water into ice prior to placement of the support member 38, into the chamber 20. In that case, one or each of the containers 44, 46 preferably include an indicator to show the maximum volume of water that can be added to the container, so as to prevent cracking of the container due to expansion of ice. However, alternatively, one or 15 each of the containers 44, 46 can contain a commercial cooling liquid or gel, such as those sold under the trademarks REFREEZE ICE (Nylex Corporation Limited) or FREEZER BRICK (Willow).

9.

:°.*.Figure 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a cooler according to the invention, indicated generally at 110. The second embodiment is of essentially 20 the same construction as the first embodiment, cooler 10, with the following differences.

In Figure 4 the cooler 110 includes a recess 154 provided in the inner surface 118a of the base wall 118. The recess 154 is sized and shaped to accommodate a coolant-containing receptacle (not shown), such as 25 commercially available "ice bricks".

The door 128 of cooler 110 is detachably hinged to the housing 112 at the side wall 114b.

Figure 5 illustrates in detail a second embodiment of a support member 138. The support member 138 differs from the support member 38 illustrated in Figure 2 by comprising a single flat rectangular hollow container 145, instead of comprising two containers hinged together.

Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the construction and arrangements of LG C: ~WINWORDiJSAWORKPO4731.DOC -9parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

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Claims (14)

1. A portable storage device, able to be carried by hand or across the shoulder using a shoulder strap, for storage of items at, or close to, a predetermined temperature or within a predetermined temperature range said temperature or temperature range being effected non-mechanically, including: a housing having a chamber for storing said items therein and including one or more insulated walls; a closeable opening in said housing through which said items are receivable; and means inside said chamber for accommodating one or more support members, each support member comprising a shelf wherein the means for accommodating the or each shelf comprises a pair of channels provided in opposing side walls of said chamber and respective lateral edges of said shelf 15 are slidably receivable in said channels; wherein the or each support member includes at least one hollow flat container for receiving therein a coolant or a heated fluid by which said predetermined temperature or temperature range is effected. 0

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each said insulated wall includes an inner :and an outer surface having insulating material provided therebetween. oooo

3. The device of any preceding claim, wherein said opening is provided by the complete or partial absence of a side wall of said housing and is closeable 25 by a detachable panel or hinged door.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said detachable panel or hinged door is also insulated.

5. The device of claim 3 or 4, wherein with said detachable panel or hinged door in its open position, the inner surface thereof forms a serving tray or plate.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said inner surface of the panel or door is provided with a sealing gasket for providing a seal between the housing and W:\mary\MMHNODEL\52678-98.doc 11 said panel or door when closed, said gasket forming a barrier for retaining items on the inner surface of the panel or door when in its open position.

7. The device of any preceding claim, wherein said opposing side walls are provided with a plurality of pairs of channels with each said pair located at a different vertical height.

8. The device of any preceding claim, wherein said coolant is selected from water and cooling gels or liquids sold under the trade marks REFREEZE ICE (Nylex Corporation Limited), FREEZER BRICK (Willow) and LEUKO (Beiersdorf Australia Ltd).

9. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the or each said support member comprises two or more hollow flat containers hingedly connectable together. o..

10. The device of any preceding claim, further including a first carrying means, for carrying said device in a side opening orientation and a second carrying means, for carrying said device in a top opening orientation.

11. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the inner surface of said housing has one or more recesses therein for receiving temperature regulating means. 25

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said temperature regulating means is a S* coolant-containing receptacle.

13. A portable storage device for storage of items at, or close to, a predetermined temperature or within a predetermined temperature range, W:\maryWMMHNODELW52678-98.doc 12 substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the accompanying drawings. DATED:

14 December 2000 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent Attorneys for: JOSEPHINE HAWKINS S e o S** *g oo**